In our preschool classroom, we’ve been working on a special project to help our students think more deeply about how to take care of themselves, animals, and the world around them. Using a thinking routine called “I used to think, now I think,” we encouraged the children to reflect on their initial ideas and explore how those ideas could grow. This approach has been a wonderful way to engage young minds and introduce them to important lessons about responsibility and kindness.
At the start, many of our students shared simple thoughts, like taking care of ourselves means eating healthy or caring for animals means feeding our pets. Through interactive discussions and activities, we helped them expand these ideas. Together, we learned that caring for ourselves also involves resting, staying active, and understanding our feelings. We also explored how we can protect animals—not just by being gentle with our pets, but by thinking about wildlife and their habitats. When it came to nature, we moved beyond picking up trash to talking about ways we can reduce waste, conserve water, and recycle to help protect our planet.
By the end of this routine, we noticed a real shift in the students’ thinking. They now understand that caring for themselves is connected to how they treat animals and the environment. Through activities like these, we hope to inspire a lifelong love of learning and a strong sense of responsibility in every child.
