This has been a wonderful first semester learning how to become a teacher. From making lesson plans to assigning students in the classroom I have truly enjoyed every moment of it. As sappy and corny as this sounds, this is the first real job I have been this happy to show up to work to do, even more so than illustration, which isn't simply drawing all day, you have to deal with clients who are not always the nicest and easiest people to work with. The same can be said with students, not every day is smiles and thank-yous, there are those rough and difficult days where a student will fight and drag you every step of the way, but rather than shoving your nose down to the grind stone, shutting up/putting up because it is the client's say that is the final say, just to get that commission check as with my previous illustration job, you work with the student, mediate to find a common ground where both the student and the teacher can learn from one-another, that way everyone comes away with something they can be happy and proud with, and as a teacher in training, I have learned so much from these students. Teaching is more than just telling students "this" and "that", but listening to their educational needs and wants and providing for them, modifying your teaching style to aide them, because you, as the teacher, are there for them.
I have learned so much this semester about teaching, students, as well as myself, and I am glad I have found a profession that I enjoy so much. It can be a bit scary and intimidating to stand up in front of a group of young learners, having to shoulder the responsibility as being the one they look up to learn what there is to know about, well, everything, and it does take kind of "traversing the unknown" kind of confidence to chart though rough waters, but after taking that plunge (as they say "you never know until you try") its something that I discovered that I loved doing, every step of the way and will work at to better myself in. I really want to become a better teacher and work hard for this, because, as they say, once you find work that you love to do, it no longer is work.
And on that note, I'm also very glad that I am also able to incorporate my art into the classroom. Creating projects and assessments that involve art making or I design myself are what I especially enjoy doing (we recently completed a writing assignment "Santa's Elves, Help Wanted" where the students had to write a "help wanted" ad for Santa's elves, and it had to describe a specific job the elf would have to do, reindeer feeder, sleigh polisher, present wrapper, doll dresser, suit clearer, etc. and I was able to create an elf patter the students could use to create their job elf. I had a lot of fun with it and enjoyed all the different ways the students modified the original elf pattern to fit their own artistic needs. As with everything else this past semester it was extremely fun and I had a blast every step of the way, and I am excited to continue on teaching and to continue on learning.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Public School Arts and Crafts (Let the Insanity Begin)
So far I have only been discussing the more educational (e.g. "writing, reading, spelling, math, etc.") side of my observations and time interning as a teacher, however I have yet to talk about the two instances where I have let some of my past experiences come into play into the classroom: the visual arts... well, not specifically the "traditional" visual arts like painting, sculpture, or even pencil drawings, no, these are more of the "arts and crafts" type of "visual arts".
Having 3 years experience working in a preschool (2-5 year-olds) with arts and crafts I thought working with first graders (6-7 year-olds) would be much more manageable. Not exactly. There was just as much chaos and confusion as there was with the younger students. Well, I thought, at least they should be able to follow more complex instructions that preschoolers, right? Again, not exactly. When teaching arts and crafts to preschoolers, I had to more-or-less make a completed project and simply have them "assemble it", which also seemed to be the case with the 1st graders as well (we were making spider hats for Halloween, I was going to show them how to cut the paper and put the hat together, however it I ended up having to cut the paper for them because they did not yet know how, that is to say, cut in a straight, folded, line... but trust me they knew HOW to cut paper, indeed, very indeed...).
On a positive note however the first graders were more aware of their behavior than the preschoolers. Preschoolers will get loud, wild, and excited during an art activity and while first graders will get excited, they have been in a traditional classroom environment long enough to know the rules about "inside voices" and "staying in your seats", which made managing the project much easier. Also cleanup went over excellent as well (this ties into my second instance, when recently we made construction paper holiday stockings complete with paper, scissors, glue, cotton balls and the messiest of all: glitter) whereas preschoolers will make a mess (but to give them credit are always helpful to get on their hands and knees and pick up every last scrap of paper, with one holding the trashcan, and all wanting to be a table wiper) the first graders were so efficient and tidy there was hardly any mess to clean up (they were actually very frugal with the glitter, one student would dollop a small pile of glitter in her hand and “pinch” it over her glue; so neat and tidy!) and they too were very helpful to also get down on their hands and knees to clean up every last scrap of paper as well as be a table washer!
Working with an older group of students with arts and crafts is very similar to working with younger students however I believe there are benefits of teaching students who attend school, specifically a school that has older students for the younger ones to model after. At the preschool I worked at the 2 - 5 year olds were all grouped together and all displayed similar behavior, however students, who attend school with an older and more mature group of superiors, have role models to look up and aspire too, which in turn is beneficial to the older students as well, who have an image of maturity to uphold for their younger peers.
Having 3 years experience working in a preschool (2-5 year-olds) with arts and crafts I thought working with first graders (6-7 year-olds) would be much more manageable. Not exactly. There was just as much chaos and confusion as there was with the younger students. Well, I thought, at least they should be able to follow more complex instructions that preschoolers, right? Again, not exactly. When teaching arts and crafts to preschoolers, I had to more-or-less make a completed project and simply have them "assemble it", which also seemed to be the case with the 1st graders as well (we were making spider hats for Halloween, I was going to show them how to cut the paper and put the hat together, however it I ended up having to cut the paper for them because they did not yet know how, that is to say, cut in a straight, folded, line... but trust me they knew HOW to cut paper, indeed, very indeed...).
