5 days after the first observation, and this time the class climate was slightly different. It was afternoon instead of morning, many children had been pulled out for learning groups or work with specialists, and the teacher was actually away at the doctor's! The assistant teacher had children do free-play from 2-3pm. The students recently gave up nap time, which I would think would be exciting to the teacher to maximize instructional time, but that certainly was not the case today. I shouldn't be so judgmental, perhaps, because the circumstances were so different.
It was still beneficial to observe the children at play, because I realized how much these children of all different backgrounds, races, and interests love to be together and play in large groups. At one point, 9 students were all involved in a role-play about a family driving to Virginia Beach. They each had on colorful capes as costumes and had set up their chairs to be like the family van. They were really cute and very creative as they played house and role-played different family members.
The behavior management issue continues to counter what I've learned at Curry, because as children are pulled out for behavior, they remain in their seats for the entire class period, with a consequence unrelated to their misbehavior. Finally after 30 minutes the teacher's aid sat down next to one child to discuss his behavior with him. Several students have journals that are sent home to parents everyday with notes and anecdotal records of behavior. It was sad to me to return this semester and see the same children targeted, never being given a chance to break out of the cycle, in my opinion. I think it bothers me so much because this is Kindergarten, and I fear that these "problem children" will truly believe that that is what they are, right from the start, and stick to that attitude throughout school. I want to give them another chance! It's important to me that as a teacher I allow each child to really reach his potential.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
First Observation
I've been working with the same children all year, and every time I enter the classroom, I feel frustrated at the behavior management (or lack thereof) that is in place. The kids are so excited and adorable and love to be there at school, but the classroom discipline is so ineffective that it completely interferes with student learning. There is a system of color cards for each student, ranging from green to red, but when a child gets on red (which happens every 15 minutes or so), there is no real consequence it seems. They are even to a point where kids are on "double-red" and even "quadruple red." This is no deterrent, apparently, because kids continue to act up and aren't visibly bothered to be on red.
I arrived in the morning, before any of the children had yet entered the classroom, and as the kids began to arrive, they were warmly greeted at the door by Mrs. M. Free-play was available to children as they waited for other students to arrive, including dress-up and house, blocks, or coloring. Then as the announcements began, students took their seats and colored a worksheet about George Washington Carver, but were never read the captions and never connected the words on the page to the pictures. I kept hoping that somehow the significance of this person on the pages before the children would be explained, but then the papers were collected and children entered "circle time"- the morning routine with a rhyming song.
Next came the whole group literacy lesson- using Open Court. It's not the teacher's fault, because the city requires using this basal reading program, but the kids are so obviously disinterested! Mrs. M had many of the children engaged as she used her lion puppet to reinforce pronunciation of words and rhyme during the lesson, but it is always difficult to capture students' attention completely in a whole group setting. This observation reminded me of my first lesson that I taught to these students: it was pretty much a disaster. I tried to keep the whole group together and paying attention for one hour (Kindergarteners! What was I thinking???), and now I know I can never do that again. Small groups work well to keep children interested and on-task, and I've learned that either these children have not really been taught or are developmentally unable to work independently without getting into some sort of behavioral trouble.
I arrived in the morning, before any of the children had yet entered the classroom, and as the kids began to arrive, they were warmly greeted at the door by Mrs. M. Free-play was available to children as they waited for other students to arrive, including dress-up and house, blocks, or coloring. Then as the announcements began, students took their seats and colored a worksheet about George Washington Carver, but were never read the captions and never connected the words on the page to the pictures. I kept hoping that somehow the significance of this person on the pages before the children would be explained, but then the papers were collected and children entered "circle time"- the morning routine with a rhyming song.
Next came the whole group literacy lesson- using Open Court. It's not the teacher's fault, because the city requires using this basal reading program, but the kids are so obviously disinterested! Mrs. M had many of the children engaged as she used her lion puppet to reinforce pronunciation of words and rhyme during the lesson, but it is always difficult to capture students' attention completely in a whole group setting. This observation reminded me of my first lesson that I taught to these students: it was pretty much a disaster. I tried to keep the whole group together and paying attention for one hour (Kindergarteners! What was I thinking???), and now I know I can never do that again. Small groups work well to keep children interested and on-task, and I've learned that either these children have not really been taught or are developmentally unable to work independently without getting into some sort of behavioral trouble.
