Holidays Around the World
12/23/2017
This week, we built on the research we had done during the previous few weeks about the way our families celebrate holidays by studying how different people around the world celebrate holidays. For the most part, there were many similarities and only small differences in the way our families celebrate the season. Students learned this week that there are similarities, but also big differences, when we compare our holidays and celebrations to those celebrated around the world, from different versions of Santa Clause to different traditions caused by weather or culture to different holidays altogether. We learned about Hanukkah and played dreidel, learned about the German Christmas market, and made a nesting doll ornament after learning about holiday celebrations in Russia. Students knew that it is not always cold and snowy for all holidays, but they were surprised that it is not always cold and snowy for Christmas. After learning about the weather in Australia during Christmas time, students crafted their own sandman (instead of a snowman). In India, they celebrate Diwali, which is a festival of lights. After watching a video describing Diwali festivities, we made our own paper lanterns, which I think was a favorite souvenir from our holiday globe trot. The holidays are something very real and meaningful to children, and consequently, they provide an amazing opportunity to delve into other cultures and broaden students' perspectives about the vast world of which they are part. We of course also enjoyed some other holiday fun this week. Our sweet little ones were beyond excited about their shared lego gift. I am excited to see all of their creations when we get back from break. On a Mission
12/16/2017
At PNA, our mission is to "educate students to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers of vision, courage, and integrity." Our kindergartners have vision in spades, As we planned our parent event, I was impressed by their initial vision, which involved a pretty elaborate cardboard and paper train that would have wrapped around our tables and served the hot chocolate and treats. I was even more impressed by their willingness and ability to adapt their vision due to time and material constraints (another important lesson in and of itself). "Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others." - Jonathan SwiftVision is sometimes a tricky thing to navigate. I continue to learn, with the help of your little ones, that it is best tempered with flexibility and perhaps a grain of salt. At the end of the day, the parent event did not turn out how I had envisioned it would in a lot of ways. 2:00 arrived and messes were left untidied, the train and winter wonderland effect was not as magical as I had hoped, and needed supplies remained scattered about the room in caddies instead of organized on tables into the cute containers I had brought for the occasion. This is where the grain of salt comes in - and the unintentional lesson from your little ones. As the event unfolded, no one seemed to notice the little imperfections I mentioned above, or if they did, they did not care. Laughter filled the air, families poured over photos and hand-drawn ornaments together, and students enjoyed indulging in too many treats and treating the temporary room arrangement as an obstacle course. The fact that the supplies were not on the tables or that the room was not as tidy as usual did not, in fact, ruin the event. It actually provided students with the opportunity to practice the problem solving and independence we have been developing all year. I was busy chatting with a parent and did not get out the necessary supplies, but the kindergartners quickly grabbed glue, markers, tape, and the stapler and set to work on their projects without wasting any time. The event, although not as "perfect" as we had planned, was a pretty perfect picture of our classroom: messy at times, but wonderful and full of fun, laughter, growth, and enjoying time together. In the end, our vision of celebrating our families and sharing how they have changed was realized, even if it did not look exactly like we thought it would. Overall, it was a huge success and we enjoyed sharing our classroom with you, learned a lot about our families from primary sources, and had so much fun during the process of planning it. Vision was not the only piece of PNA's mission that stood out to me as I reflected on our week. I was impressed with our sweet little ones' courage this week as well, perhaps even more than their vision and flexibility. "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." - Nelson MandelaWhen I told our kindergartners that we would be presenting our zoo project to the entire school, they did not want to do it. "Too scary," they said. I confessed that I was really scared to stand up in front of the entire school, too, but that I was excited to share their project because they had worked so hard and had done such a wonderful job on it. Ultimately, we decided we could all be brave together. I am so proud of each and every one of them. Even those that did not want to speak stood up in front of the school with us. And those that did speak? They blew me away. They looked at the audience and explained our project well and with loud, clear voices. This project was truly a wonderful experience, and although it was a bit stressful to be the featured project at the PBL unveiling, it was also an honor. Seeing our little ones find the courage to present their project to the entire school, cut the ribbon, their excitement when they saw the display and the way they answered questions about their project made it worth it. If you missed the unveiling, please have your little one walk you through the display. It will be up until break, and I promise you will not be disappointed. They worked extremely hard on this project and did an absolutely amazing job on it.
