Academic and Social Learning

If I were to sum up in a nutshell what I see as the ultimate goal for me as a teacher, it is to establish a trusted relationship with each one of my students, getting to know them at a level that meets both their academic and social needs. In this way, I can find what fuels their love of learning while giving them tools to function as a member of our classroom community. I strive for this with skills I have developed over my career along with programs we use as a school district and within the Porters Point School community.

At PPS we use two nationally recognized approaches to teaching a social curriculum: the first is called PBIS Positive Behavior and Interventions and Support ( http://www.pbisvermont.org/) and the second is the Responsive Classroom (https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/).

Over the course of this year you will learn how our school uses PBIS as a whole school structure in establishing school-wide behavioral expectations. All students are expected to follow three main expectations: Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Ready to Learn. Students are recognized for demonstrating these by all staff with what we call a "warm fuzzy." The warm fuzzies (pom-poms) are collected in a classroom container (an empty plastic bear) and added to a whole school collection every Friday at our Whole School Friday Morning Meeting. When the whole school meets a particular goal that is set, all students earn a celebration. During the week before last, it was an extra recess for the entire student body immediately following Friday School Meeting. Sometimes our own classroom sets a smaller goal and we earn our own mini-celebrations. For example, last Thursday some kids were asking about an extra recess and so I took the opportunity to challenge them that day toward earning a large cupful of warm fuzzies... as soon as we filled that smaller cup, they got their own extra recess! It was a great community-building exercise, with all students contributing to a common goal. You will hear other ways PBIS is implemented in our school and classroom in the coming months. For example, at each Friday School Meeting the student body learns tools for how to Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Ready to Learn in all areas of the school. Some recent topics have included watching a video on how to ride the bus safely and how to "freeze at the bell and walk at the whistle" when the recess bell rings to signal the transition to lunch.

In our classroom the Responsive Classroom approach helps me to integrate the social and academic learning throughout the day. Students are nurtured to become strong and ethical thinkers as they learn to care about their classroom, one another and their learning.

One of the six key components is called Guided Discovery. This is a focused, purposeful yet playful technique I use to introduce materials, centers in the classroom or school and any new activities. It is a deliberate and careful introduction to each new experience for kindergartners. My goals include creating excitement to explore materials with imagination, help students make choices that are productive, develop their ability to work cooperatively and listen to peers, and establish rules and expectations for using, taking care and cleaning up supplies.

Some of our Guided Discovery lessons have included using:

• tape, scissors, stapler and whole punch safely
• patterns blocks
• tangrams
• color and shape BINGO
• attribute blocks
• wikki sticks with alphabet letters
• patterns with pop beads and pattern blocks
• watercolor paints
• markers, colored pencils, drawing paper, writing pencils, erasers, pencils to be sharpened
• whiteboards
• blocks
• math games

During Guided Discovery I introduce the material, find out what they know about it, establish some common vocabulary around it, and encourage them to explore the material. Together we establish rules for taking care of the material, model how to use it and generate their creative ideas for using it.  They are given time to explore further and represent their work. They learn some language for sharing their work with the group while others practice listening. We then learn how to clean up safely and store the material so they can access it independently.  During "choice" times they can use the material in a productive and satisfying way.  Many of the early literacy and early math photos viewed in previous blog posts started off within a Guided Discovery model.

Our first Friday School Meeting...emptying our class bear container of "warm fuzzies" into the school's weekly collection bin.

Mr. Shepherd officially dumping the whole school collection into one of the three school wide expectations bin.... that week we didn't fill the whole container, but we achieved the goal the following week as the Plexiglas bin was filled to the brim!

Ms. Millham leading a teaching lesson about playground safety.  Mr. Kriger following up on what we learned through an in-class lesson... all toward an understanding of how to Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Ready to Learn throughout our day.

More learning and excited preparation for the weekly fuzzy dump to see if we met the goal for a school wide celebration.

Last week our class met a one-day challenge goal of filling a red cup with warm fuzzies in order to celebrate with an extra recess.  We earn fuzzies for using PAX voices.  PAX encompasses a set of tools all teachers use to instill self-regulation and clear behavioral expectations.  Our class will work for more mini-celebrations this week.  The extra recess celebration for our class was a big hit!

Learning Letters with FUNdations and Handwriting

This year all children in our class will learn to read!  The road to get there will be supported by many pathways that merge, and we will work with all the bumps in the road along the way when kids don't understand a particular skill or need extra practice.

We begin by learning to recognize letter names and their corresponding sounds.  We are learning the difference between an individual letter and a word, which is made up of several letters and their sounds blended together.  We are practicing how to form the letters in a particular format on lined paper. Our handwriting goal is to focus on learning the motor pattern with the correct formation of each letter until it becomes an automatic movement.  When children write letters using the correct formation they can write more quickly and efficiently in order to get their thoughts and information down on paper with ease. 

Some children may come to school writing letters and are unsure why they need to change their habits and/or follow particular stroke patterns.  To help them understand that they need to follow a particular sequence, I call our handwriting practice the “kindergarten way” or “school way."  This helps children adjust or relearn letter formation pathways.  

We are practicing how to hold a pencil and isolate the thumb, index and middle finger as these three are used to hold a writing tool.  One way to strengthen this at home is to have your child practice holding a small button in their palm with the ring finger, naturally curving the pinky finger inward with it.  Next, have your child use their thumb, index finger and middle finger as a pretend talking puppet, ensuring only those three move in unison.  Have your child play games with those three fingers or pick up small items while the ring finger and pinky remain curled in.  

