Teacher, Learner, Friend to many
What we wonder about…
Why are we not immortal?
Is the science fair good or bad?
What’s so great about bacon?
What is the brain?
What is the reason people can’t sleep?
What is colour?
Why is orange called orange and not yellow?
Will the sun ever die?
How did humans find out about electricity?
Why do people like sweet things?
Why humans need hair?
Why do we have money?
How do people sneeze?
Is there life on another planet?
Why am I Canadian?
More updates on science fair coming soon:
Still experimenting with pinterest as a tool for my own learning… My best advice so far is to use the comment section to include your own thoughts and writing which I have done on almost all my boards. When you are pinning something take a few seconds to erase whatever comment or caption that pre-exists and put in your own thoughts about the image. This adds your voice to the conversation.
I arranged two pin boards about novels that I studied with my literature circle group. I collected a variety of images that I thought accompanied what I had read in the novels. Then I added quotations and my own thoughts to the caption boxes. The product I’m left with is a very visual and thorough representation of my learning.
Professor Filipenko asked me to share this method with the class today.
I’m trying to think of ways I can use this method with my students… I would love for each student to be able to do this… I think pinterest could potentially be a very powerful tool for learning but I have to think carefully about privacy, policy, and terms of use. (The woes of being in the first wave of teachers to be true digital natives).
I would recommend The Breadwinner for Grades 5-8 and The Bone Collector’s Son for Grades 7-9. Both books are excellent (and I found many text-to-text connections between the two!).
Getting started on our science fair!
I chose to introduce the science fair using an activity called “Compass”.
It’s all part of the theory and practice that goes with Ron Ritchart’s- Making Thinking Visible project. I’ve been itching to try out some of the “thinking routines” since I read the book over the winter break and then attended the workshop.
I of course ended up adapting it quite a bit for my class but I think I hit the key goals of a “minds on” activity that provides documentation of learning. The compass was also perfect because the class had just recently started learning about maps.
This activity gave me tons of information about where the students are at before our science fair gets underway. I’m very serious about gathering student input and interest in the projects I do. I wanted the students in our class to have the opportunity to voice their thoughts right from the beginning.
Here is what the centres stand for:
N- is “Needs” – What do you think you will need to do the science fair project?
E- is “Excited”- What are you excited about for science fair?
S- is “Steps and Supports”- What steps will you need to take to be successful in your project? Who can support you?
W- is “Wonder”- What do you wonder about? In this case- what is a “W” question you might want to explore or learn about during the science fair.
These four directions got students thinking about how much time they would need, what questions they had, what they were interested in, who they would turn to for help, what they like… and it’s all documented for us to look at and think about!
The documentation is meaningful- it’s not for ornamental purposes- it informs and guides our future learning.
A really exciting day. The students in this class love being role models. Many students have leadership positions within the school. Some students have been asking about getting “a buddy class”. We decided instead of having one buddy class- we would offer to be buddies to any class. Our class put it out to the whole school that any class would be welcome to come by our room to see our recently hatched alevins. Alevins are baby salmon who are still holding onto their yolk sack. Division 15 took us up on our offer! We spent a little bit of time in the morning working on our graphic novels (Grasper!) but after that we got busy preparing for the arrival of the Ks and 1s!
I facilitated the preparations and supported the students in planning all kinds of details:
-where the students would sit (we decided they might like the carpet inside the bleachers because that area was the most similar to their classroom)
-what kind of voices we should use when talking to the Ks and 1s (slow and soft voices, a loud room might scare them)
-how to help someone in kindergarten with printing their name or other words (tell them they are doing a good job- or let them trace your writing-)
-how to make a skit of the salmon life cycle seem funny to younger children (we thought about using objects they were used to- like using a lunch kit to represent the yolk sac!)
