Week 1: Full Time Reflection

I was pleasantly surprised with how well the first week of full time teaching went. I found that with careful and thorough planning the days go by smoothly, except for the unexpected bumps that are sure to happen in any classroom ... which only strengthens the need for teachers to always be flexible.

 

You can read the lessons written for this week here.  

Looking back at this week, the goal was for students to investigate the changing of the seasons and specifically the changes that come with Fall. My hopes were through scientific investigation and research (looking at trees outside, having a leaf collection, and reading nonfiction literature) the students would recognize that leaves in particular, go through many changes in the Fall. As a class, we kept a KWL chart that we added to throughout the week. During the week, I overheard students saying "Look Miss Emily, this is a red leaf" or "This leaf is green and red!" I was impressed with the students ability to become scientists at my workstation and use the binoculars and magnifying glasses outside to look at leaves and then provide observations to be recorded.

I was suprised that by the end of the week, our "learned" portion was lacking on our KWL chart. Even after prompting and modeling, the students will still not providing me with anything they had learned. On a whim, I decided students could act out the cycle of leaves - I mainly decided for them to do this to get moving, as they were struggling to sit still. I found that having them "pretend you are a leaf on a summer, warm day" was effective for hearing what they had learned this week. With each prompt "pretend you are a leaf a summer, warm day, I provided a follow up question, What color would you be?"  ... I almost fell over when I heard students say GREEN, because we are eating! I quickly followed up with it's almost winter, temperatures are getting colder, pretend you are a leaf on a really windy day .. What color are you? What are you doing" and students replied with red and brown, and we are about to die and be blown off the tree!

Having the students act out the leaves, not only got them active, but proved to me that they had in fact learned the main objectives this week. Even if they weren't able to tell me in a group setting, they were able to show me and explain the knowledge! It was truly one of the most rewarding experiences of my career thus far.

For this week, I tested out new circle time seating arranagements to separate some boys that had been getting too distracted. I found the new seating arrangment is working much better, but will continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed.

To encourage positive behavior, I introduced a mail box at the writing station, in which a "secret sender" wrote letters to the entire class, and in which I wrote "thank you letters" to specific students that were caught being good throughout the day. The mail box was introduced to the students and they were encouraged to write letters to be "mailed" as well. I was shocked at the amount of letters that had to be "mailed" on Monday afternoon. The students really responded well to the mailbox and I found that it encouraged students to visit the writing station, even students who had never once visited it before! In fact, on Tuesday, we had an overwhelming amount of students write on their play plans that they wanted to write letters!
I found the students also enjoyed the leaf song that was done on Monday. I had other planned for the other days, but since they responded so positively to the one done on Monday, we did it everyday of the week instead of learning new ones!

Adjustments were made for individuals throughout the week as detailed on the lesson plans. During the week my teacher and I also made two more major adjustments to meet student needs. The first being for some boys that liked to get to rough and rowdy in the classroom. We directed their behavior instead to the dramatic play area, in which we helped them plan out a play, select a role, and act out for the audience. The second major adjustment that helped with the boys' behavior and the general atmosphere of the classroom was rearranging the furniture in the room to make the block area larger and not as crowded.

Having a "stock pile" of leaves really helped the lessons go smoothly, as I found that on two of the days we went outside to be "scientisits" someone had raked up all the leaves that morning! It it also helpful to have individualization already planned into the lesson, so when it comes time for that activity, you have an action plan developed to help those struggling students along and to challenge the students who need it. For example, the leaf letter hunt was very successful, but it was found that it was easier for the struggling students to have a "smaller" piles of leaves to sort through.

I recieved positive feedback from both parents and my teachers. During an observation by my coordinator, she pointed out the ability I had to take an "aha moment" of one student and apply to the rest. For example, while being a scientist, one student said her leaf didn't have a stem. I took that exclamation and was able to focus on a vocabulary teachable moment! Parents have mentioned that their students are coming home and talking about letter writing, and writing the letter to the principal and how she came to lunch and how they received their thank you notes, etc. The parents also appreciated knowing what was coming up for the following week - hard work and planning does pay off!

