Understanding Patience

I heard an interesting statement today: 

 

“If you have an understanding of where a student is at developmentally, there is no need for patience.”

 

Typically I would consider patience, or the lack thereof, a primary emotion felt among teachers of young learners.  But this statement got me thinking…I wonder if you can understand where a child is at developmentally and still need the grace of patience. 

 

At first I was offended.  Teaching early learners is one of the hardest, most beneficial, most rewarding and most difficult ages to teach.  I was appalled to think that this presenter, one of our “own,” would dare to mention that patience is not a virtue most pre-kindergarten teachers hold.  Our world in early childhood revolves around the process of doing and experiencing everything around us.  This requires expectations, planning, the ability to have steady perseverance, and a quiet and diligent demeanor towards those in your care.  

 

However, I began to think about the actuality behind this complex statement.  I do agree that it is important to understand the development of our learners.  It is important to recognize not only the age appropriate benchmarks of a particular growth area but also to contextualize and familiarize oneself with the lives of their students.  I need to know where my students are coming from, where they are and where they hope to go.  For example, it is crucial that I am aware and understand the fact that one of the families I work with is going through a terrible divorce that is causing some emotional and behavioral challenges at school.  But it is hard for me to separate this understanding with the visceral act of practicing patience with that child.  I feel that the process of understanding in itself takes lots of patience! 

 

I wonder what our readers think about this interesting conundrum? I have the gift of understanding and patience and I feel it is my job as an educator to share and model both of these life skills. 

 

It definitely got me thinking.

 

"She got a name?!"

March appears to be the month of new students!  This week we were happy to welcome Tamara, a recently-turned-three year-old, into our classroom community.  My students were eager to show Tamara around and were fascinated by the fact that Tamara had replaced Ruby as our "newest friend." 

On Tamara's second day of school, she walked in to find her name and picture on a myriad of belongings around our classroom -- her writing box (for markers, pencils, and pens), her "situpon" (to cushion the carpet), her journal, her center nametag, her small group nametag, her cubby, her bathroom clip (a way to keep track of who has used the bathroom before naptime), and more.  Tamara was beyond excited and kept bounding from place to place, pointing to her picture, and saying "Tamara, Tamara, Tamara!"  Helping her associate her picture with her printed name is one of the first literacy skills she will learn in school, and she is clearly excited to get started! 

Today, I took Tamara's excitement and translated it into a small group activity about sequencing letters in your name.  For each child, I wrote the letters in his/her name on small squares, and put the squares in an envelope labled with their name.  The ultimate goal of the lesson was to help the children learn to spell their names without requiring them to rely on fine motor skills and write the letters legibly.  But for Jose, I think the most valuable part of the lesson came even before he saw his own name envelope.  We were flipping through the stack of envelopes reading everybody's name, and we came to Tamara's name.  Nobody in our class has a name that starts with "T," and my students were stumped about what this new word could say.  I told my students that it was Tamara's name, and Jose looked at me in disbelief; "She got a name?!" he exclaimed.  The fact that Jose had been talking to Tamara and using her name for that past day and a half indicated that he knew who she was, and that she was called "Tamara," but he hadn't made the connection that the spoken word "Tamara" could be written down and also represent her name.  This short exchanged reinforced -- in a very exciting way -- the idea that all spoken words can be written and all written words can be spoken, which is a critical pre-k literacy skill.

Welcome, Ruby!

Last week we were thrilled to welcome a new student, Ruby, into our classroom community.  The day before Ruby started school, several of my students had the opportunity to meet her during recess.  Aaliyah showed her around our classroom and Julia told her all about what we do in school.  Ruby's mom emphasized that this was a "big girl school," just like the school that Ruby's six-year-old sister Sonya attended.  Ruby seemed a bit skeptical of everything, but she listened to what people had to say and was excited to play with all of the toys we had in the classroom.    

 

When I told the rest of my students about Ruby later that day, they were fascinated.  Mayala couldn't quite believe it; "You mean she's gonna be in our class?  And she's gonna have a situpon [situpons are the cushions that my students sit on while we are on the carpet]?  Whoa!"  Jose was curious to know whether Ruby would be a boy or a girl.  When I said she was a girl, he replied, "Aww, we need more boys!"  A true fact, given that we only have three boys in our class!  Overall, however, my students were thrilled about the prospect of having a new friend in school.  They excitedly told their families everything they knew about Ruby, and I had several parents come in the next morning asking questions about this new friend. 

