My para, a.k.a Ms. S is out for another 7 more school days for some sort of personal/ life situation that came up. No fault of her own, life stuff happens and I get that. Even though she announced her absence on Monday and today is Thursday, I still don't have the coverage that I am supposed to have. Granted, I had some help for an hour or so on Tuesday and I had the speech therapist assist me at dismissal and that was wonderful. I am grateful for help. Yesterday we had no school.
That brings us to today. All of the students are here with seemingly more energy than usual. I have no assistant today. I needed to send a note to the office to get lunch coverage. A parent came in demanding that I fill out two sets of assessments that are due today. He wanted to pick them up at 11 and I explained that I was working by myself and that they would not possibly be ready. So he shows up at 11, wondering where they are.
Then I need to go to remind the assistant principal that I need help at dismissal. I cannot stand with both the walkers and the bus students since they go to different places at opposite ends of the school. Nor can I leave one group of students by themselves. She looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language.
I am honestly not trying to whine, even though it may sound that way. Teaching of and in itself is a hard enough job but then when there are all these other struggles, it is simply overwhelming. And then there is this nagging feeling that this is directly impacting the kids. I feel as if I am not giving them as good of an education.
My classroom is designed on the idea that there are two adults there. Without Ms. S, I am dragging and struggling. I hate that it affects the children. Hopefully, tomorrow and in the coming school days I will be better able to adjust to these temporary working conditions.
The kids and I all miss you, Ms. S. Resolve whatever issue has happened and try to hurry back.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Snow day = sad kids?
Towards the end of the day yesterday, I told my students to check the news before they went to bed. I explained to them that it was going to snow and school might be closed because of the snow. Most of them like the snow, so I assumed that they would be excited, but when I looked around I saw quite a few sad faces staring back at me. I asked them about their sad faces and the said " We like school. We WANT to come to SCHOOL." I was touched by their words and immediately felt bad for being somewhat ambivalent about whether or not I wanted a snow day myself.
I mean honestly, I could use a day off as much as the next person. I am tired, I have a list of chores to do, etc. But then again I like June, the warm sunny weather and the beach a lot more than I like random days off in the middle of January. After talking with the kids though, all bets were off. They wanted to be at school, they did not want it to snow. It is the first time I have heard kids, other than my self, express this idea. When I was in elementary school, I loved school. I loved learning and reading and could never get enough.
At the end of the school day, several parents asked me if I had heard anything yet. I explained that I hadn't, that we would all hear about the same time. I told them how to sign up for text message alerts through the local news stations. I also told them that the district will make an automated phone call to all students and staff after informing the news station. Many of the parents I spoke to yesterday seemed anxious about the possibility of a snow day, but still it wasn't the same sadness that their children exhibited.
So, the question that begs asking is: what is the reason behind these emotions? For my students who are saddened by the possibility of a snow day: DO they love school and or learning so much that the thought of having a disruption to that process is unbearable for them? Is their home life so stressful or unpleasant that school is just a good place to go to escape? Maybe they don't particularly like school, but it is just better than being at home? Maybe they really enjoy spending time with their friends or feel as though they are going to miss something if they are not at school.
And what about their parents? Why so many anxious adults at the end of the day yesterday? Does a snow day mean that they will miss a day of work and therefore a day of pay? I would assume that would create some anxiety if money is already tight. Do the parents simply dislike snow? Is it hard for them to be at home with their children?
The answers remain unknown. Given the intense emotions of my students and their parents, I am hoping that remainder of the winter will be relatively uneventful. I am also uplifted and inspired by my students' comments about wanting to stay in school. It makes me want to stay in school, to work hard to continue to inspire a love of learning inside each of them.
I mean honestly, I could use a day off as much as the next person. I am tired, I have a list of chores to do, etc. But then again I like June, the warm sunny weather and the beach a lot more than I like random days off in the middle of January. After talking with the kids though, all bets were off. They wanted to be at school, they did not want it to snow. It is the first time I have heard kids, other than my self, express this idea. When I was in elementary school, I loved school. I loved learning and reading and could never get enough.
At the end of the school day, several parents asked me if I had heard anything yet. I explained that I hadn't, that we would all hear about the same time. I told them how to sign up for text message alerts through the local news stations. I also told them that the district will make an automated phone call to all students and staff after informing the news station. Many of the parents I spoke to yesterday seemed anxious about the possibility of a snow day, but still it wasn't the same sadness that their children exhibited.
