What a change!

I am taking a moment, right now, while my kids are playing.  I'm sitting here, in our little classroom living room, watching them in pure and utter amazement. There are a group of children at our building zone. They created a building permit so that they could build a huge bed. I have a group of children at our Lego who are building airplanes and flying cars. They too have a supervisor signed building permit. There are four children at our art studio, painting winter scenes with white paint and using only a pinch of glitter each because we told them that the little bowl had to last all of their friends for the whole day. There are a group of three girls at our writing table discussing how flowers grow, another two children there as well, working on their writing by making their Santa lists, looking through the Sears wish book. It is amazing. I think back to September when we wondered if it would ever come together with this class. And here they are, self-regulating, playing, learning, writing, exploring. We have moved from us coaching them in their daily writing, to them doing it independently and knowing that they must have writing up on their pictures every day. Of course there are a couple of children who require some reminders, but for the most part, they independently regulate themselves. There are not any squabbles at the moment. Earlier there was one and the little munchkin said that I didn't have to worry because she said sorry and everything was better.  So for all of you teachers out there who work on classroom management and feel like drill sergeants for all of September and October, it is worth it. I am so full of joy at this very moment. I can only imagine what these darlings are going to be like in June!  I cannot wait to see!

My Teaching Partner

When I first started teaching Kindergarten, I thought I would have a hard time working with another educator. I am a very controlling person and I think I could be a very difficult person to work with sometimes! I like things done my way and I am incredibly passionate about teaching and learning. I was worried about having expectations that were too high, but also about having someone who didn't want to do what I wanted. However, I was also excited about working with someone who had different training than I and had different ideas to share with me. 

Well, this year I have met my match. I am lucky enough to be working with someone who is just as passionate as I am. She is a hard-worker, dedicated, and extremely knowledgeable. She has an incredible amount of ideas and is always willing to share.

When we met, first through email, then in person, we hit it off immediately. We were on the same page about how we would like the classroom to look, our ideas about invitations to learn, and kindergarten in general.  We set to work cleaning our classroom out and deciding what we want to have in the room. Then the year started.  Ideas and plans are one thing on paper and another thing in person!  I know this sounds like it is going to be the part where I say we really don't get along, but it isn't. However, it also isn't the part where I say everything is hunky dory and we are just the perfect pair with no issues at all!

My dreams of an amazing teaching partner, who is passionate, caring, hard-working, and full of ideas came true. My fears of having an amazing teaching partner who is passionate, caring, hard-working, and full of ideas also came true. I know this is somewhat contradictory. And it is in my mind as well. T. and I really do get along well. 99% of the time, we are on the same page (I think anyways), but there is still that 1%. We have had our heated discussions. We have had debates about what we both think is the right way and the wrong way to do things. But, we have never "gone to bed angry"! We sit down. We hash it out. I cry. We get upset. But, we talk. We figure things out. We learn from it.

Yes, I am still a teacher who believes she knows a lot. Yes, I am still controlling. Yes, I am still passionate. But, I have an amazing teaching partner who challenges me, offers me fantastic ideas, and is willing to either take the lead, work together, or sit back while I take the lead. We are both passionate. But our students are benefiting from our ability to work together.

My advice to other kindergarten teams is this: always take time to talk. When things are tense, work it out. Be honest. Learn from your discussions. Do not be afraid to speak your mind, but do it nicely. Don't leave everything until it finally boils over.  And, first and foremost, learn from each other.  You are setting an example. Great relationships are created through the fun, positive times, but also the
conflict, resolutions, and reflections. T. and I know that there are going to be many more "discussions" amongst us. But I know that it is due to us being passionate. And I appreciate it greatly.

Flash Mob

A couple of weeks ago, I showed my munchkins a video of a flash mob at a mall (they have been really interested in dancing). They were thrilled and decided that they should do a flash mob too. So, we started to do some research. They learned that flash mobs usually have a purpose. Our purpose was going to be to make the other students join in, create something that everyone can do together, and lessen the chances of bullying in our school. We chose a dance and got to work. We practiced for a week or so and here is a small bit of our dance. Almost half of our school joined in (yes, we have an incredibly small school!) and many parents came too! Nobody knew what was going to happen except our class and our principal. It was such a huge success!

Bubbles

Bubbles - round one

We are having some fun with bubbles this week. Today, we asked the children to find things in the class that we can use for bubble blowers. When asked what do they need to have to make a good bubble blower, we got some interesting responses. 

D.T. "It has to have a stick."

K.M. "It's got to be circle, not square"

S.H. "It needs to be a long cylinder"

After collecting items, we went outside and laid them all out on the ground.

