End of my Time at Aquarian

Well today was my last day at Aquarian...It felt good because we finished a major project that my reading groups have been working on and they were excited and proud to see it in its finished form.  Also the parents got together and got me a going away present so that was really generous (I will have spa treatment prior to Costa Rica!).  I will be going back next week to the gift exchange so it will feel more like "the end" because it will be the last day for the kids before break too.  I am excited about being able to visit at Polaris next week and to have the chance to be in a couple different classrooms there as well.
I am finally getting excited about Costa Rica now that it is the end of the semester...I was too busy before to dwell on it too much.  Have been practicing my spanish (so rusty!) and planning for spring break travel.  I have to really pack light so I am going to have to be resourceful during my residency because I won't have all my goodies to use and I don't want to haul my resource books down there with me either.  However, as with most things, I know that once I just take the plunge and open up to whatever might come, I will be glad that I did!

Explorations Fun!

Friday for explorations finally,after the weird cancelled week before! It was fun and I was exhausted at the end of the day.  I found that I had planned for way more stuff than we actually got to, but I figured better more than not enough!  We ate some bugs (most all tried them) and made bugsicles.  My mentor teacher was happy to be out of the room because she is not a creepy-crawly fan :)  I think that if I were to teach a whole day of bugs again, I would refine and change some things, but overall my mentor teacher said it went great, so I will take her word for it.  My goal this year is not to be such a perfectionist!
The kids finally are realizing that this coming week is my last week, although while I am observing at Polaris I am still going to schedule in making it to Aquarian for the gift exchange and holiday fun with the kids to say goodbye.  It is good to hear the teacher and kids say they will miss me in the class...I wasn't sure for the short time I was there if attachments would form but I guess they did.  I am happy to feel like I contributed to the class and was beneficial to both the teacher/students.    And though I have little tug at leaving, really I am super excited and can't wait!  Sorry, but it's true!  I will think of you all when I am in shorts in January ;)

Excited!

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving!  This week will be a lot of fun with explorations on Wednesday and I am excited to be able to go to Fbks and see my family this coming weekend.  After that, I know it will be a blink before Xmas break is here.  I found out that I will be with a kindergarten class in San Jose, so I am very happy about that...the teacher has a background in teaching ESL which is something I would like to learn more about, so I hope it will be a good fit! 
I am also looking forward to the last week before Xmas break because I am going to observe at a different school (likely Polaris) and I am hoping to see "that room" that I have always envisioned as my ideal classroom.  I would so like to see my "ideal" teaching in action because even though I have my own beliefs and ideas, it would help me to see it in action.  It would help me to see the management of it all, how to get there, the process, etc, to see it working in a classroom.

Time is Flying!

That is the theme for me lately, for both good and bad.  Bad because it feels like crunch time with getting everything done and good because the closer it gets, the more excited I get about the cultural exchange!  With my placement, I am only going to be there less than a month more now (so about two months total, which feels so short!)  I have taken over Math and reading groups, two of the main subjects covered in the times I am there, but most likely won't have a chance to teach science/social studies before I leave because of the time they are covered (few and far between unfortunately).  Although Saxon math doesn't thrill me still, it has made me better at time managemen and keeping things on track and moving along (I am one for extending side conversations!).  And I do get an odd sense of accomplishment getting all the worksheets we have to finish done in time (never thought I would say that!). 
For something more engaging, I am teaching the day of Explorations right before Thanksgiving and my unit is all about Creepies and Crawlies....lots of bug fun, so I am excited about that!  My teacher will be out of the room most of the day and I get to independently plan/carry out all my bugtastic ideas, so I am excited/busy squeezing in the preparations to my every mounting "To Do" list :) 

Easing into things

I have been at Aquarian for about a month now and I finally feel settled into the swing of things and the schedule all is becoming more second nature for me.  Portfolio share/conferences were great because I got the chance to meet all the families for the first time.  Also, I have a good relationships with the parents who are regularly in the room volunteering and they have told that their kids have said how much they like it when Ms. Laurie teaches, so that made me feel pretty good!  I am leading reading groups now and we are talking about non fiction so that is something new and fun for me.  It is such a fun class and the atmosphere/environment are so positive, it is hard not to enjoy the days.  I still think my passion for teaching is with younger Pre-K/K students, but it is fun to be delving ito 3rd grade activities--they can do so much!  The kids in this class have a great community, too.  I find that in teaching specific skills, the curriculum isn't as project/discovery/exploration based as I would like.  I wonder if this is just a part of teaching older students--it seems like the expectations don't allow time for exploration based learning.  And I struggle with how important grades are to both the students and their parents--is this common with this grade or is this just the school/class environment?