So, the question that begs asking is: what is the reason behind these emotions? For my students who are saddened by the possibility of a snow day: DO they love school and or learning so much that the thought of having a disruption to that process is unbearable for them? Is their home life so stressful or unpleasant that school is just a good place to go to escape? Maybe they don't particularly like school, but it is just better than being at home? Maybe they really enjoy spending time with their friends or feel as though they are going to miss something if they are not at school.
And what about their parents? Why so many anxious adults at the end of the day yesterday? Does a snow day mean that they will miss a day of work and therefore a day of pay? I would assume that would create some anxiety if money is already tight. Do the parents simply dislike snow? Is it hard for them to be at home with their children?
The answers remain unknown. Given the intense emotions of my students and their parents, I am hoping that remainder of the winter will be relatively uneventful. I am also uplifted and inspired by my students' comments about wanting to stay in school. It makes me want to stay in school, to work hard to continue to inspire a love of learning inside each of them.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Mr. President
My students and, I suspect, their families, are very excited about Mr. Obama's inauguration. Many teachers in my building used personal time to travel down to DC to be there. One of my students stayed at home with her family to watch history being made. At three, four, and five, they certainly don't know that history is in fact being made. They do know that a lot of people are excited and they are too. They do know that Obama was on television and many of them appeared to have seen the Obamas' first presidential dance.
On Wednesday, I brought in several newspapers. All of the students wanted their own newspaper and they worked hard to share the ones I had. They spent much of the morning looking through the newspapers and trying to find all of the pictures they could of Obama. They tried to compare the pictures in the different newspapers to see if any of them were the same.
Without further ado, here is a smattering of their thoughts and questions:
N: Barack Obama is our president now. That is cool!
S: I saw Obama dance with his wife. That was beautiful
I: Mrs K1 teacher, do you have lunch with Rock Obama? Does he go to your house
D: He is the first brown person to be president
S: Yeah, he is also a dad. He plays with the kids too.
E: Will he ever come to our school? I want to meet him.
I: He is gonna fix things
L: IS Barack Obama still the president?
They had so many other things to say as well, but that is what sticks out in mind the most right now. They are quite fascinated with him and he is a wonderful role model for them. During freeze dancing and musical chairs this week, they started chanting "O- BA - MA. O-Ba-MA, O-BA-MA!" ( Hooray for being able to break a part words into syllables)
On Wednesday, I brought in several newspapers. All of the students wanted their own newspaper and they worked hard to share the ones I had. They spent much of the morning looking through the newspapers and trying to find all of the pictures they could of Obama. They tried to compare the pictures in the different newspapers to see if any of them were the same.
Without further ado, here is a smattering of their thoughts and questions:
N: Barack Obama is our president now. That is cool!
S: I saw Obama dance with his wife. That was beautiful
I: Mrs K1 teacher, do you have lunch with Rock Obama? Does he go to your house
D: He is the first brown person to be president
S: Yeah, he is also a dad. He plays with the kids too.
E: Will he ever come to our school? I want to meet him.
I: He is gonna fix things
L: IS Barack Obama still the president?
They had so many other things to say as well, but that is what sticks out in mind the most right now. They are quite fascinated with him and he is a wonderful role model for them. During freeze dancing and musical chairs this week, they started chanting "O- BA - MA. O-Ba-MA, O-BA-MA!" ( Hooray for being able to break a part words into syllables)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
It wasn't that bad
This morning I was up before the alarm and my brain was in high gear. As is typical for me, I was over thinking and over worrying. What if this... did I do....how about if I....maybe I should.... None of these thoughts were in my control, especially not at 5am. When I finally got t school, I made self stop and look at my room from an outsiders point of view. I sat down and tried to take a few breaths. I then made a list of ten things that "needed" to be done and proceeded to freak out because I did not have time to accomplish all of them. I narrowed it down to three things that I knew I could do well before school started.
My principal came down about 30 minutes after Mr. Director was supposed to arrive to inform me that he hadn't seen Mr. Director. Minus points for him in my book. I strongly value punctuality. I did hear someone speak in September who made me think about that a little, but still. In a school setting we encourage the parents to bring the kids to school on time. As teachers many of us arrive earlier than we need to do. A person with such a serious title and responsibility as Mr. Director should be setting an example to himself. But it was center time, my children were in various locations around the room, all of them seeming to need or want my attention or assistance, so I did not dwell too much on the topic of the lateness. Thanks to the wonderful children for just being themselves.