 

When Ruby arrived in school the next morning, my students were thrilled.  Even Malik, who often keeps to himself, came bounding up to me yelling, "Ruby is here! Ruby is here!"  Julia took an instant fascination with Ruby.  From the moment we walked to the classroom, she started commenting on everything that Ruby was doing.  "Look, Ruby is walking in line with us!" and "She has a journal, just like me!"  I shared Julia's excitement and prompted her to direct her comments to Ruby by saying things like, "Ruby, we both have journals!"  Ruby was receptive to Julia's comments and frequently replied, "It's because I'm in big girl school now.  I'm not in baby school any more." 

 

Helping Julia see Ruby as a peer, not simply a novelty in our classroom, was a critical step during Ruby's first day.  Throughout the week, Julia was able to show Ruby the routines and procedures of our classroom and include her in conversations and play scenarios.  She has played a tremendous role in helping Ruby get acclimated to school, and will surely be a great buddy to her for the rest of the year.

Vertical Alignment

The School Readiness and some of the Early Childhood Special Education teachers had the opportunity to host a “vertical alignment” inservice last week.  We met with the kindergarten teachers in our district.  This was not only an opportunity to meet each other and share curriculum ideas, but also an opportunity to show them our classrooms and give them a chance to see what we do every day. 

 

Our meeting started with a tour of our classrooms.  They were impressed to see a word wall, a break chair, and opportunities for students to work with their name, readers and writer's workshop.   They were pleased to hear we are following our state standards and encouraging our students to play! 

 

After the tour we settled into a conference room for discussion.  Surprisingly, their questions were not about our curriculum, teaching strategies or philosophies.  Instead, they were eager to compliment our programs while quickly asking, “How can we get every kindergartener to come to you first?”  I replied, “What a great question!” 

 

Some of the teachers were concerned about the screening process.  Students are required to complete an Early Childhood Screening within the first thirty days of starting kindergarten.  As with most things, it is encouraged that children participate in this screening at age three years, six months.   This way we can suggest various pre-kindergarten or special education opportunities as needed.  However, it seems that when a child comes to kindergarten after the beginning of the year, and does not pass their screening, they should be referred to our pre-k programming.  But, because enrollment is always an issue, this sometimes doesn’t happen.  In addition, it is sometimes hard to convince families that a 2 hour program, without breakfast, lunch or transportation is actually going to be better for their family.  

 

Our program is growing with leaps and bounds and with the recognition of key members of our district it has such great potential to reach even more families.  Now all I have to do is hope that our governor and our state's legislative bodies will see the greatness that is happening one four-year-old at a time!  

Politics with a Pre-K Twist

I'm not sure if it's because I teach in Washington, DC, or because this was arguably the most historic presidential election ever, but my students have all become infatuated with Barack Obama.  He has become the topic of informal conversations during center time, lunch time, and on the playground.  My students draw pictures and write about him in their journals, and love reading books about the Obama family.  I am continually impressed by their knowledge about President Obama, the election process, and the job of president of the United States in general.  Here are some snippets of conversations that took place in my classroom:

Mayala, while describing a picture that she drew in her journal: "This is Barack Obama, and he's turning door knob at his big White House.  He's so big because he won.  This is John McCain.  He's small because he losed.  He's sad." 

Makiera: "Barack Obama's gonna live in the White House with grandaddy." (Her grandfather works at the White House)

Suniah, the week before inauguration: "Barack Obama's not the president yet.  He's going to be president on Tuesday.  Then he'll be in charge!"

Jose: "Barack Obama's got muscles.  I saw him without his shirt.  He beat up John McCain." (I corrected the "beat up" vs. "beat" confusion.  I think the muscles comment stemmed from the photos from the Obama's vacation in Hawaii.)

Julia: "Barack Obama has kids like me?  And they go to school like me?"

Suniah: "George Bush isn't the president anymore.  Now it's Barack Obama's turn."

Mayala, while coloring a picture of Barack Obama with a pink marker: "Barack Obama's not really pink, he's brown like me.  He's light brown."

I have truly enjoyed taking my students enthusiasm about the election and using these informal conversations as "teachable moments" in our classroom.  For example, as we were walking past a photograph of Barack Obama in the hallway, the following conversation occurred:

Aaliyah: "Is the real Barack Obama gonna come to school?"

Me: "No, he's busy working hard to get ready to be our president!"

Aaliyah: "Like we work hard to learn to read?"

Me: "Yes, Barack Obama works very hard just like you.  He worked hard and learned how to read and be the president."