On a positive note however the first graders were more aware of their behavior than the preschoolers. Preschoolers will get loud, wild, and excited during an art activity and while first graders will get excited, they have been in a traditional classroom environment long enough to know the rules about "inside voices" and "staying in your seats", which made managing the project much easier. Also cleanup went over excellent as well (this ties into my second instance, when recently we made construction paper holiday stockings complete with paper, scissors, glue, cotton balls and the messiest of all: glitter) whereas preschoolers will make a mess (but to give them credit are always helpful to get on their hands and knees and pick up every last scrap of paper, with one holding the trashcan, and all wanting to be a table wiper) the first graders were so efficient and tidy there was hardly any mess to clean up (they were actually very frugal with the glitter, one student would dollop a small pile of glitter in her hand and “pinch” it over her glue; so neat and tidy!) and they too were very helpful to also get down on their hands and knees to clean up every last scrap of paper as well as be a table washer!
Working with an older group of students with arts and crafts is very similar to working with younger students however I believe there are benefits of teaching students who attend school, specifically a school that has older students for the younger ones to model after. At the preschool I worked at the 2 - 5 year olds were all grouped together and all displayed similar behavior, however students, who attend school with an older and more mature group of superiors, have role models to look up and aspire too, which in turn is beneficial to the older students as well, who have an image of maturity to uphold for their younger peers.
2nd Grade Observations
2nd Grade Observations
When I went to observe in the 2nd grade classroom at Chicora Elementary school, the atmosphere did not seem all too different from that of the first 1st classroom (the grade I am currently interning in). The major difference would be instead of reading to the students the students do read for themselves (and more frequently) but other than that, there wasn't much of a difference to observe. The class day began with the classroom "morning meeting", which consisted of the teacher reviewing the date and going over the "morning math problem" (there 10 squares on a quilt, and 5 different colors if each color is used once, how many times is the color blue used in the quilt). The students were a bit talkative (because they had just arrived at school) but because this was not a part of curriculum and more of a morning sharing activity (the students who wished were allowed to share answers with each other). After a few minutes when it appeared as if every student had solved the problem the teacher used her SmartBoard to solve the problem drawing a 10 squared quilt and filling in each square with a different color in order (red, yellow, blue, green, purple, red, yellow, blue, green, purple) and then counting the blue squares. The students who answered the question correctly got a sticker on their sheet and had the students put away their sheets to take home to show to their parents.
Next came the reading unit. The students were reading a book “Bread and Jam for Francis”. The teacher would call on each student to read a short passage on each page of the book for the first half of the book (15 pages). After wards the teacher had a question and answer session with the students asking if “bread and jam make a healthy meal”, “what do you need to make a healthy meal”, “what will happen if you only eat the same thing/unhealthy foods all the time”? During this time many of the students were very eager to answer and the ones who remained quiet the teacher did begin calling on for responses, and aiding their answering process if they did not know the answers on their own. This activity continued until the students began to get restless and more talkative/less focused, which is when the teacher had the students clear their desks of their books for their spelling test. The change of activity did re-focus the students, as they remained quiet as the teacher passed out their spelling tests. The students who finished their tests early were allowed to read quietly at their desks (books they had gotten form the library, their literature books, “Bread and Jam for Francis” or a book for the classroom bookshelf).
Next the students were called to the carpet again where they were allowed to participate in a math activity with the SmartBoard. Each round the player of the game was given a net with a number on it and were tasked to catch “addition” butterflies with two numbers on its wings that were to be added together. The player was to take their net and click/touch only the butterflies whose wings added up to the number on the net. The students were familiar with this game, and knew that if they wanted a turn they were not to talk aloud and at first they were able to contain themselves, however, after one student completed their first round, the students would proceed to call out the correct “answer” butterflies to the student playing the game. This was allowed however because it did aide both the students who knew and the students who did not know the different addition formulas (as long as the students were not screaming and kept the volume at a manageable level.
The second grade classroom had a more independent feel than the younger classrooms and the students perform and absorb more. Behavior and classroom management did have the same issued present (focusing on the task at hand, managing volume and movement about the classroom) however these older students were able to control themselves for longer periods of time, when they lost this control it was much more boisterous and rambunctious, and more enforcement was needed on the teacher’s behalf to regain control (with more mature students came more mature classroom control).
When I went to observe in the 2nd grade classroom at Chicora Elementary school, the atmosphere did not seem all too different from that of the first 1st classroom (the grade I am currently interning in). The major difference would be instead of reading to the students the students do read for themselves (and more frequently) but other than that, there wasn't much of a difference to observe. The class day began with the classroom "morning meeting", which consisted of the teacher reviewing the date and going over the "morning math problem" (there 10 squares on a quilt, and 5 different colors if each color is used once, how many times is the color blue used in the quilt). The students were a bit talkative (because they had just arrived at school) but because this was not a part of curriculum and more of a morning sharing activity (the students who wished were allowed to share answers with each other). After a few minutes when it appeared as if every student had solved the problem the teacher used her SmartBoard to solve the problem drawing a 10 squared quilt and filling in each square with a different color in order (red, yellow, blue, green, purple, red, yellow, blue, green, purple) and then counting the blue squares. The students who answered the question correctly got a sticker on their sheet and had the students put away their sheets to take home to show to their parents.
