Today was an eventful day- I started off by leading the Morning Meeting and had the chance to incorporate some of my music pedagogy into our session. The kids loved it! I was a bit nervous at first because I am not overly confident with my singing voice. However, our instructor at UBC mentioned that it is best to start bringing song into class activities as soon as possible so it makes the TC feel less awkward (she was right)! I also had the chance to work in a reading group and partake in some assessment. The students were evaluated on their ability to read a “biography” -specifically on children’s book author, Robert Munsch. This allowed the students to focus on the purpose of biographies, and how to tell a recount (using words in the past tense). Once the students read the story silently, we all took turns reading out loud. For the most part, the students were well behaved and focused- lots of great ideas and examples were given.

After recess, we had the opportunity to listen to the Seaquam band play in the gym. It was amazing to see how attentive the students were- no management needed! We then worked together with Mrs. S’s Kindergarten class to celebrate Chinese New Year. We always love visiting the buddy class, as the teacher has an amazing inquiry approach that she incorporates into their learning. For the Chinese New Year celebration, each student made a section of the tail for the dragon display that will be featured on the hall wall. The students used glue and colored paper mache to create their masterpieces, and they all turned out wonderfully! I have noticed that when students are enjoying what they are working on, little management is needed- if any. After art, we went back to the class and worked on printing until the bell. Mrs. S realized that printing has been neglected lately with all the exciting projects that are ongoing, so we spent a lesson working on proper printing technique.

Mrs. S explained after class that there has been some bullying problems going on within our division, and that she has organized a few meetings with some of the parents. I was able to sit in on one of them, and was able to learn more about how to deal with these types of “icky” situations. There are many strong, egocentric personalities in the class, and they seem to be clashing at this point in time. It was interesting to hear how Mrs. S handled each situation, and she asked one of the students to prepare a plan on how to change his behavior for the next day. Another notable observation is the parent dynamics of those involved. One of the parents did not seem to be overly concerned with what was happening, and felt that “boys will be boys.” On the other hand, another parent was extremely frustrated and angered by the actions of her son. These types of issues that arise are definitely aspects that need to be dealt with as a teacher (quickly and firmly), and I am lucky enough, in a sense, to be able to observe how these situations are handled. Although many say my class is one of the most difficult to deal with, I am thankful that I get the opportunity to see the entire spectrum of what can potentially happen in the classroom setting.

Looking forward to another great week ahead! 🙂