Aaliyah: "I'm gonna learn to read just like Barack Obama!"

Essentially my students are taking what they are learning about politics and fitting it into schema that are familiar to them.  They want to know about the Obama family, what the president does all day, and how people felt during the election.  Approaching politics from this angle -- with a focus on families, jobs, and feelings -- helps make a complex topic accessible and interesting to my three- and four-year-old students.  The results have been remarkable thus far, and I'm excited to see how my students' knowledge about the Obama presidency continues to develop.

We Need Recess!

Jay Mathews, a columnist for the Washington Post, recently wrote an article questioning the need for recess in elementary and middle schools.  He notes that in urban schools, where students are often one to two grade levels behind their suburban peers and drastically in need of academic intervention, recess may simply be more hassle than it's worth.  The unstructured time is a breeding ground for disputes, accidents, and general unpleasantness, and it does not typically accomplish an academic purpose. 

 

As a teacher in an urban school, I can understand where Mathews is coming from. I have seen the nurse's office filled with scraped knees, the Principal's office occupied by students writing apology letters to peers and teachers, and the bathrooms abuzz with gossip about what happened on the playground that day.  But despite all of these challenges, I believe that recess -- if structured appropriately -- is a critical part of a child's school day.  Many students at my school live in a neighborhood where it is not safe to go outside and play, and they have limited opportunities to move and interact freely with their peers.  Plus, some of my students arrive at school at 8am and don't leave until 6:30pm; they simply do not have time to play outside at home.  

 

Now I'm not necessarily advocating for the standard "free for all" type of recess that I know is common in many schools.  I agree with Mathews that this is can be an unproductive use of time that in some cases can detract from classroom learning.  However, a more structured recess time, where students are offered games and provided assistance with solving social problems is highly deslirable.  In my classroom, I plan at least one structured activity for recess each day -- everything from "red light, green light" to animal races (earlier this month students ran like the different animals mentioned in Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming), to painting with water on the sidewalk.  Students do not have to join the activity, but the option is there if they choose to do so.  I also provide materials, such as chalk, balls, cars, etc. to enhance their outdoor play.  Finally, our classroom norms for interaction and problem solving still apply when we are outside.  I teach my students how to use all of the materials, play games, and be safe, while talking explicitly about how we should interact with one another while outside.  With this foundation, recess is an invaluable time to reinforce social skills, extend academic learning, and build gross motor muscles. 

 

I understand that my exact method for implementing recess in pre-k is not necessarily applicable to teachers in upper grades, but I do believe that the underlying principles are valid.  Teachers need to teach students how to interact during recess, just as they teach them algebra or how to walk through the hallways.  And when students do not learn or behave as teachers expect, teachers need to figure out why and reteach - not simply abandon the process all together. 

Classroom Helpers

Most pre-k classes that I have seen have some version of "Classroom Helpers" or student jobs.  These jobs -- which may be anything from line leader to librarian -- help to instill students with a sense of responsibility and foster community within the classroom.  In my class, every student has a different job each week.  So far we've established that the:

Line leader walks at the front of the line and models appropriate hallway behavior
Caboose walks at the back of the line while making sure everyone stays with the group
Door holder walks second in the line and holds the door as we're walking in the hall
Meeting announcer rings the bells before morning meeting
Equipment manager carries (or distributes) materials for outdoors (e.g. chalk, balls, jump ropes)
Electrician turns the lights off when we leave the room
Timekeeper gives "half way done" and "almost time to stop" warnings during center time
Botanist waters the classroom plants
Lunch servers pass out lunch to their peers
Meteorologist reports on the weather each day

 

We introduced these jobs slowly at the beginning of each year, and took time to discuss the importance of each job.  For example, when we introduced the botanist, we discussed what real botanists do, what plants need to live, how we could help plants live in our classroom, and why we have plants in our classroom.  I explained that I am not very good at keeping plants alive (a true fact) and underscored the importance of the botanist's role in our classroom. 

I place a great deal of emphasis on classroom jobs, and by extension, so do my students.  Malik, in particular, loves to tell his family all about his job each week; the first time he was the line leader, his mom told me that he tried to lead the family everywhere they went! 

 

Every Monday morning, before we even get to the classroom, my students pepper me with questions about what their job will be. When they get to the classroom they immediately go to the carpet and read the "Helper Chart" to figure out their responsibilities for the week. This is a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of reading as a means to gather information, and it helps students recognize the names of their classmates. We currently have pictures next to each job title and student name, but as the year progresses we will take away the pictures of students so they are left to recognize their names in print independently. 

