Ah the internet (or World Wide Web as the local newsman calls it...). I'm never surprised at the amazing networking opportunities it provides. I get tweets and emails weekly from teachers, students, and parents. Usually they are kind comments and questions. Occasionally, I'm asked to read and review a book (who doesn't love a free book?) - a few weeks ago I got a most unusual email.
Rachael Stefanussen, an Industrial Design student, emailed and asked if I would take a few minutes to look over her senior capstone project. Being the busy person I am (yes, the kids leave at three, but we all know how that goes), I agreed, but it took me a few weeks to give it the attention it deserved. When I finally sat down to view her project, I was blown away.
Rachael's video was entertaining, professional, and, most importantly, thought provoking. She has envisioned a Portal that would connect teachers across communities to collaborate on classroom management, lesson planning, and all aspects of teacher mentoring. After viewing the video twice, I emailed Rachael with my thoughts and ideas. What about crossing all boundaries and making this international? What about integrating Facebook and twitter and using the already built networks many teachers have created?
Part of what excited me about Rachael's video is the simple idea that someone is thinking outside the box and trying to push the teaching experience even further into the future. I love progressive pondering and Rachael has really impressed me with her ideas.
Rachael was very gracious and we had a nice email dialogue back and forth. I asked her if she minded me sharing her wonderful proposal with others... she agreed on one condition - she'd love feedback from others too. So here it is. Please take a few minutes to watch and leave a comment for Rachael.
Showing posts with label classroom management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classroom management. Show all posts
6.12.2011
5.29.2011
Discovery.
A good friend of mine passed this article on to me from The Economist. The research presented debates the practice of telling children how something works first versus letting them explore on their own.
As teachers, we struggle with this all the time. As a rule, I want to let my sprouts discover new learning tools, manipulatives, and toys on their own, but I do have to take safety into consideration.
When introducing a new tool in the classroom, I try to use The Responsive Classroom’s Guided Discovery model. In a nutshell, this process involves:
I’m always amazed at how children find unique ways to use something… often in ways new to their classmates and me. Yes, you can make a video game out of wooden blocks! Sure, the dollhouse is a wonderful way to practice what we’ve learned about fire safety. Building bridges with snap cubes and testing the number of cubes before it snaps is Engineering 101.
When we let children use their imaginations to create their own rules and boundaries around toys and tools, the possibilities for learning are endless.
How do you introduce new items?
As teachers, we struggle with this all the time. As a rule, I want to let my sprouts discover new learning tools, manipulatives, and toys on their own, but I do have to take safety into consideration.
When introducing a new tool in the classroom, I try to use The Responsive Classroom’s Guided Discovery model. In a nutshell, this process involves:
- naming the material
- collecting ideas about its use
- exploration
- sharing what was learned or observed about the material
- cleanup
I’m always amazed at how children find unique ways to use something… often in ways new to their classmates and me. Yes, you can make a video game out of wooden blocks! Sure, the dollhouse is a wonderful way to practice what we’ve learned about fire safety. Building bridges with snap cubes and testing the number of cubes before it snaps is Engineering 101.
When we let children use their imaginations to create their own rules and boundaries around toys and tools, the possibilities for learning are endless.
How do you introduce new items?
(a wooden block video game)
5.28.2011
Fish.
These last few weeks of school are always a challenge. Mother Nature is partially to blame. With the warmer temperatures it’s more difficult to sustain the attention of a six-year-old, but I do my best. In kindergarten, more than some of the older grades, the kids are also beginning to become anxious at the prospect of leaving the safety and comfort of their friends, classroom, and teacher. Behaviors often spike.
When we began our Ocean Unit a few weeks ago, we also began our ‘fish’ whole class incentive program. It’s rather simple. A fish bowl is drawn on the board and for every morning or afternoon we can go without any major behaviors we draw a fish in the tank. Physical contact or a child needing to visit the Rest Stop defines a major behavior.
The incentive was an indoor beach party. We’d planned the party for yesterday weeks ago, but the class didn’t know that… they thought they had to earn it. We set our goal as ten fish. Ten. That’s it. With each day they had the chance to earn two fish - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They could have those ten fish in one week. As luck would have it, we only earned the tenth fish the day before we’d planned the party. It took over two weeks to earn those fish.
Our party was a huge success. We made our own beach visors, wore sunglasses and flip-flops, laid our beach towels out, and sang all our ocean songs. We also watched Finding Nemo
. I always feel like Mr. Ray was my inspiration to become a teacher... Being a movie released almost ten years before any of my sprouts were born, I was surprised how many of them hadn’t seen it. It’s always fun to watch a child enjoy an amazing movie for the first time… plus with all we’ve been learning about the ocean it’s really a good representation of all the facts we’ve discussed… except for the talking fish of course.
We’ve got a few more days to wrap our Ocean Unit and then it’s on to insects… I’m thinking we’ll be working on getting spots on a ladybug…
When we began our Ocean Unit a few weeks ago, we also began our ‘fish’ whole class incentive program. It’s rather simple. A fish bowl is drawn on the board and for every morning or afternoon we can go without any major behaviors we draw a fish in the tank. Physical contact or a child needing to visit the Rest Stop defines a major behavior.
The incentive was an indoor beach party. We’d planned the party for yesterday weeks ago, but the class didn’t know that… they thought they had to earn it. We set our goal as ten fish. Ten. That’s it. With each day they had the chance to earn two fish - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They could have those ten fish in one week. As luck would have it, we only earned the tenth fish the day before we’d planned the party. It took over two weeks to earn those fish.
Our party was a huge success. We made our own beach visors, wore sunglasses and flip-flops, laid our beach towels out, and sang all our ocean songs. We also watched Finding Nemo
. I always feel like Mr. Ray was my inspiration to become a teacher... Being a movie released almost ten years before any of my sprouts were born, I was surprised how many of them hadn’t seen it. It’s always fun to watch a child enjoy an amazing movie for the first time… plus with all we’ve been learning about the ocean it’s really a good representation of all the facts we’ve discussed… except for the talking fish of course.We’ve got a few more days to wrap our Ocean Unit and then it’s on to insects… I’m thinking we’ll be working on getting spots on a ladybug…
5.25.2011
Card.
