Week three...where to start?
Well, my first classroom prep job was to color. I love coloring. I started working on it right before my kiddos got there and apparently seeing a teacher color is very distracting, because six girls were standing around my table for about five minutes before I authoritatively asked them to do what they were supposed to.
Then I had to put the weekly newsletter in their "School-Home Communications" folder--which is separate from their daily take home folder. So many folders! Well first we were missing a folder, then I found it in the kiddo's cubby, then we were missing a newsletter. Once that got figured out, Brenna told me she liked my "shiny nose thing" and Ali promptly informed her its actually called "a nose earring, duh."
My read-aloud lesson was The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie DePaola. The words are minimal and the whole second half is only pictures. I let my kids be the "author" for the second half of the story and wow, I got some interesting responses!
Me: "Okay, so what is the dragon doing to prepare for the battle?"
Stephen: "I think the dinosaur looks angry!"
Half the class agrees.
Me: "The dragon looks angry? Can anyone tell me why he might be angry?"
Samantha: "The dinosaur is probably mad cuz he lost a tooth."
Okay, WHAT?
And then there's discipline. Let's just say Mrs. J and I don't exactly see eye to eye on how to discipline 5 and 6 year olds. She has a "clip-up, clip-down" behavioral chart and she will clip these kids up or down for anything! And as the kids were lining up for recess, she actually asked me to call out the names of the kids who needed to be clipped down for talking at group work! WHAT?!
First off, one center that is almost guaranteed to get clipped down is audio books. 5 year olds have no concept of the idea that when you have giant noise cancelling headphones in, what sounds like a whisper to you is probably actually pretty loud. And there are 2 kids sharing one book. They have to talk to each other on occasion! I always try to give this group verbal and non-verbal warnings--usually two warnings before they are asked to go back to their desk. Mrs. J makes them go back without a warning!!
Same goes for computers. Two kids, two computers, giant headphones. And most of them barely know how computers work. I have to log them in to the website they' allowed to use to start with and then every time they accidentally click the red X at the top.
And don't even get me STARTED on writing workshop. Put four kindergartners at a smallish round table and make them share art supplies? That probably won't be quiet either!
Biggest problem right now? Discipline styles. She thinks I'm too nice. And maybe I am...she's the expert after all.