My teachers and observations were very positive, stating that all activities were developementally appropriate and engaging. The students responded well to each activity! Some of my personal weaknesses this week included handling "troublesome" students during circle time. I was unsure how to take care of behavioral issues while attending to the entire group and moving on?

Looking ahead into next week, I want to continue to work on my circle time flexibility - being able to adjust as to students' needs and handling behavioral issues. I want to work on making picture word cards to be added to the writing center that students can reference when writing letters, hoping it will help independency and encourage more students. I also want to research more play ideas to provide students with play scripts that would be able to act out and lead independently.

 

Puppets

Last year, in the creative expression and movement course, we learned some methods, advantages, and uses for puppets in the classroom. Growing up, I was never big into puppets and I had never developed an appreciation for puppets, so during that segment of the course, I kind of brushed it off, thinking I'll never use this ... oh how wrong I was.

Before school even began, I was introduced to puppets again through my mentor teacher using them on the home visits. I found that she was able to incorporate a story to teach the child some "rules" of the classroom and to ease their fears even before the school year began. The first few weeks of school, she was using puppets everyday at circle to help teach the classroom rules, to reinforce good manners, and to tell stories to help develop social skills.

I was honestly amazed at the students' responses to the puppets. Not only were they captivated during the stories told by the puppets, but they would request for the puppets to make more appearances.

My teacher regularly uses, Mano and Bano and Naughty Nimbo to help reinforce the classroom rules, good manners, and good behavior. And also Precious Pat and Spot to help teach social skills, and self confidence/diversity.

This past week, the students were able to make their own sock puppet which even included a birth certificate for their puppet. On the last day, the students were able to use their puppets at circle to practice appropriate social skills. It is so interesting how the using the puppets can be such an effective method to teach students social skills that could be used throughout their day to help negiotate and solve conflicts.

I became so intrigued that I made my own sock puppet, Mr. Forgetful, that I use during circle time and transitions. The students have responded positively to Mr. Forgetful, enjoying that he forgot to have two eyes, forgot to brush his teeth which resulted in yellow teeth, forgot to comb his hair, and forgot to wear his pants! Mr. Forgetful is used to help reinforce the rules and good circle time behavior, as he forgot the rules and the students have to remind him. He is also used for transitions in a variety of ways. He forgot student name's but he knew the beginning sound, so when he said the beginning sound, they were able to go line up. Or, he forgot the student's name, but knew rhyming words, etc.

I have found that using Mr. Forgetful, gets the student's attention and they enjoy the activities, often smiling and laughing at things Mr. Forgetful says and does. Using puppets has also been beneficial to address certain problems in the classroom, such as running inside, cutting line, and not playing nicely with others. Being able to address these problems, through a story and scenario with the problems is an effective method, as it provides the students with ideas and knowledge of how to handle the situation in the future, provides a discussion starter, and allows the problem to be addressed in a positive manner that is not degrading any particular students.

Within a few short weeks, my outlook and knowledge on puppets has changed drasatically. I used to never give puppets a second look or even consider making or buying one. And now, I cannot get enough. I am so excited to continue to expand my usage of puppets in the classroom.

Scientific Method

These first weeks in pre-k have proven the need for observations, reflection, research, and planning. All the essence of action research and teacher as a researcher. As I have reflected on my observations and strategies implemented in the classroom, I feel as if I have become engrained in a "teacher" scientific method.

For example ...