A short while later, Mr. Director arrived. Since it was still center time, I was slightly distracted when he entered the room. When I had finished my conversation with the child I was working with, I went over and introduced myself. I noticed and was impressed by the fact that he was NOT wearing a suit. A suit is not the right attire for an early childhood classroom. We chatted briefly about the demographics of the classroom. He walked around and jotted little notes. He chatted with some of my students about what they were working on. He and I talked again and he asked me how I felt about the curriculum and how I thought it worked in a multi-aged setting. He asked me what I needed from the early childhood department and if there was anything I wanted to tell him specifically.
What an opportunity! I had a chance to speak to the director of early childhood for the entire district and he was asking me some very interesting questions. I gave the best answers I could in between adding more paint to the easel area, adding more paper for birthday card making at the art area, and helping children at the water table melt ice by spray warm water on it. The kids obviously need to come first, but I just wish I had been clearer and more precise when I did talk to him. It is so hard to have serious, in depth conversation with adults while trying to support my students and their learning. Ms. S, aka super para, suggested I email him to reiterate my main points. What a fantastic idea. During my lunch period I jotted down what I had wanted to say to him and then typed an email to him during my prep period.
I thanked him for visiting and explained what I didn't think I was clear on. He actually wrote me back and thanked me for letting him observe. He said that he wants to support me and the critical work that I am doing. He also asked if I was certified in early childhood education and where I went to school because he noticed that a lot of "things in the classroom looked right".
All in all, I would say that it was a successful visit and follow-up email. Thanks to Christine J and Beth for the comments with words of encouragement and support. Thanks to Ms. S for putting up with me day in and day out through all the silliness and burst of energy and for reassuring me this morning that I had nothing to be nervous about.
My principal came down about 30 minutes after Mr. Director was supposed to arrive to inform me that he hadn't seen Mr. Director. Minus points for him in my book. I strongly value punctuality. I did hear someone speak in September who made me think about that a little, but still. In a school setting we encourage the parents to bring the kids to school on time. As teachers many of us arrive earlier than we need to do. A person with such a serious title and responsibility as Mr. Director should be setting an example to himself. But it was center time, my children were in various locations around the room, all of them seeming to need or want my attention or assistance, so I did not dwell too much on the topic of the lateness. Thanks to the wonderful children for just being themselves.
A short while later, Mr. Director arrived. Since it was still center time, I was slightly distracted when he entered the room. When I had finished my conversation with the child I was working with, I went over and introduced myself. I noticed and was impressed by the fact that he was NOT wearing a suit. A suit is not the right attire for an early childhood classroom. We chatted briefly about the demographics of the classroom. He walked around and jotted little notes. He chatted with some of my students about what they were working on. He and I talked again and he asked me how I felt about the curriculum and how I thought it worked in a multi-aged setting. He asked me what I needed from the early childhood department and if there was anything I wanted to tell him specifically.
What an opportunity! I had a chance to speak to the director of early childhood for the entire district and he was asking me some very interesting questions. I gave the best answers I could in between adding more paint to the easel area, adding more paper for birthday card making at the art area, and helping children at the water table melt ice by spray warm water on it. The kids obviously need to come first, but I just wish I had been clearer and more precise when I did talk to him. It is so hard to have serious, in depth conversation with adults while trying to support my students and their learning. Ms. S, aka super para, suggested I email him to reiterate my main points. What a fantastic idea. During my lunch period I jotted down what I had wanted to say to him and then typed an email to him during my prep period.
I thanked him for visiting and explained what I didn't think I was clear on. He actually wrote me back and thanked me for letting him observe. He said that he wants to support me and the critical work that I am doing. He also asked if I was certified in early childhood education and where I went to school because he noticed that a lot of "things in the classroom looked right".
All in all, I would say that it was a successful visit and follow-up email. Thanks to Christine J and Beth for the comments with words of encouragement and support. Thanks to Ms. S for putting up with me day in and day out through all the silliness and burst of energy and for reassuring me this morning that I had nothing to be nervous about.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Big day
The director of early childhood for the entire district is coming. Tomorrow. To our school. To my classroom. This is the first time since I have had this position that he has come to my classroom. I am not priviledged enough to know the reason for his visit, so that gets my imagination spinning a bit. I am a little nervous and will spend some extra trime today tidying up at the end of the day. I will work to file some papers that I have been meaning to file for a while. I will double check my plan book to make sure that it accurately reflects what I plan to do tomorrow and Friday.