Well today is my birthday. Yes, I’m a grown-up and I still get excited about my birthday. I got some amazing cards and gifts (more on that tomorrow) from little friends. Being my big day, I don’t have time to give my sprout’s gifts the attention they deserve today, but one grown-up card, from Mrs. D. just tickled me silly and I had to share it quickly.
In our class, we sing and dance to nursery rhymes daily. Each week we learn a new one and it then becomes a part of our motor break repertoire. The very first rhyme we learn is Jack Be Nimble. Naturally, we don’t just sing it – we sing the Jack Hartmann version which basically rocks out and has us jumping up and down like fools.
Well, this was the card Mrs. D. handed over today (click to make it larger).
I’m not sure how where she found it, but somehow, it was just the perfect card for me. Tomorrow, with more time, I’ll share my other gifts… Some of them literally took my breath away. Come back tomorrow to share my bounty.
In our class, we sing and dance to nursery rhymes daily. Each week we learn a new one and it then becomes a part of our motor break repertoire. The very first rhyme we learn is Jack Be Nimble. Naturally, we don’t just sing it – we sing the Jack Hartmann version which basically rocks out and has us jumping up and down like fools.
Well, this was the card Mrs. D. handed over today (click to make it larger).
I’m not sure how where she found it, but somehow, it was just the perfect card for me. Tomorrow, with more time, I’ll share my other gifts… Some of them literally took my breath away. Come back tomorrow to share my bounty.
5.15.2011
Evelyn and Jason.
We all know the drill. The sprouts with the highest academic and behavior needs get the higher percentage of our attention… day in and day out. Is it fair? Absolutely not. Unfortunately, it’s just the way the cookie crumbles and there’s not much you can do about it.
Lucky for me, with a team teaching situation this year, I’m finding I can give more attention to all children, regardless of academic or behavior concerns. No doubt, those ‘squeaky wheels’ always get a little more regard, but those ‘rocks’ as I like to call them (rocks as in, ‘like a rock’ sturdy and steady, I don’t have to worry about them too much) get more than usual.
Two of my sprouts who fit into that category this year are Evelyn and Jason. Both are quiet, respectful, and academically strong. It’s easy to see how each could get lost in the shuffle, but having two teachers has allowed them more one on one and ‘small moment’ time.
As long as I teach, I’ll never forget hearing Evelyn’s mother tell me at last summer’s open house, “She doesn’t really like men.” Yikes. Good thing my teaching partner is a woman. Funny thing is, turns out Evelyn just hadn’t met the right guy yet… me. Surely she was slower to warm up to my charms, but eventually, in her own time, she allowed me to show her the kindness she deserved.
Last week, Evelyn presented me with the following:
“Thank you,” I said.
“I think you’re sweet too,” I finished as she smiled at me. She offered a rare and cherished hug.
Jason too is a quiet boy who, unlike most boys in kindergarten, rarely acts silly or needs to be reigned in. If I never said, ‘Jason, thank you for sitting politely and being ready to learn,’ the poor boy would barely ever hear his name. While other boys seek me out for hugs and handholding (yes, the boys crave them), Jason would always stay back, preferring to offer a smile instead.
About two weeks ago, Jason came up to me during Quiet Time and asked if he could have a hug. Naturally, I obliged, but I was surprised by his request. After our hug, as he pulled back, I said, “Thank you for such a nice hug.”
Since then, he’s begun asking for hugs every day. I’m not sure what exactly prompted that first hug request, but as with most things hug related, I don’t question it, I just take my hugs as they come… and they are plentiful.
This year, Evelyn and Jason have taught me an important lesson. While the squeaky wheel usually gets the grease, silence is golden and deserves to be noticed, rewarded, and hugged.
Lucky for me, with a team teaching situation this year, I’m finding I can give more attention to all children, regardless of academic or behavior concerns. No doubt, those ‘squeaky wheels’ always get a little more regard, but those ‘rocks’ as I like to call them (rocks as in, ‘like a rock’ sturdy and steady, I don’t have to worry about them too much) get more than usual.
Two of my sprouts who fit into that category this year are Evelyn and Jason. Both are quiet, respectful, and academically strong. It’s easy to see how each could get lost in the shuffle, but having two teachers has allowed them more one on one and ‘small moment’ time.
As long as I teach, I’ll never forget hearing Evelyn’s mother tell me at last summer’s open house, “She doesn’t really like men.” Yikes. Good thing my teaching partner is a woman. Funny thing is, turns out Evelyn just hadn’t met the right guy yet… me. Surely she was slower to warm up to my charms, but eventually, in her own time, she allowed me to show her the kindness she deserved.
Last week, Evelyn presented me with the following:
“Thank you,” I said.
“I think you’re sweet too,” I finished as she smiled at me. She offered a rare and cherished hug.
Jason too is a quiet boy who, unlike most boys in kindergarten, rarely acts silly or needs to be reigned in. If I never said, ‘Jason, thank you for sitting politely and being ready to learn,’ the poor boy would barely ever hear his name. While other boys seek me out for hugs and handholding (yes, the boys crave them), Jason would always stay back, preferring to offer a smile instead.
About two weeks ago, Jason came up to me during Quiet Time and asked if he could have a hug. Naturally, I obliged, but I was surprised by his request. After our hug, as he pulled back, I said, “Thank you for such a nice hug.”
Since then, he’s begun asking for hugs every day. I’m not sure what exactly prompted that first hug request, but as with most things hug related, I don’t question it, I just take my hugs as they come… and they are plentiful.
This year, Evelyn and Jason have taught me an important lesson. While the squeaky wheel usually gets the grease, silence is golden and deserves to be noticed, rewarded, and hugged.
