On Tuesday, May 24, 2016 I observed Mrs. Megan Mayer and her kindergarten class at Roosevelt Elementary School. When I got to her class, they were preparing themselves to go to the school garden and learn about fruits, and planting. For this activity they partnered up with another kindergarten class right next door. With the two classes we all walked outside to the back of the playground where Roosevelt has a miniature garden. Between both of the classes there were three groups, A, B, and C as well as three sections of the garden activity. One group would sit down with the other kindergarten teacher Mrs. Peterson and they would draw what they had learned in class previously, another group would go with a different teacher who worked at the …show more content…
She told me about her classroom rules which are mutual respect, attentive listening and appreciations no put downs. She spent the first three weeks of school going over these three rules and afterwards she had each student write their name on colored paper which is their contract, their signature on that paper means they will follow those rules throughout the year. She has another rule in her classroom called “Kelso’s Choices”. Kelso’s Choices are nine different choices they can make on how to solve their problems in class. When the students come to an issue they have to choose two of the choices on the poster before going to the teacher. Some of the choices on there include, walking away, talking it out, apologizing, telling them to stop, etc. I really liked the idea of Kelso’s Choices because it teaches them problem solving as well as social skills. Instead of being unfair or going to the teacher they have the opportunity to solve the issues and be fair towards each other. After recess it was the children’s “Planned review time” which is where they all spread throughout the classroom and explore in the classroom and play with toys they like and play with their friends. This is where the kids learn and practice their social skills, practice being kind to one another,
Most teachers want good attitudes, but they won’t get any without recess. People are fighting back against this. Moms are mad that their kids get off the bus sad, “ unfair that my 9-year-old was being denied something as basic as a respite from her classroom “. This article wants to tell that their kids are not getting enough recess,
Journal one of the Westminster College class EDU 562 Field Experience was related to observation and participation with a first grade classroom, on Monday, January 4, 2016. Upon arrival the class teacher provided instructions to assist in the set up of the classroom January calendar, make a graph of the lunch choices, and to pass out morning work for the students to complete as they arrived in the classroom. At 8:30 a.m. the teacher welcomed most of the students with excitement as they entered the room. She informed the students in detail and repeated the routine and morning arrival instructions. Once everyone arrived, the teacher rang a bell which symbolized it
Recess is a period of time during the school day in which students take a break from learning and socialize with each other. The students get to do whatever they want, and they have fun with each other. A typical recess involves unstructured play which means that the students engage in their own activities without adults. Recess can also be structured which means that teachers set up mandatory activities for the students to play instead of letting them be free. There has recently been debate about whether or not recess should become structured or unstructured. Schools should agree with structured recess because the students can be able to interact within the same activity. It can also promote teamwork and teach the students how to help each other out.
As the second cycle began, the children had completed their clean up routines and were now gathering in a group to participate in their morning circle activities. Mrs. Eady lead the children through the days of the week, the calendar, word wall, reviewing of the classroom rules, music and movement, and a reading of the book, “The Plumply Dumply Pumpkin.” While most of the activities were teacher chosen, the children had an active role in the lessons. Each child had the opportunity to lead part of the lesson, both in reviewing the word wall and the classroom rules. Throughout the activities, children could stand up and move and openly share their thoughts. When children did share their thoughts, the teacher encouraged them to express themselves
Ms. Penn’s Kindergarten class consisted of 9 boys and 7 girls. This was the last hour of the instructional day, and as I walked in I noticed that the students were already working in centers in groups of 3-4. This class was a little noisy and unorganized as compared to other kindergarten classrooms I have observed so far at Krahn elementary. The students seemed to be enjoying their time in centers and were eager to pack-up after cleaning up in the end since it was close to dismissal.