First step: Observation
Through these first few weeks, I have gained valuable observations on individuals, classroom management, classroom set-up, schedule, and the class as a whole. Some of the observations I have made include:
A: I have observed students who are upset throughout the day, missing home and who struggle to do as told at times
B: I have observed one student who struggles more than most to follow the nap time procedure
C: Other students who at times are seen being too physical or rough in the classroom
D: Some students who have issues taking turns, sharing, and playing with others

Second step: Research
As I observed these things happening, I began to wonder what I could do to help some of these issues. I began talking with my mentor teacher about the issues, researching online and reading texts to gain some strategy ideas and then shared the ideas with my teacher.
A: When talking with my teacher, she shared that in her experiences she has found providing comfort to those students who are upset works best, after some comforting then try to divert their attention to something that interests them. For the students who struggle with doing as told, she mentioned trying to give them choices, to keep the "consequence" postitive, rather than being negative and forcing them to do as told.
B: While talking with my teacher, we both agreed that the student who struggled with following nap time procedures may be struggling to understand what we were asking. My teacher mentioned a strategy that is used with austic children at times - showing them pictures of what is asked. We discussed how this student may struggle following/learning merely auditory and may benefit from visual cues. From class and research, I have found another strategy to ensure understanding is to have the child repeat the directions that had been given.
C: From my classes and additional research, I have read that incorporating movement throughout the day can help children's attention focus, and energy levels.
D: With talking with early childhood specialists and professionals, a strategy they have found to be effective, is putting students who struggle taking turns and sharing in groups with students who excel as they can serve as postive models and having these students play a board game or other game that requires them to take turns and work together


Third step: Test
As I shared some ideas and talked with my mentor teacher, we were able to try out some of our strategies to see if it would help some of the issues that were arising
A: For one child who would become extremely upset throughout the day missing her parents, we found engaging her in an activity that divereted her attention to her interest would work like magic. When the teacher would engage this child in a conversation or activity about her dog, the child would almost immediately stop crying and be able to calm down, providing this child and the other children who struggle to do as told with choices has also been successful
B: For the student who struggled to follow nap time rules, we first implemented a three strike rule, that for each warning/reminder he was given, he received a strike on the paper that was beside his mat. When he got three strikes he was given a light change (yellow or red). Before a strike was given, he is asked what the nap time procedures, where should your head be, what should you be doing, etc. to make sure he still understands and remembers what he needs to be doing
C: We are trying incorporating more vigorous morning songs in morning circle and throughout the day as a preventive measure
D: We are trying to incorporate more board games into small groups for the students who need to practice engaging in play with others and in turn taking
Fourth step: Reflect & Revise
A critical piece in trying new methods and strategies is reflecing on their effectiveness and revising if it was not effective. It is crucial that is reflection piece does not happen only one time, but continuously.
A: So far, the strategy of diverting the attention away from crying and missing the parents and onto her interests areas really seems to be helping, at the time it does not and has not been revised, but is continously monitored. We are also keeping track of interests topics and areas for this child to use when needed
B: At first, we were given this student three strikes, but after more discussion, we realized that was giving a negative connotation to the child. We have already revised this to the child having a sheet with three smilies on it and then when a warning is given a smilie is taken away, but still left with two, etc. Upon implementing this, in two days, the child's nap time behavior has greatly improved.
C: Using movement songs in the morning and throughout the day has seemed to help as there have not been as many incidences with being too physical. We have also found that turning on a movement song when a physical behavior is seen not only helps with diverting their attention away from the behavior and into the song, but in helping them "get it out of their system"
D: We are going to focus on this strategy in the next two upcoming weeks. We are also trying next week, purposefuly placing not enough materials at the workstation, to encourage sharing and asking to borrow, etc.

Fifth step: Share
As ideas and strategies become fine-tuned and successful, it is imperative to share out to others, as some of the best ideas are a result of collaboration.

The scientific method, is a reoccuring, never ending cycle. Just like the scientific method, this "teacher" version that I am currently seeing and using in my class is an on-going process. In the upcoming weeks, I will be examining the effectiveness of these strategies mentioned above and continue reseraching and revising. As well observing the overall classroom and beginning and continuing the process with new issues as they arise.

... Just add go ahead and add "scientist" to the on-going list for the teacher job description.

Adjusting

The first two weeks of pre-school are all about adjusting. The students have to adjust to school and the parents have to adjust also. The first two phase in days were hard. Hard for myself, hard on the teachers, hard on the children and hard on the parents.