5.07.2011
First.
With the arrival of spring, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and the need to be first in line more than anything else in the world as begun. I’ll never quite understand why certain children have an overwhelming desire to be first in line all the time… there are always those rebels who want nothing more than to be last, but most wish to be at the head of the line.
During the day, when we line up, we have always have a line leader and a caboose. These ‘jobs’ are listed each morning in the message so sprouts know exactly who needs to be where and there’s no question about it… naturally, being second becomes the goal at this point.
The major problem arises at bus time… our school dismisses students in bus waves, so there are basically about six bus lines that form in a twenty-five minute period. If you’re ‘first’ that day, you get to be first in your bus line, but what about the other five lines? Children know they aren’t allowed to run… you’d be amazed at the speed walking to line. I happen to know speek walking is an Olympic event and some of these kids could definitely medal.
I’ve tried joking with them.
“Does the person first in line get a pony? A giant chocolate cake? A pot of gold?” I asked.
Blank stares. My rapier wit is lost on them. I’ve tried a more literal approach.
“Aren’t you all going to the same place… the bus? Why is it so important to be first?” I prodded.
More blank stares. I’m starting to realize, they don’t really know why they want to be first.
Which naturally made me start to think about why… why do some kids (again others could care less…) just NEED to be first?
For some, they simply want to be closest to me. I’m a nice guy. My hand is big and ripe for the holding… but there are others who have never given a hug, never grabbed my hand and yet still, everyday, the race to the front ensues. Why?
Maybe some kids are just super competitive… maybe they fight for their parents attention at home with a sibling and are just conditioned to try and elbow their way to the front… maybe the survival of the fittest really is hard wired into some people’s DNA more than others…
Whatever the reason, I’ve started a new strategy. On certain days, for certain lines (they never know which…) I do what I call the ‘Line Flip’ – after everyone has arrived in line, I shout ‘Line Flip’ and the entire line has to flip. The leader becomes last, the caboose the leader and everyone in between changes position. It’s a lovely thing.
During the day, when we line up, we have always have a line leader and a caboose. These ‘jobs’ are listed each morning in the message so sprouts know exactly who needs to be where and there’s no question about it… naturally, being second becomes the goal at this point.
The major problem arises at bus time… our school dismisses students in bus waves, so there are basically about six bus lines that form in a twenty-five minute period. If you’re ‘first’ that day, you get to be first in your bus line, but what about the other five lines? Children know they aren’t allowed to run… you’d be amazed at the speed walking to line. I happen to know speek walking is an Olympic event and some of these kids could definitely medal.
I’ve tried joking with them.
“Does the person first in line get a pony? A giant chocolate cake? A pot of gold?” I asked.
Blank stares. My rapier wit is lost on them. I’ve tried a more literal approach.
“Aren’t you all going to the same place… the bus? Why is it so important to be first?” I prodded.
More blank stares. I’m starting to realize, they don’t really know why they want to be first.
Which naturally made me start to think about why… why do some kids (again others could care less…) just NEED to be first?
For some, they simply want to be closest to me. I’m a nice guy. My hand is big and ripe for the holding… but there are others who have never given a hug, never grabbed my hand and yet still, everyday, the race to the front ensues. Why?
Maybe some kids are just super competitive… maybe they fight for their parents attention at home with a sibling and are just conditioned to try and elbow their way to the front… maybe the survival of the fittest really is hard wired into some people’s DNA more than others…
Whatever the reason, I’ve started a new strategy. On certain days, for certain lines (they never know which…) I do what I call the ‘Line Flip’ – after everyone has arrived in line, I shout ‘Line Flip’ and the entire line has to flip. The leader becomes last, the caboose the leader and everyone in between changes position. It’s a lovely thing.
5.02.2011
Trouble.
Today, when I picked up my class from P.E., Andy, standing in the front, looked up at me and said, “Nobody got in trouble today!”
Apparently this was a big deal… and it was. Usually when I pick them up from P.E., I’m told about at least one (if not more) sprouts who had to sit out and miss some of their P.E. time. So, truth be told, nobody getting in ‘trouble’ is something to celebrate. That being said, I wanted to try and put a positive spin on it and let them see why this was so significant… all in two minutes.
“Well, while I’m glad nobody got in trouble today, I don’t really care if you do get in trouble,” I started.
They looked shocked.
“What I care about, is that you get to enjoy all your P.E. time and don't have to miss any for not listening or following directions,” I continued.
“Nice job enjoying your P.E. time!” I finished, taking Andy’s hand to walk back to class.
Apparently this was a big deal… and it was. Usually when I pick them up from P.E., I’m told about at least one (if not more) sprouts who had to sit out and miss some of their P.E. time. So, truth be told, nobody getting in ‘trouble’ is something to celebrate. That being said, I wanted to try and put a positive spin on it and let them see why this was so significant… all in two minutes.
“Well, while I’m glad nobody got in trouble today, I don’t really care if you do get in trouble,” I started.
They looked shocked.
“What I care about, is that you get to enjoy all your P.E. time and don't have to miss any for not listening or following directions,” I continued.
“Nice job enjoying your P.E. time!” I finished, taking Andy’s hand to walk back to class.
5.01.2011
The Man.
While I’m fully aware of the rarity of my species, a male who teaches kindergarten, the novelty is lost on me from time to time… Last week, I was reminded why being a man makes me so much different from my peers.
I received an email from a co-worker, another kindergarten teacher, about a situation with a little boy, let’s call him William, in her room. Apparently last fall, a little girl in my class told him that he was going to be in BIG trouble for wrecking some fairy houses her and her friends made on the playground… how much trouble? BIG trouble. Such big trouble that Mr. _______ was going to come after him!
Now I realize most of you have never met me, but I’m hopeful my personality has come through in my writing… I am not a scary guy. I’d like to believe I’m rather kind, caring, and open. I’d also bet good money than a few of my female counterparts are a lot scarier than I am… well wouldn’t you know it, poor little William was apparently so afraid of me it was beginning to cause some problems.