I cannot change my teaching, my routines or expectations because of his visist. Nor can I make more closet space magically appear. All I can do is give it my best. I can try to tell my jitters that thats all they are, jitters. I can lead morning meeting with evidence of organization and preparation. I can enusre that all students have a chance to participate, but I do this on a normal basis anyways. So I will do my best to deliver high quality instruction in a slightly cleaner classroom.
Like I said earlier, I don't know the reason for his visit. I also don't know the length of his visit in my classroom or if I will have a chance to talk with him after. Only time will tell, and jitters will pass.
Jitters will pass
I cannot change my teaching, my routines or expectations because of his visist. Nor can I make more closet space magically appear. All I can do is give it my best. I can try to tell my jitters that thats all they are, jitters. I can lead morning meeting with evidence of organization and preparation. I can enusre that all students have a chance to participate, but I do this on a normal basis anyways. So I will do my best to deliver high quality instruction in a slightly cleaner classroom.
Like I said earlier, I don't know the reason for his visit. I also don't know the length of his visit in my classroom or if I will have a chance to talk with him after. Only time will tell, and jitters will pass.
Jitters will pass
Thursday, January 15, 2009
An alternative to wage freezes
Like so many cities and towns around the country, the city where I work is facing enormous budget deficits for the coming year. The mayor is considering wage freezes. The schools are being asked to cut their budgets by 10-20%. That is pretty significant when you consider that there already is not enough money for basic school supplies like paper. The idea of wage freezes looks okay on paper but still doesn't guarantee that people won't be laid off.
Here is an alternate idea:
School headquarters is located in a really nice, really large building downtown. Many of the schools in the city will be closed as of the end of the school year due to low student enrollment and or poor performance indicators. Sell the big fancy building downtown which is in a prime location. The city will make a good chunk of money of the sale ,which can be used to balance the budget and hopefully generate a little extra money for the coming years. People who work in the downtown building can be relocated to one of the soon to be empty school buildings. If those buildings are good enough to send the children to, they ought to be good enough for the higher level management types of people to work in.
Here is an alternate idea:
School headquarters is located in a really nice, really large building downtown. Many of the schools in the city will be closed as of the end of the school year due to low student enrollment and or poor performance indicators. Sell the big fancy building downtown which is in a prime location. The city will make a good chunk of money of the sale ,which can be used to balance the budget and hopefully generate a little extra money for the coming years. People who work in the downtown building can be relocated to one of the soon to be empty school buildings. If those buildings are good enough to send the children to, they ought to be good enough for the higher level management types of people to work in.
Monday, January 12, 2009
It's not the kids...
It's all the other adults that are in an around a school building.
For starters the custodian started the snow-blower this morning in the basement. For those of you may not know, my classroom, the space where I must teach and children try to learn for 6 hours a day, is in the basement. So it reeked of exhaust for most of the day. A parent dropped off her cherub and complained to the principal that I had the window open. The principal then told me to close the window, despite being aware of the exhaust situation.
Then I had to take a child to the nurse for some yucky possibly infectious mark on one of my students. She asked the student what happened and all he was able to do was point to the mark in question. She told me to ask him what happened and he responded the same way. They nurse then let me know that she couldn't possibly treat him if he couldn't communicate what the problem was. Considering his extremely young age and his disability, how would she have liked him to communicate the cause or reason for this injury?
And as if two incidences of annoying adult behavior are not enough for one day, there is yet another. I understand that "times are tight" and budgets need to be cut. I understand that schools are unfortunately not exempt from these tight, budget cutting times. So in order to save money the principal announced late in the day a "revised cleaning schedule". Basically the rooms on the first floor will get cleaned Mondays and Wednesdays and the rooms on the second floor will get cleaned on Tuesdays and Thursdays and all rooms will be mopped on Fridays. And we come back to the issue of the basement. When exactly will the basement be cleaned? Not just my room, but the other classrooms in the basement, the cafeteria, library, therapy rooms, and the bathroom? We have had a pest problem at least as long as I have been working there. At least half of the students in the school have to eat lunch in their classrooms every single day. Some kids, including mine, eat breakfast AND lunch in their classroom every day. Even though I do my best to clean each day, I am sure I am not perfect and that the other teachers are not either. It would seem to me that in order to prevent pests and general nastiness, that no single area of the building should be left off the cleaning schedule.