Then, they began picking them out to start blowing bubbles. Oh, I forgot to mention that these bubbles were made from dish soap and water. 

Some worked and some did not.

Some learned to use their own hands to make the bubbles.

Some also learned that the trick is patience in order to make them work.

Afterwards, we went inside and had a discussion about our bubbles.

Outdoor play

I have always had a hard time as a teacher letting the kids "just play". However, at a recent workshop I attended,the guest speaker talked about some amazing things that can come out of "just playing". So, I decided to give it a try today. Normally, our play involves the children planning out what they want to do, going to different areas of the class, me coming around and asking them questions that require them to think deeper. Today, fifth period, we went outside to "just play". Of course, I had different intentions. 

What an interesting time we had. We went outside, met under the shade tree and discussed the rules. "You must stay on the climber, in the sandbox, or under the shade tree. That is it." As they left to "just play" I sat on the bench and watched. The only toys they had were the climber and a skipping rope (brought out without my knowledge). Wow, were my eyes opened. Here are some of my observations:

1. Kids don't need a bunch of store bought toys. In the sandbox, the children used sticks for digging, piled sand, and rocks and ended up creating a castle. 

2. When left without adult intrusion, kids plan their play, organize themselves, solve problems, and regulate themselves.

3. Kids can follow rules when they know there are consequences. I told them they were only allowed in those three areas or I would have them sit out of play. They all stayed in those areas no questions asked, even when another class came out and got a bunch of toys out.

4. Children are imaginative and curious. 

5. Children know how to share and love to share with each other. 

6. When we looked around, EVERY single child was engaged in an activity. Some were playing in groups. Some were alone. Some were playing with partners. It was amazing. They were not arguing. They were not asking us to solve their problems. They were proud of their games and the things they were making. It was inspiring for me.

So, I have now learned a valuable lesson myself. It is ok sometimes to "just play" because when they are "just playing", they are actually planning, organizing, getting along, learning how to be friends, solving problems, and being creative. 

Under the Sea

Now that our turtle is gone to a new home, we have a blank spot in our class. After looking through our documentation, we noticed that the children will talk about the ocean and showed a lot of curiosity about the ocean when I showed them pictures of my trips. I decided that maybe I could bring in a movie that I have about under the sea.

I told the children that I was going to put this on our smart board. If they would like to watch it, they should grab their outdoor journals or a clipboard and paper. They can write down things they really like and might be able to create an inquiry station in the class. It was a hit. 

Here is some of their work.

D.T. wrote "I wonder what seals eat?"

 

 

 

A.C. wrote, "It is what I saw in the movie. It was pink. The fish looked like a hippo. It is a big fish."

E.R. decided to make a list of names of the fish that the narrator talked about. She said, "It is tricky sounding out names of fish and watch the movie at the same time."  This is what we figured out from what she wrote. 1. Water snake 2. (not sure) 3. Garden fish 4. (not sure)  pig pish, cargo gar fish

L.M.W. wrote " Some fish look like coral. (We cannot figure out the second line! Oops!) Sting rays shake in sand to hide so they can eat."

 

Today, I brought in some shells and coral and added them to the inquiry station. J.S. And K.M. went straight over there as soon as thinking and learning time started. Ey were admiring the different pieces of sea life. 

K.M. :"Look at this one. It has a pattern."

J.S. :"This one has cool colours!"

Ms. Stacey: "Do you think you could sort them out so that they are easier to look at?"

The two of them got started. 

Ms. Stacey:"How did you sort them?"

J.S.:"These ones are cool ones."

K.M.:"these are big. These are small."

J.S.:"These are like bones."

K.M.:"And Hesse are pointy ones."

Ms. Stacey:"Maybe we should write them down for everyone to know."

I wrote them down on paper for them. Then they decided that maybe it should be in their own printing so they copied them over.

J.S. Is also very curious if our picture on the wall is a painting or a drawing.

Out of the ordinary

At the end of every day, our class has a share circle. We began the year, pulling teeth, just to make it through five minute! Now, we allot usually between 10-20 minutes every day. And we still don't have enough time. We have used this time for children to share their thoughts about the day, any wonders they have and anything they have learned that day. We have had some amazing conversations start from our share circle, as well as new inquiries in the class. We are now trying to focus our share circle on student work that they feel or we feel is a personal best. We have talked to the children about the meaning of personal best and that this could mean a piece of work they have worked really hard on or it could be a piece of work that is really out of the ordinary for that child. Today, we shared an out of the ordinary learning story. Please enjoy:

I was working with another student today when K.M. came to me with a piece of paper that had a circle drawn on it in pen.