-how to get the students to pay attention to us and know we are ready to start (I taught the students a criss-cross-applesauce song I knew so that they had something to get the K/1s attention)
After all the basics were planned one group of students asked to stay in at lunch to decorate the room in a special way for the Ks. I helped the group get organized. We put oil pastels in small cups and even decorated the tables with small rocks, shells and glass beads to represent the bottom of a river.
The Ks and 1s may have learned a lot about salmon, but the grade 5 students did a lot of learning too! Every student was incredibly kind and gentle when interacting with younger students. The student’s planning and organization skills were excellent. I was very proud of the students.
Favourite moment: A K student gets really excited, one of the students in my class notices and brings over a glittery sensory bottle for the student. “Here you can shake this and then watch it, it will help you calm down”
Over the winter break I started doing some reading about the Reggio Emilia Approach which I learned a little bit about in my ECED 417 course “Supporting Learning in The Kindergarten Year”. I especially enjoyed the book “Authentic Childhood -Experiencing Reggio Emilia in The Classroom.”
What I liked best about this book is the detailed descriptions of how teachers on Quadra Island and in Marpole used children’s ideas and curiosities to develop highly engaging units of study. The emergent curriculum described in the books has a very different feel than the themes usually explored in more traditional settings such as “Fairy Tales” – a unit I have done myself with grade 2’s. Turning children’s curiosities into entire units sends a clear message in the classroom – this is a place where student’s ideas are respected. Students are co-constructors of knowledge.
After reading this book I took to pinterest to look around and see what pins had been “tagged” as Reggio. I wanted to see how other teachers, parents, and community leaders had conceptualized what Reggio looks like. I’m in the process of collecting a variety of pins and evaluating them based on the image alone. In the comment box I have written a quick evaluation on what I see in the picture.
I know this is not the way people typically use pinterest but I’m trying something new out. I want to use pinterest as a powerful tool for my own learning and creativity instead of solely relying on other people’s knowledge. Just like the Reggio approach views children as active co-constructers, I am also eager to be a producer of knowledge in this situation. I don’t want to just consume the ideas on pinterest- I also want to be a part of the conversation.
Here is the link to my board! (-just click on the picture!)
https://www.pinterest.com/mahimal/reggio-inspiration/
“Look- this apparatus is in a deep slumber”
A good portion of the morning was dedicated to practicing our spelling words. A student next to me was hesitant to get started. I managed to engage him using the unifix cubes. I started the word slumber- he was quick to keep going and adding on. It was a very organic hook. He saw me start to do it and wanted in on the building without me having to suggest it. This student in particular even opted to stay in during recess to continue making a crossword for each unit of words.
“No brain breaks allowed”
We couldn’t decide if this was a good thing or a bad thing! The students were so engaged- by the time we thought they might need a brain break they absolutely did not want to stop making their crosswords (on paper and for some students- 3D!) One student even wrote “No brain breaks allowed” on the board. My SA is wonderfully accommodating to students. The students who made theirs 3D were permitted to take their crosswords home with them just like their peers who made crosswords on paper.
Attitude has a lot to do with teaching. I believe that a teacher’s attitude can really have an effect on the “feel” of the classroom. Attitude can be as simple as how you approach the day in the morning. If you’re running late and you haven’t had a cup of tea and you are scrambling to get a few things photocopied it’s not the best way to start the day. Even if you have it all together by the time the students arrive I’m sure they can sense your feelings. For me I really like to get to the school early. It gives me time to settle into the environment and feel relaxed and prepared before the students get there. It may not always be possible to control how you feel but I think when you are responsible for the well being of children you have to check in with yourself and make sure you acknowledge how you’re feeling and how that might inform your interactions.
One example I can think of is from when I was working as a literacy tutor for the school board where I used to live. I was spending the afternoon in the Kindergarten to work on some fine motor skills and printing with a couple students. The day before someone had brought in several ladybugs from the yard and they were being kept in a jar in the classroom. A junior kindergarten student (age 4) was excited to show me the ladybugs. When we looked in the jar, one of the ladybugs was definitely dead. “Ms. Lamba why isn’t that one moving?!”
