Clay....

This is one of those on-going, nonlinear posts that I will be adding to as I upload pictures & revist transcripts and video recordings (a few of which I may post if I can figure out how to get my laptop online). So drop by & visit on occasion to "see" what is being added! The "finished" results will also be documented in the classroom for parents (and visitors, should you happen to be in the area feel free to come by!).


I introduced clay on the floor a couple weeks back, in big blocks for the children to work on as a group. I expected the jumping on it--but must admit the sitting on the block was an idea I hadn't ever considered trying myself!













When the slabs of clay had been smashed flat (it didn't take long) one of the children took scissors & began to carve images & words into the clay. I found this interesting, as I have introduced clay as a medium to many, many children...and yet this is the first time I have seen children use it in a two dimensional context. I wonderedif/how this correlates to the interest in symbols & representation I have observed with the children in this class group...



There was a lot of cooperative exploration with the rolling pin, as I only had one of them. I added a second, and considered adding my larger rolling pins (I have enough that each child could have one), but decided to hold off & continue to let the children negotiate the use of the limited available resources.

When revisiting the environment and asking the children for feedback one of the children declared the "paint table" was too "junky"--and, indeed, upon standing back & looking at it I realized this key table, which reflects much of what parents see in our classroom as it is right next to the door, had become a "catch all" for odds and ends painting materials, most of which were not effectively utilized. So, after brief consideration, I decided to put the paint away for now (it's still available if the kids ask for it--and I did leave one easel set up for free use) and "transform" the table into our clay table. A simple garbage back covering, a bucket of rinse water, a few sponges, and we were ready to roll!

http://artatthecenter.blogspot.com/2009/11/clay-and-sticks-and-standing-objects.html

This post from Art at the Center made me think about provocations I could add to the clay table. So far I've given the children a few plastic knives and they've brought several items from the painting/stamping projects (mostly kitchen mixers, potato mashers, etc) to the table themselves, as well as the small rolling pin from the dramatic play center & the iron (who would have thought???). The popsicle sticks are an obvious "next step", I'm also wondering about rocks, perhaps the pinecones from our science center (B was "spraying" them yesterday to see what happens--wonder if he would extend that?)....I know there are a number of items my classes from previous years used, perhaps I should pull them out as well. Now, to decide how to present materials in a way that is provocative but non-directive...

And this article..

http://www.bartelart.com/arted/Clay&Toddlers.html

is a great explanation of why working with clay is important for young children--again, we begin to see that represenational/concerete operational thinking coming into play....

OK, I really have to stop thinking about preschool and actually fold the laundry.

Excellent article...

For parents & educators just beginning to explore Reggio inspiration I've come across an article I think provides a nice overview...

http://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca/Publications/Researchintopractice_Vol_IV.htm

I particularly enjoy the five points they make about documentation:

"Five Features of Documentation
1. Documentation involves a specific question that guides the process, often with an epistemological focus (focus on questions of learning).
2. Documentation involves collectively analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating individual and group observations; it is strengthened by multiple perspectives.
3. Documentation makes use of multiple languages (different ways of representing and expressing thinking in various media and symbol systems).
4. Documentation makes learning visible; it is not private. Documentation becomes public when it is shared with learners-whether children, parents, or teachers.
5. Documentation is not only retrospective, it is also prospective. It shapes the design of future contexts for learning."

Good concepts to keep in mind as I work on portfolios & documentation panels next week!

P.S. Anyone want to tell me how this whole link thing works??? Still can't get it to work right...

Clarifying philosophy...

Taking time during the holiday season to catch up on a few of my favorite blogs....not something I get the chance to do often. Here is one of them... sorry I can't get the link to work, you'll have to cut & paste!

http://yoyoreggio.blogspot.com

She had a post on clarifying philosophy that I found interesting....she asked the question

"Do you find yourself picking the 'best' from different systems? How do you reconcile systems or ideas that seem to be at odds? How would you describe your ideal educational philsophy?"

My beginnings of a response....

I am not a Reggio "purist" by any means, I would say it is the primary inspiration for my classroom but I also draw from Waldorf, Montessori, and general constructivist views, and every once and awhile throw a bit of (gasps of horror) academia in. My personally feeling on the matter is that there is not one "right way" for anything--each child's needs and interests are different, and part of centering the environment around the child is being open to considering options that may not fit our "ideal" view.
I have a child who absolutely loves to do math worksheets. I, who am ademantly against pen & paper work in the early years, am providing this child with worksheets. Is it a result of her time spent in a "traditional" class? Probably. But she is drawn to it, spends a few minutes on it, then moves on to something else. I don't think there is any permanant harm being done. I would, at one time, have argued that there isn't any permanant good being done--until I observed this same child conducting self-directed "lessons" in mathematics to the other children. Her confidence is amazing, her grasp of the concepts is apparent, and the other children are learning from her. Truly an exceptional example of children as the best teachers.
There are wonderful aspects of Montessori, but I too have been concerned about the lack of creative expression--particularly the emphasis on NO imaginative play (this comes directly from Montessori's viewpoints). I love the materials, and use them in the classroom to introduce concepts regularly--but it is also not uncommon to see the pink tower being used to build a barn & last year the brown stairs made an exceptional play yard for snails. Montessori, I'm sure, would be horrified--but the children weren't!

