This week I had the opportunity to work in a small group of Kindergarteners. I was working with them on writing their names and letters. It was interesting to sit there and watch them as they tried their hardest to remember just how the letters went. I notices a little boy get sad as he couldn't remember how to right a g. So I thought of how I could make it fun for him with a rhyme. I told him to go around town and into the garage. Its so funny because he light up and started saying the rhyme. Now that it has been a couple of days I have notices that every time he writes his name he and his whole table say " Go around town and into the Garage". This whole incident just reminded me that students learn differently.
We also worked on our numbers. Some students get the numbers no problem but there are others that struggle. I noticed with the ones that got finished first they suddenly got bored and didn't want to do the activity anymore. The teacher suggested to put them into groups of two and if one finished faster they were to help their partner. To be honest I didn't think that it would work but it did. Once the faster child finished they were the support team for the other students. It was great to see them help one another and to make it even better they got to know each other a little more.
I have had the opportunity to work one on one testing some of our ESL students. We went over some basic questions and it was interesting to me because I could tell right off the bat the students that spoke fluent Spanish at home and those that used both English and Spanish. I had to tell them a story about a girl that went to the pet shop with her mom and she could only get a fish. The students had to repeat the story back to me. There is the cutest littlest girl that I was telling the story to and her version was about how fluffy the animals were. She didn't repeat anything I said. I just laughed and had to tell her the story again.
I like working in groups and one on one with students, I hope that I can work with them more and more. I feel like I get to know the kids so much better and they get to know me as well.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Blog Entry 1
I am doing my field work at a charter school. I get the opportunity to observe and help in Mrs. Wolf's kindergarten class. Let me just say that I love it. The topic that I chose is, what the teacher does all day. I chose this because being in a kinder classroom can be difficult but also fun.
The first couple days in the classroom felt like total chaos. It was the first couple days of school and the children were trying to get used to being at a new school with a new teacher. I am grateful for the teacher that I am working with. I felt like she knew what to do and how to help the children calm down. The first thing that she put into place for these days is a routine. The students come in, hand in homework and then they sit on the carpet and read a book. After story time its math time. So far the lessons have been very hands on. The students get to play with bear counters and shapes because they will be using them all year and she wanted them to get a feel for them. She uses music to teach them how to write their numbers. The kids love it and sing along with her. Its funny because sometimes I get those silly songs stuck in my head.
After math the routine continues with handwriting. These Kindergartners are making an ABC book that they get to take home when they are finished with the alphabet. First, the lesson is a poem about the letter of the day followed by a silly song with words that start with the letter. Then it is handwriting time and the students have to sit and write the letter as best as they can. When they are done writing they get to draw, glue or paint something that has to do with that certain letter in their ABC books. The students love it and I feel like it is incorporating different learning styles into one lesson. By the time this is over the teacher gets a break and sends the kids out to recess for a little bit.
Mrs. Wolf is a great teacher. I feel like she is more than a teacher to these kids. She is also their friend. Between the stories that they tell her, to her helping them with their work, even to her tying there shoes, you can tell that she means more to them than just a teacher. Mrs. Wolf is always in the classroom leading the instructions and helping the students. You can tell that she is exhausted by the end of the day but so far I haven't heard her complain. So far I have learned that being a teacher isn't always going to be easy for me but it will be worth it.
The first couple days in the classroom felt like total chaos. It was the first couple days of school and the children were trying to get used to being at a new school with a new teacher. I am grateful for the teacher that I am working with. I felt like she knew what to do and how to help the children calm down. The first thing that she put into place for these days is a routine. The students come in, hand in homework and then they sit on the carpet and read a book. After story time its math time. So far the lessons have been very hands on. The students get to play with bear counters and shapes because they will be using them all year and she wanted them to get a feel for them. She uses music to teach them how to write their numbers. The kids love it and sing along with her. Its funny because sometimes I get those silly songs stuck in my head.
After math the routine continues with handwriting. These Kindergartners are making an ABC book that they get to take home when they are finished with the alphabet. First, the lesson is a poem about the letter of the day followed by a silly song with words that start with the letter. Then it is handwriting time and the students have to sit and write the letter as best as they can. When they are done writing they get to draw, glue or paint something that has to do with that certain letter in their ABC books. The students love it and I feel like it is incorporating different learning styles into one lesson. By the time this is over the teacher gets a break and sends the kids out to recess for a little bit.
Mrs. Wolf is a great teacher. I feel like she is more than a teacher to these kids. She is also their friend. Between the stories that they tell her, to her helping them with their work, even to her tying there shoes, you can tell that she means more to them than just a teacher. Mrs. Wolf is always in the classroom leading the instructions and helping the students. You can tell that she is exhausted by the end of the day but so far I haven't heard her complain. So far I have learned that being a teacher isn't always going to be easy for me but it will be worth it.
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