I'm always looking for new jobs to introduce into our classroom. Currently I'm planning on establishing a veterinarian, scheduler, and attendance counter later in the year. If you have other suggestions about jobs that you've used in your classroom, please leave them in the "Comments" section! 

Playground P's & Q's

In the past year there have been numerous reports of school administrators banning various behaviors on the playground.  For example, a school in Minneapolis, Minnesota banned touching due to rough housing incidents.  A school in Spokane, Washington has enforced a "no running" policy in order to maintain order on the playground.  These instances make me wonder, if you can’t touch the hand of a classmate or run on a playground, where are students going to learn these skills? 
 
My style as a teacher is to assume nothing.  Each student that walks in my door has a different life story and varying degrees of learning experiences.  It is my job to set expectations and parameters and to work with my class to develop rules and logical consequences that we can live by during our time to together.  This takes a lot of work.  In fact, the first 5-6 weeks of my school year are devoted entirely to this process.  We learn appropriate ways to use our materials and equipment and also agree on how to handle difficult situations with our friends.   
 
Our school shares a large wooden playground with the neighboring elementary school.  Weather permitting, I take my students outside daily for at least 15 minutes.  This is an important time for them to work their developing muscles, practice motor planning and interact socially with their peers.  I can’t imagine the horror of having to enforce a "no touching" or "no running" policy!  With enough practice and consistency from the teachers and assistants in our program, we've been able to create an active, safe and appropriate playground environment for all of our students.
 
One of the main reasons that playground behavior is an issue for school communities is because some teachers and administrators fail to see the playground as an extension of their classroom or school building.  Expectations and logical consequences need to be created, practiced and enforced.  Playground monitors, often in charge of recess supervision while we teachers grab lunch, need to know the rules and enforcement policies in order to maintain order.  With persistence, patience and consistency it is possible to maintain a safe and fun playground environment for students without taking the running out of recess.   



   

Pioneer Day

Teaching is often referred to as being “in the trenches” and if you have ever wondered what that means, by all means keep reading.

If you've even heard of Pioneer Day, my guess is you'd think its some quirky thing we do down here in Texas to celebrate our diverse heritage.  You'd be very wrong though.

It all started with a bang last week-- literally -- when a severe storm with winds of 90+ mph ripped through our community in the middle of the night. The morning after, as I drove to school slowly inching my way through the darkened intersections of Dallas Fort-Worth, I contemplated the numerous scenarios that might lie ahead: Was the school still in tact?  Were our students safe?  Did they still have adequate housing? As I pulled into the parking lot, I was relieved to see that the first of my worries was unfounded.  Some trees had fallen near the playground and the power was out, but our building was still standing.

My relief quickly turned to horror as I entered the darkened school to discover that classes were running on schedule. No, it wasn't a typical nightmare or “schoolmare” that us teachers often have, but basic necessities like air conditioning in the Texas heat and classroom and bathroom windows were completely missing .  As I toured the damage, I had to pinch myself several times to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. 

Our principal had things under control calling both teachers and students to the cafeteria.  There we were informed of temporary emergency procedures: some classrooms were doubled up to make use of windows, several were forced to conduct lessons in the library, while others found themselves teaching traumatized children in the hallways near open outside doors.

Many students were crying and fearful of the dark although we had a small window in our room that provided some light. One little boy crying hysterically kept asking for our custodian.  When I asked him why he said, “Because Mr. S fixes things and he can fix the lights!” Soon the chorus of “why’s” became deafening and completely overwhelming. No matter how many times we explained the power outage, the concept was too abstract for our little ones to understand.  One after another they chimed in:

• "Why can’t you turn on the lights?"
• "Why is it so hot in here?"
• "Why can’t we do the calendar?" (Our calendar is now done via the ActivBoard, which requires power)
• "Why didn’t we hear the morning announcements?"

Multiply the above questions  by 1000 and crank up the volume of inconsolable children 44 times to understand my day in a nutshell. While pre-k teachers are known for having many talents and skills, I assure you teaching a double-class of four-year-olds in the dark is not one of them.

We waited patiently for the announcement that school would be canceled as the temperatures in the classroom began to climb. The power lines weren’t the only things buzzing as teachers scurried back and forth with their flashlights to find out what was going on.  With little new to report, the verdict was in, we would have to make do for now.