I will, I am certian, continue dwelling on this question as I eagerly delve into some of the books I've been waiting to get my hands on. Actually, this is a well-timed question since I intend to "formally" introduce some of the Montessori materials beginning in January. I've informally introduced some of them--the moveable alphabet, sandpaper letters, etc.--in reading lessons with K & P, and utilized many of the mathematical tools--spindle boxes, numbers & counters--primarily with L as we work on her developing interest in numerical concepts, but haven't utilized any form of a "structured" introductory approach.

I would never, never, tell a child they could not do something because the precursory "lesson" has not yet been introduced. However, I also see value in the natural flow between one lesson and another as they are presented in the Montessori classroom. So I may pull out my "checklist" of lessons and present them in the order they are listed.

However, I may also decide I'm already doing way too much anyway & don't need yet another checklist to distract me from what is truly going on in my classroom. Part of my learning process is accepting that I can not do everything I would like to do. I would love to have several ongoing projects, introduce every Montessori material, offer hand works such as knitting & draw in other Waldorf inspirations, pull from the state standards and make sure every child is hitting every standard, conference constantly with parents......but I only have so many hours in a week (20, to be exact, is my mandated maxium). So I do what I can, what gets done gets done, and I revisit our work at the end of the week & decide where my priorities lie. When it comes down to it I would rather L. spend two hours squishing paint between her toes than complete the spindle box work every morning...

Light...

When we were doing our music time last week N. noticed the reflection on the ceiling from the sun shining through the windows & onto her cymbals. I wondered if this observation was something they may want to follow up on, so I decided to move the class into the "light room" (in the back room) to provide further opportunities to explore lights & reflections. I provided the light table, a strand of decorative lights, flashlights, translucent blocks and materials, a reflective mirror surface, and several other odds & ends items. We talked briefly about what light is & where it comes from--they were able to draw a correlation between power that comes from the plug & power that comes from batteries. Then I set them loose to explore.

The flashlights were one of the first things the children went too, each took one and shined it around the classroom. I lay down with a flashlight & shined it on the ceiling, just to see what would happen--B grabbed his flashlight and tried to cover my light. This soon evolved into a game of "catch", with the children chasing each reflection around on the ceiling, laughing gleefully when they "caught" another light. When they wanted the lights to "go home" they would switch them off.

L was initially nervous about coming into the darkned room (apparently a wory about ghosts is lingering from Halloween), but once she became involved in the game she quickly forgot her concerns.

After awhile they tired of the flashlight games & P pointed out the box of baby toys that was stored in the closet. As a general rule I dislike baby toys with lights & music (overstimulating for baby--even worse for mom/teacher!), but they actually tied in very well with our exploration. We spent some time playing "catch" with a ball that had lights on it, rolling it from one person to another.




One thing lead to another, and soon our exploration of lights was abandoned in favor of a game of limbo....we have to get our energy out somehow when it's too cold to go outside!!!

Overall, they were less interested in this exploration than I had expected them to be. I may re-visit it after the holidays to see if it goes anywhere....or maybe not. Who knows what the kids have in mind?

Check ins?

It's getting harder to check in because the kids for some reason have started objecting to taking pictures--and I'm not sure how helpful the summaries are for parents (anybody out there?) If you could shoot me a comment or two & let me know if they are helpful I'll keep doing them--otherwise I'm going to try to focus on the philosophical bits here & report daily happenings on the parents board in the classroom. Feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Breakthrough science technology

Folks, I just want you all to know you've been parenting your children totally & completely wrong. You see, you're missing one critical element to your parenting style. You hold the key to sucess for your children--simply by paying a large sum of money (not sure how much, they don't give any information without contact info) to have a complete gene profile that will tell you all of your child's strengths and weaknesses. Does it sound too good to be true? Like something from a science fiction novel? Nope---it's for real. At least that's what he says on the website.

http://www.mychildtalentprofile.com/

Genetic profiling at it's best, folks. sign up now and I'll give you a discount on the next psycho-developmental assessment I perform. Oh wait, I don't charge extra for the psych-developmental assesment, or the speech/language assessment, or the physical development assessment--or the running records, anecdotal note taking, generalized observations, dialogue and thinking/re-thinking that goes into developing an individual education experience based on your child's interests and enthusiasm.....wonder what gene enthusiasm is correlated with?

More color mixing pictures...

Homework: Vision Questions...

I've been bouncing these questions around for quite awhile...

Who is a child?
What is childhood?
How do children learn?
What is the role of school in the life of a young child? (This is a new one)...

I've got several posts in progress relating to this. I don't think there's an arbitrary line between the questions, they all come together to form one's view of the child. I like something that came to mind in the last class session (not a direct quote, but a general idea)...Reggio is not something you can do, it's something you become.

As far as the role of the school, this is how I view it....

The environment as the third teacher communicates to the child, "This is your space. You are welcome here". It calls to the children's soul, drawing them in as a place to explore. The role of the school is a place for..

Climbing, jumping, skipping, clapping, laughing--moving...
Digging, splashing, pouring, stirring, mixing--doing...
Questioning, exploring, investigating, engaging, growing and progressing---being...

Education is the lighting of a fire, not the filling of a bucket
-William Butler Yates

Homework: Daily Schedule

One of our homework assignments for the online class I am taking is to write out, in detail, our classroom schedule. I found this a bit challenging, as ours is constantly changing and evolving! Here's a general overview of how our day goes....

8:30ish
The kids trickle in a few at a time & begin self-directed learning activities (also known in some circles as "free play", but that hardly describes the learning & exploring that goes on during this time!).