Next came the reading unit. The students were reading a book “Bread and Jam for Francis”. The teacher would call on each student to read a short passage on each page of the book for the first half of the book (15 pages). After wards the teacher had a question and answer session with the students asking if “bread and jam make a healthy meal”, “what do you need to make a healthy meal”, “what will happen if you only eat the same thing/unhealthy foods all the time”? During this time many of the students were very eager to answer and the ones who remained quiet the teacher did begin calling on for responses, and aiding their answering process if they did not know the answers on their own. This activity continued until the students began to get restless and more talkative/less focused, which is when the teacher had the students clear their desks of their books for their spelling test. The change of activity did re-focus the students, as they remained quiet as the teacher passed out their spelling tests. The students who finished their tests early were allowed to read quietly at their desks (books they had gotten form the library, their literature books, “Bread and Jam for Francis” or a book for the classroom bookshelf).
Next the students were called to the carpet again where they were allowed to participate in a math activity with the SmartBoard. Each round the player of the game was given a net with a number on it and were tasked to catch “addition” butterflies with two numbers on its wings that were to be added together. The player was to take their net and click/touch only the butterflies whose wings added up to the number on the net. The students were familiar with this game, and knew that if they wanted a turn they were not to talk aloud and at first they were able to contain themselves, however, after one student completed their first round, the students would proceed to call out the correct “answer” butterflies to the student playing the game. This was allowed however because it did aide both the students who knew and the students who did not know the different addition formulas (as long as the students were not screaming and kept the volume at a manageable level.
The second grade classroom had a more independent feel than the younger classrooms and the students perform and absorb more. Behavior and classroom management did have the same issued present (focusing on the task at hand, managing volume and movement about the classroom) however these older students were able to control themselves for longer periods of time, when they lost this control it was much more boisterous and rambunctious, and more enforcement was needed on the teacher’s behalf to regain control (with more mature students came more mature classroom control).
Sunday, December 6, 2009
My First Lesson Plan (Chicora #3)
I have had experience teaching to students before I carried out teaching my own lesson plan. Before starting my masters in education classes I was teaching at an academic preschool. Every week the preschool would be taught a theme (pets, underwater animals, family, outer space, transportation, etc.) and I would create an art lesson for each theme, cardboard tube pets, paper plate fish, family tree, construction paper telescopes, paper airplanes, etc. Just simple crafts, no where as near as complicated as researching standards, and developing a whole lesson plan, materials, procedures, and assessment, but it did give me experience in working with children and creating different art activities they can do to aid in their understanding and enjoyment of a theme/subject matter.
When I began teaching in a public school the students were older and could grasp more concepts and could be provided with more complex tasks to complete. Designing a lesson plan for these learners would take more planning and a better knowledge of what they are capable of learning and accomplishing. After observing the classroom and working with the students along with simple teacher assistance tasks such as aiding in spelling, composition, and general classroom management, I began coming up with a few ideas of what I could teach these students. I decided that I would be teaching a writing assignment in response to a piece of literature, as that was what they were most familiar with in their current classroom curriculum structure. I choose a children's poetry book that was related to Thanksgiving, (it was 3 weeks prior to the holiday) "Its Thanksgiving" by Jack Prelutsky, which included poems about Thanksgiving meals. I would read the poems about all of the different kinds of foods that are normally served for Thanksgiving (as well as creating a vocabulary wall list of foods listed in the book for the students to reference in their writing for ideas as well as spelling), and then have them write what are their favorite foods to have for Thanksgiving.
The students enjoyed listening to the poems, and especially enjoyed creating the vocabulary wall (raising their hands and naming off all of the foods mentioned in the poems). When it was time for them to go back to their desks and write they were not too enthusiastic but still did so in a collected manner. Repeatedly they raised their hands to ask me to assist them in their spelling and this was the major teaching point of my lesson plan, not what the students would write, but if they used the vocabulary wall successfully to aide in their writing. I would remind the students to check the vocabulary wall first before asking for assistance and it worked quite well. Once the students became familiar with the idea of referring to the vocabulary wall whenever they need to spell a word they were unfamiliar with they began to enthusiastically write with more confidence. When all of the students finished with their writing they shared their writing about their favorite Thanksgiving food at their tables and we were able to hang their writings outside of the classroom to display every students hard work.
I found teaching this lesson plan very rewarding and enjoyable. Yes, there was work in researching the standards for the plan, designing and modifying the lesson plan to meet different learners needs, but even will all of the work involved, I really did enjoy every aspect to creating the lesson plan. Thinking of how the students would react and absorb each aspect of the plan was exciting even fun to think about choosing the book for the plan and seeing how each student would react differently form the book.
I learned a lot from my first formal lesson plan. Firstly, lessons cannot drag on or be focused on the same thing for too long, students will get bored and loose interest in the education and will begin to direct their attention to more disruptive outlets. Another thing that needs to be stressed is "sharing", the fact that I the teacher cannot be everywhere at once, and the students need realize that they will need to share my assistance with each other, so setting the classroom behavior expectations with the students is another thing that a teacher will need to consider as well when creating their plans. All in all I had a lot of fun with the plan and the students enjoyed the lesson as well and I am excited to make more plans in the future and teach them to eager learners.
When I began teaching in a public school the students were older and could grasp more concepts and could be provided with more complex tasks to complete. Designing a lesson plan for these learners would take more planning and a better knowledge of what they are capable of learning and accomplishing. After observing the classroom and working with the students along with simple teacher assistance tasks such as aiding in spelling, composition, and general classroom management, I began coming up with a few ideas of what I could teach these students. I decided that I would be teaching a writing assignment in response to a piece of literature, as that was what they were most familiar with in their current classroom curriculum structure. I choose a children's poetry book that was related to Thanksgiving, (it was 3 weeks prior to the holiday) "Its Thanksgiving" by Jack Prelutsky, which included poems about Thanksgiving meals. I would read the poems about all of the different kinds of foods that are normally served for Thanksgiving (as well as creating a vocabulary wall list of foods listed in the book for the students to reference in their writing for ideas as well as spelling), and then have them write what are their favorite foods to have for Thanksgiving.
