Well, we are officially two weeks into the year, and it has been quite the adjustment for all of us. Kindergarten is tough! For many of my students, it's the first time they have gone to school five days a week, seven hours a day. Not to mention, our days have been filled with lots of new learning! For a five or six-year-old, this can all be a bit overwhelming. Don't worry though! We have also had a lot of fun making new friends and creating lasting memories.
Since many of you can't visit our classroom during the day, I thought I would take this time to share with you some of the things we have learned this year. Even though we have begun to learn skills in the areas of reading, writing, and math, I would say a larger portion of what we have learned so far has involved routines and procedures. In order for this year to be a success, students must first understand the routines and procedures of how to do things. I think you would be amazed at some of the things I've had to teach. Let me give you an example.
It was the first day of school. One little girl in my room (who shall remain nameless) needed to use the restroom. I proceeded to show her where the bathroom was located, and immediately, the little girl started to unbutton her skirt. I quickly stopped her and explained that she needed to shut the door before going to the bathroom. Without missing a beat, she responded with wide, fearful eyes, "But what if I can't open the door?" Ironically enough, later on that same day, I heard a different little girl crying in the bathroom. Yes, you guessed it...she couldn't open the bathroom door! It was at that moment, I decided I needed to do a whole class lesson on how to open all of the doors in our classroom.
Every day has brought about moments such as this, where I've had to teach spur-of-the-moment lessons on the smallest of tasks. I'm sure if you could be a fly on the wall, you would laugh at some of the conversations I've had to have with my students. :)
Over the years, I have found one of the most effective strategies when teaching routines and procedures is by using pictures. Throughout the first few weeks of school, I carry my camera around and take pictures of students showing me the correct ways to do various things. For example, when I taught students how to sit on the carpet (yes, this was actually one of my lessons), I took a picture of one of my students sitting the right way. After collecting many photos of students acting out various routines and procedures, I created PowerPoint slides to share with my students. These slides will serve as a reminder to students throughout the year on what to do and how to act at school. Here are some of the procedure pictures I have taken:
Since many of you can't visit our classroom during the day, I thought I would take this time to share with you some of the things we have learned this year. Even though we have begun to learn skills in the areas of reading, writing, and math, I would say a larger portion of what we have learned so far has involved routines and procedures. In order for this year to be a success, students must first understand the routines and procedures of how to do things. I think you would be amazed at some of the things I've had to teach. Let me give you an example.
It was the first day of school. One little girl in my room (who shall remain nameless) needed to use the restroom. I proceeded to show her where the bathroom was located, and immediately, the little girl started to unbutton her skirt. I quickly stopped her and explained that she needed to shut the door before going to the bathroom. Without missing a beat, she responded with wide, fearful eyes, "But what if I can't open the door?" Ironically enough, later on that same day, I heard a different little girl crying in the bathroom. Yes, you guessed it...she couldn't open the bathroom door! It was at that moment, I decided I needed to do a whole class lesson on how to open all of the doors in our classroom.
Every day has brought about moments such as this, where I've had to teach spur-of-the-moment lessons on the smallest of tasks. I'm sure if you could be a fly on the wall, you would laugh at some of the conversations I've had to have with my students. :)
Over the years, I have found one of the most effective strategies when teaching routines and procedures is by using pictures. Throughout the first few weeks of school, I carry my camera around and take pictures of students showing me the correct ways to do various things. For example, when I taught students how to sit on the carpet (yes, this was actually one of my lessons), I took a picture of one of my students sitting the right way. After collecting many photos of students acting out various routines and procedures, I created PowerPoint slides to share with my students. These slides will serve as a reminder to students throughout the year on what to do and how to act at school. Here are some of the procedure pictures I have taken:
Lining Up Washing Drinks
Sitting Folder Lunch Stick
Mailbox Quiet Packing Up
Stack Chair Backpack End of Day
My students have come to rely on these photos and slides to help them remember how and what to do. This next story reminded me of how powerful these pictures can be. One afternoon at the of the day, Elizabeth said, "Ms. Benson, can you turn on the movie? I can't remember everything I'm supposed to do." At first I didn't know what she was referring to since I've never shown a movie at school. But then, I realized the "movie" she was referring to was the "End of the Day" PowerPoint slide that I had forgotten to project on a screen much like you would see at a movie theater...hence her movie reference. This particular moment reinforced for me how effective these pictures can be and makes me a believer in the famous saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words."
As I sit and reflect on these last two weeks, I am amazed at what my students have been able to accomplish so far. They have not only learned what it means to be a student, they have also learned various reading, writing, and math skills. My hope in all of this is to create smart, independent students who develop necessary life-long skills. I want my students to be problem solvers, critical thinkers, and ultimately, honest and kind individuals. I truly believe that these are the skills my students are developing in my classroom at this very moment.
Considering all of the skills my students have learned so far, I can't wait to see what they are able to accomplish in the weeks to come. Here's to the rest of this year! Check back later this week for more learning updates. I will focus my next post on what students are learning in the areas of reading, writing, math, and science. Until then, have a great week!
As I sit and reflect on these last two weeks, I am amazed at what my students have been able to accomplish so far. They have not only learned what it means to be a student, they have also learned various reading, writing, and math skills. My hope in all of this is to create smart, independent students who develop necessary life-long skills. I want my students to be problem solvers, critical thinkers, and ultimately, honest and kind individuals. I truly believe that these are the skills my students are developing in my classroom at this very moment.
Considering all of the skills my students have learned so far, I can't wait to see what they are able to accomplish in the weeks to come. Here's to the rest of this year! Check back later this week for more learning updates. I will focus my next post on what students are learning in the areas of reading, writing, math, and science. Until then, have a great week!