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!