Wow, I cannot believe that another week of practicum has gone by! Where is the time going? Before you know it, I’ll be teaching full load!

This week, my class and I began our study on Plants. As a class, we planted some different seeds and bulbs into containers. Over the next coming weeks, we will be watching the different plants as they grow. Our window sill in the classroom has become much fuller with all of the different plants! I will be exciting to watch as the seeds begin to germinate and grow over the next few weeks. We also explored different plants that can grow in different places, such as our friend, the cactus. The students had fun looking (and not touching!) the cactus plant with their magnifying glasses.

This week’s focus was on teacher presence. Having teacher presence and good classroom management is essential in any classroom – but especially in a Grade 1 classroom. My students love to share stories and to talk, which can be productive, but not during my lessons or when I am giving instructions. Being firm and allowing that “wait time” is something that I am continuing to work on. I am really starting to be more firm in setting those boundaries with my students.

Next week, our class is starting on measurement and drama! It should be another exciting week.