With spring here and the fairy houses returning, he thought it was about time for me to come after him… naturally, because this is kindergarten, this isn’t the whole story… in fact, William didn’t wreck anything. The girls in my room were just taunting him, scaring him, with… me!
William ended up writing me a letter explaining the whole situation and professing his innocence… he actually wrote ‘I’m innocent’ – I tried to keep a straight face when I read it. Thing is, when I went to his classroom to tell him I’d read his letter, thank him, and explain I wasn’t upset with him, he looked absolutely petrified as I walked over and sat next to him. You would have thought the Incredible Hulk had come for a chat.
When I spoke to his teacher afterwards and relayed his reaction, without missing a beat, she said, “You’re the man.”
Apparently my gender makes me scary to some children. The little girls in my room know this because they used MY name and not Mrs. D.’s to frighten poor William. They also know I’m not someone to fear, but they were banking that William didn’t. I hope after our conversation William realizes I’m not a raging ball of anger… he smiled at me the next time I saw him on the playground so I think I may have changed his mind.
I received an email from a co-worker, another kindergarten teacher, about a situation with a little boy, let’s call him William, in her room. Apparently last fall, a little girl in my class told him that he was going to be in BIG trouble for wrecking some fairy houses her and her friends made on the playground… how much trouble? BIG trouble. Such big trouble that Mr. _______ was going to come after him!
Now I realize most of you have never met me, but I’m hopeful my personality has come through in my writing… I am not a scary guy. I’d like to believe I’m rather kind, caring, and open. I’d also bet good money than a few of my female counterparts are a lot scarier than I am… well wouldn’t you know it, poor little William was apparently so afraid of me it was beginning to cause some problems.
With spring here and the fairy houses returning, he thought it was about time for me to come after him… naturally, because this is kindergarten, this isn’t the whole story… in fact, William didn’t wreck anything. The girls in my room were just taunting him, scaring him, with… me!
William ended up writing me a letter explaining the whole situation and professing his innocence… he actually wrote ‘I’m innocent’ – I tried to keep a straight face when I read it. Thing is, when I went to his classroom to tell him I’d read his letter, thank him, and explain I wasn’t upset with him, he looked absolutely petrified as I walked over and sat next to him. You would have thought the Incredible Hulk had come for a chat.
When I spoke to his teacher afterwards and relayed his reaction, without missing a beat, she said, “You’re the man.”
Apparently my gender makes me scary to some children. The little girls in my room know this because they used MY name and not Mrs. D.’s to frighten poor William. They also know I’m not someone to fear, but they were banking that William didn’t. I hope after our conversation William realizes I’m not a raging ball of anger… he smiled at me the next time I saw him on the playground so I think I may have changed his mind.
4.30.2011
T-ball and tiaras.
Well the power of the Royal Wedding is supreme. It managed to infiltrate the walls of my kindergarten class yesterday… no doubt due to the fact that while all my little sprouts were getting ready for school they’re parents were glued to the nuptials.
As each little girl filtered into the room, something was mentioned about the dress, the wedding, the PRINCESS. It was all about the princess... the Disney marketing machine is powerful and the allure of a REAL princess was overwhelming. My favorite comment was from Audra who asked me, “Did you see that show on TV about the wedding?”
During Sharing Time, every single little girl shared something about ‘the princess’… there was a fascination with her dress, particularly, the tiara. I couldn’t help but laugh at the pattern of comments… to keep talking down to a minimum, we sit in a boy/girl pattern in our circle and the comments were also in a pattern… T-ball, tiara, T-ball, tiara… T-ball season starts this weekend and almost every boy shared his excitement over hitting off the T.
During dress up, we had more princesses than ever. Wedding reenactments were in full swing. The fever had taken over… when Betsy commented, “The other prince isn’t married yet!” I knew the royal frenzy had hit its peak. I’m hoping by Monday it’s died down just a little… we only have so many tiaras in the Dress Up bin.
As each little girl filtered into the room, something was mentioned about the dress, the wedding, the PRINCESS. It was all about the princess... the Disney marketing machine is powerful and the allure of a REAL princess was overwhelming. My favorite comment was from Audra who asked me, “Did you see that show on TV about the wedding?”
During Sharing Time, every single little girl shared something about ‘the princess’… there was a fascination with her dress, particularly, the tiara. I couldn’t help but laugh at the pattern of comments… to keep talking down to a minimum, we sit in a boy/girl pattern in our circle and the comments were also in a pattern… T-ball, tiara, T-ball, tiara… T-ball season starts this weekend and almost every boy shared his excitement over hitting off the T.
During dress up, we had more princesses than ever. Wedding reenactments were in full swing. The fever had taken over… when Betsy commented, “The other prince isn’t married yet!” I knew the royal frenzy had hit its peak. I’m hoping by Monday it’s died down just a little… we only have so many tiaras in the Dress Up bin.
4.29.2011
Details.
Today, we our amazing third grade reading buddies had a special treat for us… they brought some of the personal narrative stories to share with us. As luck would have it, we’ve been working on trying to add more detail to our own stories to make them more interesting (not an easy task in kindergarten) and having our older buddies share their own writing with us turned out to be an unexpected perfect way to model the importance of details to a story.
As the children read with their buddies, I could see a few kindergarten eyeballs pop… these third graders were brilliant writers. They clearly knew what they were doing and maybe my sprouts could learn a thing or two from them.
When they left and we shared some of the stories they’d heard, the details all bubbled to the surface.
“My buddy wrote about a visit to a haunted house… there were skeletons, mummies, zombies, and a trail of bloody footprints!” One sprout shared.
“My buddy went to a fair and went on a rollercoaster, ate lots of food, played games, and had a really fun time,” another offered.
