As I reflect on my last year in Kindergarten, I can honestly say I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned a lot about myselfteaching Kindergarten, too. I initially vowed to never step foot in a primary classroom. The idea of it scared me. An unexpected opportunity in a grade 1/2 class presented itself and I knew I had to take it. In the end, this experience changed the direction of my career. Never did I imagine I would be a primary educator, let alone a Kindergarten one. Today, I’m proud to say I’m a Kindergarten educator.
Here are some of the big ideas I had upon reflection: BIG RISKS HAVE BIG REWARDS This past year, I took three big risks in the class. First, I wanted to try to implement free-flow snack. Maybe a bit ambitious with 31 kids, and 20 of them coming to school for the first time. My DECE partner and I agreed to try this out and see how it went. We committed to trying this until the end of October and if it wasn’t successful, we would do a regular routine for snacks. This could have been disastrous, but with consistent reinforcement, we were able to successfully implement this and help our students begin to develop a self-regulatory skill. The second risk was ditching the traditional word of the week routine. Is this really a play-based routine? No. Was keeping them on the carpet beneficial or productive? No. Could they still learn these words without a grand introduction weekly? Probably, but ditching the typical routine felt like breaking a huge rule at first. Through play, I was surprised how well the learners in my class, especially with a Year 1 heavy group did learn these words without doing this carpet routine and doing a writing booklet immediately after. The biggest risk I took was actually accepting a Kindergarten position. Kindergarten is without a doubt the most challenging grade I’ve had to date. I really stepped out of my comfort zone on this one. It was something I was hoping to try at some point in my career, just maybe not this early; however, the opportunity was right and it was in an environment I felt very supported in by my colleagues. This risk definitely paid off because I feel as though it helped me to see that teaching Kindergarten is something I could see myself doing for many years. It is somewhere I feel I could grow as a pedagogical leader. My kindergarten experience has sparked an interest in early years learning, and specifically, STEM in Kindergarten. KIDS ARE ALWAYS EAGER TO LEARN Being a K-12 educator, I’ve taught and worked with a range of different learners. There comes a point in time, where some students are going to school as a formality, not because they want to be there, or want to learn. The attitudes of these students is obvious when teaching and depending on the point in time, no matter how hard you try, their view will not change. In Kindergarten, the kids have such a passion and zest for learning. They are truly ‘sponges’ to all things (even the little things you don’t think they are noticing!). They enter the learning environment with a ton of energy, ready to take on the day, and explore the world around them. There is something so special about this that I can’t quite put into words. My students come to class with a wealth of enthusiasm and so many wonderings that they want to explore and learn more about. Their observations of the world and subsequent questions is remarkable. It is interesting to gain insight into what they see, what they are thinking and what they make of all of it. Guiding them as they navigate the world around them is so exciting and rewarding. IN KINDERGARTEN YOU “JUST PLAY” Exactly. That’s all my students do is play. Play is a highly effective and developmentally appropriate form of learning for 4 and 5 year olds. So, yes, my students do play all day and learn plenty through rich provocations and conversations. There is a productive buzz in the classroom that can be heard at any given time. There are meaningful conversations, exploration and questioning occurring throughout the room and in their play. Play is more than fun. Play is not what you do as ‘downtime’ or when you’re done something ‘important’. Play is an opportunity for learning, and important part of child development and is integrated and interdisciplinary. There are many misconceptions to play, and at one point in time I definitely believed it was ‘just play’ but in reality, I’ve grown and learned to truly understand that play is not a separate entity from learning, rather, it is arguably one of the highest forms of learning. THE TEACHER AND DECE RELATIONSHIP IS LIKE AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE I really do believe this is a great analogy to what this partnership is. There is no compatibility test prior to a pairing. My DECE partner is truly my ‘partner in crime’ in the classroom and I’m so thankful to have worked with her this past year. She’s the most amazing person to collaborate and bounce ideas off of, and she does a wonderful job at carrying out and helping to differentiate activities for our students. We are like two sides of the body working together constantly to have our learning environment function the way it does. Everything is very intuitive, and we just know what or who needs to be attended to without saying a word. My partner is great at what she does, but I think a large part of why our relationship works the way it does is because of the open lines of communication we had initially. When taking my Kindergarten Specialist course, I recall reading an article from Professionally Speaking called, “Building Together”. At the beginning of the article, there was a section that described a classroom setting with one educator at a table working with kids and another circulating and interacting. The question was posed, “Which is the teacher and which is the early childhood educator? The teacher was circulating and the early childhood educator was at the table. I instantly connected this to our classroom. Oftentimes, you can walk into our room and at a glance not know our roles because we truly act as a team. In this same article, there was a statistic stating that 81% of DECEs feel as though their relationship with their respective teaching partner is hierarchical. This has always stuck with me for whatever reason, and I was particularly mindful of this when building our relationship. Upon finding out we were working together, we enjoyed a coffee and discussed what our visions where for our learning environment. I was curious to hear her ideas and what her goals were given her many years experience. At first, she told me whatever I thought was good for her because she felt as though she was flexible; however, upon further conversation, we quickly realized we shared very similar pedagogical views and wanted to see many of the same things. Afterwards, the ideas started to flow and the beginning of a natural, collaborative relationship began. I really do believe that opening those lines of communication early and making her opinions feel heard and valued was fundamental in being able to build the strong partnership we’ve had. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE Without a doubt, I’ve never felt more loved than in a Kindergarten classroom. If you every need a self-esteem boost, walk into a Kindergarten class! You’ll likely be swarmed by a bunch of 4 year olds who think you are the prettiest, smartest, and coolest person on the planet. But, in all honesty, the innocent and loving nature of children this age warms my heart each and every time I step foot in the classroom. Even on bad days, their welcoming hugs and kind-hearted comments always make things that much better. I challenge you to walk into a Kindergarten class and spend 5 minutes in there, and I guarantee your day will be brighter!
