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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New Beginnings
5/23/2020
It seems unbelievable that we have come to the end of the year! In a way, I have felt a bit sad about missing out on projects and adventures I was looking forward to having with your children, but I have always tried to remember that when one door closes, another always opens. So, while we didn’t get to all of the things we were looking forward to, we did have adventures that we could never have imagined! Who could have envisioned preschool through distance learning? As a teacher I feel blessed to be part of a school community which is completely dedicated to the success of our students. We were able to begin delivering distance education almost immediately upon the school closure, but this could never have happened without our dedicated school leadership and phenomenal parent support! Together we were able to continue our mission of educating independent thinkers and exceptional learners of courage vision, and integrity! What a joy it has been to have had these children as my students. I am so grateful for all the PNA families who have shared their sweet children with me this year. It has been exciting to watch them learn and grow, and I know they have great things ahead of them!
One of the hallmarks of the PNA experience is the focus on Project-Based Learning. This is a strong evidence-based practice which capitalizes on a child’s naturally strong disposition to explore and discover, with the ultimate goal of developing an independent child who loves to learn. According to the website projectapproach.org, “The Project Approach builds on natural curiosity, enabling children to interact, question, connect, problem-solve, communicate, reflect, and more… It essentially makes learning the stuff of real life and children active participants in and shapers of their worlds.” It also gives the teacher the ability to work with a class who may have a wide range of abilities and needs, while also offering varied outlets for learning. Project-based learning is great method teachers can use to help their students be motivated, authentically engaged, and excited to learn. Despite its many benefits, project-based learning isn’t often associated with Early Childhood curriculum. This is a shame, since learning is most meaningful to young children when it is based on their interests and on real-life experiences! The project approach in preschool does require some modification in order to be successful, but these changes are not difficult – they just require a little forethought. Project-based learning involves children’s in-depth investigation of a worthwhile topic developed through authentic questions, and it is usually divided into three parts: selecting a topic, data collection, and the culminating event.
Because of our unique circumstances due to the coronavirus, we have been we have been somewhat limited in our implementation of our usual preschool routines. We have worked hard, and lately we have noticed children, parents (and teachers!) have begun to burn out. To combat this, we felt that using the project approach for the last 2 weeks of school would be a great opportunity to re-engage our students, and I have not been disappointed with the response! It is wonderful to see the children’s enthusiasm as they talk about their Alaskan animal! They have been more engaged and have been excited to tell me the things which they have learned about their animal’s appearance, diet and habitat. This coming week they will share a display about their animal’s habitat and then make a short video to share with the class as their culminating event. I am so excited to see the evidence of all their learning!
Sunshine, Schedules, and Self-Care
4/25/2020
As I write this blog, I am looking out the window at a beautiful sunny morning. Truthfully, I wish I was out in it right now, enjoying the warmth of the spring sunshine and cleaning up my backyard and garden area instead of writing this blog. If I had written this yesterday, as perhaps I should have, I’d be out there now right now. However, since yesterday was a “no-school day”, I made the conscious decision to take a complete day off from anything school-related. (Well, I did finally vacuum the room where I plan lessons and record my videos, but I don’t think that counts 😊). This week we received a letter from our Mrs. Hoefer, our head of school, which emphasized the importance of self-care to help manage stress and worry. While I know this is an important practice, I’m not always good about doing it. In fact, I’ve been pretty bad about it lately, which could possibly account for my high levels of stress and worry! So, I decided to take her advice, and I took yesterday completely off from anything work-related. I spent my time cooking some freezer meals (which I enjoy doing), cleaning up outside, raking my front yard, and playing with my dog in the sunshine. While these tasks may seem mundane, I can’t tell you how much better I feel today! So, you’re probably wondering how this relates to preschool? I’ve talked more than once about the importance of the social-emotional learning which takes place in preschool and in the home. As adults, we forget sometimes that young children experience the same feelings of stress, worry, frustration during challenging times that adults do, however children often lack skills in expressing their feelings appropriately. They don’t have the life-experience to put these feelings in perspective, nor do they have much knowledge of the self-care practices which can help them during these times. Consequently, during this difficult time your child may be having meltdowns, tantrums, or they may be misbehaving in other ways. These behaviors should not be too surprising, but they certainly can be difficult to deal with! Schedules and routines are very important for young children because they provide a sense of stability and security. As teachers, we have tried to be consistent and intentional as we have planned and implemented our distance learning lessons. And we know that families are trying hard to be consistent and intentional in sticking to the provided schedules and teaching with the materials which we have provided. You have been doing an awesome job, notwithstanding everything else you have to do! But, the other thing we need to consider is the social and emotional learning which can take place during this time. As we continue to “hunker down” I invite you to consider the following questions (which were put forth to me) for both you and your child:
These are just for starters, but perhaps you could consider talking with your child, in terms which are age-appropriate, about the importance of self-care. During this unprecedented time, you have the opportunity to help your child develop skills in this area; and this development can set the stage for further growth and success in dealing with challenges they face in the future. So, be watchful for the signs that your child may be struggling, and perhaps that would be an opportunity for you to set the scheduled activities aside for a day, and focus on a little self-care, both for your preschooler, and yourself as well! Challenges and Opportunities
4/11/2020
Although we all very much hoped our distance learning adventure would be over sooner than later, it appears that our adventure will continue for some time. It goes without saying that everyone (teachers, students and parents!) all wish we could return to school and work, but the mandates to “stay home and save lives” require that we persevere in distance learning. Like most of the children, I really miss being able to spend my days at school, singing, laughing, and learning together. Distance learning poses many challenges for young children, and though we Zoom now, it just isn't the same. Frankly, there have been times I’ve complained a bit about the many difficulties this pandemic has caused and will undoubtedly continue to cause for some time to come. Lately though, I’ve been thinking about a quote attributed to John Adams (and also many others), which has encouraged me to keep going and remain positive: Every problem is an opportunity in disguise. So, I have thought about my opportunities, and these are just a few that I came up with:
This is not meant to sugar-coat some very serious problems we face; I just wanted to share a thought which is helping me get through this difficult time. Although this crisis has brought with it many challenges and difficulties, it has also brought growth and learning – and not just for the children! Perhaps you've been experiencing this too. I will say that trying to jump the technology hurdles associated with distance learning has been daunting for me at times, and there have been a few times where I’ve totally crashed and burned! I have been grateful for the grace extended to me from our fabulous PNA families during these times. It has made me appreciate in new ways the real community we are blessed to have here. Many parents have expressed their gratitude to me for what we have done to provide learning activities, but I have to say that each week that passes makes me more and more appreciative of you and what you are doing to support your child's learning, while you are also trying to do many other things at home. I just want to tell you that you are doing a great job and I am very grateful to partner with you in supporting these amazing students.
Preschool Learning At Home
3/28/2020
Just three weeks ago teachers at PNA were eagerly anticipating the return of students from Spring Break, however the pandemic caused by the coronavirus has rapidly turned our world upside down. For teachers at PNA, it has required us to think outside of the box as we strive to continue our mission of educating children to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers. While we all hoped the health crisis would resolve itself quickly, it has not. So, our challenge as teachers is this: how can we adjust what we do as teachers in the classroom to help students be successful with distance learning? This has required a few things from us as teachers. First, we had to quickly learn new technological skills, and begin using them ASAP! It has made us step out of our comfort zones and try new ways of teaching. It has made us truly appreciate our dedicated parents who are striving to keep their students’ learning happening at home. And, as I’ve spoken with other teachers, every one of them has mentioned the same thing: It really makes us miss our kiddos!! Every day we make videos for our students and post them on Flipgrid. We have morning meetings, where we sing, go over the calendar, daily schedule and question of the day. I explain any worksheets we will be doing, and then we practice phonemic awareness skills. I often give suggestions about what kind of activities they may choose to do that day. Finally, I remind them that their family will likely not do things just the way Mrs. Smith does them, and that’s okay! 😊 I also post videos of songs, our science experiments (will our seeds EVER grow?!) and our Closing Meetings where we wrap up the day, talk about what we did, reveal the question of the day for the following day, and sing a song or two. The children, in return, also post short videos about their days, all of which I watch and respond to, and students can also watch each other’s videos. And next week, in order to help us all feel more connected to each other, we will begin holding Zoom meetings! I’m looking forward to that!
So, while this is a very challenging time for all of us, I am so grateful to be part of a school community which is completely dedicated to the success of our students. I’m sure our approach and practices will evolve as we continue distance learning, but our commitment remains the same: support our students and their families in the learning process. Practice, and Practice Some More
2/29/2020
For this last month our students have been focusing on friendship and social/emotional problem-solving skills. There are many reasons we encourage dramatic play in early childhood learning. While well-planned dramatic play can support a child in learning literacy and math skills, it functions mainly to support a child’s imagination in role-playing. This kind of play provides fertile ground for practicing social and conflict-resolution skills. One thing we’ve added to our dramatic play area in the last month is a pretend Post Office area. This has been very popular center, and the children have practiced negotiating for the roles of clerks, customers and mail carriers. It doesn’t have to be a complex center to provide lots of practice in these important skills! What young children need is continued support as they practice applying these principles and skills. As adults, it can be frustrating when we know that children know the right things to do, and yet they often choose to lie, hit, be mean, etc. It is important to remember that learning these social/emotional skills is much like learning to ride a bicycle. Children have seen it modeled many times, and they may want to do it very badly. They have been told what to do, shown how to do it, helped onto the bike, received hands on help, and given lots of verbal encouragement. Then wow! Finally, they can do it! And they (and we) are so excited! And then they fall off. Or crash. Probably multiple times!