9:00ish
I attempt a morning meeting. So far this isn't going so well. The kids have just begun activities & don't want to stop. I've tried moving morning meeting up, but then the kids who show up later miss out. I've tried doing more structured activities as they come in (ie. puzzles at the table) & they're just not interested. I'm welcoming any suggestions to "fix" this problem! I love the idea of gathering to share fruit as they do in the Diana school (I think?), but I'm kind of guessing food in a room with white carpet isn't a great idea. Perhaps I should move our meeting place? Grapes or bananas may be okay. Still debating over the options.

9:30ish-10:30ish
Our self directed learning activities continue. If there are two teachers the children may move freely from our classroom to the outdoors, if it's just me they usually go out with the older kids about 10:00. I try to get everyone outside for at least 15 minutes, but this doesn't always happen--especially when it's 20 degrees outside! The kids have free access to the "studio", where I've typically set up 2-3 provocations (we have a painting table & two investigation/exploration tables) based on whatever projects or topics we are studying. They also have open access to the centers room--blocks, kitchen/dramatic play, books, various math manipulatives, writing and literacy materials, etc. For the most part I am "hands off" during this time, observing, taking notes, and occasionally bringing out materials to extend activities they seem interested in. Occasionally I'll try specifically to work math & literacy into the activities they are excited about. Often, right now especially, I'm gently guiding their conflict resolution skills and helping them learn to problem solve. I do try to do 1-2 "official" assessments each month (math/literacy, scientific knowledge, language devleopment, etc) so I also complete these during this time period--most of it can be done simply through observation.

10:30-11:00ish
I typically try to do more structured activities for about half an hour, specifially with small groups while the other children continue self directed activities. Many of the children join the primary class during this time to meet up with their "reading buddies". Right now on my "official" lesson plan I'm trying to do math on Tuesdays & literacy on Thursdays since I have a parent helper those days, but this is extremely flexible.

At about 11:00 we start clean up (I wrote a note today to remind me we really do need to stop what we're doing & clean up what absolutely must be picked up--we have been struggling with this lately, though parent helpers have made it workable). The kids help sweep, wipe tables, put toys away, etc. Then we gather for a closing group--again, I'm struggling to work this in and keep the kids engaged. I try to do songs & stories, I'm specifically focusing right now on getting at least one book in a day. The high point of our group time is 'tickle time' which I randomly stumbled across in an attempt to keep a certain child engaged while singing our closing song ("Sing Your Way Home"). Tickling one child just didn't cut it--so now everyone gets at least one turn (usually more). I've found this to be one of the more rewarding moments of the day, and miss it on the days when we don't quite find time for it.

C's been watching me type this up and insisted on adding his opinion on our schedule for the class he attended yesterday...

We cleaned up and played. I played, let's see here...I don't remember. Blocks and kitchen and that's all. We got the gelatin and colored it with paint. I want to color it with more paint. What makes green? Yellow and green and blue. Then we put it yellow and green and put that watery stuff in, then I mixed yellow and made green. Then we put flour and green and that's all, and water. We ate snacks, played. And I played with blocks, kitchen stuff, and that's all.

What I noticed about C's day yesterday (also known as "So what did he learn???)...

Social/Emotional Skills:
He came right into class, and had no difficulty joining in with B even though he has never met him before. He spent the vast majority of his time actively engaged in cooperative play with L, even though she is younger than he is. He used excellent conflict resolution skills when he wanted something she had--something we don't always see at home. He even stepped in to moderate between B & L when they had a disagreement.

Math & Science:
C. was able to identify the difference between the gelatin cups that had been in the fridge & those that we'd put in the freezer. He shared his theories about why they were different. He actively explored & experimented. He spent nearly an hour mixing, dumping, and pouring. He was able to count the number of cups, and quickly grasped the concept of 2 half cups=1 whole. He demonstrated competency in understanding the concept of conservation(the ability to recognize that there is the same amount of water in two different containers)--a key skill for geometry later on. He mixed colors and was able to tell me which primary colors produced green.

Language & Literacy:
C. worked on increasing his vocabulary, identifying "solids" and "liquids", as well as some understanding about what the word "mass" means. He demonstrates an understanding of various word endings...you add water to make something "watery".

Hmm...not at all bad for a child who "just" played for 3 hours!!!

Check in...

I put out the paint pumps, cardboard, and various "tools" for the children to use to make prints--but who wants to use tools when you can use THESE??? Anyone want to place a bet on whose little toes these are? I bet you could get it in one guess....






Our spelling lesson for the week, P. selected the words "Joy to the world the Lord has come". Wonder what songs she's been listening to over the weekend? She copied the entire phrase down all by herself, and L. decided she wanted to work on "spelling" as well. She's really getting the hang of letter-like forms and is able to copy many of the letters--quite impressive for a just-under-4 year old!






The weather is cooperating with our "states of matter" exploration, our "pond" is now frozen completely solid so the kids can stand on it. They were excited to observe the rocks that have been frozen under the water--I wonder how that happened?









Loads of fun, with more to come!

Ms. Heather

Check In...

Fun picture from earlier in November (OK, I admit it...I uploaded it by mistake and don't know how to delete it!)---BUT check out our art board, as the tinfoil collages should be replacing our autumn colors if I can finish them up tonight!