The students enjoyed listening to the poems, and especially enjoyed creating the vocabulary wall (raising their hands and naming off all of the foods mentioned in the poems). When it was time for them to go back to their desks and write they were not too enthusiastic but still did so in a collected manner. Repeatedly they raised their hands to ask me to assist them in their spelling and this was the major teaching point of my lesson plan, not what the students would write, but if they used the vocabulary wall successfully to aide in their writing. I would remind the students to check the vocabulary wall first before asking for assistance and it worked quite well. Once the students became familiar with the idea of referring to the vocabulary wall whenever they need to spell a word they were unfamiliar with they began to enthusiastically write with more confidence. When all of the students finished with their writing they shared their writing about their favorite Thanksgiving food at their tables and we were able to hang their writings outside of the classroom to display every students hard work.
I found teaching this lesson plan very rewarding and enjoyable. Yes, there was work in researching the standards for the plan, designing and modifying the lesson plan to meet different learners needs, but even will all of the work involved, I really did enjoy every aspect to creating the lesson plan. Thinking of how the students would react and absorb each aspect of the plan was exciting even fun to think about choosing the book for the plan and seeing how each student would react differently form the book.
I learned a lot from my first formal lesson plan. Firstly, lessons cannot drag on or be focused on the same thing for too long, students will get bored and loose interest in the education and will begin to direct their attention to more disruptive outlets. Another thing that needs to be stressed is "sharing", the fact that I the teacher cannot be everywhere at once, and the students need realize that they will need to share my assistance with each other, so setting the classroom behavior expectations with the students is another thing that a teacher will need to consider as well when creating their plans. All in all I had a lot of fun with the plan and the students enjoyed the lesson as well and I am excited to make more plans in the future and teach them to eager learners.
Classroom Placement Reflections (Chicora #2)
The one thing I have read repeatedly when dealing with "difficult" children is for you, as the teacher, to find out what the difficult child wants to learn, then teach them that. Honestly when I first read this I was more than a little skeptical. A troubled child wouldn’t be interested in school at all, let alone have anything in particular that they would want to learn, right? If I were to approach a child and ask, "What do you want to learn today?" wouldn't the difficult child answer "nothing", "I don't want to" or "I want to go home"? You try your best to reach out to these children and they don't give you anything to work with, or do they?
It was writing time in the first grade classroom that I have been interning in and one student was being particularly difficult, while every other student in the class was busy writing in their notebooks (about their pets) the difficult student would not only refuse to do his own work, but would persist in disrupting other students by wanting to play and talk with them while they were busy working. While the classroom teacher was busy assisting other students with their spelling and composition, I went to the disruptive student and tried to encourage him to participate in the assignment. When I asked him "why don't you want to write about your pet (or you can make up a pet if you don't have one)" he unsurprisingly answered, "I want to go home with my dad". Thinking back to all that I have learned this semester, I decided to try out "teaching him what he wants" by applying it to the writing assignment at hand "how about we write a letter to your father asking him to take you home" to which he replied "ok, do you have any paper". It actually worked. He sat and wrote a letter to his Dad alongside with his classmates who were also busy with their own writing.
I was glad I was able to assist this student in overcoming his frustration with writing and his abrasive attitude towards education. I learned that by just taking a few extra steps of guidance and insight a teacher can make a student with a difficult child. Not all children approach learning the same way and on that note a teacher can not assume that the same lesson can be taught to all students the same way. Managing an entire classroom is a daunting task with a room full of learners who each approach learning a different way, but finding a way for each of them to get a fair education can be very rewarding, for both the student and teacher.
It was writing time in the first grade classroom that I have been interning in and one student was being particularly difficult, while every other student in the class was busy writing in their notebooks (about their pets) the difficult student would not only refuse to do his own work, but would persist in disrupting other students by wanting to play and talk with them while they were busy working. While the classroom teacher was busy assisting other students with their spelling and composition, I went to the disruptive student and tried to encourage him to participate in the assignment. When I asked him "why don't you want to write about your pet (or you can make up a pet if you don't have one)" he unsurprisingly answered, "I want to go home with my dad". Thinking back to all that I have learned this semester, I decided to try out "teaching him what he wants" by applying it to the writing assignment at hand "how about we write a letter to your father asking him to take you home" to which he replied "ok, do you have any paper". It actually worked. He sat and wrote a letter to his Dad alongside with his classmates who were also busy with their own writing.
I was glad I was able to assist this student in overcoming his frustration with writing and his abrasive attitude towards education. I learned that by just taking a few extra steps of guidance and insight a teacher can make a student with a difficult child. Not all children approach learning the same way and on that note a teacher can not assume that the same lesson can be taught to all students the same way. Managing an entire classroom is a daunting task with a room full of learners who each approach learning a different way, but finding a way for each of them to get a fair education can be very rewarding, for both the student and teacher.
ECDC Observations #2 (10/14 - 10/15)
I noticed the "transitional activity" played a large role in the ECDC methodology. Whenever an activity was started or completed the children would always return to the center rug for discussion and reflection. Transitional activities were even used not only in the main classroom, but other classroom as well, for example, the physical education room (at the end of the activity the instructor would ask, "what did we learn today?” "what was your favorite activity?" before having the students transition back to their home classroom).
