Building Our Beluga Pod
9/26/2020
This has been a wonderful month as we have gotten to know one another in our Beluga pod! I love that I teach in the Beluga classroom because I think that it is such great metaphor for preschool. Belugas are highly intelligent animals, and, according to National Geographic they “are social . . .and very vocal communicators that employ a diversified language of clicks, whistles, and clangs. Belugas can also mimic a variety of other sounds” (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/b/beluga-whale/). I think any parent (or teacher!) of a preschooler would probably agree with that description! In all seriousness though, a beluga pod is a safe place where young belugas grow as they learn their place in the pod and important skills such as to how to communicate, work together, and of course, play together! We do several things intentionally each day which help us build community in our classroom, but one of the most important is our daily Morning Meeting, Morning Meetings are an integral part of the Responsive Classroom approach to learning which we use at PNA. These meetings are an engaging way to start each day, and they help us build a strong sense of community. They are also a really fun way to begin the day! Every Morning Meeting has four components: Greeting: Students and teachers greet one other by name. This can be challenging for preschoolers (and sometimes adults too!). Sharing: Students share information about important events in their lives. Listeners often offer empathetic comments or ask clarifying questions. Sharing is a very big part of our morning meetings. Preschoolers love to share what is going on their lives, and they generally all want to do it at the same time! We are constantly reinforcing the need to be a not only a good speaker, but also a respectful listener. This is a critical skill which will serve them well their whole lives. Group Activity: Everyone participates in a brief, lively activity that fosters group cohesion and helps students practice social and academic skills. Group activities are also a big part of our morning meetings. These include singing, dancing, finger plays and reciting nursery rhymes, or playing a game together. Morning Message: Students read and interact with a short message written by their teacher. The message is crafted to help students focus on the work they’ll do in school that day. Our morning messages are generally very short, and I do the reading. As we progress through the year, the students will begin to take a more active role in this area. I have loved how these meetings have helped us bond as a strong classroom community in just a short amount of time! Here are some photos of all the fun we've been having the past couple of weeks! I invite you to read more about Morning Meetings at
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/what-is-morning-meeting
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Melissa SmithMs. Smith has a degree in Early Childhood Education and has taught kindergarten for many years. Alaska has been home to Ms. Smith for 28 years, and she can't imagine living anywhere else! She has four children, a dog and two cats. She loves reading, camping, gardening, and genealogy! Archives
April 2021
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