The first day there were some parents who stuck around, some may have because they wanted an opportunity to see their children interact in the setting and some may have because they were reluctant to leave without heir little one by their side. Surprisingly there were no tears on the first day from the students. That was until nap time, but even then all it took was some back rubbing and comforting and all was well again. This first day was a piece of cake, a piece of heaven, or maybe a dream. It was as if the students had been in the classroom for months, not days. By the afternoon, the students knew the routine, the procedures, and were following all the rules. With such a smooth first day, I knew our luck was sure to run out the next day.

As soon as students began filing in on the second day, I could tell we were in for a toughie. There were students who were glued to their parents' hips, with the look of defeat and terror spread across their face. There were students walking into the classroom with tears already in their eyes and only a few students walking in with a smile on their face. The day was filled with lots of tears from many of the students and ended with myself in tears as I watched a terrified, screaming and crying student looking at me for help out of the window of the bus as it pulled away.

Reflecting on the first week of pre-school, I find I have spent the majority of the days adjusting. Adjusting my expectations, adjusting the schedule, adjusting the classroom, and adjusting to the students. Coming from a third grade class this past spring, to a class of three and four year olds this fall was not the easiest transition. I forgot what it was like to explain directions to a four year old, I forgot how hard it is to get a three year old to understand a routine, I was not expecting the high level of difficulty for getting students to warm up to me or the classroom, and I was not ready to spend nap time rocking students to sleep, or passing out hugs and wiping tears of those who miss their mommies. By the end of the week, I feel I have done well in making those needed adjustments and in expecting the unexpected. At any given moment, I'm ready to pass out a hug and snatch a tissue to wipe a tear before it has fallen. I find myself at all times of the day, outside of the classroom, speaking in simple phrases and sentences and my imagination has been lit again.

Beginning the second week of Pre-K, I was slightly apprehensive and afraid that it would start the entire process of adjusting over again. Seeing how the students had three days of school, followed by a four-day weekend. I was pleasantly surprised that on Tuesday, many of the students still remembered the routine and were able to complete the morning tasks independently.

I feel that the students have done a better job at adjusting to school than I have in adjusting to being in a pre-k classroom. Coming from a third grade classroom last semester, it has taken come time to get back into the groove of handling the emotions and needs of a class of three and four, and now some five year olds. I found that I was a little rusty on the interactions and engagements that take place in some of the interest areas, specifically blocks and science. I was able to spend some time researching and reading up on those interest areas to gain some ideas and tips for extending the child's play, which I will dedicate another blog entry to writing about. I also find that behavior management, i.e "discipline" in older grades and "positive behavior support" in early childhood is something that I am still working on adjusting too. With talks with my mentor teacher and the paraprofessional in my room, I am continusouly learning new strategies and phrases to use to help my behavior management techniques and it is something I want to continue to research and read about as well.

Reflecting over the course of the first weeks of school, I have found that there are continously new ideas, questions, and strategies that I want to read about, learn about, and try out. I often find myself wishing I had more time in the day to read about early childhood, so that I can be (as corny as this is) "the best I can be" for the students. I have already developed a strong sense of care and love for my students and I want this semester to be as successful for them and for myself as possible. Some areas that I would like to read about, improve, and develop further include:

- Nap time: strategies for the restless students and for those who get upset
- Positive Motivational Strategies: To encourage over-all class behavior, we have a "light and smilie" system for individual behavior, but at times I wonder is that enough - especially when students do get a red light and continue to act out, what happens next?

- Criers: What strategies can be used for those students who become very upset? How do you comfort them but express "enough is enough" and keep it from being a distraction for others?


Ending out the first two weeks, I strongly believe the studetns, teachers, and the parents deserve a pat on the back for the job well done of adjusting. It is not an easy feat to face, much less accomplish. And after these first two weeks, I am proud of us all for adjusting so quickly, easily, and smoothly into the life inside pre-school. And, at the rate it's going, before too long, I will be adjusting to living life as a four year in a twenty-two year old body.

