Our first monthly Think Tank Thursday and a PD day have forced me to take the time to slow down for a minute and to reflect on the month gone by. Having experienced every emotion known to man this month, it is no wonder that I was so tired! This new Kinder adventure has been just that. I can honestly say that I have learned more this month than my students have ... and they have uncovered a ton!
We have formed new relationships, have taken chances, have shed a few tears (okay, they came from a few of the littles, not from us), and have shared a million amazing firsts. I have always believed that children are competent and capable and have known that they need to be given the opportunity to do for themselves but they have certainly surpassed my expectations and seem to have surprised themselves on occasion!
We have experimented with different types of blocks for building, pausing to discuss which were sturdier, which ones "needed more at the bottom so that N. couldn't knock them over"), which ones need to be used on the carpet (tres noisy), which ones shouldn't be used on the carpet ("too tippy"), and which ones we have more of (because the best tower is always the tallest tower, don't you know).
We have investigated and compared pumpkins by shape, size, and colour. ("Did you know that they can make ghost pumpkins? They're white ... and they're real!!!")
Our sunflower inquiry was short lived yet very educational. We found that sunflowers can be taller than Ms. Scott, that they "get bendy" when they are "too tall", that the seeds are white (and don't grow well) when they are immature, that they look like the sun, that they are prickly but soft, and that they get REALLY stinky when they start to rot.
We learned a lot about math! ("It's everywhere!", "Is that math too?!?"), and that there might be a million words in the English language that begin with the 's' sound.
We also discovered that whacking pots and pans as they hang from the school yard fence can make beautiful music. We helped our neighbours discover it too!
It has been a great, crazy, educational, noisy, and fun start! Here's to another 9 months!
Sue Scott, teacher and learner
#wondergarten
#comcon
I'm always amazed, when I do take the time to look back and reflect, just how much my classes have accomplished! Thank you for this wonderful post - sounds like a great first month, and you've inspired me to ignore my current frustrations and focus on all the good that's happened since the beginning of Sept. Thanks for sharing!
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