Monday, June 24, 2013

Summer School Day 1

I was getting a bit bored with this, but I was thinking that a conducive way to get my thoughts down is to write about what happened during the day while I was teaching. No names will be addressed and very vague information will be given. I am teaching summer school for five weeks. It is a half day. I teach students that are in the age range of rising Pre-K 4 to 1st grade. 

This is taken from my reflective journal. Writing in italics have been added for the blog.

Today was not that bad when it came to first days. It really was a learning experience. I'm not use to working with students that young, but it was one of those things that makes me better at the profession I have chosen. I was a bit ambitious with choices of centers. They were a bit to much academic, and did not hold the attention span of the students. In our next center rotation, I modified them to give them more hands on learning (legos, blocks). And it worked well. It's still a challenge with their emotional and maturity level. I was pleased with certain aspects, but there is still room to improve. It's an adjustment when you leave the end of the year, where things are smooth, well oiled machine, and you have to start all over again. This is something I talked to my co-teacher about in September/October of the school year, and it was meet with some sort of braggish notion on my part. But it holds true. Having to re-establish new routines and expectations.

Once again the read alouds I do, and the investment I put into them get my students hooked. I read the book The Snowy Day and dressed up in winter clothing. After the read aloud, I did a science experiment and put ice cubes (dyed with green food coloring) and dropped them in a jar of warm water.

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