Another striking observation I made was how the teachers were more laid back in their management of the classroom and would not be in a constant "hover" state. They would concentrate their attention on a single area of the room and focus on their area for large blocks of time. However the students did not require much teacher assistance were able to handle themselves quite well. Even if a conflict were to arise within the classroom the teacher would allow the two conflicting students to resolve the matter on their own. I did not observe any verbal reprimanding from the teacher to the student at all, time outs or having any students being sent to the office or behavior rooms, due in part mostly to the students well behavior.
The teacher was always presenting the children with challenges and would not let them simply play idly or participate in an activity simply for the act of doing something. The teacher always made sure the students had a goal or task they were working on. To me this seemed like both a pro and a con, a pro because it kept the students stimulated, on task, and busy learning with a goal in sight, a con because it did not allow the students to learn and discover on their own (though to play devil's advocate, the teacher did not stress the assessment of the goals as much as the participation).
Perhaps it was due to the fact the students were given so much freedom in the classroom to peruse their own routes and needs educationally, which resulted in their lack of "acting out" or misbehaving. The students at ECDC were allowed to peruse their own impulse needs thanks to the freedom, which was allowed for them in the classroom, rather than a child placed in a regimented classroom. With no given free-time to act on their own impulses, students in a form fitted classroom with no time to act or follow their own wants or needs cannot control their own impulses, and students will low tolerance or self-control will let those impulses come out and disrupt the classroom at inappropriate times.
ECDC has made an example out of allowing and providing students with their own time, space, and responsibility to think, reflect, and act upon their own actions as well as providing them with the freedom to manage their own educational process. From my observations at ECDC it seems to be a good practice to allow children the freedom and space they need to set the pace for their own educational needs while still providing goals for them to reach on their own terms.
Another striking observation I made was how the teachers were more laid back in their management of the classroom and would not be in a constant "hover" state. They would concentrate their attention on a single area of the room and focus on their area for large blocks of time. However the students did not require much teacher assistance were able to handle themselves quite well. Even if a conflict were to arise within the classroom the teacher would allow the two conflicting students to resolve the matter on their own. I did not observe any verbal reprimanding from the teacher to the student at all, time outs or having any students being sent to the office or behavior rooms, due in part mostly to the students well behavior.
The teacher was always presenting the children with challenges and would not let them simply play idly or participate in an activity simply for the act of doing something. The teacher always made sure the students had a goal or task they were working on. To me this seemed like both a pro and a con, a pro because it kept the students stimulated, on task, and busy learning with a goal in sight, a con because it did not allow the students to learn and discover on their own (though to play devil's advocate, the teacher did not stress the assessment of the goals as much as the participation).
Perhaps it was due to the fact the students were given so much freedom in the classroom to peruse their own routes and needs educationally, which resulted in their lack of "acting out" or misbehaving. The students at ECDC were allowed to peruse their own impulse needs thanks to the freedom, which was allowed for them in the classroom, rather than a child placed in a regimented classroom. With no given free-time to act on their own impulses, students in a form fitted classroom with no time to act or follow their own wants or needs cannot control their own impulses, and students will low tolerance or self-control will let those impulses come out and disrupt the classroom at inappropriate times.
ECDC has made an example out of allowing and providing students with their own time, space, and responsibility to think, reflect, and act upon their own actions as well as providing them with the freedom to manage their own educational process. From my observations at ECDC it seems to be a good practice to allow children the freedom and space they need to set the pace for their own educational needs while still providing goals for them to reach on their own terms.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
ECDC Observations (10/5 ~ 10/6)
The very first thing I noticed about ECDC is that it is a very well designed and nice looking school, I must admit. It had a very modern and stylish feel, also very warm and inviting rather than the industrial and impersonal feel of most public school environments. I was quick to notice the lowly lit classrooms that used soft lamp shaded filament bulbs rather than the stark cold light of florescent bulbs. It gave the classroom a very cozy and welcoming feel (this was aided by the "home furnishings" of the classroom, carved wooden tables, colorful cushioned couches and rugs, and warmly painted earth-toned and wooden paneled walls) helped add to this effect
What also caught my attention however was the school's appearance outside of the classrooms. The hallways were shelved with school supplies in vivid multi-colored storage units, which not only kept clutter out of the classrooms, but also gave the school an exciting vibrant feel.
What also caught my attention was the "methods" applied in the school. I noticed that students did not (need to) raise their hands in order to address the teacher, they simply asked their questions unprompted or acted without asking permission (but not in an unruly way, but in an independent self-reliant way). At any other school these actions (it is my assumption) that this course of action would result in utter disaster (students chattering out of turn and acting upon their every impulse, unrestrained and chaotic), however the students at ECDC were very respective of each others voice, did not speak or interrupt when another student or teacher was speaking, and when they did speak it was to ask a very specific question, rather than blurt out a random time wasting fact that many students this age tend to utter "At home I have a...", "Yesterday at the store I...", "When I was four my brother...", etc., etc.).
On top of all of this the students at ECDC were very well mannered (keeping their hands to themselves, spoke quietly, were not rude or disrespectful, nor acted on impulse), unlike many children in that age group (4-5 year olds). Perhaps it is due to the environment and methods practiced at ECDC which allow the children to explore learning at their own pace and set their own standards for their learning so that their desire to act out on impulse is dulled to the fact they are given to freedom to act upon their desire to learn and are not restrained in any fashion from learning.