On my best day when I’m feeling great and I’m the best version of myself I would have said something wonderfully simple, factual and age appropriate to tell this little girl that the ladybug had died. That day wasn’t my best day. I was just getting back to work after being very sick, I had a huge term paper due at the end of the week, and didn’t feel like I had a lot of energy. I knew the conversation that this little girl deserved about living things just wasn’t in me on that day. I told her that the ladybug was sleeping and diverted her attention elsewhere. Was this the right choice? I’m still not sure.
Sometimes in a yoga class the instructor will say something like “if it’s in your practice” or “if it’s available to you extend your leg….”. What they mean is that people have different amounts of flexibility in their bodies. On some days you might be more flexible than others. Yoga instructors say things like “listen to your body”. If you over extend yourself to a pose that isn’t right for your body on that particular day you could put your health at risk. I think the same can be said for your teaching practice- you have to consider what is in your practice today.
Received an email from my SA this morning. New student in the class. Can’t wait to meet her on Thursday.
41 Kindergarteners in the school
20 Kindergarten students in my class
18 Students who are five years old
14 Girls in the class
6 Boys in the class
2 English Language Learners
1 Student who is almost six
A great visit, learning more about the students. Particularly, starting to understand more about the social dynamics within the class. During centre time there are sometimes students playing without a friend. The teacher strategically places children at centres so that the students who otherwise would be playing alone can have an opportunity to make a friend. I am also starting to see which students make bad combinations. Certain students sitting together at lunch end up in fights and conflicts. I know that careful observations of the changing social systems within in the class will help me in the long practicum. Recess and outdoor play is also an interesting time. Some kindergarten students know older children including siblings and neighbours, which gives them a certain amount of clout on the playground. One difference I noticed was that last time I was there playing with the big kids on the playground caused some uncertainty and anxiety. Now the children are excited and can’t wait until the children from other classes come outside to join them on the playground.
I like the way the teacher interacts with students in the classroom. I notice that if she needs to have a talk with students she bends or sits so that she is eye level with them. When possible she talks to them semi privately and her tone of voice is steady and quiet. Any comments are directly related to social skills that have been explicitly taught. For example “remember bodies are still”, “we use our words”. Because these are conversations at circle time the expectations are very clear.
Taught an SEL lesson using my friend Boo Hoo the Bear and a great book called “Little Whale’s Song”. A good day.
Reflections and observations of the first day- Mostly composed of lists
The classroom environment created by my school advisor is very organized and visually appealing to students. Many routines I am already familiar with from my time in schools in Ontario (wash your hands before snack, wash tables after snack, indoor and outdoor shoes). One noticeable difference was that no students were wearing mitts or coats at this time of the year. Most students brought a light sweatshirt for recess time.
The class has twenty students
Of the twenty students only six are boys.
Materials are at eye-level for children and within reach.
Attendance is taken every day with stars. The children find their name and place it in the basket.
Children change into their indoor shoes in the morning, and after outdoor play.
During my visit we had a fire drill. The students were told what to expect and by the time the alarm went off we were able to exit the building quickly and quietly.
The school has excellent playground equipment and there is plenty of outdoor space for the children.
The classroom had all components typical and necessary for kindergarten
-Large carpet space
-Child sized furniture
– A sink in the classroom and washroom within the kindergarten pod enclosure
– There is another sink outside the classroom (still within the pod)
– Drying rack for artwork
– Hooks along the back wall so that each child has a specific spot for their coat and belongings.
– Change of dry clothes in ziplock bags labelled and easily accessible for all twenty students
Some changes I’ve noticed in schools in this district since two years ago are:
-posters advising parents about taking pictures of children with their mobile phones (don’t post pictures of other people’s children)
-even more initiatives to reduce waste. All lunch garbage is now going home with children in their lunch kits.
From my conversations with children some current areas of interest are:
Trucks, construction, fishing/crabbing, round patterns, and Halloween