Our writing paper consists of four lines; each has a name to help orient the children when writing with a pencil.  In the pictures below you can see the "hat" "belt" "foot" and imaginary "worm" line.  We have practiced singing a song to the tune of "head, shoulders knees and toes" changing the words to "hat (touch the top of your head) " "belt (touch your waist) "foot (touch your shoes) and "worm (touch the ground)" to help learn the names.  When learning the formation we have a verbal path phrase we say while touching the lines or writing them on paper. For example, for the uppercase T we say, "pull down, cross" while starting at the hat line, pulling down to the foot line and crossing along the hat line.  It helps when children say the verbal path phrases aloud as they make the line strokes on their paper.  Pairing the repetitive, simple verbal cues with written arrow cues on their paper helps ensure children are practicing the correct letter formation repeatedly.

It is a lot to learn, but we make sure we are having fun, too, by singing and moving and watching how I project the formation from my iPad on to the big screen.  I can also project the writing paper we use on to the whiteboard and have children go up and use a dry erase to practice the correct letter formation. This week we will continue to practice good posture and how to hold a pencil. Learning all these skills is something we practice over time all year and all children grow and learn at their own pace, strengthening their skills all along the way. We support each child's learning pace and find techniques to individualize the support they need.   I will send home the “verbal path” cues as we practice each letter.  When your child writes at home, encourage the “school way” formation to help reinforce the strokes.  Have a great night!

Early Literacy and Routines

Just as with the photographs from math exploration in the previous blog post, remember these photos of early literacy exploration... because soon you will see how we build upon learning early routines and letter play as a foundation for reading and writing skills.  We were even able to do a baseline writing assessment this week and gather information about letter knowledge and concepts about print with each child individually... this was possible because we practiced how the room feels with quiet workers at play.  Nice job kindergartners!   

From finding letters in our names to recognizing letters in the daily message to discovering sight words to reading poems... little by little the world of literacy unfolds.

Early Mathematics and Routines

Remember these photos... because in a few short weeks you will how we will use these early math experiences to begin a deeper understanding of counting, number and number fluency, measurement and geometry.  By learning routines such as how to throw a dice, how to share materials and work in a group, sort, make patterns and understand how numbers are used in the world around us, then we can apply that knowledge to number sense.  

From throwing dice individually to playful group dice throws, looking for the same dot pattern or highest/lowest amount.  This was a natural turn kids in the class created... how special to find mathematical thinkers in our youngest minds!

Learning Routines

Today marks our eighth full day of kindergarten and gradually we have learned routines that we will build upon and rely on all year.  When practiced with intention in the beginning of the year, they become ingrained into the flow of our day, leaving more time to focus on academics and deep inquiry and concentration on learning.  

We start each day with what we call a "Breakfast Snack" to ensure all of us are have the fuel to jump start a long morning.  Kids are only asked to eat what they need, so if they have eaten a large breakfast before school, then maybe just a few snack bites will suffice.  Others, prefer eating a larger breakfast at school... both work and build community as kids chat and socialize, allowing time to fully transition from home to bus/car to school.  After kids finish eating they read a book from either their book bin or the classroom library until my play my harmonica as a signal to clean up.

We do recognize the importance of choice time, allowing kids to choose what they want to play with and explore.  In the beginning of the year we have several choice times morning and afternoon, gradually shortening the time and lengthening focused school work.

Academic Routines:  We practice foundational academic routines that again become a part of everyday work so we can build new skills.  For example, we practiced how to roll a dice right in front of our work spaces and reading the dot die configuration.

Whole Group Time: We are practicing listening and attending as members of a group of twnenty students.  This can be challenging as young children learn how to raise their hand and listen when other peers are the speaker.

Large Group Time: In the beginning of the year we often break into two large groups of ten for lessons.  Mrs. Campbell will teach and group, and I will teach a group.  This is referred to as a "Switch" group time on our schedule board.  A main part of our practice now is how to transition from one large group to another... how to clean up and move efficiently from one group space to another and get resettled for the next learning opportunity. 

Small Group Time: Working at a table with a group of 5 students in a small group allows kids to focus more closely on their work with less distractions.  Helping one another solve problems and follow multiple steps is also a focus right now of learning the routines of small group work.

Mindfulness: In the two photos on the bottom of the Piccolage above are one example of mindfulness work we do using technology.  Mindfulness practice helps settle our bodies as we use our brain to think through the steps.

Friday Whole School Meeting: We gather each Friday morning with the student body at PPS.  Each week there is a focus of the meeting.  For now the focus is on learning whole school routines such as playground rules or cafeteria routines.  In time classroom students will "present" at School Meeting, sharing their work or project they are focusing on in class.

Individual Practice: Working by oneself is an important skill, one that allows Mrs. Campbell and I to observe and get to know each child individually so we know how to support their learning.

Reading with Partners in Library: What fun snuggling up with a book and a group of friends during library!

Kids Build Classroom

In just a few weeks our classroom evolved from an empty classroom to Smart Start to meaningful work.  We are gradually building community along with academics... math, science, reading and writing.  

                 

Welcome Kindergarten Class of 2015-2016

                     

Here is where it all begins... in kindergarten.  Friendship, mindfulness, empathy, learning, inquiry, discovery, creativity, stamina, kindness, bravery, community, a love of learning.  Welcome class of 2015-2016!  We are off to a great start!