Sunday, September 16, 2012

Coming Together

Our classroom has been a very busy place as we all learn the routines and expectations of kindergarten.  Every day introducing more and more structure while maintaining everything from the days before.  This group of children really enjoy working and playing together.  Not once have I heard the words "What do I do now?" or "I'm bored".  I feel fortunate that they all listen well to directions, ask great questions, and seem to love school!  Yeah!!!
A very important part of our day is choice time.  The children have a variety of choices within the classroom, learn new options daily, have to figure out how to share materials, work through difficult situations, and clean up after themselves.  We are currently working on making a choice and staying with that choice, becoming involved in play with others, as opposed to flitting around the room like Tasmanian Devils!  The greatest outcome from this has been that the children have really gotten to know each other.
Another important social time during our day is math work places.  Throughout the year the children will practice math skills through a variety of games and activities set up as work places that they rotate through in small groups.  At times they can choose what work place they would like to go to while other times they will be assigned to work places, depending upon the skills they need to work on at that time.  Sharing the math tools,using them responsibly, and following routines has been a big focus over the past 11 days.
Our first monarch caterpillar made it's way through the cycle of life and we were able to watch it unfold it's wet wings and learn to fly.  The children were inspired by the colors and after reading a book about symmetry tried their hands at symmetrically coloring their own butterflies on the final page of their Very Hungry Caterpillar books.  I was so pleased by their efforts and as you can see on their faces they were quite proud as well.

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