“My greatest skill in life was wanting but little.”  

–Henry David Thoreau

Here’s an old journal entry I wrote when I was student-teaching in a second grade class with Mehrnoosh Watson, a master teacher who had a profound influence on me. I’ve been reflecting more recently on the value of children’s play (something I do a lot) and it seems to me that play is not only a cognitive imperative but a moral one, too.

Reflections from a Second Grade Classroom

How do teachers integrate moral lessons in daily teaching practice?  Many teachers ignore the subject altogether, arguing that it has little role in the academic life of a child.  Other teachers focus their moral teachings on fair play on the playground or teaching children to take turns.  Sometimes a holiday or assembly comes up and there is a brief flurry of activity around moral issues.  In the school…