The very first thing I noticed about ECDC is that it is a very well designed and nice looking school, I must admit. It had a very modern and stylish feel, also very warm and inviting rather than the industrial and impersonal feel of most public school environments. I was quick to notice the lowly lit classrooms that used soft lamp shaded filament bulbs rather than the stark cold light of florescent bulbs. It gave the classroom a very cozy and welcoming feel (this was aided by the "home furnishings" of the classroom, carved wooden tables, colorful cushioned couches and rugs, and warmly painted earth-toned and wooden paneled walls) helped add to this effect
What also caught my attention however was the school's appearance outside of the classrooms. The hallways were shelved with school supplies in vivid multi-colored storage units, which not only kept clutter out of the classrooms, but also gave the school an exciting vibrant feel.
What also caught my attention was the "methods" applied in the school. I noticed that students did not (need to) raise their hands in order to address the teacher, they simply asked their questions unprompted or acted without asking permission (but not in an unruly way, but in an independent self-reliant way). At any other school these actions (it is my assumption) that this course of action would result in utter disaster (students chattering out of turn and acting upon their every impulse, unrestrained and chaotic), however the students at ECDC were very respective of each others voice, did not speak or interrupt when another student or teacher was speaking, and when they did speak it was to ask a very specific question, rather than blurt out a random time wasting fact that many students this age tend to utter "At home I have a...", "Yesterday at the store I...", "When I was four my brother...", etc., etc.).
On top of all of this the students at ECDC were very well mannered (keeping their hands to themselves, spoke quietly, were not rude or disrespectful, nor acted on impulse), unlike many children in that age group (4-5 year olds). Perhaps it is due to the environment and methods practiced at ECDC which allow the children to explore learning at their own pace and set their own standards for their learning so that their desire to act out on impulse is dulled to the fact they are given to freedom to act upon their desire to learn and are not restrained in any fashion from learning.
Case Study #7, Question #3
Dalia involves families in the class project by first getting her own students involved and excited with the project subject matter of "construction". This was done by assessing a common interest amongst her students as a whole. When Dalia found out that the class was excited about "construction" (due in part to a brand new library construction site that had begun in a nearby location to the school), she would also channel this excitement towards a class project about construction and in turn the children would carry this excitement with them share it in their homes, thus involving the students' home life with school.
Excitement for the classroom project of "construction" was further encouraged with Dalia's letter to her students' homes discussing the class project and requesting that parents aide and foster their child's and excitement for learning about construction, and for the parents to simply talk to their children about the subject matter and to continue to cultivate a rich discussion in the homes to keep the children (and their families) interested with the subject matter.
Dalia spoke one on one with parents and families about what they can do to continue their child's interest in the subject matter and for parents to share with their children any of their own general or background knowledge of construction. When tasked with this, some parents were even able to provide the classroom with books based on the subject matter (which further aided in bridging a connection between the students' home and school lives).
Dalia invited the parents on field trips to the construction site which added another link between the students' school and home lives and gave the parents a hands on experience with their own children of how learning is done outside of the home (and the classroom for that matter) and allowed both parents and children to share in the excitement of learning. By also inviting the parents (and community) to the "finale" of the construction project (when the construction was completed) it proved as a transition between the old subject matter (construction) to a new subject matter, meanwhile Dalia encouraged students and parents to continue their interest and learning about construction to continue to spread and gather new information and continue their excitement with learning.
Sharing knowledge and enthusiasm with children's parents and their home life is a valuable approach to learning because it allows a child's education to not simply stop once they leave the classroom, rather it allows it to take root in all aspects of the child's life and not be "pruned" every day when the child returns home. At home, children are then learning more about the subject matter they are excited about and in turn, when they return to school share this knowledge with each other generating an immeasurable wealth of information, excitement, and learning and in return they will eventually spread these seeds of knowledge to their families and community creating an ever blossoming cycle of education.
Dalia involves families in the class project by first getting her own students involved and excited with the project subject matter of "construction". This was done by assessing a common interest amongst her students as a whole. When Dalia found out that the class was excited about "construction" (due in part to a brand new library construction site that had begun in a nearby location to the school), she would also channel this excitement towards a class project about construction and in turn the children would carry this excitement with them share it in their homes, thus involving the students' home life with school.
Excitement for the classroom project of "construction" was further encouraged with Dalia's letter to her students' homes discussing the class project and requesting that parents aide and foster their child's and excitement for learning about construction, and for the parents to simply talk to their children about the subject matter and to continue to cultivate a rich discussion in the homes to keep the children (and their families) interested with the subject matter.
Dalia spoke one on one with parents and families about what they can do to continue their child's interest in the subject matter and for parents to share with their children any of their own general or background knowledge of construction. When tasked with this, some parents were even able to provide the classroom with books based on the subject matter (which further aided in bridging a connection between the students' home and school lives).
Dalia invited the parents on field trips to the construction site which added another link between the students' school and home lives and gave the parents a hands on experience with their own children of how learning is done outside of the home (and the classroom for that matter) and allowed both parents and children to share in the excitement of learning. By also inviting the parents (and community) to the "finale" of the construction project (when the construction was completed) it proved as a transition between the old subject matter (construction) to a new subject matter, meanwhile Dalia encouraged students and parents to continue their interest and learning about construction to continue to spread and gather new information and continue their excitement with learning.
