Defining beliefs and aligning practices!
I love to teach kids new "things"! My favorite way is to lead them on a path that allows them to discover new learning on their own. I typically straddle that line between coach and cheerleader depending on the situation and child.
The guiding principals that I hold near and dear to my heart are:
*all students want to learn
*all students can learn, my job is to speak their language for learning
*what I say and do MATTERS! Each and every decision I make will make an impact....either positive or negative...... No pressure!
*kids learn when they are excited and engaged...Kids learn best when their teacher is also excited and engaged
This chapter asks you to reflect on how you know kids are 'getting it'. I think in kindergarten this is pretty easy! K kids are so open...Their faces say it all! I can literally see their eyes light up when they get it or get all squinty when they are confused. When they don't get it I try my best to see where the confusion lies.... Then it's game on! I feel like I would do whatever,whenever to get a kid to 'get it'. It's a mission! It may take just a simple rewording... maybe small group work.... maybe having another child explain it in their words... finding more real life examples..... extra practice.... whatever it takes to see the light in their eyes.
Taking a deeper look into all my decisions and practices to ensure they align to my beliefs is a somewhat daunting task.... imperative, but daunting!
This blog post on “Teaching with Intention” is just great. I love reading this kind of stuff. Actually I am a full time teacher at Phoenix preschool. I usually do loads of experiments to teach the kids. They also love new games and activities.
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