Monday, January 29, 2007
teaching metaphor
I hope that my essence as a teacher will be like a gourmet food store. When you walk into a gourmet grocery, the senses are almost overwhelmed by colorful fruits, vegetables, food labels, signs, and people... and that's only what you see. The scents in each section of the store are interesting and curious, whether cheeses or cured meats or wines or freshly baked breads. Perhaps my favorite part about these stores is the samples they invite shoppers to taste, only causing further intrigue about the new food. Not only do I love the layout and sights and scents and smells of gourmet food stores, I always learn something new about myself. I learn that I actually enjoy foods I did not even know existed, or that I am more adventurous with food than in any other area of my life. I learn about different cultures and languages as I discuss the differences between French chevre and Greek sheep's milk cheese with the person at the counter. I feel both excited and enlightened as I talk to more experienced "gourmands" and realize that my eyes are only just being opened to this whole new world of food.
Let me explain how this relates to teaching elementary school children, who probably have no idea what an eggplant tastes like, much less how great it tastes in Ratatouille. I hope that as a teacher, I will be filled with color and life and invite children into the boundless world of education. I want them to be taken in by all the sights, sounds, scents, and tastes of learning. If at first writing a paragraph seems like tasting an artichoke for the first time, I want to show children that they may actually enjoy and come to love writing, just like I have come to love artichokes. Just as anyone can discover treats for their tastebuds or learn from a gourmet food store about how different cultures embrace foods, I believe that every student can find subjects that they enjoy and excel at in school. I cannot wait to find that little spark in each child that makes them come alive inside and help them to feel comfortable enough to take risks in their learning. I want to help children discover that they have talents they never knew about and interests in subjects they did not know existed. Each student can also be a teacher, just as each department of the food store has its own connoisseurs that can explain to everyone else the wonders of what they know.
One of my most enlightening experiences in teaching thus far that embodies this metaphor was when I taught special ed kindergarteners in summer school this past summer. For one month, one teacher and myself were responsible for teaching four special needs children, and I loved every minute of it. I walked in a little apprehensive and nervous the first day, but my heart just melted as I received hugs, laughs, learned new games, from these children. I learned the absolute necessity of constant encouragement and its impact on children's learning, and also the arts of patience and flexibility. I learned that I myself really enjoy being around children with special needs, and that I am much more patient than I imagined when teaching these children. Every lesson had to be taught several ways from new angles, so I was constantly at work, modifying what I had planned in order to better fit each child's needs. This experience unlocked a whole new world for me of what special education is about and how precious these children are. I never thought I would learn so much from them, and though I plan to teach in a general ed classroom, I know that I will continue to seek to learn more about special education in my years as a teacher. I know that every child has special interests and talents, and is able to learn, because I saw little Brysen, still in diapers at age 6 and unable to speak, make progress in one month of summer school in his fine motor skills!
Let me explain how this relates to teaching elementary school children, who probably have no idea what an eggplant tastes like, much less how great it tastes in Ratatouille. I hope that as a teacher, I will be filled with color and life and invite children into the boundless world of education. I want them to be taken in by all the sights, sounds, scents, and tastes of learning. If at first writing a paragraph seems like tasting an artichoke for the first time, I want to show children that they may actually enjoy and come to love writing, just like I have come to love artichokes. Just as anyone can discover treats for their tastebuds or learn from a gourmet food store about how different cultures embrace foods, I believe that every student can find subjects that they enjoy and excel at in school. I cannot wait to find that little spark in each child that makes them come alive inside and help them to feel comfortable enough to take risks in their learning. I want to help children discover that they have talents they never knew about and interests in subjects they did not know existed. Each student can also be a teacher, just as each department of the food store has its own connoisseurs that can explain to everyone else the wonders of what they know.
One of my most enlightening experiences in teaching thus far that embodies this metaphor was when I taught special ed kindergarteners in summer school this past summer. For one month, one teacher and myself were responsible for teaching four special needs children, and I loved every minute of it. I walked in a little apprehensive and nervous the first day, but my heart just melted as I received hugs, laughs, learned new games, from these children. I learned the absolute necessity of constant encouragement and its impact on children's learning, and also the arts of patience and flexibility. I learned that I myself really enjoy being around children with special needs, and that I am much more patient than I imagined when teaching these children. Every lesson had to be taught several ways from new angles, so I was constantly at work, modifying what I had planned in order to better fit each child's needs. This experience unlocked a whole new world for me of what special education is about and how precious these children are. I never thought I would learn so much from them, and though I plan to teach in a general ed classroom, I know that I will continue to seek to learn more about special education in my years as a teacher. I know that every child has special interests and talents, and is able to learn, because I saw little Brysen, still in diapers at age 6 and unable to speak, make progress in one month of summer school in his fine motor skills!
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