And another thing...

I forgot to add that I don't agree with homework being given a grade.  The goal to me should be family engagement and involvement...kids whose families are in crisis or maxed to the limit shouldn't be marked for a lack of participation at home.  I also think it is way too much to send homework every night...it's too much!

Homework

I think that kids need time just to be kids...if you think about it, the spend about as much time at school as adults do at work.  What adult wants to get off work only to go home and do more work?!  One of the things I am going to work the hardest at as a teacher is to have a healthy, fun life outside of the classroom and to not take the class work home with me regularly.  I think that kids deserve that time off too.  Overall, I am not a fan of homework because I feel it takes away from families being able to have fun quality time together in the evenings.  Kids need time just to play...with dinner, baths, homework, what time is left for them to be creative and inventive in designing their own play?  Unstructured free time is so important for children, especially in early childhood.
Having said that, there are some "home" work that I find appropriate...basically, it must be fun, engaging, and involve families.  Books that children can take home and read to a family member, disposable cameras that children are to use to take pictures of their house/family and then later share with the class, games that families can play together that reflect classroom learning, etc.  I think that it is also important to give a time period in which it can be done because everybody has "those nights" where adding one more thing to the family plate would be too much.  I don't believe that homework should just be more practice of what is already covered in school...it has to be something that gets children and parents invested in the activity in a joyful way.  I am going to call it "homefun" instead of "homework" in my class!

End of First Quarter Already!

It seems crazy that it is the end of first quarter...in some ways it has gone by so quickly, but in another it seems like we have already done so much this school year!  I am adjusting in at Aquarian and I also go to visit on Fridays at Spring Hill, which is fun because I get to see how far some of the kids have come since the start of the school year.  I am going to be talking more with Brittany next week about planning because the focus has been on assessments so much in the last two weeks that I've been there.  I know my mentor at Spring Hill had to turn in a monthly curriculum calendar to the principal, which was really just a overview of what the Hartcourt theme was for those four weeks.  She also did weekly plan, but most of the planning was just filling in the pages from the scripted literacy program, Handwriting w/o tears,  and Everyday Math.  For the other pieces, like centers and art, she used a lot of her lesson plans from last year and filled this years' in with the same. 
My current mentor, last year when she was hired for 2nd grade, used Guided Reading a lot in creating her literacy program.  She uses the Science kit for science curriculum and pulls from other resource for spelling/social studies.  The Math is entirely scripted.  The one thing I am disappointed with from  my internship this fall is that I haven't been able to see an integrated curriculum being used in the classroom.  I had hoped that because Aquarian is a little more flexible than Spring Hill I would see it, however, the day at  Aquarian is "blocked off" just like at Spring Hill.  It would just be nice to see it in action and not just in theory!  

Catching up...

Oops, I haven't posted since the transition two weeks ago, so here goes...

It has definitely been nice to be in a school environment that prizes respectful relationships so highly.  The teacher I am working with is very respectful in her interactions with the students and includes things like brain breaks and cooperative learning strategies.  The students also are given the responsibility of completing their work during reading block themselves.  I love the half hour of independent reading in the morning because it gives everyone a chance to greet and get comfortable as the students filter in. 
My mentor teacher is very proactive in making sure I get a good grasp of teaching second grade, since it is so foreign to me.  That has been one struggle of mine...I feel very confident and kind of "know" the tricks of the trade with preschool/K classes, but those don't translate well to 2nd grade.  So I don't feel as comfortable/confident as a teacher like I did in K.  For example, my second week at Aquarian I took over running the lesson time during Math block and that has been a struggle for me!  I spent the first week trying to make it "more fun" only to find that the time block does not allot for adding anything into the lesson.  So today I aimed more for following the lesson but the timing was still difficult!  Because the class is a mixed class, (we teach the 3rd grade math for those second graders who are ready) it is very important that the last practice worksheet that is done together as a class is finished exactly on time because you can't go over the hour fifteen minute block.  Tomorrow, there are three worksheets we haveto get done in that time, on top of the lesson!  All in all, I am struggling a bit with wanting to make it more meaningful and interesting, which doesn't appear to be an option.  So far, in my week and a half of teaching the math, we haven't used any manipulatives at all :(
Anyway, it is a struggle for me to do the lesson "well" as the curriculum requires and get it all done in the time frame...I am feeling like I really struggle as a teacher of Saxon math.  This is hard for me, because Pre-K and K just come so natural for me and I feel like I really have to struggle with the 2nd grade curriculum.  I was also really surprised how important the final grade is to the teacher, students, and parent...I think I envisioned Aquarian as a more "process, not product" oriented school, but I hope to have a better understanding of all of this next week during porfolio shares and conferences.