First Days

Many people believe that teachers are in the profession for three things: June, July, and August. That period of time where all of our responsibilities, duties, and work is non-existent. What they don't realize is that the work of art of teaching never stops. There is never a moment that a teacher is not thinking about, looking for, or working towards bettering their classroom.

While there is a "first day" back for teachers and a "first day of school" there are no first days. Teaching is a continuous process of learning and working. If a teacher waited till the "first day back" to prepare their classroom for the upcoming year, essentially the teacher would be setting themselves up for failure. With all of the meetings, home visits, and conferences and professional development that is crammed into those few days, there is a very limited, if any, time left for the teacher to actually work in their room and prepare their classroom for the upcoming students.

I was able to spend eight days helping to prepare the classroom. Out of those eight days, there was only one day that was completely uninterrupted and devoted to only preparing the room. Multi-tasking quickly becomes a teacher's strength. During these eight days, we spent time completing all the paper work for the children, updating the STEPS preschool online documentation site, printing pictures and label, labeling the room, and making everything personalized for this year's group. So of my own personal tasks that I completed in this time for the classroom include:

A birthday chart                                      

 

  A Velcro sign-up Chart

   

And a new behavior management class chart

Pocket charts can be very expensive, so I made my own "pocket chart" using business card holders that are a lot like page protectors, I just cut them in half to make the rows of five, a poster board, and tape. It was very easy and very cheap - two of a teacher's favorite things!


Getting a classroom ready, is not an easy task. It is a monumental, on-going, task that at times seems endless, makes the teaches want to pull their hair out all the while they promise themselves that when given the time they will become organized - that next year it will be easier, if they had the time. IF they had the time.

But it's okay - because as soon as the students walk in that door on that first day, all that hard work, all that tiring work, all that stressful paperwork, all those negative thoughts go out the window. All that work that went into getting the classroom ready no longer seems monumental, because, it is when you have 18 smiling faces, 18 eager and curious minds, 18 morning hugs that you realize it was all worth it. And in that moment, you wish you could have done more for these students, after all, they deserve the best and only the best.

On Home Visits

When I was in kindergarten, there were no such things as Home Visits. In fact, the concept of a home visit was first introduced to me my tutor year of the program when I first began student teaching at Suncrest Primary. In Monongalia county, teachers are required to conduct home visits for pre-k and kindergarten students. In my home West Virginia county, Putnam, no such requirement exists.

I found the idea of home visits to be interesting, beneficial, and eye opening. I believe knowing the background of a student, the student's family, the home life, and the living conditions provides an abundance of insight into the behavior, the cognitive function, and the over-all student. It also allows the teacher to catch a glimpse into the daily life of the student outside of school.

Before going on my first home visit, I was both excited and apprehensive. I was unsure what to expect or even what to do! The first home visit went very smoothly and I found that I was able to easily interact with both the student and his mother. As I continued on the home visits, I began to form more opinions on home visits from my experiences and made notes about them importance of home visits and key elements of a home visit for the future.

