ask me about friday, august 30, 2024

What a busy day!  We wrapped up our week with a pre-assessment in reading for blending sounds to make a word.  The children were drawing self-portraits and I called each child over individually to do the quick one minute assessment.  The children did a great job coming over quickly when they heard their name and trying to follow the directions to know what to do.  We will be doing more formal testing next week, so I was happy to see that they remembered to stay in their seats and work the whole time and come quickly when they heard their hame.  Kindergarteners are notoriously on their own time at the beginning of the year, so we have been working hard on our routines.  We practiced making smooth transions quick, quiet and gentle.  We also have learned about musical transitions; we have different songs to signal putting books away to come to the carpet in the morning, cleaning up music where we try to finish cleaning up by the end of the music, and beautiful music at the end of the day to pack up and get ready to go.  The children are doing well with unpacking in the morning, and are working hard to remember all their things when we are packing up.  And Friday was not easy because they had a math book in their cubby to take home, and a math book in the pocket on their char that needs to stay at school.  On top of that they had to remember water bottles, lunch boxes, sweaters or jackets, and their yellow folder.  They are also learning traffic patterns around the room, staying in their order as they line up, and sitting in their rectangle on the carpet to give others space. I'm really happy with the progress they made this week learning our routines.  I know it was a lot, but it makes the year go so much smoother when we have established the routines.  
We studied pictures of some birds this morning.  We looked at each picture and thought about what made the bird special.  We looked at a seagull and talked about how they can be found at the beach, the owl likes to be up at night and is thought to be wise or smart, the roadrunner is fast, the duck likes to swim, the swan is gentle and graceful like a ballet dancer, and the eagle is proud.  Then we placed the pictures around the room and the children went to the bird they felt they were most like.  They talked with their group, and I snapped a few pictures which I'll share next week.  Ask me to tell you which bird I thought I am most like.  I'm so sad to say I left my camera chip on my desk Friday.  I'll admit to being a little tired and definately distracted with all the little odds and ends I was finishing up.  
In math we talked more about exactly the same, almost the same, and not the same.  The children were to draw a sock I held up on a page from their math book.  I modeled what to do, how to draw the shape of the sock, and the red and black squares on the sock.  The children are learning they need to draw or respond to what I tell them to do instead of drawing what they want.  Several of them were very worried about making a mistake in their drawing, and some even commented they can't draw.  I will try and work in some guided drawing videos to help the children build their confidence in drawing.  Every year I have taught since I had the opportunity to go to the Governor's Academy for Math and Science as a fairly new teacher, I have had a sign or these words up in the room; "Mistakes allowed here."  The very first day of the Academy I got my schedule and found out I had two days of physics, my nemesis in high school.  Most of the sessions at the Governor's Academy were taught by master teachers, and this teacher from the Eastern Shore unrolled a wide sign that he made out of the old printer paper that said "Mistakes allowed here."  It made a huge impact on my willingness to learn to know how this teacher looked at learning.  I have repeated that phrase to the students alot this week, and I truly hope they will make mistakes as we learn together because that will show me they are taking risks and trying new things.  
We listened to a funny story about a dinosaur named Penelope.  The story We Don't Eat Our Classmates, by Ryan T. Higgins is about a little dinosaur, Penelope, who goes to school with human children.  Penelope knows human children are delicious and just can't help herself from eating the children.  Luckily, her teacher makes her spit them back out.  Ask me to tell you what happens that teaches Penelope not to eat children.  
We also read the story Our Class is a Family, by Shannon Olsen.  The author tells the children how just like their family, their class will help each other, encourage them through difficult times, and even get mad at each other but make up.  Right now we have students who came into our class already knowing someone or several friends.  Alothough it's great they have these friends, we will be working to also make new friends.  We want everyone to feel included and to have many friends while maintaining the special friendships they already have.  We will have some "playdates" where I ask children before recess to find someone in the room they don't know well.  I ask theat they play together at recess so they can get to know each other.  When they come back are recess and their special class, I'll ask them to tell the class something about the child they played with that day.  We will have times when we do this at lunch as well.  Nest week we will have one playdate during one of the outside recess times.  It is my hope that our class grows toghether and becomes more aware of the feelings and interests of others so they can support and encourage each other throughut the year.

It was a busy first week and I am excited for next week.  We will be able to move through more lessons and have a more typical day now that our routines have been introduced and practiced!

Have a great weekend!
​Miss Wolfe