A Whole New World (and I'm not quoting Disney movies...)

Monday

Lawn Manor exterior

Today I started my second placement! It's at a small public elementary school (K-2) in Oak Lawn called Lawn Manor.

Let me tell you, it was quite the adjustment. Going from a small private Christian school for kids with special needs and teaching in a classroom of seven children who are non-verbal and practicing mostly communication and social skills to a public school of 20 energetic kindergarten kiddos isn't necessarily easy.

All day I just kept thinking: 'Wow, is it loud in here.' I think that's going to take some getting used to.

Overall, though, the kids are great, and I have a feeling it won't take long until I get to know each of their personalities. Although, it was hard enough getting each of their names down today. They're a lot of fun, though!

My coop seems incredibly nice along with the rest of the teachers in the building. Again, their names escaped me, though; I'll have to work on that. It's always a little overwhelming on the first day because so much information is thrown at you.

I think I got the basic schedule down, though:

-- Math
-- Guided reading/Centers
-- (Art) Project
-- Free time
-- Lunch/recess
-- Calendar
-- Special (music, gym, or library)
-- Writing
-- Home

It was a pretty fun day and it actually went by rather quickly. I'm really looking forward to what God has in store for me in the next ten weeks at this school.

Tuesday
Today was pretty similar to yesterday, actually. That's one thing that I'm noticing as I compare both of my placements. Elim was crazy much of the time due to behaviors, goals, kids out, paras out, schedules, etc. While this kindergarten placement has some subtle differences from day to day, the general schedule remains the same because the kids really benefit from a routine.

The only main difference today was that we had computers at 11:00. This was a time during which students each sat in front of a computer and played a program called Lexia. It's a phonics program that teaches about rhyming, syllables, and sounds of letters. The computer teacher kept encouraging her students to pass the first level in order to move onto the next one. She was actually a bit harsh about the whole thing. I couldn't believe how she just called out certain students who she thought were having a tough time.

Around 11:15, one of my students (who had been absent yesterday and Friday) started saying he was cold. At first the computer lab teacher and I just kind of shook it off but once he said it again, we grew a little worried. We decided to send him to the nurse's office only to realize that he had a temperature. Thinking back, I realized that it was odd for him to say he was cold in that room unless he was really sick. Not many students would know to say they were cold; they might just say they didn't feel well if they felt like getting out of class. Anyway, it was a learning experience.

It was also hot lunch day today. I guess once every two weeks, on a Tuesday, some of the room moms 'make' hot dogs for the kids as a form of hot lunch. Otherwise, the kids eat bagged lunches everyday. They also eat in the classroom at their desks for lunch every single day. Just a subtle difference that I noticed about this particular school.

Finally, I had a meeting with the other staff today. The entire staff fit into a little computer lab comfortably -- again, what a difference from the number of staff at Elim. Crazy! We ended up watching a fifteen minute clip about renewing teacher licenses. It was interesting, but also a little boring. I felt like I was back in class at a lecture.

Wednesday
Today I got even more involved in the classroom; when my teacher stepped out to use the bathroom or talk to a co-worker, I felt comfortable to watch the kids and keep order in the classroom. It was great!

I also did a lot of:
-- helping with math worksheets (the kids are learning how to count to one hundred and skip count by twos)
-- shoe-tying
-- sitting on the floor
-- answering questions
-- reminding students to keep quiet
-- gluing Q-tips onto bunny faces -- it was an art project the kids did today

All the typical kindergarten stuff. It's been a little weird adjusting to the kindergarten setting, especially hopping from a middle grades special education setting. I'm still struggling a bit with the whole 'loud' thing.

My classroom!

I also had the opportunity to be the caboose for the Panda bus line. This basically means that I got to walk out with the kids and follow the line all the way onto the bus. Today, though, I guess a student brought in a note from her dad that said she had been crying as she stepped off because a boy had pulled her hair. It became a huge ordeal as the two students' stories did not line up. It was tough to try to gather how the event actually took place. I'm realizing that this aspect of this grade level might be difficult. Kids are constantly approaching my coop tattling and informing her of events that took place. How do you know what really happened and who should get in trouble for it? I guess I'll be dealing with a lot of that!