Striking a Balance
12/9/2017
As I thought about this blog and reflected on our week, I was not sure what I wanted to write about. Then, as I gushed to my husband about part of our week, I knew I wanted to share it with you, too. It was Friday afternoon, and we were discussing the parent event that we are planning. One student shared her vision for the event, articulating it clearly and in detail. After listening, another student politely posed a question about one of her ideas that seemed problematic to him. After a moment of thought, a third student provided a solution to the problem. It was a self-directed exchange that made my teacher heart proud. Through high expectations, support, and guidance, we equip students to collaborate, share ideas, and problem solve together. Even our youngest learners happily rise to the expectation. Young children are capable of so much more than many believe. Of course, there are also times when a question is not so politely posed, a poor decision is made, bodies are not under control, or something unkind is said. And we had those moments this week, too. Those moments are teachable moments, moments to seize, moments in which to provide support and guidance as these little ones navigate the world of collaborating with others, forming friendships, and growing. The moments in which students need a little guidance and support yield moments like the one I shared above, in which students are able to independently collaborate, share their unique visions, solve problems, compromise, and gain maturity. I see so much maturity in our little ones throughout the week, but I also see wonder, awe, and pure joy in the little things. I see silly five and six year olds being completely themselves - silly five and six year olds. I expect and encourage mature behavior, but I also embrace the silliness, the joy, the fun. During my ACE elective, we made gingerbread play dough kits to give to some of the classrooms. A fourth grader sheepishly asked, even though it might be inappropriate for someone in her grade, if she could keep some of the play dough. I then watched (and helped) happily as she and the other fourth and fifth graders followed the recipe and guided the younger students through the process of making play dough. We then all played with the play dough (because, let's be honest, play dough is appropriate for all grades and ages) before making our deliveries. It was a perfect illustration of the balance between expecting maturity and encouraging students to enjoy being a kid. I love that we challenge our students with difficult problems to solve and guide them to social-emotional maturity, but that we also provide them with many opportunities to have fun, to savor life's little moments, and to embrace the joy of childhood. We ask them to mature in the best ways while we also try to ensure that they enjoy the carefree wonder of childhood. One of my favorite quotes ever is from author Roald Dahl: "And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."I am thankful to teach at a school filled with glittering eyes. I love navigating and exploring our magical, awe-inspiring world with your little ones and sharing in the pure joy they take in the little things. I am constantly inspired by their creativity and perspective, and I love celebrating their growth with them - and with you. Thank you for being wonderful parents who support them in their growth, communicate with me so that I can better support them in their growth, and also allow them to just be little.
A Second Look
12/2/2017
As we walked around and explored the zoo for the second time, it was evident that a perspective shift had occurred. Our little ones' approach to exploring the zoo had noticeably changed. No longer just kindergarteners eager to see animals (which they certainly still were!), they were zoologists and habitat investigators, looking for the necessary elements in each animals' habitat, like food, water, and shelter. There were also discussions about how each animal was protecting itself from the cold, sub-arctic climate. We looked for one or more of the 3F's: fat, fur, and feathers. As we watched a squirrel sneak food from the musk ox and hide it away above the flying squirrel's enclosure, we had a great discussion about his need to store away food for the winter since food is not as readily available. (We later found out from the zoo's education team that there are many squirrel thieves at the zoo and the musk ox is not the only victim, which the students found very entertaining.) Some of these conversations were, of course, prompted by myself and the other chaperone, but our little zoologists were able to form and articulate their thoughts about the animals' habitats and protection more adeptly and with more confidence on this trip because of the work and research we had done during this PBL project. They had worked hard for the previous few weeks to understand animal needs and why animals live where they do. Moreover, they had worked hard to understand all of these things so that they could teach others about it. As you can see, the final product is impressive, but I was most delighted in the road we had taken to create it - and the resulting growth. As we all know, growth is challenging. What you do not see in the video are the many hours of planning, critique, revision, and critical thinking that occurred behind the scenes. Visions had to be shifted, compromises had to made, and scenes had to be revised and reworked. These are the things that set PBL apart. Students not only learn the content, but they learn invaluable soft skills as well, things that cannot be taught well outside of authentic, project-based contexts. The journey might have been challenging, but I could tell from the joy and pride on their faces that seeing their movie on the big screen at the zoo made all of their hard work worth it. The zoo was so impressed with their hard work and final product that they will be featuring our movie, along with a class picture, on their Facebook page. I think our sweet little ones certainly learned that they are capable of so much more than they believe - even helping a big organization like the zoo!
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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
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