All these details are what make good writing, great writing. As much as we try to model with mentor texts and our own writing, nothing Mrs. D. or I could use is as powerful as the writing of a third grade buddy.
As the children read with their buddies, I could see a few kindergarten eyeballs pop… these third graders were brilliant writers. They clearly knew what they were doing and maybe my sprouts could learn a thing or two from them.
When they left and we shared some of the stories they’d heard, the details all bubbled to the surface.
“My buddy wrote about a visit to a haunted house… there were skeletons, mummies, zombies, and a trail of bloody footprints!” One sprout shared.
“My buddy went to a fair and went on a rollercoaster, ate lots of food, played games, and had a really fun time,” another offered.
All these details are what make good writing, great writing. As much as we try to model with mentor texts and our own writing, nothing Mrs. D. or I could use is as powerful as the writing of a third grade buddy.
4.26.2011
Etiquette.
With two teachers and double the number of kids, walking in line in the hallway has become an art form. Usually one of us takes the front and the other the back. It works well because between the two of us, we can see almost the entire line.
Today, as I waited to take my place at the end of our line to head out for recess, the kids walked by waving, smiling, and hugging me.
Martin walked out of his place in line, approached me and said, “Mr. _______, can I take your hand and walk with you, please and thank you.”
What? ‘Please and thank you’? Really? This was something new… and for one of the few times in my day, I was speechless for a moment.
“Um, sure Martin,” I replied.
I mean really, how could I argue with such etiquette?
He reached up took my hand and we walked out.
I looked down at him and he said, “You said ‘yes’ because I’m so nice, right?”
“Partly… also because you asked so politely,” I answered.
With that we headed outside to play.
Today, as I waited to take my place at the end of our line to head out for recess, the kids walked by waving, smiling, and hugging me.
Martin walked out of his place in line, approached me and said, “Mr. _______, can I take your hand and walk with you, please and thank you.”
What? ‘Please and thank you’? Really? This was something new… and for one of the few times in my day, I was speechless for a moment.
“Um, sure Martin,” I replied.
I mean really, how could I argue with such etiquette?
He reached up took my hand and we walked out.
I looked down at him and he said, “You said ‘yes’ because I’m so nice, right?”
“Partly… also because you asked so politely,” I answered.
With that we headed outside to play.
4.22.2011
Size.
No matter what they say, size does matter. Class size that is. Having only taught in one area of the country, my class sizes have always stayed rather uniform. When I taught second grade, I would have as many as twenty-three, which seemed like a lot. In kindergarten I’ve had as much as twenty, which, when they’re all there, seems like a whole lot. Funny thing is, many teachers have more… much more.
Obviously, the number of children in your room directly affects how much attention a teacher is able to give to each one, but class size goes deeper. In a kindergarten room, where you need room to move, stretch, dance, and play, the more bodies, the less space you have… as I found out last year, they start of like tiny munchkins, but by June they’re a whole lot bigger and take up a lot more room. Last year, with every straw we added to tally the number of days in school, our circle kept getting more ‘cozy’.
I’m not sure if there is data to back this up (I tried to find out, but gave up after awhile…), but it appears the closer you teach to a major city, the more kids you have. Obviously with a more dense population, you’re going to have more people to serve, but I have to imagine in bigger cities those kids have bigger challenges and could really benefit from smaller class sizes. When I read a reader in Baltimore had thirty-three students, another in Malibu had forty-two, and another poor teacher has so many sprouts two of them have to sit on the floor because she ran out of table space, my heart sank a little for each of them. I know they give it their all and do the best they possibly can, but forty-two kids with one teacher is just simply to many.
With budgets being slashed left and right I keep reading that class sizes are only going to be bigger… I can’t help but think that the politicians, and maybe even voters, who suggest and agree to this have no clue how it impacts the learning and success of children. What can we do? Unfortunately not a whole lot… parents have the power. I try to empower the parents in my classroom community to speak up and advocate for their children.
Here’s hoping our class sizes get smaller so every sprout can get the time and attention they deserve. What are your thoughts on class size?
Obviously, the number of children in your room directly affects how much attention a teacher is able to give to each one, but class size goes deeper. In a kindergarten room, where you need room to move, stretch, dance, and play, the more bodies, the less space you have… as I found out last year, they start of like tiny munchkins, but by June they’re a whole lot bigger and take up a lot more room. Last year, with every straw we added to tally the number of days in school, our circle kept getting more ‘cozy’.
I’m not sure if there is data to back this up (I tried to find out, but gave up after awhile…), but it appears the closer you teach to a major city, the more kids you have. Obviously with a more dense population, you’re going to have more people to serve, but I have to imagine in bigger cities those kids have bigger challenges and could really benefit from smaller class sizes. When I read a reader in Baltimore had thirty-three students, another in Malibu had forty-two, and another poor teacher has so many sprouts two of them have to sit on the floor because she ran out of table space, my heart sank a little for each of them. I know they give it their all and do the best they possibly can, but forty-two kids with one teacher is just simply to many.
With budgets being slashed left and right I keep reading that class sizes are only going to be bigger… I can’t help but think that the politicians, and maybe even voters, who suggest and agree to this have no clue how it impacts the learning and success of children. What can we do? Unfortunately not a whole lot… parents have the power. I try to empower the parents in my classroom community to speak up and advocate for their children.
Here’s hoping our class sizes get smaller so every sprout can get the time and attention they deserve. What are your thoughts on class size?
4.20.2011
Security.
Well apparently when you are sick for over two weeks you need to go to the doctor… thankfully my dear friend Ms. R. nagged me enough and I finally went… severe bronchitis. I’ve never had bronchitis before, and the ‘severe’ just was the icing on the cake… I was given three medications and told to ‘rest’… not always easy for me. I cued up some movies and was thrilled to see there was a new Peanuts flick I hadn't seen called Happiness is a Warm Blanket
.