My Own Transitions!

Just wanted to blog about myself this week because that has been the focus for me lately!  As most of you have heard, from my 30 day review, Karen felt a different school might be a better placement for me and a place where I could see mentor teachers with the same philosophy of teaching that I hold.  It was hard to make the decision because I have a great relationship with my mentor at Spring Hill and she as been letting me take over the teaching the whole half day I am there.  I enjoy the freedom of being in the room with the kids on my own and extending the activities in my own way.  However, what  I realized through conversations with Karen is that I am teaching my mentor's lessons and the structure/curriculum is not how I would like to be teaching (true).  I am sad to say goodbye, but am still going to be visiting weekly in the afternoons to keep connection and contact with the kids.  I am excited about being in a more constructivist classroom and be learning in alignment with my own teaching style!  I am a little unsure of 2nd grade because I am so comfortable in pre-K/K, but I think it will be  good learning experience for me.  I also feel a little nervous about starting anew in the middle of the semester and how I am going to fulfill my coursework on schedule.  But I am going to be open and flexible to accept things as they come and am excited to have a variety of experiences/connections.  I start on Friday in the mornings at Aquarian but am still going to be doing a couple afternoons a week at SpringHill to make the transition easier for the kids too.

Transitions

Always a hot topic, transitions!  I think that many times, teachers look to "effective transition" strategies as how to quickly get from one thing to another with ease.  But some kids are not geared towards quick transitions.  It would be wonderful if children were given toto fulfill themselves of one learning experience and then naturally move on to another.  The schedule of my classroom is more demanding that the children follow the group as a whole.  So children are given a five minute warning and then it is time for them to finish whatever it is that they are doing and line up or clean up or whatever the next instruction is.  Often, the more meticulous workers are either unable to finish or get hurried up to keep up with the group.  When the teacher assigns morning work, the children are allowed to get out the literacy tubs after they have finished all their work.  This makes it so the slower workers (either because of their attention to detail or their lack of understanding) don't get a lot of choice time with the literacy tubs.  It also makes it so that the students rush through their "work" so that they can "play".  (Don't get me started on this one.) 
My general thought on transitions and requiring that all kids have "hugs and bubbles" in the hallway is that teachers spent a lot of time and behavior management time trying to get all the kids to fulfill the expectation and it becomes a huge chore.  If transitional activities are fun, children are going to want to join in.  Also, I think there has to be sufficient time given up to the transition and children must know the routine, what to expect, etc so that the transition itself is not stressful or rushed.  We played a "game" coming from music to the room (the longest hallway "trek" of our week) to see if we could be so quiet as mice that Mrs. G (my mentor) wouldn't hear us even coming and we would surprise her.  It was fun and the children were so excited and engaged in the being "quiet" so I didn't have a struggle in the hallway fulfilling the school's hallway expectations.  I think that making transitions into a game that engaging students and interests them can turn it from a struggle to a fun learning opportunity.

Professionalism

I think that professionalism is an important aspect of our job as early childhood educators because our job is not what many would consider "professional".  I don't believe that the majority of people outside of the education world know the extent of training, knowledge, experience, and researched based theories that goes into creating a quality learning environment for young children.  Most people feel that we get paid to play with playdough! :)  Especially in early childhood, I think that is it important to treat our job professionally and in doing so, to have interactions with parents, staff members, and community members that respect the professionality (is that a word?) of our position as teachers.  This has to do with how teachers conduct themselves, a professional appearance and manner, as well as with the seriousness with which we approach the art of teaching.  Part of that professionalism is to educate others and be advocates in the community as to the importance of quality early childhood education.  This also ties into connections with other educators and community members, making a network of ECE professionals.  In my own internship, professionalism means that I respect the diverse styles of teaching even if they are different from my own.  Though all parents raise their children differently, the essentially all want the best for their kids.  Likely, though all teachers teach differently, they essentially all want their children to succeed.  Being professional, to me, means not judging but respecting differences.

