Kindergarten Classroom Jobs
4/1/2021
Monday mornings are an exciting time in our Kindergarten classroom. At the beginning of each week, the students have the chance to take on a job. Classroom jobs help students feel at place in the classroom. They also help build a sense of excitement, responsibility and interdependence among students. The Line Leader: The line leader leads the line and sets an example for the rest of the class. In Kindergarten, we practice walking calmly and quietly in the hallway. Door Holder: The door holder stands second in line and holds the door for all students. Caboose: The caboose stands last in line and ensures that all students are in line. The caboose will give a thumbs up to the teacher when all students are ready to walk in line. Board Eraser: The board eraser cleans the board at the end of the day so it is ready for the next day. The Clean Up Crew: The clean-up crew consist of two students each week. Some of the tasks they complete include wiping the tables using soap and water, making sure the class is recycling paper, and picking up any scraps left on the floor at the end of the day. Hand Sanitizer: The Hand Sanitizer has the important job of helping students clean their hands in between activities. The sanitizer takes pride in keeping our classroom community safe from germs. Weather Reporter: Each morning, students will sing the weather song as the weather reporter peeks through the window to check what the weather will be like for the day. Electrician: The electrician is responsible for turning the lights on and off when necessary. Librarian: Each Monday, students have the chance to pick new books from our classroom library. At the end of the week, the teacher will sanitize the books and the librarian will organize the books on the shelves. Substitute: If a child is absent the substitute will do their job for the day.
Getting Started...
2/6/2021
According to the Buck Institute for Education, the leading resource for Project Based Learning, projects should be launched with entry events. "Rather than to simply announce a project, we can generate interest by creating a special event that takes our class out of their routine, and lets them know something special is about to happen.” Entry events engage and promote students to ask questions and are an integral part of Project Based Learning in our Kindergarten classroom. We begin each new project with an entry event which generate interest, engagement, and motivation for the upcoming study. The entry event is often one of my favorite parts of a project, and that is certainly the case with our Iditarod project. To launch the Iditarod project, our little mushers received a special delivery of sled dogs. They were asked to take on the task of adopting, loving, and training the dogs for the Iditarod race. As soon as students had their puppies, they began asking questions. They had questions about the puppies, the project, and the Iditarod; all of which are now guiding our study as well as helping our kindergartners remain curious. This particular project had a triple entry event as guest speakers Meredith Mapes an Iditarod musher and Robert Forto from Team Ineka Mushing came to speak to our Kindergarteners about the race. Ms. Mapes and Mr. Forto brought dogs and gave very informative presentations. The students had an opportunity to wear mushing coats and reenact an Iditarod race with a real sled and an Alaskan Husky! These entry events did their job perfectly. Students are now authentically and genuinely engaged in our Iditarod project; asking questions, wanting to know more, and caring for their sled dogs!
"I Have a Dream"
1/23/2021
At PNA, our mission is to educate students to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers of vision, courage, and integrity. When faced with the injustice of our world, Martin Luther King Jr. had a vision for a better world and fought for equality.
This week, our Kindergarteners honored MLK Jr. and discussed ways they can positively impact the world. The students worked on a project using a variety of supplies and created a vison for a better world. They built podiums with marshmallows and sticks and presented their vision with the class. It is especially important to teach children that they are part of a larger community and that everyone is responsible for those around them. It is our desire for students to live out Martin Luther King Jr. message every day. We want them to change the world: to have a vision and the courage to follow it. Responsive Classroom- Morning Meeting
12/19/2020
Morning Meetings are an integral part of the Responsive Classroom approach to learning which we use at PNA. Responsive Classroom Morning Meetings are an engaging way to start each day, build a strong sense of community, and set children up for success socially and academically. Each morning, the kindergarteners gather around in a circle to greet, share stories, and engage in an activity together. There are four components to Morning Meeting.
Greeting: Children greet each other by name. This helps create an atmosphere of trust and establishes a friendly tone for the day. Sharing: In around the circle sharing, every student has the opportunity to share ideas, tell stories and discuss the study topic while the rest of the students listen and respond with questions/comments. In Kindergarten, we practice showing respect and take turns speaking. Group Activity: After sharing, students participate in a lively whole group activity or game. Morning Message: Students read and interact with a short message written by their teacher. The morning message is designed to serve as a transition to the rest of the school day. Morning Meeting is a time where we set the tone for the day and acknowledge each and everyone in the classroom. Due COVID-19, teachers at PNA have become creative in finding games and activities for morning meeting while meeting safety regulations. Our class favorites include, action telephone, charades, the magic box, and detective! Building a Community
11/14/2020
If you were to walk into our Kindergarten classroom, you will see our little ones interacting in a variety of different ways. You may hear them discussing project ideas, figuring out how to best play a game, sharing their thoughts or even giving each other a compliment. No matter what the conversation may be, these children are building critical social and emotional skills that will be the foundation for their future.
The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning has identified some core skills as the critical social- emotional skills…
Happy Halloween!!!
10/30/2020
At PNA, our mission is to educate students to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers of vision, courage, and integrity. So much of that mission is achieved through the culture we create in our school and through project- based learning. Each day, students at PNA are encouraged to explore, create and question. One of the key components of a PBL project is student choice. One example of student choice can be the ability to choose the subject they would like to study or create. Teachers have a vision for the project and know which standards and content students will learn but students drive the project. They are encouraged to create a vision for the project and their ideas are heard and honored. Halloween is a holiday our Kindergarteners have been looking forward to for several weeks. One morning, a couple of students shared that they would not be able to go trick or treating or have a large party with all their friends this year due to COVID-19. This led us to discuss our driving question for our next project: How can we plan and celebrate Halloween this year? The Kindergarteners followed the engineering design process to plan their Halloween party. The steps include, ask, imagine, plan, create and improve. They brainstormed creative ideas which included a maze leading to our Magical Forest, a Spooky House, a treasure hunt and a Halloween candy store. Sometimes their ideas even changed the direction of the project and that is meaningful for them. When students’ ideas are consistently heard and valued it gives them the confidence to continue to share them. During Inquiry Workshop, students began creating their Spooky House using a variety of supplies. It was amazing to see their ideas come to life as they added rooms, traps, a kitchen, slides and Halloween characters. The students then embarked on a sight word treasure hunt to find and write words. They practiced simple addition adding the cost of items from the Halloween Store. In addition, they practiced writing standards as they made invitations for their families to join the all school parade. Integration of different subjects allows students to see the usefulness and importance of what they are learning. Project based learning is a framework that allows us to do just that. It allows us to honor the way we naturally learn and to teach students not only how to learn, but to think like mathematicians, readers, writers, scientist, engineers and even party planners!
The Joy of Reading
10/17/2020
Kindergarten is a year of tremendous growth in many different areas. It is the year where children become used to the routines of school, learn social skills involved in making new friends, and practice basic concepts of reading, writing, science and math. As an educator, not only do I strive to help my students meet these standards but also to cultivate a love for learning. Reading is the key for lifelong learning. When the love of reading is instilled at an early age, then a commitment to lifelong learning is sure to follow. Reading teaches us new things, expands our vocabulary, and shows us different perspectives. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” |
Saania AliMs. Ali graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. She specializes in Early Childhood Education, ESL, and Special Education. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and painting! Archives
April 2021
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