Thursday
Today was pretty usual again. Although, because my teacher will be out tomorrow, I was doing a lot of prep work for crafts for Saint Patrick's Day. So, basically I spent the entirety of the day in the tech room making copies, putting together treat bags, cutting paper, and beginning a macaroni noodle necklace project.

While it was nice to take some time 'off' and do some hands-on but mind-off work, it got a little old after a while. Although, I must say, everything turned out fantastic!

It was also nice to be able to help my coop who's been a bit overwhelmed with everything going on lately. I guess it's a lot of work to be out for a day. I knew this a little bit from overhearing conversations from other teachers, but I guess I never really took them all that seriously.

So, it should definitely be interesting tomorrow to be in the class with just the sub. As much as I know the kids now, I still haven't really started teaching yet so I might not have much credibility in terms of classroom management with them yet. We'll see I guess. Apparently, the sub is pretty laid back; nice, but quiet. And the kids were crazy enough today because of the holiday festivities. I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring.

One of the books we're reading
in my lower level reading groups

I also had the chance to lead a guided reading group again today. I have the two lowest groups in terms of ability, but the kids are great! They're a lot of fun and full of energy. They're easy(ish) to motivate and they love to talk and play. What I've been finding difficult is keeping them all on the same page, on the same line so we can read the stories together. In kindergarten, everything is about competition: who can get in line first, who finishes writing their name first, who sits on the rug first, etc. All. Day. Long. Let me tell you, it gets old after a while. Although, I honestly remember doing the same thing when I was in those young grades.

We also had another encounter with school bus problems today. Apparently another parent called in today to complain about one student hitting his/her child on the bus. My coop and the other kindergarten teacher tried to figure out the problem by asking the kids what happened on the bus but of course they both came up with different stories. In the end, we talked with the bus driver and asked him to start reporting kids who misbehave, but essentially he just said that he doesn't see the kids moving around in the first place. He suggested that maybe they're crawling under the seats (you never know, I guess). Anyway, I guess that's the third report of misbehavior they've had this week. Wow. Who would've thought kindergarten kids could be so crazy on the bus.

Friday

A leprechaun trap

Today we had a substitute because my teacher was out for a wedding. We also celebrated St. Patrick's Day because the actual holiday is Sunday and kindergarteners like to get excited about stuff. So, all day we made little crafts and projects revolving around the holiday. The kids seemed to enjoy them and it was fun watching them get into the holiday. I had also prepared most of these little crafts so I liked seeing the kids' reactions to the finished projects. While they worked, I mostly sat at each table talking with the kids, helping them, and getting to know them. They're great.

Today was our last chance to participate in the gym competition. The teacher set up this little classroom management game where the kids earn stickers for their good behavior. After a set amount of days, the stickers are counted and whoever has the most wins. My teacher promised the class a party of their choosing if they beat the second grade class they were tied with for first place. Today was the day. We had one final chance to beat the other class and all we had to do was make good choices. I returned to the gym after the class was over to find somber faces. They were quick to inform me that we had not won because one of the students continued to throw the balls after the teacher said to stop. Of course, they all began to point fingers and blame the child for her misbehavior. It was sad to watch the kids' disappointment.

The set traps

However, when we got back from gym, the leprechaun had visited the classroom and left treats for the kids. The room was a mess (I guess that's what happens when the leprechaun comes) and the kids' traps were upturned, but no leprechaun was found. The kids were crazy. Some were mad at the mess he left, some were excited, all were loud. I honestly couldn't believe how out of control the class got. I took some pictures of their reactions and just tried to tolerate the noise happening. It was insane. It honestly made me question how I would bring the kids back to typical behavior and level should it be responsibility (it isn't yet because I'm still just observing). I then remembered the importance of IPTS #5 which says that the competent teacher "understands principles of and strategies for effective classroom management." I began thinking of all of the ways in which my coop uses strategies to get kids' attention and maintain control of the situation.

Finally, after much prompting, we got the kids quiet again and got ready to leave.

It was quite the day.