There goal was to get their students to get off their phones and let them relax for 15 minutes. These students also have the opportunity to try something that they've never tried before and get creative. What they concluded after trying recess was that it built a community with the students and teachers. Because of the students interacting with the teachers they were able to get to know each other better which will help them interact better in the classroom. This school has learned that giving the students 15 minute recess
Ms. Abrams is the girl's new teacher. Shortly into the school year, Ms. Abrams announces that the entire class will be participating in a class project for the next few months. They will be responsible for planting and maintaining a garden full of vegetables and flowers. The children must work together in different areas of the garden in small groups that are mixed up every week. The girl learns how to care for a garden with her classmates as they also learn more about each other every week. By the end of the project, the class has been transformed from
Children in elementary schools all over the United States long for the moment that they are released to go to recess. It is a time for them to let loose, relax, and simply refresh their minds to get ready for the rest of the day. However, school boards as well as teachers around the country have begun to cut back on recess time or, in some cases, eliminate it completely in order to “maximize educational intake”. The obvious benefit of the use of recess is physical enrichment, however there are many other crucial outcomes involved with recess. Recess is a pivotal piece in the development of a child’s focus, ability to retain informations, and social skills, which are several reasons as to why recess should be implemented in elementary schools
We started by having the kids tell us about the rules they have in school, what are the rules for, are there any consequences for someone who
According to the lesson module, young children have less working memory capacity compared to older children and adults, and one factor that may account for this developmental difference is processing speed. The older one is, the faster one thinks. This notion affects the way one teaches. As educators, it is important to take into account the strengths and limitations in student’s cognitive processing capabilities at different age levels (Ormrod, 2012). Assuming that the average age in Mrs. Storey’s Kindergarten class is about five years old, we can conclude that her students can only hold about one to two bits of information. As they turn six, they might be able to hold about three to four bits of information.
On September 28, I observed 2 to 4 year olds at the Child Development Lab that is overseen by Tennessee Technological University. I arrived at the classroom at 4:00 p.m. Most of the kids were energetic, but a few of the kids were quiet. The number of kids were 5 boys and 2 girls in the classroom. Until, the teacher decides to take the kids outside for free play. The children were combined from the other classes to join for recess. The teacher had set rules for the children. As the children waited for the teacher, they sat on the yellow line of the concrete step in front of the gate. After, the teacher checks who all is present at the playground, then the kids are permitted to play.
This gives us a sense of their background knowledge of the classroom rules and if they understood what “rule” meant. The students first discuss the rules with their partner and then share their thoughts with the class as a whole. Collaboration is heavily incorporated into our lesson because we believe talking and interacting with peers is essential to extending their knowledge and building upon what they already know. Interacting with their partners also gives them a different viewpoint and opinion to consider and influences their opinions as well. In addition, we wanted students to think about current rules in the classroom so when it is their turn to create a logical rule, they had a good foundation and understanding of what types of rules were acceptable. We will also provide an example of what type of rule would not be an acceptable answer such as “No homework” or “An extra hour of recess everyday”. This provides guidance for the students so they knew what they could create and what was not an appropriate rule. This also ensures us that the students were working and collaborating on rules that were meaningful and acceptable so students’ confidence in their ideas would not be dismissed or denied if they came up with a rule that was not
There are three teachers in the classroom, one does reading/lesson circle with a small group of students, another does arts and crafts, and one of them circulates throughout the room helping students with their work-plans. The teacher that circulates around the room all the time appears to be the head teacher and when a conflict arises she is the one to mediate it. The way that the teachers speak with the children is as if they are equals, they aren’t talked down to and the students give the teachers complete respect.
Many individuals recall recess as a critical piece of the school day. It was an opportunity to associate with companions, play recreations, and simply have some good times. But today, many children don’t know what recess is. Most schools have gotten away from recess and are more focused on rigorous learning. It is a challenging time in the field of education because many administrators are more focused on producing exceptional scores for testing and have forgotten about other needs of children such as the importance of play. Play affects children in so many different ways and recess was once a driving force in schools and promoted good behavior, socialization, and freedom from structure and academics.
Considering the being ginning of the lesson, the directions are very clear and can be easily followed by a kindergartner. Every student knows that they are too try their best and try to finish as much of the assignment as they can. All of the learning objectives are addressed. If the rules are violated the students paper is taken away and they are to put their heads down, and wait for the teacher to come by and talk to them and get a better understanding of why they were not allowed to participate. The situation is very obvious is it almost a routine, every time a student is in trouble she always explains to them what they did wrong and if they have a full understanding.