Literacy Experiences

In the mornings, while waiting for school to begin, the kindergarten classes all sing together so that by the end of the week they have all learned a new song.  I am told that later in the year, they give a concert performance of all the songs they have learned.  In our class, we also do morning music and so far have done the same songs every day:  the welome song, the days of the week song, the months song, and the numerals song.  We also meet together for the children to put their "hot" or "cold" lunch cards by their names and the helper of the day does the weather and changes the date.  A lot of the morning literacy block is teacher led using the Hartcourt curriculum, intermixed with activities and worksheets for the children to do at their desks. When they are finished, they can get out the literacy tubs to use.  Each tub (three total) has about six or seven activities in it, such as magnetic letters for the whiteboard, foam letters that stick on the chalkboard, different puzzles using the alphabet, and games and cards using the alphabet. 

Some literacy experiences examples in the classroom: 

• Mary wore her red dress book/song on tape; sing version with children's names and what they are wearing.
• "Name puzzles" with the children's names.  Match letters together to make their name.
• Handwriting practice with chalkboards and on HWT practice sheets.
• Practice zoophonics animals...kids love the movements that go with each letter sound.
• Along with introducing the letters, teacher gives tips on saying the letter (ex: tongue on roof of mouth for N)
• During the literacy block, there are activities that go along with the curriculum and the book of the day. (ex:  teacher says /j/ /am/ and kids blend phonemes to say "jam")
• Storytime after lunch...kids choice library books
• Teacher shares small easy read (at this point, pictures ony) books that go along with the curriculum and go home with children after they have read it together as a large group.  Teacher also pulls four or five students together to a desk to help them "read" the book together.
• "Popcorn" share:  Teacher starts a topic, (ex:  "I like to play ___") and each child gets a turn to share.
• Rhyme practice:  Baa Baa Black Sheep book, teachers says two words, kids stand up if they rhyme, stay seated if thy don't.
• Letter finding game with big book, using an animal plate with a space cut out. 
• Magnetic shapes to create letters through handwriting without tears; use shapes to create Mat Man to Mat Man song
• "I spy" color game; Use promethean board to do letter finding (children work at desks with pretend magnifying glasses and a worksheet of letters
• Making otter books, incorporating art, counting, and language
• Teacher says a sentence, children count the number of words in that sentence

These are some of the activities the children have engaged in while at school this past week and a half.  The Literacy element in the classroom is centered around the Hartcourt program (which is followed with fidelity) and ZooPhonics.  I am still not a fan of worksheets and teacher-directed learning, but I do like the movements that go with the alphabet sounds of ZooPhonics.  The kids have already picked up a lot of them and most of all, they have fun learning them!

Classroom Library books

One of the areas I have been able to take over is the story time...after lunch, I will pick a couple of books from the library book box (books the children have checked out and brought back from home) to read to the whole group.  The teacher also reads a book at the end of the day when the children are getting ready for bus/home.  So by the time the books have to go back to the library, everyones book wil have been shared at circle.  Some of the new fun books we have read together are: 
Yum Yum What Fun (Mara Bergman)
Jump (Scott Fischer)
I ain't gonna paint no more (Karen Beaumont)
Hope Toad (Jane Yolen)
Hide and Snake (Keith Baker)
Princess Hyacinth (Florence Parry Heide)
I Like Myself (Karen Beaumont)
Sitting Duck (Jackie Urbanovi)
DinoHockey (Lisa Wheeler)
Otis (Loren Long)

It is fun for the kids to share "their" book pick with the class and we talk about why they picked it, what we all liked about it, who might want to pick it next time, etc. 