We've been focusing lately on two ongoing explorations....states of matter (primarily solids & liquids) with a bit of color theory thrown in. I put liquid watercolors at one of our exploration stations for the children to mix. The children used the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) and mixed them together using small droppers (great for developing fine motor skills).

They poured their new colors into glass canning jars and titled them.

L: "Black"

K: "A horse black"

B: "Apple Juice" (because it smells like apple juice!) and "Black"

P: "Black"

They obviously are coming to understand the basic concept that all the colors put together create black!

When we were done mixing we took the new colors into the light room & put them on the light table to see if all the "black" was the same. I expected them to be excited about this concept....they were more interested in jumping over the crib matress on the floor. Perhaps we'll return to that idea later. In the meantime....for those of you who had babyfood jars of random colored water coming home this is what that is all about---make sure the lids stay on. That stuff does not come out!

This week we'll be doing our writing in shaving cream--B is particularly motivated to write his name after becoming frustrated with trying to label his jar today! I'm going to introduce cornstarch & water to continue our exploration on the properties of matter, I'm wondering if L. will find as much interest in the cornstarch/water concoction as she does with tempera paint! If she doesn't, I've got plenty to do in our paint station, I've set up a large sheet of cardboard with various objects to use for making prints. We'll see how messy they can get with that!

K & N will continue working on cvc words, we'll introduce the /ad/ and /an/ word families next. We'll also be working on the following sight words: I, like, see

In math we're continuing with counting in context (not by route!). We are working with this concept primarily during snack time, but also at various times during learning centers. I am also hoping to work one on one with L & D to introduce the spindle boxes and numerals/counters from our Montessori materials.

We'll be spending as much time as we can outside as well...the good weather won't last long! Please send hats & mittens/gloves as children are complaining about the cold. Remember to check the basket for random socks, gloves, and various other odds and ends.

Room Pictures

The bare minimum in our centers room at the beginning of the school year. With our recent discussion on aesthetics and color in the classroom I have to say I absolutely love the colors of the wall! It's a natural enough color that it isn't overwhelming, yet I feel it is more appealing than plain white or beige. And of course I love the natural lighting!

Transformed into the dramatic play center now. The play kitchen I selected specifically for its lighter colors, and the coordinating table I just happened to stumble across at DIs. We use my (gasps of horror!) primary colored red chairs at the table, which ties in nicely with the red burners on the stove. Last year I added a red rug (IKEA, of course) and we had a very nice, homey, and certainly not overwhelming color scheme. But the kids in my class last year made hot chocolate on the rug (literally) & it hasn't been the same since... in the picture below you can see our attempt at a KWL chart on the walls.
I finally got around to posting the resulting leaf collages from our light table experience. I get an A+ on our utilizing nature in the classroom assignment (I now have natural elements in every classroom). I put the leaf color sorting activity we'd done out, but the kids had less interest in sorting the leaves & more interest in crumbling them...and besides, they needed the table to eat on. So that didn't last long.

Our blocks center--I swear that nook was made for my shelf!
I try to always have at least one set of unit blocks out (either regular blocks or hollow blocks), along with a few manipulatives selections, props (cars/trucks/animals/people/etc), and a game or two. But it varies from day to day. I also try to use different building surfaces for the blocks area (see my previous posts for pictures).

The bright blue primary table & chairs in my art studio. As one parent said, "It looks like they were made for each other!". The table was the one piece of furniture original to the classroom (the bookshelves was there too--but it the teacher in the primary class wants them eventually) & the chairs were mine. They came from a surplus sale the BYU Child Development Lab School had when they replaced all their old chairs & tables with Community Playthings furnishings, if I had a huge grant I'd do the same. Or, maybe I would. Remember I sold all my lovely natural wooden tables and the beautiful, custom-built matching chairs since they wouldn't hold up to PAINT??? So far this table and chairs have survived just about everything, and I no longer cringe when they spill liquid watercolors. Function and cost wins out over aesthetics in this case. Of course, I haven't seen the Community Playthings furniture put to the test yet since the kids don't usually dump liquid watercolor all over the table in their theoretically "hands on" program (it is DAP, just not as much focus on creative exploration--but then I don't know of any other program aside from Bev's that shares my focus on creative exploration, which is easy to understand when I spend an hour cleaning up flour and there is still more to mop up the next day....but that's an entirely different topic altogether). When we finally get around to moving the bookshelves (sometime in the next century!) I want to use that corner for self-serve snack, I think...

Shots of the art center in our studio room, along with the "autumn colors" documentation board and my planning board (not an ideal location, but functional). This is before our new art shelf, hence the clutter on the make-shift desk shelves. I love the lighter color in this room, since it makes the children's work stand out more and I don't know how I survived without wooden floors before! It makes clean up so much easier (OK, to be totally and completely honest in some cases it makes clean up possible).

A bigger shot of our Autum Colors documentation board. I know...horror of all horrors...primary colored scalloped borders. Does it really detract from the children's work? Be honest folks, I'm open to feedback here--and ideas! I like this approach to displays vs. display panels because I can simply stick the pages in the children's portfolios when I switch out the board....but I suppose I should try some documentation panels as well. I did try to get all the "mandated" aspects of a panel in (children's photos, transcrips of conversations, and work samples--am I missing anything?). You have no idea how I stressed over the angled wording on some of those pages. Repeat after me---"It needs to be present, not perfect"...

