I wasn't sure what to write about for this week's blog post. To help me decide, I looked at the photos on my phone. The images helped me consolidate what was important about this past week.
This school year, I am the main prep provider for all the kindergarten classes in my school. Nearly half of my schedule involves spending time with the 4- and 5-year-olds. We are moving into a new term at school, now that report cards are completed, and I'm alert to what direction my lessons might take with these youngest learners. The inquiry theme from last semester was all about imagination. Based on my observations so far, I might focus on "being". Here's why.
Music - Be Loud. Try out Tap Shoes
I really like bringing in surprise objects for the students to explore. We've done a lot with musical instruments, from trumpets and French horns to tubas and flutes. I found my old tap shoes from when I used to teach dance and brought them for students to experiment with. I liked how they moved in different ways of their own accord to make sound. I also liked how some realized why we chose to explore on the hard tile floor instead of the carpeted areas of the classroom.
Dance & Drama - Be Expressive. Pretend with a Magic Box
A few weeks ago, we were swimming in piles of boxes. Matthew Malisani brought a huge box from home and the students in his class created a magic "house", which they were absolutely thrilled to show me. I wanted to continue the excitement, so I asked if we could play with it again but this time, I wanted to take photos and videos of the students in action. We talked about pretending to be surprised or shocked when the students "disappeared" after entering the box. It didn't go as smoothly as I might have hoped, but I captured a few great moments.
Dance & Drama and Outdoor Time - Be Brave. Climb in a Green Blob or on the Bars
Another "surprise in a bag" I shared with the kindergarten students was what I affectionately named "The Green Blob". Students take off their shoes and climb inside the stretchy fabric. Some of the students were actually afraid of seeing the blob. Some were hesitant to try it out. With some reassurance (and "the right to pass"), we took turns exploring. Some students really got into yelling instructions to the green blob, like shrinking, growing, and moving in different ways.
On Friday afternoon, both kindergarten classes went out to the "big park" to play. I accompanied them. Many students wanted to try the monkey bars and climbing dome, but they were afraid of falling.
"Help me, Ms. Mali!", they called.
I tried to support them enough so they'd feel safe but not so much that they didn't try semi-independently. After a few attempts, several learners began to reach farther and climb longer without me holding them. They felt really proud of themselves when they reached their spot.
I think being loud, expressive, and brave is a good mantra for us educators as well. It's simpler, sometimes, to just keep quiet if something is bothering you and not "rock the boat". Why make a fuss? Is it really a big deal? Even though confronting issues can be thorny and awkward, I think it erodes our insides if we don't address them. Nothing may change, (because can leopards change their spots?) but at least we know that we have tried our best to communicate our feelings. If we don't try to point out injustice, exclusionary/unfair practices, and just boorish behaviour, who else will? I hope people will recognize themselves in this final paragraph (coded as it may be) and take comfort.
And, if you don't get a chance to read anything else this week, read Matthew Morris' blog post, https://www.matthewrmorris.com/target-on-my-black/ . Thank you Doug Peterson for drawing my attention to this post. And thank you Matthew, for being there for your former students, for writing about this experience, and being expressive and brave.
No comments:
Post a Comment