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The learning environment extends to the outdoors. A growing body of research suggests that connecting to the natural world contributes to children’s mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being (Louv, 2005).
The outdoor environment should be an extension of the indoor environment and should still be encouraging children with diverse needs to engage in activities that involve an element of manageable risk; but more physical risks than indoors. Risk is an important catalyst for growth. First and foremost, a play environment should always be safe for learners but by no means ‘child proof’. There should be opportunities for learners to challenge themselves within the landscape and master skills within it that are risker than just walking on their own two feet. For instance, small balancing logs, rocks, etc. all serve as natural items that may challenge students in their motor skills. Ideally, outdoor environments should have materials like grass, pebbles, and green spaces to ensure safety. There should be a range of rich learning materials to support a range of learning needs, too. Outdoor environments be as richly and thoughtfully equipped as indoor ones. Loose part of all sorts and materials that encourage fitness, and exploration (tools, note taking tools, cameras etc). should be readily available for all learners. Students will naturally find their own activities to take part in. The environment should also be able to support individuals on their own, in groups and as a large group. The space shouldn’t be too, too big but a size that can comfortably support all learners in a meaningful way. Assessment in the world of Kindergarten is what I like to refer to as “Growing Success at its best.” Let me explain.
I think that the assessment philosophies in Growing Success and new assessment continuum are very much in line with the Kindergarten Program; more so than any other grade. I think that the terms ‘assessment for, as and of learning’ are more easily explained in the context of Kindergarten. I feel like the documentation process is naturally occurring here and there is more time to focus on it compared to in other grades. It seems natural and not forced. It is so much easier to do this in Kindergarten because of how the program is set up. There is the emphasis on documentation for the purpose of enhancing learning, but it all works nicely together because of how rich and meaningful the learning is; far more holistic, connected and overlapping through the organization of four frames, rather than compartmentalized subject areas like other grades. The entire assessment continuum (assessment for, as and of learning) are all critical components to assessment and equally important. Personally, I always think of assessment for and assessment as learning working concurrently; hand-in-hand with each other in order to help students work towards established learning goals and success criteria, even in Kindergarten. I tend to think of it as the ongoing, cyclic improvement process that prepares students for the assessment of learning piece. Assessment for learning is supported primary through observing and documenting evidence of learning, through the process of pedagogical documentation., which is used to help students grow within their zone of proximal development (Growing Success, 2010). The process of documentation looks different for everyone, but regardless of how it is done, it is important to note that it is more than just observing and documenting what a child can do. It is also about what they are doing, how they are doing it, who they chose to work with, what they are feeling, etc. It is about capturing their emotions, their unique interactions, processes, and curiousity. Kashin (2015) talks about the why, when, who, what, where, and how of the learning. It is all these things that differentiates documentation from pedagogical documentation. Pedagogical documentation helps us to make meaning of what our students are doing and learning. Reggio-educator, Carlina Rinaldi, describes pedagogical documentation as, “… a way of listening to children, helping us to learn about children during the course of their experiences and to make this learning visible to others for interpretation” (Rinaldi, 2004). According to Carol Wien (2013), pedagogical documentation “creates a space between observation and our interpretation of it.” Our interpretations are what leads to planning and future steps for learning”. It is critical to recognize that documenting beyond a child’s developmental skills highlights the belief that they are capable, competent learners and draws attention to their well-being, feelings, and thought process. Pedagogical documentation makes learning visible for all; students, educators and families. It helps educators plan next steps in meeting the learner where they are. It helps to demonstrate the learning journey each child is on. How do we become a pedagogical leader? In the article, In the article, Leading the Reggio way: A