This is our new art shelf, in it's mostly-organized state. The bins hold paint brushes & paint supplies, scissors & markers, work trays, glue, collage materials, and woodworking materials (I am working on labeling them). The kids really *really* wanted to paint this shelf, I was torn between letting them express their creativity & loving the natural wood. The love for the natural wood won out. I think this is one example of the dilemma created between desire for aesthetics vs. encouragement of creativity--was it worth maintaining the neutral colors in lieu of letting the children contribute to "finishing" the shelf? After all, in putting it together I did give them a sense of ownership. I guarentee if the shelf was painted it would include primary colors, along with bright hues of pink and orange, with the only earthy tones being the brown resulting from several children working on the same area with different colors. Maybe I'll buy the less expensive particle board shelf ($40) for them to paint & use in the light room next time I have extra funds sitting around waiting to be used.

This is one of our "exploration station" tables in the art studio, hosting the sand table in this picture. I love the frame (IKEA again...) but keep forgetting to buy 5x7 photo paper so I actually have pictures to put in it!

This shelf is loosely used as our math center, though it tends to be multi-functional. We did try to use the naturalistic materials for counting & sorting, but they didn't really take to this activity. I have, however, been surprised at the use the color boxes have had--not just for sorting and color identification, there have also been fantastic social engagements as children negotiate use of the objects inside. Perhaps because it's the only form of "commercialism" I allow in the classroom (many of the figurines are from popular, non-violent cartoons).

I've got more photos....but it's after 9 PM & I'm supposed to eliminate all blue light exposure...no computer, no TV, not even a cell phone--pure torture! The idea is it is actually supposed to make me sleep at night. Which, in theory, means I should have more energy during the day. Too bad I still won't be able to match the energy level of 6 children! I enjoy trying though!

Comments, feedback, and constructive critisism is welcome. I don't particularly mind non-constructive criticism either....I'll take whatever I can get at this point!

Itsy, bitsy spider....

I love how observant L is! The other day I found her climbing outside the rocks...

I asked if she was being a mountain goat & she told me, "No teacher, it's a spider--see!!!"

I couldn't, until she pointed it out to me (it's that itsy bitsy black spot in the middle of a rock). I never would have noticed it.

Now, for an official poll question....is it the itsy bitsy spider, or the eensy weensy spider??? Think we may need to graph that question at preschool tomorrow!

Chalk Talk

To continue encouraging writing skills I brought out a bucket of sidewalk chalk. Wow, did the kids get excited about that! B. was my primary focus on this activity, we continued to work on proper grip & writing "B". He's doing well with this, I think we're going to move on to his next letter!

K decided to create a "hop scotch" grid, and wrote all the numbers herself. She's been extremely interested in writing numbers lately, and can write most of the numbers from 1-20. I think she must be working on this in her kindergarten class, but her interest has motivated the others in the class group as well. I love when that happens!

P & L worked together--which is great because that isn't a typical grouping. They drew lines all the way from the driveway, up the sidewalk and around thehouse. L. was extremely focused on how to draw a great big line without picking up the chalk--this was an interesting challenge! After observing K for a minute P. attempted her own squares with numbers in them, showing a distinct preference for the number "7" for some reason.

The best part is after our class the rain washed the chalk away so we get to do it all over again!

Group time woes...

Since I didn't get an opportunity to attend Bev Bos' conference this month (hopefully in the summer!) I used the funds to purchase resource books & videos instead. One of them being Bev's "Starting at Square One" video. I've watched it all the way through once now, and re-visited several clips multiple times, then decided to apply my newly rediscovered knowledge (beecause most of it I've heard several times before, on one occasion by Bev herself) to my major challenge at the moment--group time. I warn you, I've spent hours thinking through this & it's not a simple fix, therefore I'm closer to writing a chapter for a book than a blog post. Gee, that's an idea....

Here's what our group time sessions have looked like lately. Ms. Heather pulls out several music CDs. She throws together a few "structured academic activities" to offer and selects a few books she thinks the children might enjoy. Then the children pull up chairs (their choice--not mine) & sit down for group. They usually tell me which songs they want and we start in with one or two. By that time K & N have decided they no longer want to participate in group (an option I do allow) & have pulled their chairs to the back of the room. B & E have fallen off their chairs and are wrestling on the floor. L. is hiding under the table, presumably because I didn't hear her request or didn't respond in a manner she found acceptable. And little D. is sitting silently on my lap, probably wondering what the heck is going on. Ms. Heather herself is sitting there staring at the chaos trying to figure out what she did wrong in the heat of the moment, and getting nowhere.

Which leads to two possibilities the following day, both of which have happened. #1 when I announce it's group time the kids declare "I don't want to do group today" & since it a unanimous decision (myself included, I don't want to deal with the chaos!) we don't. Or #2 the kids declare they don't want to do group today and I become authorarian and declare that we are absolutely doing group, demand that everyone come, review "circle time manners", insist on participation, and become totally stressed out when the kids still don't respond. How are either of these scenarios productive? Obviously they are not. So it's time to revisit my thinking & determine what the root of the problem is.

To begin, I decided I need to determine what I want out of group time. Do I see group as a time to infuse the children with neccesary knowledge? To prove to everyone (parents, children, and myself) that I can control a group of six children without difficulty? To make the children sit still? If this is my focus I can keep going with the authoritarian approach, pull out the tape and make a line for them to sit their chairs on, assign seating so B & E aren't sitting together, insist that K & N leave their chairs where they are, drag L. out from under the table and force her into a chair, and shove D off my lap because that's not appropriate "group time" behavior. I did that last year. I hated it. The kids hated it. It worked, if those were my goals--but they are not.