K.M.- "There Ms.Stacey. That's my plan. Can I go make my picture in the art studio."

Ms. Stacey-"That's not a plan. That is a circle. It doesn't tell me what you are going to do or what kind of materials you are going to use." (We have been using plans all year)

She then went onto Ms.Danah.

K.M.-"What's a plan, Ms. Danah?"

Ms. Danah-"What a great question. It is when we draw the things that we want to do and where they want to go."

K.M.-"Ok. I want to make a plan so I can go in the art studio."

Ms.Danah-"Perfect. I see you have a circle. What is it?"

K.M.-"it's dirt. And I want trees."

Ms.Danah-"Ok. Draw the trees where you want them."

The conversation went on throughout some time. Afterwards, K.M. brought her plan over to me, along with Ms. Danah. They explained it all to me. I was amazed.

Ms.Stacey-"Wow! What a fantastic idea going and asking about plans. I didn't realize you didn't know what a plan was. I am so proud of you. Would you like to share this at share circle later?"

K.M.-"Yes!"

This is very out of the ordinary for her because she usually rushes through everything in order to move onto something else. To see her tKe her time, find another person to ask what a plan was, then to create the plan and follow through was a vast improvement for her. Here she is sharing her incredible work at share circle with Ms. Danah. She even explained everything really well to the rest of the class. Hopefully, this inspired other children to make plans and know that they can ask questions to clarify misunderstandings. 

Curriculum connection: 

Big ideas: 1. Children are effective communicators.

2. Children are curious and connect prior knowledge to new contexts in order to understand.

3. Young children have an innate openness to artistic activities.

New class pet

Today, while on my walk at recess, we found a baby turtle on the road. I had to bring it back. We just had a great turtle presentation at school a few weeks ago. The children would love it. I brought it back. We had a mid day meeting. I had the children sit in a share circle. 

"I have something special to share with you. We need to have a very quiet share circle."

After everyone was quietly sitting, I brought it out. Did it ever create a stir!

Stay tuned for more about our new turtle!

June 4, 2014

I have begun writing the continuation of our pet story many times and have gotten distracted. So here it is. Our turtle's story.

After we brought the turtle into the class, the children had many wonders. They decided to write them down so that we didn't forget anything that we were curious about. 

They also started to create a home for it.

Here is an up close and personal look. The children are amazed with him. They also decided, with my help of course, that they were not allowed to touch him. Some thought that it would be best to make signs to go with our turtle world too. 

They also did some research and found out that the turtle is a midland painted turtle. They researched on a website that asked them all kinds of questions. They had to observe the turtle and look closely at the details of its shell, belly, head, and markings. We also looked on a pamphlet that was given to us from the turtle rescue presentation. From all of that information, they determined the type of turtle he is. 

Throughout the next few days, the children observed our turtle. They also wrote down more wonders and drew some different observations. 

I presented another shell to the children a few days afterwards. It was one from my cottage. The kids were thrilled.

I also thought I would bring in some interesting books to read about legends of the turtle, how the turtle got its shell as well as some non-fiction books. 

We also went on a habitat walk. When we release our turtle, we want to make sure that it is in the appropriate habitat. We discussed shelter, water sources and food sources. They took their outdoor journals and drew their observations. When we got back, we discussed the habitats we watched. They loved the one with the stream and voted to call it the stream habitat.

So today, I announced that we were returning our turtle to the wild. The kids were sad but at the same time excited to see him out in his natural habitat. 

Ms. Stacey:"Where do you think the best habitat would be for our turtle?"

S.H.:"Down by the ocean!"

J.D.:"I think he'll like the sand and water there."

Ms.Stacey:"What do we know about our turtle? Where does he go the most in his turtle world in our class?"

M.H.:"He loves the long grass. I think we should put him in the stream."

S.G.:"Yes, it had long grass for shelter and water."

We found the perfect spot in the stream habitat. The kids gathered around quietly to say our good-byes and watch him. It was very exciting! 

I put him on a rock and we all watched. He loved it. He sat basking in the sun on the rock...

...until he decided he would check out the swimming. It was a little faster than he was used to but quickly got the hang of it and soon swam away under some long grass.

We followed the stream all of the way down to the river. The children wanted to make sure that he would have access to the big water. When we got down there, another adventure ensued!

Water snakes! The kids thought it was hilarious watching me run screaming away! 

So, our pet turtle is now back in its natural habitat. But the children have said they wish our turtle learning could continue. We still have so many questions to answer! Therefore, there will be more to come so stay tuned!