Profile of a Pedagogical Leader the author cites Kagan and Bowman (1997) who define a pedagogical leader as a person who stays current with trends in early years learning, disseminates this information to others and supports children in their growth, development and learning. By this definition, I can’t help but think that we are all pedagogical leaders in the making. So, in closing, I really do believe that Kindergarten is Growing Success at its best. Assessment in Kindergarten and the pedagogical documentation process puts the child at the center of their learning. It makes learning visible. It is improving student learning and looking at students as capable learners, and focusing on just that; learning. It is not about accumulating a pile of evidence, but rather utilizing strategic evidence that tells a learning story and leads to productive next steps and greater learning and growth for the student. References: Kashin, D. (2015). Pedagogical Documentation: Why? When? Who? What? Where? How? Retrieved from: https://tecribresearch.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/pedagogical-documentation-why-when-who-what-where-how/ Leading the Reggio Way: A profile of a Pedagogical Leader. (2013). Technology Rich Inquiry Based Research. Retrieved from: https://tecribresearch.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/leading-the-reggio-way-a-profile-of-a-pedagogical-leader/ Rinaldi, C. (2004). In dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, researching and learning. London: Routledge. Wien, C.A. (2013). Making learning visible through pedagogical documentation. In Ontario. Ministry of Education. Think, feel, act: Lessons from research about young children, pp. 27–30. Toronto: Ministry of Education, Ontario. As educators, our most primary role is to cultivate learning in all of our students. This includes students with diverse needs. Students with special needs and English language learners need increased and specified support to be successful in school. It is important for educators to overcome barriers so that children with special needs can participate and learn without feeling isolated, frustrated and less independent. The Ontario Ministry of Education acknowledges the importance of making sure that a child’s Kindergarten environment is accessible. This means that all children regardless of their ability should be able to use all the materials and participate in all activities and interact with the teachers and peers to the fullest extent equally (http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/policy/os/onschools_2017e.pdf). ELL’s must also be given special consideration to promote a successful school environment. Teachers should intentionally plan with these students in mind, ensure that personal connections are made and provide for increased language learning opportunities. In our classrooms we must create a safe learning environment that is set up to help all of our students succeed. This includes diverse learners with special needs or ELL students. We must keep the needs of all of our students in mind when we plan and program our classes to ensure success for all.
Cultivating learners through mathematics is an important component of a Kindergarten teacher’s day. Teachers should encourage mathematical thinking by providing rich opportunities for their students to practice and expand their skills daily. Good mathematical teaching includes questioning, listening and responding to student thinking to promote mathematical thinking. Classroom environments need to be safe and positive places for young learners to explore mathematical concepts and take risks and make mistakes and make adjustments and learn from both the process and the product of their work. Purposeful, open-ended rich mathematical tasks need to be presented to the students so that they have the opportunity to explore and engage in these activities and expand their mathematical knowledge. The provocations of a K classroom beautifully fit into the notions of these rich, open-ended math tasks.
In order to best support student’s literacy development, teachers and parents must work together in a collaborative environment. Parents and teachers must recognize and appreciate the valuable role that a student’s home learning environment plays in their literacy development. Not all literacy learning occurs at school. Sime may say that most literacy learning occurs at home before children are even enrolled in school. If we look at the gains that children make from birth to school age in their literacy development, they are huge when compared to any other phase in a student’s educational career. Such learning must not be undervalued or overlooked. Parents need to be made aware that they are an essential piece of the literacy puzzle. Techers can educate their students but true learning will only be achieved and be successful if there is a collaborative effort between the home and the school. As a Kindergarten educator, I see the value and importance of play and inquiry, but this hasn’t always been the case.