Tomorrow is another day, possibly filled with saner adults
For starters the custodian started the snow-blower this morning in the basement. For those of you may not know, my classroom, the space where I must teach and children try to learn for 6 hours a day, is in the basement. So it reeked of exhaust for most of the day. A parent dropped off her cherub and complained to the principal that I had the window open. The principal then told me to close the window, despite being aware of the exhaust situation.
Then I had to take a child to the nurse for some yucky possibly infectious mark on one of my students. She asked the student what happened and all he was able to do was point to the mark in question. She told me to ask him what happened and he responded the same way. They nurse then let me know that she couldn't possibly treat him if he couldn't communicate what the problem was. Considering his extremely young age and his disability, how would she have liked him to communicate the cause or reason for this injury?
And as if two incidences of annoying adult behavior are not enough for one day, there is yet another. I understand that "times are tight" and budgets need to be cut. I understand that schools are unfortunately not exempt from these tight, budget cutting times. So in order to save money the principal announced late in the day a "revised cleaning schedule". Basically the rooms on the first floor will get cleaned Mondays and Wednesdays and the rooms on the second floor will get cleaned on Tuesdays and Thursdays and all rooms will be mopped on Fridays. And we come back to the issue of the basement. When exactly will the basement be cleaned? Not just my room, but the other classrooms in the basement, the cafeteria, library, therapy rooms, and the bathroom? We have had a pest problem at least as long as I have been working there. At least half of the students in the school have to eat lunch in their classrooms every single day. Some kids, including mine, eat breakfast AND lunch in their classroom every day. Even though I do my best to clean each day, I am sure I am not perfect and that the other teachers are not either. It would seem to me that in order to prevent pests and general nastiness, that no single area of the building should be left off the cleaning schedule.
Tomorrow is another day, possibly filled with saner adults
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Joy of Books
This past week, I was reminded once again of how important books can be to students.
I had two students who were creating roller coasters in the block area. They were working really hard, trying to figure out how to make a"loop de loop" with rectangular unit blocks. They were talking about how to make the cars go down the ramp faster, and how high the ramp needed to be in order to get the var to go upside down. They talked about roller coasters all day on Thursday, roller coasters they have been one, ones they have maybe seen on television, materials around the room they want to use next time they go to the block area.
Thursday night I made a trip to my local library to return some books that I had out for a while. After perusing the the new non- fiction books, I strolled over to the children's library to look for books that pertained to curriculum on wind and water. After using the online catalog and finding a few relevant and appropriate books, I had this feeling that I could do more, that I was forgetting something. And then, aha, I remembered the enthusiasm these two students had about roller coasters earlier in the day. I dashed over to the computer, typed in my search terms, and grabbed a book about roller coasters.
I went to school Friday eager to share the books I had chosen with the kids and especially curious to see how those two students would respond to the roller coaster book. They both looked at it excitedly during morning book look. They called me over and asked me to read certain parts of the book aloud to them (This book was a nonfiction text, with amazing photographs and very detailed text. The text was slightly beyond their level, but the "headlines in the book and photo captions provided a lot of information in shorter segments.) They took the book with them into the block area and used one of the photographs as a model for their work that day. Great, so those two kids know directly that there are books about almost any interest, and that they can learn things from books.
The excitement was contagious. Some of the other students wanted to know if I would look for specific library books for them too. Of course!
Happy reading and learning
I had two students who were creating roller coasters in the block area. They were working really hard, trying to figure out how to make a"loop de loop" with rectangular unit blocks. They were talking about how to make the cars go down the ramp faster, and how high the ramp needed to be in order to get the var to go upside down. They talked about roller coasters all day on Thursday, roller coasters they have been one, ones they have maybe seen on television, materials around the room they want to use next time they go to the block area.
Thursday night I made a trip to my local library to return some books that I had out for a while. After perusing the the new non- fiction books, I strolled over to the children's library to look for books that pertained to curriculum on wind and water. After using the online catalog and finding a few relevant and appropriate books, I had this feeling that I could do more, that I was forgetting something. And then, aha, I remembered the enthusiasm these two students had about roller coasters earlier in the day. I dashed over to the computer, typed in my search terms, and grabbed a book about roller coasters.
