Teaching, in a very different setting

This past week, I got to spend with my nephew. Granted he does live with me and I am blessed in that way because I do get to see him often. However, this past week was unique in that it was our first week long "adventure" together. His mother was off on vacation to meet her boyfriend's family. After thinking about the week carefully, I decided not to send him to day care. I thought I could provide enriching and educational experiences for him and did not want to spend my hard earned dollars on gasoline to drive him back and forth.

We visited with my mom, picked fruits and vegetables at a local farm, went to the library, played in the yard, looked for slugs and worms, did puzzles, marble painting, used the playdough extensively, went to the beach, visited the zoo and ran a few errands. Over the course of the week, he became very interested in cloud formations so we spent a little time doing some research. He learned the first letter of his name and almost how to write it. He learned the first letter of my name, his uncle's name, and that M is for Mommy. He learned to listen to my rules (only after testing them a few times to make sure that I meant what I said). He learned that he can count on me to meet his needs. He is beginning to learn to say excuse me during conversations. Together, we came up with a manageable way to handle transistions using a timer.

I learned a few things too. I re-learned what a fantastic kid he is. I also relearned that it is so important to offer choices and stick to your limits. I learned so much about what he knows of this world and how he thinks. I learned the importance of the saying "sleep when the child sleeps" and gained new appreciation for nap time. I also learned that my husband is fantastic and that we worked well as a team most of the time during this week. He was able to take the nephew outside while I set up a project indoors. He was able to manage the early mornings so I could have a few precious extra minutes of sleep. I gained new appreciation for my sister, and the other single parents in this world who actually do a good job at the most important job, being a parent.

I started thinking this week about background knowledge and what a child comes to school already knowing. Background knowledge is important for school success but the amount and quality of background knowledge students have when they enter school varies. Take the clouds for example. My nephew and I yesterday spent some time talking about clouds, doing some web research and then going outside to see what types of clouds we could find. He was so excited to learn about the clouds and had so many questions. When we talk about the weather at school and I point out clouds to the children, many of them act as though they have never seen a cloud before. Yet most of the students in my classroom will be a year older than my nephew. Its not to say they come into school knowing NOTHING, just different things.

For example, I am always amazed when students recognize brand names of cars, sneakers and clothing. For some of my students, this is their background knowledge. The question is, how to turn this knowledge into a thirst for other knowledge, how to relate their knowledge to academic interests and subjects?

Let me not get too carried away, it is after all summer. I enjoyed my week with my nephew we both learned a lot.