The Nitty Gritty

This week has gone well, but it feels odd only being half-days now.  I definitely felt more involved and a more of the "teacher" when I was there all day.  The schedule also changed on Monday, so when I came in on Tuesday, everything was all switched up!  We were able to get together with the other K teachers and finish the detailed plans for the next two weeks of class...I was involved, but I can't say that I was a part of it really because the literacy curriculum is detailed by day, as is the handwriting curriculum.  The teachers used their plans from last year to inform what they were doing this year.  I was hoping for more constructivism/creativity in the curriculum planning.  I know that we must work with these curriculums, but I wished to see more creativity and enhancement in its implementation. 
We are also working a lot on the behavior management systems that the teacher has in the classroom.  A few children had yellow stoplight circles sent home with a note to parents (must be signed and sent back) and had to sit out 15 minutes of choice time (or for the 15 min of morning recess).  Another child who has more consistent behavioral issues, has been started on a daily "star chart" in which she can either earn a treasure box prize if she earns a certain amount of stars or loses choice time if she doesn't ear enough stars.  The teach also does a tally mark system between herself and the class...if they get to 50 points first, they get ice cream to celebrate.  If the teacher gets to 50 points first, the kids lose choice time that day. 
I am not used to using "system" like these...it seems very time consumming on part of the teacher and doesn't really seem to influence children's behavior in a heartfelt way.  It feels like bribing/punishing for good/bad behavior...I feel that we should be instilling a sense of belonging, community, and responsibility and teaching them how to be members of a community.  To me, rewards and punishments work against creating these values.  However, I want to be open minded and see if these systems really are effective and so I work to reinforce them in the classroom. 
      

Perfecting the Fine Art of Child-Herding

These first few days are hilarious in the amount of reminders that are needed, pretty much continually.  It is a lot to take in the first few days for the kids, but I know that they will learn the routines and systems of the classroom in no time at all.  Lots of fun seeing personalities come out, who is taking initiative, who is testing the waters, etc.  You can see a noticeable shift of energy in the afternoon around what used to be nap-time...the kids are feeling the long day, for sure!  I am happy to be in it, though, as the teacher prep/meeting time before school is more tedious for me and not as much fun as with the kids :) 
I am adjusting to the behavior management systems that the teacher uses and learning her expectations of the kids and the routines just as they are.  I am still on the fence about the stop light system...I would be interested to see if anyone is in a K class that doesn't use a "management" system and how alternatives work in the class.  I just find it to be a lot of energy and effort on part of the teacher in maintaining it and it doesn't feel like a system that build cooperation and understanding as a community.  I am interested to see how it plays out during the year...

Welcome Board Pic

"All Aboard for a Fantastic New School Year!"

First Day of School Tomorrow!

I am excited for tomorrow and to get to the good stuff, so to speak.  We will have a fun class this year with a wide range of kids and skills.  It was great to be able to meet with each family/child individually for profiles and to establish a relationship off the start.  We have a lot of kids who are ready ready ready for school to start!  Although almost half of our class just turned 5 this summer, I don't think we will have sad faces on the first day-they are all too excited to get going. 
Also, they are still trying to hire Kindy T.As at my school (they need two more) if anyone you know wants a part time job with ASD.

As far as my internship goes so far, I am really happy to be with the teacher I am placed with.  She is super organized and has been teaching for a long time...already with her MAT she is going now for her Principal credentials.  I am trying to collect as many samples/pictures/ideas from her as possible...she has stuff in all the nooks and crannies of the room!

Kindergarten Profile Week!

Well it feels good to finally be getting to the nitty gritty of it all and meeting the kids and their families!  I really enjoyed the teacher prep days and have a ever-growing stash of papers and materials well started.  As my mentor is doing her principal internship as well I was able to sit in on some interviews as they are trying to find (last minute!) a 5th grade teacher and it was helpful to be "on the other side" so to speak, behind the scenes.  So far I have remembered half of the new names of staff (of course, sure to get the office staff and support staff right away:)  Our open house on monday night was successful, with almost twenty families coming for the K rooms combined.  According to the teachers, this is a better turnout by far than the previous years, so we will hope that marks a year of strong parent involvement!  Interestingly enough, one of the dads was a friend of mine from college in Arizona that I hadn't even know was here in Anchorage...small world!

K profiles started today and it was interesting to see how that process works.  It still feels stiff to me to do testing on the first real meeting, and the less outgoing children had a hard time with it.  I was able to do the testing for one of the children and that worked well while the teacher spoke with the parent.  I know it gives a good idea of where the children are at, and is a chance for the teacher to be one-on-one without the rest of the class, but I can't help but thinking that testing and assessment is not the most welcoming activity for a first meeting.  My teacher was awesome at them and made the kids as comfortable and easy going as Dibels can be, but how easy going is it when there is a timer involved?