I want group time to be a chance to build a sense of community. To involve the children in the learning process. To provide times for creative expression, sharing of ideas, a "joining of the minds" so to speak. A chance to dialouge with the kids, to play with the kids, to be silly and occasionally to be serious when the situation calls for it. I want the children to be actively engaged learners, not passive well-behaved little munchkins who can sit still and listen to me talk for 20 minutes. So why isn't this happening? Watching clips of Bev's group time gave me a few clues.

For starters, let's look at the songs I'm selecting. I've been using several CDs with songs that I know children tend to enjoy, and true to the typical pattern the kids do seem to like them. They request the songs they want, and I dig around trying to find the right CD and get it into the CD player. In the meantime, I've lost the kids. I've listend to these songs for 3 years straight. Most of them I know by heart. So it's time to implement Bev's #1 rule for music--no CDs. Let's see how that works (this may be tricky, since I've already trained the children to rely on the CD for direction, but I think we can figure it out). What are the automatic results of instituting this new rule? I am presuming I can pull a song off the top of my head & sing it without that momentary lapse where I am trying to get things "set up". Getting rid of the CDs also allows for further creativity. A CD has the same song, sung in the same way, every time--what fun is that? Take our pizza song for example. We roll out the dough, pour on the sauce, sprinkle on the cheese, slice the pepperoni, add some spices, then put it in the oven. The kids absolutely love this song and request it almost every day. But B doesn't like pepperoni on his pizza, he likes peppers instead. Sorry bud, you can pretend it in your head, but the song doesn't call for peppers. WHY ON EARTH NOT? Ditch the CD, substitute peppers for pepperoni, and B suddenly has ownership of the song. Come to think of it, why do we need to limit it to food? I wonder what would happen if we put race cars on our pizza? What if instead of putting it in the oven we put it in the FREEZER? Wow--all of a sudden a million possibilities have opened up that make the song engaging and interactive, rather than predictable and routine (BORING!!!).

But what about when I want to introduce a new song? Last week I wanted to introduce the song "Harvest Time". In this song the children pretend to harvest potatoes, corn, and pumpkins with hilarious results at the end of each song. To "get the kids ready" I had them color and cut out a picture of each item, so they had something to hold during the song (that makes it interactive, right?). Then I sat them down and told them to be quiet while I played the song. The only one singing along was me, since I'm the only one who knows the song. The others in the group were completely passive except for the parent helper, who showed them which picture to pick up. Guess what happened? B. didn't want a potato, he wanted a pear (are we starting to pick up on a pattern here and notice who my free thinker is?). D hadn't cut his pictures out "properly" and thus was completely lost as to which one to pick up. And L, not surprisingly, was hiding under the table because she'd only colored her potato and I was insiting she pick up her corn.

Let's think about this for a minute. What was the last song I learned? I'm going to have to say it was "The Climb". Guess how I learned it? I heard it on the radio once. The lyrics clicked with me. I hummed along to it. The next time I heard it I had the chourus figured out. A couple times after that I actually sought it out to listen too at which point I discovered it was a Miley Cyrus song--believe me, I would never intentionally have chosen to listen to a song by Miley Cyrus--think what I was missing out on because of my pre-concieved notions! That song "speaks" to me, because I've got plenty of mountains I want to move, and they're not going anywhere. I have ownership of that song because I can picture myself climbing those darn mountains. I can now probably sing the entire song without any help whatsoever, in fact I find myself doing so at random moments throughout the day. Did someone sit me down and say, "Heather, today I am going to teach you a new song. This song is about mountains, so I want you to draw a picture of mountains. Now, let's listen to the chourus of that song....can you sing it with me? Very good, we'll review this song tomorrow at our next group time." If they had I probably would have looked at them like they were crazy. So why am I doing this to my kids?

OK, one problem down, a million more to go. Can you see why I spend hours thinking about what to do in class the next day? It's certainly easier to be authoritarian.

Let's take L's situation, where she consistently hides under the table if she doesn't get "her way", oh goodness, what a terrible and demanding child she is!!! Of course this isn't true. I love how L. can engage with "the boys" even though she is younger than they are. I love how verbal she is, and how she comes up with her own ideas and stands up for them if someone challenges her thinking. I love how eager she is to explore, and how creative she can be! I want her to think of new ways to do thinks and figure out how to make them work. L needs an environment where she is supported emotionally so these traits can grow and develop, making her a more confident, self directed learner. The other day L. brought me a book to read during story time. The book had nothing to do with my 'plan' for the day, but since I'm child-centered I promised her we would get to it after we did x, y, and z. By the time we got to x L. was under the table. She never did come out, and we never did get to the book. The problem isn't L, if it was it would be a simple fix--stick her in the corner until she agrees to come back to group and behave appropriately. The problem is L's emotional needs aren't being met. L doesn't have ownership of x, y, and z--therefore she has no reason to participate in group. Why on earth didn't I drop EVERYTHING and declare, "Wow, that sounds like a great book. I wonder what happens in it? Let's find out!!!" I can absolutely guarentee L. would have listend to the entire book. Instead, I handed the book off to a parent volunteer a couple days later while I dug around for a missing CD, just as a 'filler' while I got ready for our "real" activities. Guess what? L. really REALLY wanted to count the ghosts at the beginning of the book. That's the part of the book that appealed to her. Guess what one of my major "academic" goals for L is? The ability to develop one-to-one correspondance and count to ten. Instead of grabbing ahold of this opportunity to reach that goal, L. ended up under the table. Nothing short of tragic. Thankfully, kids are forgiving, and tomorrow is another day. Next time L brings me a book I know what to do.