Our principal, known far and wide for his wit and witticisms, quickly coined the term “Pioneer Day” to help lighten the mood.  His humor and contribution, ordering pizza for the entire staff, did wonders for staff moral. We quickly established a makeshift Pioneer Day schedule that included taking the students to the bathroom with flashlights. Our two classes alternated throughout the day; while one group sat at the tables, the other circled in a carpeted, large group area. We were fortunate that the calm after the storm brought a beautiful day.  Half the students took a walk outside, while the remaining listened to a story (listening being the operative word since it was difficult to see the pictures), before we switched.

By the end of the school day, Pioneer Day had a whole new meaning for me.  I felt like I had survived an entire month on a wagon train!  Sweaty, dirty, and exhausted, legs and back aching from the day's constant crowd control activities, I had made it.  Even my jaw hurt from having to talk constantly: ‘It’s going to be okay." "We’re safe." "I’m sorry I can’t turn on the lights.” 

Although I didn’t have a mirror, I am certain I looked as if I had spent the entire day in a trench.  But that's what being a good teacher is all about: surviving the trenches by making do with what you've got and still managing to bring the troops home safely.  At the end of the day, I was grateful to be in a figurative trench with my class rather than the overseas or stuck-behind-a-desk-in-a-quiet-office-space variety.

Let this story serve as a reminder: be it Teacher Appreciation Day or any day, take time out of your busy schedule to thank a teacher for a job well done.  While circumstances differ, chances are they too know about the trenches as operating within them just comes with our territory.

Today’s Secret Ingredient is…Music!

Any experienced early education teacher will tell you there are three key ingredients that go into creating every recipe for classroom success: blood, sweat, and tears.  Just like any good chef, good teachers add their own flair, spices, and secret ingredients to their classrooms to make the flavor “just right”.   No two classrooms are the same because no two chefs teachers are the same.  What separates me from Ms. Hoffman the fifth grade teacher down the hall and Chef Boyardee culinary extraordinaire is music.

As a pre-k teacher, I'm continually thinking of ways to motivate my students to learn, while keeping them focused on the activity at hand. Learning the lesson is only one piece of the puzzle; ensuring the concept being taught is retained for future application is where success lies. I have found music to be the most engaging, beneficial way to give my students memorable and meaningful learning experiences while keeping them alert and on task. Simply singing or playing the first few beats of a particular song can allay dangerous daydreaming and classroom catastrophes. I incorporate music in my classroom as often as I incorporate technology – which is constantly.

Here are just a few examples of songs I use to teach skills and concepts in the classroom:

• Dr. Jean’s Rise and Shine song = good morning ritual
• Frog Street Press = colors
• Frog Street Press = shapes
• Dr Jean = Days of the week 
• Stephen Fite = months of the year
• Dr Jean’s Nursery Rhymes and Good Ole Times = nursery rhymes
• Jack Hartmann’s Rhymin’ to the Beat = nursery rhymes
• Dr. Jean’s Scissors Snip = cutting skills
• Dr. Jean’s Name on Your Paper song = routines and procedures
• Heidi Songs Sing and Spell = sight words
• Heidi Songs = Numbers
• Dr. Jean’s Totally Math = patterns and numbers
• Sweet Honey in the Rock “Oh My Goodness Look at This Mess” = clean-up routines and procedures
• Dr. Jean’s Good-bye Friends song = good-bye ritual

No discussion about music in early childhood education would be complete without a mention of visuals. For an auditory lesson to have maximum impact, singing a song is just not enough. Visual aids accommodate students of different learning styles while introducing students to new skills and reinforcing thier knowledge retention. Another obvious benefit, imagery assists ESL learners in easily grasping otherwise difficult English language concepts.  Examples of visual props to use with music include: 

• Clip-Art: Pictures that go with a song (i.e. pictures of the animals to go with the song I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly)
• Stuffed animals or puppets (i.e. a stuffed dog or dog puppet to go with the song B-I-N-G-O)
• Toys (i.e. a toy boat to go with the song Row, Row, Row, Your Boat)
• Actions: Using simple actions to accompany songs such as dance movements to Jack Hartmann’s Rhymin’ to the Beat Nursery Rhymes

To the trained musical ear, auditory lessons might not be considered “music” at all. And while This Old Man and Down by the Bay aren’t the revered works of Bach or Beethoven, they are effective tools that promote fun learning to otherwise un-captive 3 and 4-year-old audiences.  Integral to any early education lesson is the ingredient music.  There’s always room for a sprinkle of Raffi or dash of Rachmaninoff in a delicious pre-k recipe.