Sharing knowledge and enthusiasm with children's parents and their home life is a valuable approach to learning because it allows a child's education to not simply stop once they leave the classroom, rather it allows it to take root in all aspects of the child's life and not be "pruned" every day when the child returns home. At home, children are then learning more about the subject matter they are excited about and in turn, when they return to school share this knowledge with each other generating an immeasurable wealth of information, excitement, and learning and in return they will eventually spread these seeds of knowledge to their families and community creating an ever blossoming cycle of education.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Case Study #12, Question #1
Kenji encouraged his students to implement a developmentally appropriate literary activity by instead of having the preschool students blinding recreate the ABC's from the modeled version, he offered that they only use letters that held meaning to the preschool students so that they would gain a better grasp/foothold of the alphabetic knowledge that they already knew, and in the process, perhaps even experiment or be introduced to new letters at their own pace of learning. Also by suggesting that they follow a more flexible model (one that they create themselves) the preschool students could also find a ways to use/show others their letter knowledge (spelling their names, words they knew, even using the materials in other creative ways to show of their own creative abilities) instead of copying what the teacher had rigidly assigned them, and create their own work that they can be proud of (and not be ashamed if their product was "not as good as the teacher's").
Case Study #12, Question #2
The second activity plan implemented the use of the book read to the preschool students about trains to help aid and transition the preschoolers into the mind-set of thinking about "trains" so that when they begin working on their ABC activity they will be primed, even excited, to create a product that will express their knowledge of trains. The second activity also incorporates a variety of artistic mediums the preschool students can use to express their knowledge of the alphabet (a creative representation of trains) either by their own direct hand (through writing, scribbling, gesturing, mark-making) or by using environmental texts (the variety of cut out textured letters). It can also be noted that by having the preschool students share their materials (glue-sticks) also promotes social interaction and cooperation, as well as aid them with practicing their literary knowledge with each other (ex. "Can you please pass me the 'F'... no, that is an "E", an "F" only has two 'arms'... yes that right there is an 'F', thank you!")
Kenji encouraged his students to implement a developmentally appropriate literary activity by instead of having the preschool students blinding recreate the ABC's from the modeled version, he offered that they only use letters that held meaning to the preschool students so that they would gain a better grasp/foothold of the alphabetic knowledge that they already knew, and in the process, perhaps even experiment or be introduced to new letters at their own pace of learning. Also by suggesting that they follow a more flexible model (one that they create themselves) the preschool students could also find a ways to use/show others their letter knowledge (spelling their names, words they knew, even using the materials in other creative ways to show of their own creative abilities) instead of copying what the teacher had rigidly assigned them, and create their own work that they can be proud of (and not be ashamed if their product was "not as good as the teacher's").
Case Study #12, Question #2
The second activity plan implemented the use of the book read to the preschool students about trains to help aid and transition the preschoolers into the mind-set of thinking about "trains" so that when they begin working on their ABC activity they will be primed, even excited, to create a product that will express their knowledge of trains. The second activity also incorporates a variety of artistic mediums the preschool students can use to express their knowledge of the alphabet (a creative representation of trains) either by their own direct hand (through writing, scribbling, gesturing, mark-making) or by using environmental texts (the variety of cut out textured letters). It can also be noted that by having the preschool students share their materials (glue-sticks) also promotes social interaction and cooperation, as well as aid them with practicing their literary knowledge with each other (ex. "Can you please pass me the 'F'... no, that is an "E", an "F" only has two 'arms'... yes that right there is an 'F', thank you!")
Case Study #1, Question #2
Some of the strategies that Shawna and Ronnie used to gain the trust of the infants was they first and foremost were always readily available to take care of any and all of the infants' needs as soon as they would arise, making and directing eye contact as they conversed with the infants in soothing, calming tones. They used touch to comfort and settle the infants. They allowed the infants to be visited by their parents during the day (Natalya visiting her son Sasha and allowing her to speak to her son in Russian, even Shawna using Russian her self to ease the transition of Sasha's mother leaving and to give him something comforting and familiar to hear). Shawna and Ronnie also allowed the students to bring personal items from home to help ease their home separation, and to make the care-center a more familiar and welcoming place (for example, allowing Olivia to listen to her home CD when she was having seperation anxiety from her father to ease her transition to the care-center, or allowing the infants to have pictures of their relatives fixed to their own personal spaces/cribs to give them a familiar face to find if they are feeling homesick). Also the caregivers would talk to the students (and parents) about events in their home life (such as Olivia's grandmother's birthday) to build a stronger relationship and bond with the infant (and the infants' families). Finally, the caregivers were extremely flexible to every infants want and need and were always attentive to ease and comfort the infant and to let the infants know that they were there for them.
Some of the strategies that Shawna and Ronnie used to gain the trust of the infants was they first and foremost were always readily available to take care of any and all of the infants' needs as soon as they would arise, making and directing eye contact as they conversed with the infants in soothing, calming tones. They used touch to comfort and settle the infants. They allowed the infants to be visited by their parents during the day (Natalya visiting her son Sasha and allowing her to speak to her son in Russian, even Shawna using Russian her self to ease the transition of Sasha's mother leaving and to give him something comforting and familiar to hear). Shawna and Ronnie also allowed the students to bring personal items from home to help ease their home separation, and to make the care-center a more familiar and welcoming place (for example, allowing Olivia to listen to her home CD when she was having seperation anxiety from her father to ease her transition to the care-center, or allowing the infants to have pictures of their relatives fixed to their own personal spaces/cribs to give them a familiar face to find if they are feeling homesick). Also the caregivers would talk to the students (and parents) about events in their home life (such as Olivia's grandmother's birthday) to build a stronger relationship and bond with the infant (and the infants' families). Finally, the caregivers were extremely flexible to every infants want and need and were always attentive to ease and comfort the infant and to let the infants know that they were there for them.