• Home visits are a time to get to know the student: During a home visit, I found it was a great opportunity to find out what the student's interests are. Have them show you their favorite toy, their favorite book. After all, they are in a safe environment, their home, and are probably going to be more outgoing and welcome to you in this environment than on the first day of school in a new classroom. 
• Prepare students for the first day of school: While it is critical to get to know the student, it is also important to have conversations with the student about school. Tell them about the classroom, tell them about yourself, run through the schedule, show them pictures, relate parts of the day/the classroom to their interests. Ideally, through conversations, you can help put any fears or doubts of the first day of school to the side for the student and get them excited.
• Find out the parent's expectations: It is crucial to ask the parents what they expect out of you and out of pre-school. Asking them for their expectations, allows you to set your own goals for your classroom and clarify any misconceptions - such as "I want my child to learn all of his numbers and letters". Well, yes ideally, we would hope the child would leave pre-school knowing more numbers and letters, but that is not a direct goal of pre-k.
• Successful Home visits --> Successful Year: Beginning the year off right with a successful home visit, helps set up the entire year. This first interaction with the child helps foster a positive relationship for the entire year. Involving the parents from the beginning will hopefully lead to more involvement throughout the year as well. Having home visits before the school year begins, allows you and the parents time to get the classroom prepared and labeled with names and pictures and all the forms and paperwork collected. 
• Calm all nerves: At times, it appears the parents are more nervous and more hesitant about this step into preschool than the students. Especially if the child is the first one to be sent to school. Home visits are a great time, to not only get to know the parents, the students, and the expectations, but to calm any nerves and set any worries or concerns aside. Ask the parents what concerns they have - and do the best to ensure them, they are tiny, tiny issues in the larger scheme of the day
• Leave them wanting more: Leave the student with something to look forward to. Rather it be noticing their collection of dump trucks and saying: "You know what? When you come to school on Monday we will get the dump trucks and play with them at the sand table ... How does that sound?". Or even promising the child time will be set aside for a read aloud of a book of their choice from the huge classroom library. Whatever interests the child, latch on it, and use it to help spark the curiosity and excitement of pre-school - give them something to look forward to!

It is imperative to view home visits as an integral, positive responsibility of teaching early childhood, not as a chore. It is crucial to go into a home visit with open eyes, open ears, and more importantly an open mind. Be sure to remain excited and positive - and make this energy contagious to both the child and the parents. 

After my first year of home visits, I not only look forward to seeing my students again on the first day of school, but in conducting the follow-up home visits later in the year and in future home visits of future classes.

Beginning Days

   Returning to school at the beginning of August was a big change, but it was worthwhile. When given the opportunity to attend a conference with my mentor teacher, I knew it was something I couldn't pass up. The Pre-K classrooms in Mon County were all given a grant as part of Choosy Kids - I am Moving, I am Learning. A program designed for obesity prevention which takes a proactive approach towards addressing child-hood obesity by increasing the quantity of physical activity, improving the quality of physical activity and promoting healthy food and drink choices.

This conference was very interesting and eye-opening. The statistics given about the obesity rates in West Virginia and across the nation are startling and scary. As an educator, it made me want to take action and incorporate the fundamentals ideas of Choosy Kids into the daily instruction and interactions I have with my students.

One of the workshops, Observing and Evaluating Motor Skills, in particular really sparked my curiosity and got my wheels turning. It intrigued me to begin thinking about possible action research ideas. I cannot wait to interact more with my students and observe them in the classroom to see if this route of action research would benefit the students in my classroom.

As an early childhood educator, I feel there is almost a pressure to develop students' fine motor skills in preparation of them to learn to write and use scissors. However, before their fine motor skills can be developed, their gross motor skills must first be fully developed. If you expect the child to write the number eight, but yet they cannot move their entire body to create the number eight with their legs, their arms, etc. by crossing their midlines - then how can you expect them to make that same movement on an extreme smaller scale? My experiences in early childhood centers has shown me that teacher led gross motor skill practice and development is either non-existent or left entirely up to the physical education teacher.

Integrating motor skill development into existing curriculum is easy. During teacher directed time, the focus of the station, such as letter or number recognition, does not have to be a sitting table top activity. It can be a physical activity, such as throwing a ball into a lettered bucket, hopping the number line, etc. Therefore, the students are still learning - both their numbers and letters and developing their motor skills, and being ACTIVE!

With the WV Early Learning Standards Framework dedicating a section to gross motor skills it is evident that the importance of physical activity and the development of these skills is critical in an early childhood education and would be beneficial in possibly exploring this route for an action research topic.

Beginning the school year by attending this conference was the best decision I have made. It got my wheels turning, got my excitement up, and has me motivated to make a positive change in the classroom. I am looking forward to meeting my students and reflecting more on if this is an appropriate route to take for my action research.