We don't chastise a child for falling off or crashing. No, we tell them we know they can do it -- it just takes practice. We tell them how we understand that it is hard for them to learn to do it, because it was hard for us to learn also. As parents and caregivers, we help them up, tend their wounds (and their self-confidence), and help them back on so they can try again. We know that crashing and falling is just part of learning how to ride a bike. It is also part of learning how to behave properly in the face of strong emotions, as well as so many other things in life! And, so it is with social/emotional learning: it requires a whole lot of practice within a safe environment, with lots of loving support before a child begins to become proficient in resolving their own social and emotional difficulties. Home, of course, is the primary place this learning happens. However, a good preschool program can provide another positive emotional environment for young children to learn these (and other) skills; and PNA is not just a good place to go to preschool, it’s a great place! There's No App Like Your Lap
2/22/2020
The Value of Outdoor Play
2/15/2020
In Early Kindergarten we have outdoor recess for 45 minutes every day, except when the temperature is dangerously cold. For children who participate in the Extended Day Program, there is at least an additional hour of outdoor play following the regular dismissal time. Most children can’t wait to get outside! There are many reasons that outdoor play is vital in early childhood programs. Outdoor play improves physical development and promotes physical health. When children play outdoors, they increase their ability to run, jump, skip, throw, climb, and balance, and they also improve their muscular coordination and cardiovascular endurance. Outdoor play in early childhood helps children learn to seek out exercise, fresh air, and activity as stress relievers, and it also increases the likelihood that a child remains active as they grow and mature. It creates opportunities for social interaction. Outdoor play provides children with the opportunity to gain many social skills as they interact, negotiate the rules of their games and share the available toys. Playing physical games together, helping one another build things, and engaging in dramatic play (pretending) all help children learn grow in their capacities to negotiate, take another’s perspective and collaborate. Outdoor play helps children gain knowledge and appreciation for the natural world. To learn about the physical world, children must have opportunities to experiment with the physical world. Young children learn primarily through their senses, and they must have lots and lots of experiences in the natural world to learn about weather, the seasons, and the animal life in their locale. Learning about their natural environment helps children understand what nature provides for us, as well as our responsibility to care for nature. It invites children to learn science. By interacting with the outdoors young children are constantly learning concepts of physical science such as gravity, motion, force, and conservation. Outdoor play gives children opportunities to explore cause and effect and initiate informal investigations of the natural world. It allows children to be actively engaged with the physical world. “When it comes to thinking about physical matters -- learning about objects, kinetics, spatial relationships, and natural forces -- active exploration is especially helpful. It beats merely hearing a message, or observing somebody else act" - (Gwen Dewar, PhD). It allows children to be children. For a variety of obvious reasons, activities such as jumping, running, climbing, swinging, racing, yelling, rolling, hiding, and making a big mess cannot happen in the classroom. Yet all of these activities are necessary in childhood! Children need to have time where they feel free from being under adult control. They need time and space to explore, have adventures, experiment with the natural world, take risks and just be children. Time spent outside actually increases a child's ability to learn inside! For more information on outdoor play, you may be interested in the following articles:
https://naturalstart.org/feature-stories/learning-doing-how-outdoor-play-prepares-kids-achievement-stem https://www.ucy.ac.cy/nursery/documents/importance_of_play.pdf http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=275 This week in our classroom we have been focusing on our feelings and our relationships with others. We are learning about the different emotions we all experience as well as some ideas about how to manage them. We have also begun talking about how to be a good friend. One day a few weeks ago, after a particularly long day, my TA looked at me and said, "We do SEL all day long, don't we?" I agreed with her and was happy that she understood that social-emotional learning is woven throughout all of our preschool activities. A quality early childhood program does much more than prepare a child academically for kindergarten, although this is very important! A great programs should also support a child’s growth in all developmental domains. Most early childhood educators would agree that social and emotional growth in the preschool years is just as important as academic achievement. One reason for this sentiment is that social-emotional growth has an impact on every aspect of a young child’s life. Self-esteem, personal relationships, and academic growth are all affected by a child’s ability to feel good about themselves and their ability to successfully interact with others. Families play an integral role in the development of a child's social-emotional development, where situations and conversations arise naturally, and parents model positive relationships and problem-solving. The classroom environment, too, can also provide many opportunities to learn social skills as children grow in emotional literacy. Managing a child's challenging behavior can be difficult at times. It is important to remember that because a child's emotional, cognitive, and verbal skills are still developing, it can take a long time for them to develop impulse control as well as the ability to share and take turns. Being able to appropriately express negative emotions can also take time and lots of practice. It is essential during this stage of your child's life to accept their feelings as real and valid, even if behavior is not acceptable in a particular situation. By accepting and acknowledging how a child is feeling, you begin to build trust and help children recognize that you are trying to help them. Reflective listening is a good way to validate a child’s feelings and show empathy. By talking with a child you can help comfort them, identify their feelings, and give them perspective. Talking also enables you to teach words that will help a child build an emotional vocabulary. This will help children be better able to express themselves in future situations. Next week, as we celebrate Valentine's Day, we will be continuing our study of friends, and we also will be talking about what it means to be a good friend.
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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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