Before I reflect on my field experience of September 8, 2009, I would first like to reflect on my class experience. It has been some 3 odd years since I have been a student in a classroom setting and adjusting to the workload has been been quite the ordeal. I wasn't able to obtain the textbook I needed for this class until two weeks and and I simply let the workload snowball onto me to the fact that, as Dr. Mayer had warned against, I am now rushing to complete all of my blog posts on the day they are in fact due, but with much effort and uphill struggle (and a sturdy snowplow of determination), as a teacher in training I will, myself, learn form this experience, and use the upcoming Fall Break to get some much needed snow shoveling done!
When I arrived at the two year old classroom I was first surprised to see the small class size and teacher ration (2:5) and that the caregivers were very well educated in the field of childcare. Also I noticed all of the furniture was size appropriate for the students, and that the meal prepared (breakfast) was carefully monitored by one of the caregivers (the children were not forced to eat no more or no less than what they were satisfied with, and there was no rush or hurry to get the children to eat) while the other caregiver watched over the toddlers who had eaten at home and were engaging playing with play-doh or on the computer. There was no immediate set schedule for the toddlers (story time, math time, block time, etc.,) and were allowed to pursue their own intrests and socialize with each other and the caregivers. The caregivers would converse with the toddlers, ask them questions about what they were doing, and scaffold their activities to promote further creativity and awareness (asking what they were making with the play-doh - a pancake in one child's case - and asking the toddler what else they could make to go with the pancake). The atmosphere was calm and easy going and the toddlers were generally well natured towards each other.
On the other hand the three year old classroom was much busier and much noisier. The student:teacher/caregiver ratio there was roughly 10:1 (twenty students, two teachers/caregivers). The students were engaged in multiple activities (and conversations) at the classroom seemed to be in more disarray than the two year old classroom (mainly due to the level of activity), but the classroom itself seem to be more busy and a bit cluttered (there were multiple posters of colors, shapes, and of the alphabet plastered about the classroom). The number of students and the amount of shelving, furnichure, toys, and child implements made it difficult to maneuver and traffic about the classroom. Also the caregivers had implemented rules about how many children were allotted to each area/activity at a time (and it seemed more stressful on the caregivers to enforce these rules than to allow the children freedom, from my perspective). For the given circumstances (cramped classroom and student class size) the caregivers were able to maintain (as much) order in the classroom (as possible) and remained cool and collected if not a bit frazzled by the sheer amount of activity going on in the classroom.
When I arrived at the two year old classroom I was first surprised to see the small class size and teacher ration (2:5) and that the caregivers were very well educated in the field of childcare. Also I noticed all of the furniture was size appropriate for the students, and that the meal prepared (breakfast) was carefully monitored by one of the caregivers (the children were not forced to eat no more or no less than what they were satisfied with, and there was no rush or hurry to get the children to eat) while the other caregiver watched over the toddlers who had eaten at home and were engaging playing with play-doh or on the computer. There was no immediate set schedule for the toddlers (story time, math time, block time, etc.,) and were allowed to pursue their own intrests and socialize with each other and the caregivers. The caregivers would converse with the toddlers, ask them questions about what they were doing, and scaffold their activities to promote further creativity and awareness (asking what they were making with the play-doh - a pancake in one child's case - and asking the toddler what else they could make to go with the pancake). The atmosphere was calm and easy going and the toddlers were generally well natured towards each other.
On the other hand the three year old classroom was much busier and much noisier. The student:teacher/caregiver ratio there was roughly 10:1 (twenty students, two teachers/caregivers). The students were engaged in multiple activities (and conversations) at the classroom seemed to be in more disarray than the two year old classroom (mainly due to the level of activity), but the classroom itself seem to be more busy and a bit cluttered (there were multiple posters of colors, shapes, and of the alphabet plastered about the classroom). The number of students and the amount of shelving, furnichure, toys, and child implements made it difficult to maneuver and traffic about the classroom. Also the caregivers had implemented rules about how many children were allotted to each area/activity at a time (and it seemed more stressful on the caregivers to enforce these rules than to allow the children freedom, from my perspective). For the given circumstances (cramped classroom and student class size) the caregivers were able to maintain (as much) order in the classroom (as possible) and remained cool and collected if not a bit frazzled by the sheer amount of activity going on in the classroom.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Why I Choose Early Childhood Education
What made me decide to pursue a career in early childhood education is that I have personally seen the joys and rewards that living a life in the field of education can bring. Both of my parents are educators and as far back as I can remember, I have been raised in an educational setting and it is an environment that I am familiar, comfortable, and both enjoy and embrace.
I have always looked up to and admired my parents and what they do for a living. Not only what they do for themselves, but what the do for the students they teach, and that one day I too will will be given the chance to pass on all of the knowledge and that which they have raised me with to others.
What I hope to learn this semester is to get a better grasp of the principles of education and learning so that I can build upon this foundation with my own personal approach to education (which is based primarily in the visual arts).
I have always looked up to and admired my parents and what they do for a living. Not only what they do for themselves, but what the do for the students they teach, and that one day I too will will be given the chance to pass on all of the knowledge and that which they have raised me with to others.
What I hope to learn this semester is to get a better grasp of the principles of education and learning so that I can build upon this foundation with my own personal approach to education (which is based primarily in the visual arts).
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