Bucket Update

Here's an update on my bucket filler/dipper blog from several weeks ago. It's a great story, and I offer a salute to fine teachers everywhere!

In the original post on January 14, I told how my grandson had come home from school saying that some people are bucket-dippers, and some are bucket-fillers. His teacher had said when someone says or does mean things, they're a bucket-dipper; they're trying to empty someone else's bucket so they can fill up their own. But they can't fill up their own bucket that way; it just makes their bucket empty. When someone is a bucket-filler, they do nice things. They try to fill up other people's buckets, but they're really filling up their own bucket, too. Being nice is the way to fill up your bucket.

His teacher is Mrs. Angela Jackson who teaches first grade at Glenwood Elementary School. My grandson continues to talk about "bucket filling," so I asked Mrs. Jackson what she's doing in her classroom, and she gave me the following update:

"We talk quite often about being a 'bucket-filler' or a 'bucket-dipper.' I know some things do not need extrinsic rewards but I decided to reward this behavior in hopes that the students will continue praising each other, helping each other and respecting each other. I have a 'bucket' and 'bucket-filler' tickets. if 'Joe' is reading and 'Sam' tells him 'Good job,' then Joe can get a bucket-filler ticket and write down, 'Sam told me I did a good job reading.' Then Joe places it in the bucket, and on Friday I draw one ticket out and read the winning ticket to the class. Then, both students get a prize, Sam for being a bucket-filler and Joe for filling out the bucket-filler ticket because, in essence, Joe filled Sam's bucket by nominating him.

"I have had some students fill out lots of tickets just hoping they will get a prize, but I can tell which ones are sincere and which ones aren't. It has definitely made a difference in my classroom. In case your readers want to know, the book is called 'Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids' by Carol McCloud."

Even though our system of education definitely needs fixing, whatever problems there are, the problems have not been created by the many wonderful teachers doing an excellent job every day in classrooms all around the country. Teacher's Appreciation Week is May 3-7, but you don't have to wait until then to tell a teacher how grateful you are for all they do. Thanks Mrs. Jackson!