Now I love me some Snoopy. If I ever was brave enough to get a tattoo it would surely be Snoopy… for the record I’m not a fan of needles so only temporary tattoos for me. As I watched the new movie I came to a stark realization… as much as I love Snoopy, I’m actually more of a Linus. I had a major blanket infatuation as a child and had some major connections to the story.
The basic plot centers on Linus and his beloved blanket. His sister Lucy wants to rid him his dirty habit and enlists the help of the entire gang to try and remove the pale blue blanket from his constant grip. In one of the final scenes, Linus stands in front of his sister and friends and first, admits his insecurities and need for his blanket, and second, makes them all realize they too are insecure and perhaps if they all had a blanket, would be better off.
Children need to feel secure. Part of our job (and the jobs never end…) as teachers is to make our sprouts feel safe. When we hold them accountable to the rules, they understand we’ll keep them in bounds… they feel secure and the love flows. I love how when I get firm with a child, or heaven forbid raise my voice (really, it’s rare) and they turn around with a ‘I love you’ and a hug… they crave boundaries. Sometimes being firm can be a lot like a warm blanket.
.Now I love me some Snoopy. If I ever was brave enough to get a tattoo it would surely be Snoopy… for the record I’m not a fan of needles so only temporary tattoos for me. As I watched the new movie I came to a stark realization… as much as I love Snoopy, I’m actually more of a Linus. I had a major blanket infatuation as a child and had some major connections to the story.
The basic plot centers on Linus and his beloved blanket. His sister Lucy wants to rid him his dirty habit and enlists the help of the entire gang to try and remove the pale blue blanket from his constant grip. In one of the final scenes, Linus stands in front of his sister and friends and first, admits his insecurities and need for his blanket, and second, makes them all realize they too are insecure and perhaps if they all had a blanket, would be better off.
Children need to feel secure. Part of our job (and the jobs never end…) as teachers is to make our sprouts feel safe. When we hold them accountable to the rules, they understand we’ll keep them in bounds… they feel secure and the love flows. I love how when I get firm with a child, or heaven forbid raise my voice (really, it’s rare) and they turn around with a ‘I love you’ and a hug… they crave boundaries. Sometimes being firm can be a lot like a warm blanket.
4.09.2011
Thinking.
Kindergarteners are an enthusiastic bunch. Whenever a question is asked, hands go up, arms start waving, and grunts and other unpleasant noises can usually be heard. God forbid a sprout needed, oh say time or quiet, to think, they’d never get either.
Last year, in a last ditch effort to offer those who needed a little peace and quiet to think some of both, I devised, on the fly I might add (my best ideas come to me that way…), a way for everyone to get the time they needed to think. I don’t have a name for it, but here is how it works.
After I ask a question, children take their index finger and tap it on their chin. This signals ‘thinking’ – it’s nice to look around the room and see all those fingers tap tap tapping away. When an answer formulates, they simply move the finger from their chin to the temple of their forehead. The entire movement is silent and I can quickly see who is still thinking and who is ready with an answer.
Whenever we do a group sharing activity, I model it myself and, naturally, they all want to copy me. Calm, peaceful thinking is always good to see.
Last year, in a last ditch effort to offer those who needed a little peace and quiet to think some of both, I devised, on the fly I might add (my best ideas come to me that way…), a way for everyone to get the time they needed to think. I don’t have a name for it, but here is how it works.
After I ask a question, children take their index finger and tap it on their chin. This signals ‘thinking’ – it’s nice to look around the room and see all those fingers tap tap tapping away. When an answer formulates, they simply move the finger from their chin to the temple of their forehead. The entire movement is silent and I can quickly see who is still thinking and who is ready with an answer.
Whenever we do a group sharing activity, I model it myself and, naturally, they all want to copy me. Calm, peaceful thinking is always good to see.
4.03.2011
Warrior.
Last week, as the snow approached and the energy from our conferences peaked, I found myself in need of calming my entire class down… quickly. I know, this is the situation in most kindergarten rooms most of the time, but let’s just say the energy was overflowing and I needed to squelch it.
As the case with many folks with ADD, my mind can be like a tornado… all the thoughts and information are swirling around at high speed and it actually takes effort to grab one for my use. Luckily, at this moment, as the noise increased and my nerves began to rattle, I was able to pluck a useful gem out of the chaos in my mind.
“Girls and boys, has anyone ever heard of yoga?” I asked.
A few hands went up, but mostly I got perplexed looks.
“Yoga is the little green guy from Star Wars! I love Yoga!” Andy shouted.
My need for yoga increased.
“No, yoga is actually something you do with your body to help you stay strong, but it also relaxes your mind and relieves stress,” I explained.
“I do yoga sometimes, would you like to learn some poses?” I offered.
To be honest, I’ve only gone to a few yoga class with different friends that have dragged me… I do like it, but I don’t do it regularly.
With that, I modeled the tree pose. A silence came over the room as I watched my little sprouts try to be tall trees. I explained the slow intentional breathing. We then moved into the warrior pose. I did my best, trying to sound like the yoga expert I’m not, but they did well and actually begged to do more.
I was telling my friend Susan this story because she IS a yoga expert. She suggested I share the lion pose with my class. Apparently you stick your tongue out as far as you can and make a lion growl with your throat. All I could think was, ‘Heck Yeah!’ they are going to love that pose. We’ll be tree loving warrior lions in no time.
As the case with many folks with ADD, my mind can be like a tornado… all the thoughts and information are swirling around at high speed and it actually takes effort to grab one for my use. Luckily, at this moment, as the noise increased and my nerves began to rattle, I was able to pluck a useful gem out of the chaos in my mind.
“Girls and boys, has anyone ever heard of yoga?” I asked.
A few hands went up, but mostly I got perplexed looks.
“Yoga is the little green guy from Star Wars! I love Yoga!” Andy shouted.
My need for yoga increased.
“No, yoga is actually something you do with your body to help you stay strong, but it also relaxes your mind and relieves stress,” I explained.
“I do yoga sometimes, would you like to learn some poses?” I offered.