I went to school Friday eager to share the books I had chosen with the kids and especially curious to see how those two students would respond to the roller coaster book. They both looked at it excitedly during morning book look. They called me over and asked me to read certain parts of the book aloud to them (This book was a nonfiction text, with amazing photographs and very detailed text. The text was slightly beyond their level, but the "headlines in the book and photo captions provided a lot of information in shorter segments.) They took the book with them into the block area and used one of the photographs as a model for their work that day. Great, so those two kids know directly that there are books about almost any interest, and that they can learn things from books.
The excitement was contagious. Some of the other students wanted to know if I would look for specific library books for them too. Of course!
Happy reading and learning
Friday, January 9, 2009
The first week back
What a whirlwind. Being absent mid-week did not help. Going back Thursday with a vengeance and working really hard left me a bit tired today. The kids have adjusted fairly well to being back at school. As always they continue to amaze and inspire me more with each passing day.
One kid came to school with a tin of cookies and note from his mother, thanking me for my work with her child. She went on to say that she knows the cookies are not much but she did want to give us something. Such expressions from parents are rare and her note, written on a lined index card, will be treasured for years to come. The cookies were wonderful but the note was more than enough. Sometimes, usually on my bad, self-criticizing days, I wonder if anything I do all day long really matters. Then something like this thoughtful note comes along and snaps me out of my funk. While I like to hope that I am making a difference for all of my students, at least I KNOW for sure that I am making a difference to one child and his family. Knowing that my work matters, is helping this child in a way that is obvious to others besides myself, is a gift. So thank you, thank you wonderful child and wonderful mother.
Today was the rescheduled winter concert for my class. We sang 3 non-denominational songs: "I'm a little candle" (to the tune of the little teapot) "hats, sweaters, pants and boots" ( to the tune of head, shoulders knees and toes) and Skidamarink, which is a class favorite this year. The students had worked hard practicing the words and gestures that go with these songs. We had made costumes and had rehearsals. I did not want to let all of their hard work go to waste so we invited the parents to come this morning. I also invited the principal. Only two of the eleven families showed up. Would more have come if it was the day before vacation? I don't know, it is hard to say. I was very disappointed that principal did not make it though, as he had told me in the morning that he would be there. Regardless, the kids enjoyed giving a true performance with an audience, however small that audience may have been.
Some of the kids were nervous and stared at me the whole entire time for cues. Others seemed as if they were waiting for this moment. These were the kids were barely audible during our rehearsal, who wouldn't make eye contact and did not do many of the gestures that went along with the songs. For these few kids, this "concert" was there 15 minutes of fame. Quite literally. Suddenly they were the strongest singers in the bunch, full of animation and expression. Following the performance and some technical difficulties, the students and their parents watched a movie. The "movie" was a slide show of most of the photos that I have taken throughout the year set to upbeat music. The kids loved it because it was about their favorite topic, themselves. They were also excited to see pictures of things we had done together that were meaningful and enjoyable to them, but not in their immediate memory. All in all, it was a wonderful morning.
We are beginning our unit on wind and water. One of the science experiments is to have the children make predictions about what the air will move and what it will not. We tested several objects, including a balloon, a pencil, a small paper cup, a play dough cookie cutter, ribbon, construction paper and the basket that holds the crayons. I asked students why the air couldn't move the basket and here are some of their responses:
"The basket is funny"
"If we take the crayons out, maybe the air will move the basket when it doesn't have crayons"
"We need more air to move it. we don't have enough"
"the other things are littler"
Their answers were fairly sophisticated given their age and that this is the beginning of our unit. Their answers led to a discussion of air and weight. I cherish these moments, I value each opportunity where I am able to learn more about their thinking and how they are making sense of the world.
It was an exhausting but highly productive and successful first week back after a long break.
One kid came to school with a tin of cookies and note from his mother, thanking me for my work with her child. She went on to say that she knows the cookies are not much but she did want to give us something. Such expressions from parents are rare and her note, written on a lined index card, will be treasured for years to come. The cookies were wonderful but the note was more than enough. Sometimes, usually on my bad, self-criticizing days, I wonder if anything I do all day long really matters. Then something like this thoughtful note comes along and snaps me out of my funk. While I like to hope that I am making a difference for all of my students, at least I KNOW for sure that I am making a difference to one child and his family. Knowing that my work matters, is helping this child in a way that is obvious to others besides myself, is a gift. So thank you, thank you wonderful child and wonderful mother.