Onto B & E. E has been out sick for a couple weeks, so he's readjusting to the class group. B has missed him terribly, and is excited to have him back. The boys spend much of the group time wrestling. Guess what? A few weeks ago B completely ignored E. E was significantly introverted, and prefered to watch activities rather than participate. I spent hours trying to figure out how to get B & E to engage with each other. And now that they are it's ticking me off!!! The problem is obviously with B & E. Don't they know that they are only allowed to engage with each other when it's not group time? For heavens sake...they know I let them wrestle during our work time--why do they have to do it during group? Can't they JUST SIT STILL for 15 minutes??? Back to Bev's clip. CHILDREN ARE NOT MADE TO SIT STILL. B & E aren't hyperactive, ADHD children. They're not behavioral problems who need to be seperated so they don't distract each other. They are normal, healthy rough and tumble boys. The problem isn't B & E, the problem is my expectations for B & E. Both are perfectly capable of engaging in group time when they are interested in what is going on. So let's get them interested. First off, the chairs have to go. I know the kids are the ones choosing them, but this is one of those times I'm going to take that choice away. These boys need to be up and moving, and that's not happening. So get rid of the chairs, give them songs that are going to get them up and moving, or down and rolling around on the floor, or jumping and crawling and laughing and giggling and hugging each other, and maybe even wrestling. That's going to build a sense of community a LOT more than 6 silent, well behaved children....

My inclination is to go on, and on, and on....but I need to stop. I have so many new ideas, but if I implement them all at once I'm going to be overwhelmed. I've got here three new concepts for group time.

1) Get rid of CDs, introduce songs in a more natural way
2) Get rid of chairs--find songs and stories that are going to keep the kids up and moving
3) Give the kids ownership of group time, follow their lead

I'm going to try implementing those concepts next week. And I'm going to revisit them, and see how they work. Then I'm going to adjust them, and implement them, and revisit them again. THEN I'm going to figure out what to do with N, K, and D. And by then hopefully I'll have a couple new kids as well, who are going to completely change the dynamics of the class group so I get to revisit everything all over again!!!
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Did I mention when you use child centered teaching the process should never be boring??? Because things are constantly changing, it's a new adventure every day!!!

Curriculum guided by documentation...

Thought I would throw out a sample of the document/assess/plan approach so parents & educators alike can get a "view" of the process. Please feel free to add your comments. I especially love to hear insight from parents! For those wondering, I pull terminology and approaches from every which way & can probably not state my sources, but if you want to know where a specific "take" on things comes from I'd be glad to try to figure it out myself!

There are two ways to look at documentation.

One way is the standards based approach. The question is a common one--"What is my child learning from this experience?" followed by several questions usually all centered around the same thought, "What do I do to move this child to the next level/standard?".

The second way is what I like to call the process approach (a varient of the typical know/what to know/what we learned approach associated with the project approach). The guiding question here is, "What is my child experiencing?" Followed by a vast array of questions---What is there in the environment that has contributed to the experience? What do other individuals have to offer that may expand this experience? What are the commonalities between what I've observed here and other observations I have made? What can I do to provide further opportunities for exploration?" And perhaps most important, " What is the guiding power behind this experience for the child?" Nothing is 'wrong' per say with the standards based approach--but the process approach feels much more authentic, at least to me, and gives me a deeper appreciation for the child as a competent learner.

So, let's take a peek at one documentation sample (for educators: this sample is available on the ReggioDocumentation yahoo group). Here is a brief video clip showing three children--N, L, and B in the garden. This was during our unit study of fall/pumpkins (different than projects, as I had selected the topic based on ease of access to materials rather than the child's interests).
The children had previously had the experience of cutting, carving, and removing the seeds from the pumpkin and reading a book where the farmers in the story "Keep the best, and sell the rest". With limited assistance they had sorted out the "best" pumpkin seeds to plant. Aside from that exposure I hadn't provided any further information on pumpkins, the growth process, or gardening in general so all the children's input is based primarily on prior knowledge.

Some of the following questions are what came to mind as I viewed this clip--why don't you give me your input on them?

-What led to N & L's sustained interest in this activity, while B was distracted (by the neighbor's dog paying him a visit).?

-What prior knowledge did N & L demonstrate about pumpkins and gardening?

-Whas there anything significant about the dialouge between N & L throughout this clip?

-What was available in the environment that supported the girls exploration? (Note: I did not do anything specific to prepare the environment in this case, everything they utilized was already in the yard).

Which led to thinking about the environment & what was available, a key factor in Reggio's view of the environment as the third teacher--"What physical materials can I make available within the environment to further the children's interest?"

And moved me into considering further questions in the "What's next" category?

"Is the interest the children have in the pumpkins themselves, or is the guiding power something else about the experience?"

"How do I feel about the relationships shown between the children in this clip? Do they demonstrate a sense of community, or a sense of individuality? Do the children show interest in pursing this activity as a group? Or is one child perhaps more engaged--meaning it would be better to offer opportunites only to a specific child?"