To be honest, I’ve only gone to a few yoga class with different friends that have dragged me… I do like it, but I don’t do it regularly.
With that, I modeled the tree pose. A silence came over the room as I watched my little sprouts try to be tall trees. I explained the slow intentional breathing. We then moved into the warrior pose. I did my best, trying to sound like the yoga expert I’m not, but they did well and actually begged to do more.
I was telling my friend Susan this story because she IS a yoga expert. She suggested I share the lion pose with my class. Apparently you stick your tongue out as far as you can and make a lion growl with your throat. All I could think was, ‘Heck Yeah!’ they are going to love that pose. We’ll be tree loving warrior lions in no time.
4.02.2011
Intruder.
A new pastime of mine at school has become being silent intruder… I don’t get a fancy Mission Impossible outfit and I don’t break in with ropes. Lately, I’ve been prone to walking into first grade classrooms unannounced. The lovely teachers in my hallway don’t mind a bit. Their classrooms are always calm, quiet, organized, and tranquil… so nothing like a kindergarten classroom. If first grade is learning to leave the nest, kindergarten is the, sometimes violent and erratic, business of hatching.
During my lunchtime, I just can’t resist popping in to see old sprouts from last year and just see how their rooms are running. At this point in the year, first grade is starting to look a lot like second grade. Reading is becoming fluent and writing is getting longer, neater, and deeper. It’s a sight to see.
The funny thing is, the two first grade teachers I share the hallway with are on opposite sides of the spectrum. One is a veteran with years of experience and the other is a newbie… it’s her first year. Yet both rooms are almost identical. I pride myself on fostering independence in my classroom, but the amount of autonomy I see in these first grade rooms is staggering.
The other day I walked into the newbie’s classroom. She was sitting at a table with a few friends and the rest of the class was working around the room. Some were reading in the library, others were on computers, a few were writing, and one little boy was doing a math activity on the floor. It was virtually silent. I was almost jealous… almost.
While I envy the calm and peaceful atmosphere I find in the first grade classrooms in my hallway (ahhhhh, the sound of silence…), part of me enjoys the chaos that comes with kindergarten. The crazy, loud, and even frantic, nature of five and six-year-olds suits me. We’re learning to be independent… I’m getting them ready for their first grade serenity. Those first grade teachers owe me big time.
3.31.2011
The Big Show.
I love spring student led conferences. It’s what I affectionately like to call, ‘The Big Show’ because it takes us weeks to prepare and practice for the day. In addition to getting all our materials together (it’s a long extensive list of items, including work from the first day of school to compare against recent work and entire Goldilocks and the Three Bears setting and puppets for retelling), we have to psych up the little sprouts to share their work.
No doubt, they’re excitement and exuberance is bubbling at the surface, but we want to make sure they feel ready to do all the sharing independently… this takes practice, and lots of it. By the time the day actually arrived yesterday (both Monday and Tuesday they all came in asking, ‘Are the conferences today?’), we were more than ready.
We spent the day gathering all the hard work we’d prepared and then, like all good hosts do, cleaning our room so it looked the best it could for our guests. When, at the last minute, I tried to find a hiding place for our laundry basket of art shirts (as my mom says, I’m a ‘stacker’ and a ‘hider’ – my bedroom closet and underneath my bed were all ways busting at the seams as a kid…), Mrs. D. reminded me ours is a ‘working classroom’ and should look as such. Knowing our custodian wouldn’t have time to clean our room before conferences began, everyone pitched in to wipe, sweep, and tidy our room.
And then they began. It never ceases to make my shirt buttons bust with pride to watch little kindergartners bring their families in, take their hands, guide them to their seats, and just show off. That’s basically what our conferences are… Mrs. D. and I do very little. We walk around prompting, praising, and patting (as in heads), but that’s about it. We answer the occasional question, but really, this is a chance for our sprouts to show how far they’ve come since school began.
Everyone came. The few we weren’t sure about came. The mom who is on bed rest because she’s about to deliver any second came (I told her I had my cell and was prepared to call 911 if needed). Most of the families found childcare for siblings to they could give their kindergartner their undivided attention. I saw more smiles on children’s and parent’s faces than I could count. Our journey is winding closer to a finish and I couldn’t be more proud.
3.27.2011
Bravo!
The other day, as I walked back to my room from dropping my sprouts off at a special, a second grade teacher stopped me.
“I have a story to share with you about one of your students,” she began.
Uh-oh. I wasn’t sure this was going to be good… second grade teachers don’t often get kindergarteners… I know, I used to teach second grade.
“Yesterday, when you were walking your class to lunch I stopped a boy at the back of the line,” she said.
I was worried already. Who was it? What were they doing wrong? My school has a no talking policy rule for the hallways. My class is pretty good about it, but hey, they’re five, and total silence isn’t easy for them.
“He was wearing a winter hat that looked just like a tiger, with ears and everything…”
At this point I knew exactly who she was talking about… Andy. This wasn’t going to be good.
“I said ‘Oh what a cute tiger hat, it’s so adorable, I just love it’,” she continued.
“Then he walked right up to me, put his finger up to his lips and said, ‘Shhhhh!’” she laughed.
“My whole class roared with laughter, they thought it was hilarious… you should compliment him on remaining quiet in the hallway,” she finished and walked off.
See, because I know it’s almost impossible for my class to remain silent in the halls, I try my hardest to be silent myself. They are watching me all the time… if I’m talking to students, other teachers or staff, well, why shouldn’t they talk as well? If I’m a silent pillar, the likelihood of them being quiet increases. I was quite proud of Andy… he knew my teacher friend was breaking the rules and had no problem letting her know. Bravo my young friend!
“I have a story to share with you about one of your students,” she began.
Uh-oh. I wasn’t sure this was going to be good… second grade teachers don’t often get kindergarteners… I know, I used to teach second grade.
“Yesterday, when you were walking your class to lunch I stopped a boy at the back of the line,” she said.