Today was the rescheduled winter concert for my class. We sang 3 non-denominational songs: "I'm a little candle" (to the tune of the little teapot) "hats, sweaters, pants and boots" ( to the tune of head, shoulders knees and toes) and Skidamarink, which is a class favorite this year. The students had worked hard practicing the words and gestures that go with these songs. We had made costumes and had rehearsals. I did not want to let all of their hard work go to waste so we invited the parents to come this morning. I also invited the principal. Only two of the eleven families showed up. Would more have come if it was the day before vacation? I don't know, it is hard to say. I was very disappointed that principal did not make it though, as he had told me in the morning that he would be there. Regardless, the kids enjoyed giving a true performance with an audience, however small that audience may have been.
Some of the kids were nervous and stared at me the whole entire time for cues. Others seemed as if they were waiting for this moment. These were the kids were barely audible during our rehearsal, who wouldn't make eye contact and did not do many of the gestures that went along with the songs. For these few kids, this "concert" was there 15 minutes of fame. Quite literally. Suddenly they were the strongest singers in the bunch, full of animation and expression. Following the performance and some technical difficulties, the students and their parents watched a movie. The "movie" was a slide show of most of the photos that I have taken throughout the year set to upbeat music. The kids loved it because it was about their favorite topic, themselves. They were also excited to see pictures of things we had done together that were meaningful and enjoyable to them, but not in their immediate memory. All in all, it was a wonderful morning.
We are beginning our unit on wind and water. One of the science experiments is to have the children make predictions about what the air will move and what it will not. We tested several objects, including a balloon, a pencil, a small paper cup, a play dough cookie cutter, ribbon, construction paper and the basket that holds the crayons. I asked students why the air couldn't move the basket and here are some of their responses:
"The basket is funny"
"If we take the crayons out, maybe the air will move the basket when it doesn't have crayons"
"We need more air to move it. we don't have enough"
"the other things are littler"
Their answers were fairly sophisticated given their age and that this is the beginning of our unit. Their answers led to a discussion of air and weight. I cherish these moments, I value each opportunity where I am able to learn more about their thinking and how they are making sense of the world.
It was an exhausting but highly productive and successful first week back after a long break.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sweet Reunions and tired teacher
Everyone made it in today. It was wonderful to see all of the kids today as there were low absences right before the break. It seems as though they grew up a lot in our relatively short time away from each other.
In general, I notice a greater awareness of letters in the environment and better understanding of letter- sound relationships. I notice students who came in knowing some sounds but unwilling or unable to commit that knowledge taking the risk, sounding out words and using inventive spelling to put their ideas on paper.
I notice kids who came in writing their name now are able to copy 3 whole sentences at once with little to no assistance. Kids who came to school unable to recognize their own name in print are recognizing and writing it.
Students in general are excited about books, and are very eager to go to the book area when they notice new books have been added. They notice more in general and have become such great observers. When we were going outside today to find a parcel of ground without too much ice on it, they noticed that there was considerably less snow than yesterday and that their foot prints had melted and other students had made other foot prints and that there was dog poo in the school yard ironically, right below the sign that said "No Dogs Allowed: Waste from animals transmits disease". At recess someone noticed that sun was "not reaching all of the snow in the corner. It cant melt. The sun is lazy".
They are more eager to learn than when school started in the fall and they already have learned so much in just a few months. In thinking about their progress thus far and feeling excited that I still have 6 more months to be their teacher , I am a little tired. Yesterday was rough as I had a hard time sleeping Sunday night. Sometimes, I still get a little case of back to school jitters. Sometimes I just think and think about the students and their families and doze off and wake up again and then before I know it is 4am. Today their energy and eagerness both inspired and exhausted me.
Early to bed
In general, I notice a greater awareness of letters in the environment and better understanding of letter- sound relationships. I notice students who came in knowing some sounds but unwilling or unable to commit that knowledge taking the risk, sounding out words and using inventive spelling to put their ideas on paper.
I notice kids who came in writing their name now are able to copy 3 whole sentences at once with little to no assistance. Kids who came to school unable to recognize their own name in print are recognizing and writing it.