As a supply teacher, I often dreaded going to Kindergarten classrooms. I pegged it as a boring day where the students would just ‘play’. At this time, my mentality was that Kindergarten at large was “just play” and in fact, the supply plans left for me that read, “Easy day- open centers and let them play all day” surely supported my stance. One day, I supplied at school that totally changed my mindset on play. There was a different sense of engagement with this group of learners. But it wasn’t the learners that made the difference here; it was the learning environment. It was evident that much thought and planning had gone into the room, strategically setting up learning opportunities for students. Everything was play-based and it didn’t fit the Kindergarten mold I’d seen in most schools within my school board. The room didn’t feel unstructured, but by no means was it structured with cookie-cutter centers, and yet, there was a buzz of productivity and learning that could be heard. Meaningful conversations, questioning and exploration filled the room. It all stemmed from play. When you think of play, what comes to mind? Laura Friedman (2011) wrote an article called, “What’s in a Meaning? Defining play.” Here are some of the definitions of play that were compiled from a range of educators. - Play is fun. - Play is downtime. - Play is what you do after school- AFTER learning. - Play is what you do when the "important" stuff has been done. - Play is not as important as learning. - Play offers opportunity for learning. - Play is integrated and interdisciplinary. - Play is an important part of child development. - Play involves hypothesizing, experimenting, testing and concluding. - Play creates valid and significant questions. - Play gives students a sense of control in exploring their interests. ** Excerpt from Friedman (2011) Think critically about your definition. What does it involve? What side of the chart do you most identify with? Friedman (2011) eludes to many misconceptions of play in her article and clearly describes Many educators would describe play as a separate entity from learning and generally, not productive. I, too, initially stood on this side of the debate until I saw the powerful learning that came with allowing students to explore their learning environment and inquire through play. One of the goals of the Ontario Kindergarten Program (2016) is to, “allow child to reap the many proven benefits of learning through relationships, and through play and inquiry.” Naturally through play, children are developing inquiry skills that are relevant across all disciplines. In fact, in a Kindergarten setting, their play allows them to foster the development of these skills through interdisciplinary play. The vision and goals of the Ontario Kindergarten Program (2016) nicely embodies the principles of David Hawkins’ notion of “messing about”. Hawkins, a scientist and educational philosopher, coined the term “messing about” in the 1960’s. He believed that children learn best when they are exploring their interests and ensuing their natural curiosities. The Hawkins Center (Hawkins Centers of Learning) defines “messing about” as: “the three-phase cycle of exploring a material, idea, or situation in order to bring familiarity, make meaning, and raise further questions”. There are three phases to “messing about”: - Unstructured, open-ended play; observation - Identifying learning and action of inquiry - Discussion between child and educator What I find most interesting about the three phases is that they were originally represented by shapes (a circle, triangle and square) rather than numbers. There is no distinct order to these phases, and they can occur in whatever order best suits the learner. I would like to be more mindful of this in my own practice and encourage my learners to “mess about” in a way that suits their path of inquiry, rather than helping to guide them through the ‘established’ path of learning. Some learners may want to discuss prior to observation or maybe they want to identify their goal then discuss before observing. It is flexible to cater to the needs of our learners during their play and inquiry. There is no order. There is no timeline. That is the beauty of ‘messing about’. References: Friedman, L. (2011). What’s in a Meaning? Defining Play. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwiwmh3X_Q1Wa3VORmlXQnJSbWs/edit?pref=2&pli=1 Hawkins Centers for Learning. Cultivate the Scientist in Every Child: The Philosophy of Frances and David Hawkins. Retrieved from: http://www.hawkinscenters.org/exhibit.html Ministry of Education. (2016). The Kindergarten Program (2016). Toronto: Ontario, Ministry of Education. Retrieved from: https://files.ontario.ca/books/edu_the_kindergarten_program_english_aoda_web_oct7.pdf Engaging in risky play is a necessary and important part of childhood. Despite it’s name, risky play actually involves very low risk and provides a multitude of benefits. It sets limits for children and teaches them how to regulate and control fear and anger. Through risky play children get an opportunity to practice skills. They can experience fear and take risks which develop useful qualities that are needed in the case of a real emergency. Risky play is how children acquire skills that they need to develop into adulthood. It is through risky play that they learn how to control their environment, and is perhaps the only place where they are in control of their environment. They learn how to independently solve problems and how to get along with peers.
The outdoor environment should be an extension of the indoor environment and should still be encouraging children with diverse needs to engage in activities that involve an element of manageable risk; but more physical risks than indoors. Risk is an important catalyst for growth. First and foremost, a play environment should always be safe for learners but by no means ‘child proof’. There should be opportunities for learners to challenge themselves within the landscape and master skills within it that are risker than just walking on their own two feet. For instance, small balancing logs, rocks, etc. all serve as natural items that may challenge students in their motor skills. Ideally, outdoor environments should have materials like grass, pebbles, and green spaces to ensure safety. Rough play is a vigorous play style. Young children enjoy engaging in it. Adults usually discourage it and find it to be challenging. Rough play is however a valuable play style. It can be allowed or even encouraged in classroom settings under specific circumstances. Teachers can support rough play by preparing the classroom environment for it. They should also develop rules and policies to support it. Teachers must also be a constant supervisor of rough play and be willing to intervene if necessary. |
AuthorKindergarten Teacher. Catholic Educator in HWCDSB. Archives
June 2018
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