I was worried already. Who was it? What were they doing wrong? My school has a no talking policy rule for the hallways. My class is pretty good about it, but hey, they’re five, and total silence isn’t easy for them.
“He was wearing a winter hat that looked just like a tiger, with ears and everything…”
At this point I knew exactly who she was talking about… Andy. This wasn’t going to be good.
“I said ‘Oh what a cute tiger hat, it’s so adorable, I just love it’,” she continued.
“Then he walked right up to me, put his finger up to his lips and said, ‘Shhhhh!’” she laughed.
“My whole class roared with laughter, they thought it was hilarious… you should compliment him on remaining quiet in the hallway,” she finished and walked off.
See, because I know it’s almost impossible for my class to remain silent in the halls, I try my hardest to be silent myself. They are watching me all the time… if I’m talking to students, other teachers or staff, well, why shouldn’t they talk as well? If I’m a silent pillar, the likelihood of them being quiet increases. I was quite proud of Andy… he knew my teacher friend was breaking the rules and had no problem letting her know. Bravo my young friend!
3.24.2011
Charmer.
Friday afternoons in kindergarten are always challenging… for me. My energy is spent and I’m just down right exhausted. We usually plan extra long Choice Time and I relish the opportunity to just observe and play with my sprouts instead of pulling them one on one to read or assess. Last Friday was no exception and with the lurking super-sized full moon, the entire class was quite energetic.
As we cleaned up and sat together in our meeting area, the liveliness was overwhelming… I needed to calm them down so we could get ready quickly… I needed to calm them down to prevent my head from popping off. As in most primary classrooms, non-fiction is the exception, not the rule. Personally, I adore non-fiction and I know many children do too. I went to my secret stash of non-fiction books and pulled Amazing Snakes
from the pile.
Kids love snakes. I love snakes. Snakes are cool. Snakes are scary… in that rollercoaster it’s fun to be scared way.
“Girls and boys, I have a very special book to read you,” I teased, holding the book in my lap so no one could spy the cover.
A hush came over the group.
“Amazing… SNAKES!” I shouted, trying my best to say ‘snakes’ in scary way.
Well like a snake charmer taming a wild cobra with a hypnotizing pungi, they all sat at attention and were entranced by my book. I made sure to read it with my best suspenseful voice and outlined the goriness and horror of the photos. They loved it.
I finished the book and with the group quiet, we were able to get ready for dismissal quickly and quietly. As we move deeper into spring and it begins to get nicer outside, I’ll be pulling more tricks out of my non-fiction bag to help soothe the natives.
As we cleaned up and sat together in our meeting area, the liveliness was overwhelming… I needed to calm them down so we could get ready quickly… I needed to calm them down to prevent my head from popping off. As in most primary classrooms, non-fiction is the exception, not the rule. Personally, I adore non-fiction and I know many children do too. I went to my secret stash of non-fiction books and pulled Amazing Snakes
from the pile.Kids love snakes. I love snakes. Snakes are cool. Snakes are scary… in that rollercoaster it’s fun to be scared way.
“Girls and boys, I have a very special book to read you,” I teased, holding the book in my lap so no one could spy the cover.
A hush came over the group.
“Amazing… SNAKES!” I shouted, trying my best to say ‘snakes’ in scary way.
Well like a snake charmer taming a wild cobra with a hypnotizing pungi, they all sat at attention and were entranced by my book. I made sure to read it with my best suspenseful voice and outlined the goriness and horror of the photos. They loved it.
I finished the book and with the group quiet, we were able to get ready for dismissal quickly and quietly. As we move deeper into spring and it begins to get nicer outside, I’ll be pulling more tricks out of my non-fiction bag to help soothe the natives.
3.18.2011
Helper.
This past Monday, as we did some syllable work, I realized quickly, that even with Mrs. D., myself, and Miss F. (who comes into our classroom to help once a week), there wasn’t going to be enough adult support. We'd been reviewing breaking words into syllables and we had a fun St. Patrick’s Day worksheet to review the skills. Yes, it was only Monday and we were already reading and talking about St. Patrick’s Day… one of the fun aspects of kindergarten is no holiday is just one day.
We did some syllable work as a group and reviewed the concepts and it was time for the worksheet. The sheet had twelve words. Each word was one, two, or three syllables. There were three shamrocks and after reading each word, students had to color how many syllables a word had. Here’s the problem… most kindergarteners can’t read the words on the sheet.
Since every sprout needed almost every word read to them, three adults wasn’t going to cut it. Cue Billy. Billy can read, I mean really read. He reads at about a third grade level and we’re always trying to challenge him.
“Billy, do you think you could be a teacher and help read words?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Do you think you can do it without being silly?” I inquired.
Like most kindergarten boys, Billy can be silly and I wanted his help, but not if he was going to make it more difficult to complete our task.
He nodded.
Well wouldn’t you know it, Billy walked around the room and read and helped, without telling any answers. He wasn’t silly, he was a little miniature teacher. Maybe Billy will be a teacher when he grows up. I’d like that.
We did some syllable work as a group and reviewed the concepts and it was time for the worksheet. The sheet had twelve words. Each word was one, two, or three syllables. There were three shamrocks and after reading each word, students had to color how many syllables a word had. Here’s the problem… most kindergarteners can’t read the words on the sheet.
Since every sprout needed almost every word read to them, three adults wasn’t going to cut it. Cue Billy. Billy can read, I mean really read. He reads at about a third grade level and we’re always trying to challenge him.
“Billy, do you think you could be a teacher and help read words?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Do you think you can do it without being silly?” I inquired.
Like most kindergarten boys, Billy can be silly and I wanted his help, but not if he was going to make it more difficult to complete our task.
He nodded.
Well wouldn’t you know it, Billy walked around the room and read and helped, without telling any answers. He wasn’t silly, he was a little miniature teacher. Maybe Billy will be a teacher when he grows up. I’d like that.
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