Then questions about my own engagement in the activity...

Was this activity primarly teacher directed or child directed, or was there a balance between the two? Did the questions I ask lead to further exploration or did they detract from the children's self directed exploration? Who values this experience more--the children as the learners or myself as the educator?

The correct answer, for the record, should be the children! If the children are engaged in the process and the teacher is properly guiding them utilizing the environment as the third teacher they will develop a complete working knowledge--whereas if I value the "content" of the activity more than the "process" I'm more likely to plan and direct activities that feed my need as an educator to make the children progress, which will lead to content knowledge. Again, there's nothing inherently wrong with content knowledge, it's useful to have a store of content knowledge to draw from. Most of what I learned in my general education classes was content knowledge, information someone decided it would be helpful for your run of the mil college graduate to know. But I don't use algebra (content knowledge) nearly as much as what I learned in my teaching internship (working knowledge) on a day to day basis.

I will come back and finish these thoughts later...and would love feedback please!!!

Check in...

Today we had more fun with the tree blocks, this time building on a mirrored surface to give an extra dimension to the building experience. I found the mirror at IKEA (big surprise!), it's quite reflective but also plastic-based so safe for block play (I tested it by dropping several large blocks on it & it withstood the abuse!). Highly recommend it for other teachers looking for a mirrored building surface.

Our new art shelf also came from IKEA (again, big surprise!). The kids helped me to assemble it, and I have to say they were better at the process than I was. Poor Ms. Heather put a panel upside-down & had to unscrew it and start over again--agh! Even the younger children were able to help. I still need to finish up & get the materials set up, in all of my spare time!

B has shown consistent interest in rhyming & a solid understanding of the concept, and L. wanted to play a rhyming game today so I tried to work it into group time. We read the book Miss Mary Mack and identified several rhyming words. The older kids did well with this activity, the younger children were very excited about writing but not quite ready for the whole turn-taking concept. I'll reserve these activities for a smaller group with the older kids next time!

Weekly check in...

These are some of the activities we started out our week with!


Last week B requested "water with ice" and was quite dismayed to learn we didn't have ice--until he discovered the pitcher of water in the fridge had frozen (gosh darn it, I swear I've turned it down several times now!). He decided that an ample supply of ice was just what he needed to make popsicles, and spent much of the day Thursday chopping away at the chunk of ice with a knife trying to break it up. When that failed he quickly gave me directions on exactly what ingredients he needed for his popsicles, the most important being strawberry juice. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find 100% strawberry juice? We settled on strawberry kiwi, and he directed the "cooking" process today. The cooperation was wonderful, the ability to stick with an activity and see it through to completion is excellent, and the direction giving was quite entertaining at times! I've been planning on introducing liquid watercolors, so we froze several colored "cubes" to explore tomorrow--we'll see what they come up with next! I'm hoping to read the book Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh to introduce the concept of primary & secondary colors.











Last week all of the children showed interest in writing, with the two older girls (K & N) requesting more formal "reading" lessons. Today I offered colored index cards & "grown up" markers and they quickly sat down at the table to 'work', with L joining them (still hooked on her "mountains"...will post more on that soon!).

I'm using a multifaceted approach to teaching reading, specifically because both K & N have a general undertanding of the letter/sound correlation and are able to identify and write many letters based on their sounds. I usually begin the year using the"whole word" approach as described in Doing Words by Katie Johnson & The Sun's Not Broken, A Cloud's Just in the Way: On Child Centered Teaching by Sydney Guerwitz--both books are available in the Parent Resource Library. These books encourage teaching children word that are of value to them, rather than words from a standardized list--one of K's requested words was "opera" (don't ask me why) while N was primarily interested in writing the names of her siblins.

Typically I would wait until mid-year to introduce phonics, but since K is in kindergarten (a willing 'victim' of academic push-down) she is already working on phonics in her other class & is eager for "reading lessons" in our school as well. N, of course, is interested in anything K is doing, so both are currently working on the "at" word family. They are able to sound out most of the words in this family & write them with ease, so I'm planning on introducing formal "phonics readers" later in the week. I use Scholastic Phonics Readers more for convienence than because I actually like their format, I have a more formalized program I use for teaching reading to older children but these 'easy' books do the job for short, quick lessons!

http://shop.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_16622_-1_10001_10002

I was afraid B would not want to participate in this activity since handwriting is not his favorite thing in the world, and was debating on how much I wanted to push him in this area. Much to my surprise when I simply gave him his space he soon came over & joined us. B is working on proper letter formation with his name, we are starting with BIG letters and will move to smaller later--so BIG pieces of paper on the floor were a favorite today. A bodily/kinesthetic approach is important, particularly for ALL BOY boys--using large strokes with whole body involvement is much more effective in teaching letter formation than starting with two lines with dots in between. Who invented that type of paper anyway??? Obviously not a four year old! I kind of figure it's like expecting us to write in itty bitty letters that are difficult to read & even harder to form. Forcing a child to stay "in the lines" while writing is much like insisting they stay "in the lines" while coloring, it leads to frustration & a sense of failure rather than a curiosity and eagerness to explore further. Frankly, at this point I'm more concerned about they enjoying the process than writing a perfectly formed "B"!

We'll continue with our exploration of pumpkins this week! I'm also setting up an "exploration station" with several items for making "shakers", I'm kind of hoping the interest in music will pick up again--it died out with E. sick last week but we are hoping he will be back tomorrow!