Toothpaste Words

On the second day of school, we did an experiment where the students had to observe how quickly toothpaste comes out of the tube but how difficult it is to put back in. While the experiment was a lot of fun, the concept it represents is not as enjoyable. We discussed how sometimes our words just slip out easily (like the toothpaste coming out of the tube) but they are impossible to take back (just as it is impossible to put the toothpaste back into the tube). Therefore, we need to be careful to choose our words wisely. After the experiment, we developed a list of toothpaste words and phrases that we should avoid saying because they might hurt others, and they are impossible to take back. We followed up the activity by reading My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook. This story tells about a boy who struggles with interrupting others because he claims the words just erupt like a volcano from his mouth. One day in school when it is his turn to share, he gets interrupted twice and suddenly he understands why it is so important to not interrupt. This teaches the students about seeing things from other people's perspective and understanding that if they wouldn't like someone to do that to them, they shouldn't do it to others.