Students in general are excited about books, and are very eager to go to the book area when they notice new books have been added. They notice more in general and have become such great observers. When we were going outside today to find a parcel of ground without too much ice on it, they noticed that there was considerably less snow than yesterday and that their foot prints had melted and other students had made other foot prints and that there was dog poo in the school yard ironically, right below the sign that said "No Dogs Allowed: Waste from animals transmits disease". At recess someone noticed that sun was "not reaching all of the snow in the corner. It cant melt. The sun is lazy".
They are more eager to learn than when school started in the fall and they already have learned so much in just a few months. In thinking about their progress thus far and feeling excited that I still have 6 more months to be their teacher , I am a little tired. Yesterday was rough as I had a hard time sleeping Sunday night. Sometimes, I still get a little case of back to school jitters. Sometimes I just think and think about the students and their families and doze off and wake up again and then before I know it is 4am. Today their energy and eagerness both inspired and exhausted me.
Early to bed
Monday, January 5, 2009
Missing some little friends and welcoming back others
Small numbers today, the first school day of the 2009. I am wondering what happened. Was the weather too bad this morning for some people? Did the students encounter problems with their transportation? Did the families know that school started today? Is someone sick? Hopefully, I will get in touch with people over the telephone and will be reunited with the students sooner rather than later.
The kids who are here seem both sleepy and excited at the same time. One of the students just stared at me this morning with wide eyes and and even wider smile. He did not say anything but the staring lasted for an unnaturally long time. Another student arrived with a belated holiday card in her hand in a bright white envelope with slightly tattered edges. The message was written by her mother wishing all of us a happy holiday season. Another student arrived eager to talk about her new shoes and what Santa brought her.
We spent some time reviewing the rules and discussing their vacation. I am always amazed when a student cannot recall one single event that happened over a 2 week period. I know students at this age have difficulties understanding time and retelling things from the past, but I still posed the question to them anyways. A lot of them were able to answer, but one student actually said "nothing". When she was asked further questions, she still said that she did nothing. As the morning wore on, their energy slowly dissipated. Most were hungry well before lunch and all slept soundly during rest period.
Happy 2009!
The kids who are here seem both sleepy and excited at the same time. One of the students just stared at me this morning with wide eyes and and even wider smile. He did not say anything but the staring lasted for an unnaturally long time. Another student arrived with a belated holiday card in her hand in a bright white envelope with slightly tattered edges. The message was written by her mother wishing all of us a happy holiday season. Another student arrived eager to talk about her new shoes and what Santa brought her.
We spent some time reviewing the rules and discussing their vacation. I am always amazed when a student cannot recall one single event that happened over a 2 week period. I know students at this age have difficulties understanding time and retelling things from the past, but I still posed the question to them anyways. A lot of them were able to answer, but one student actually said "nothing". When she was asked further questions, she still said that she did nothing. As the morning wore on, their energy slowly dissipated. Most were hungry well before lunch and all slept soundly during rest period.
Happy 2009!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Long Vacation
Tomorrow we go back to school after a longer than usual December break. Our longer than usual break was due to some significant snowfall in December. The time off was greatly needed, however there were some things at school that I intended to bring home with me to work on over the break. I thought that there would be no school Friday and assumed we would be in school on the following Monday and Tuesday. No big deal, I would just grab what I needed then. So I was able to do some work and some planning without the things I left at school but I still am not feeling as prepared as I would like to be. I am hoping to arrive even earlier than usual tomorrow and work really hard and be incredibly productive in the morning.
Tomorrow, I expect most of the students in my class to be tired. I hope that some of them remember the rules and routines of the school day. I am disappointed with myself for not bringing home the work I wanted to do over vacation. I am curious to hear about their adventures over vacation. I am doubtful that we will have adequate heat in our building at the start of the school day. I am hoping the staff welcome-back party goes smoothly and that people actually attend. I am eager to get back to class and looking forward to starting a new unit with the students.
Tomorrow, I expect most of the students in my class to be tired. I hope that some of them remember the rules and routines of the school day. I am disappointed with myself for not bringing home the work I wanted to do over vacation. I am curious to hear about their adventures over vacation. I am doubtful that we will have adequate heat in our building at the start of the school day. I am hoping the staff welcome-back party goes smoothly and that people actually attend. I am eager to get back to class and looking forward to starting a new unit with the students.
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