WTF

In case anyone is still reading....can you believe this????!

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5037937/

Thank you!

I hope you all enjoy the rest of this school year and congratulations on completing this semester. Enjoy the rest of your year and have a wonderful summer if I do not see you all again:)

That time already?! Reading Response and Self-Evaluation

It is hard to believe that this semester is winding down and that we are fast approaching the end of the semester. I know that I am a week early in posting the Reading Response and Self-evaluation, but Spring Break is the perfect time to catch up on things!

After re-reading my blogs I was suprised at the number of literacy concepts I apply in my classroom without even really realizing it! Running records, dialogic read-alouds, and other assessments are apart of my daily classroom routines, along with strategies neccessary to assist ELL students. I was also surprised that I recalled previously learned information regarding topics such as Reggio Emilia and how to incorporate some of its ideas, such as familial ownership into the classroom.

As far as blogging goes, I have decided that at this point I have a love/hate relationship going on and whether I am feeling the love all depends upon the topic! I have learned that I can be quite passionate about certain topics (i.e. what best practice tells us we should be doing contrasted with the reality of what a school district and your boss may be telling you to do). I am not sure if I will continue to blog, but even if I do not I can honestly say that it has been beneficial to respond to articles in a forum that allows me to express myself in a laid back environment.

While rereading my classmates posts it became clear that we all have things in common...including desires to instill change in the public school system regarding best practices and some things we see differently....what we need to expect from families. We all seem to be reflective and acknowledge that we feel (a great deal of the time) like there is always more that we could be doing for our students and we seek the knowledge to make sure that happens. It is also clear from our blogs that we love our students and find joy in the humorous, day to day events that make up our careers as early childhood educators.

100 languages of learning....

When I was in the B-K program here at UNC a few years ago, we explored the Reggio approach in depth. This approach believes in allowing children to explore the world around them through the "100 languages of learning". Children are encourgaged to explore a wide variety of materials from a very young age, and the approach to learning is very family oriented and relationship based. When I was doing my preschool and infant observations I was lucky enough to be assigned to a Birth-preK facility that echoed the Reggio approach. It was located in a converted home, with acres of land to explore. Family workdays produced gardens, fences and relationships between the staff, children and parents. Children had access to a variety of art materials and produced masterpieces as babies and toddlers. Our readings this week echoed the importance of relationship building and I could not help but think of my experiences at this school. Now that I am in a public school setting, with older children, I appreciated this connection even more as it reminds me to include families in all that we do. I sometimes feel that as teachers we are on our own when it comes to doing this and that we need to make the effort. Yes, public schools offer parent nights and programs, but parents are often unaware that they are welcome in the classroom:)

ELL students

The reading and video this week had many elements from a course I took last semester. In our class we were taught that first and foremost the child's native language should be celebrated and used at home and that it is acceptable in the classroom as well (echoed in the video). I have had parents ask me if they need to speak English at home with their children and we always tell them to speak in their home language! As the video mentioned, students bring sophisticated literacy skills from their native language as well, and will help them in their acquistion of a new language and literacy skills in that new language. In the classroom we were encouraged to use strategies that supported the child's development of Literacy skills in the classroom. Many of these strategies (Print rich environment, speaking with gestures, repetition, fixed schedules) are best practice for all children this age. Like the video also discussed, it is very important to find out what knowledge your ELL students come in with (in their native language).

Another discussion that often came up in class was the importance of ELL services and that best practice dictates that those services are put to best use if they occur within the classroom ( a pushin rather than a pullout method). Some schools use a pullout method exclusively, which means the children are missing class time with their peers and teacher. One of my classmates last semester, an ELL teacher, worked in the classroom, co teaching lessons and modifiying plans so that the children stayed in the room! One of our classes was a meeting with some college aged students who had recieved ELL services in a pullout method while they were in school. They ALL thought that pullout classes were too easy, separated them from other classmates and created a divide between them. Those that had services while in the classroom felt more connected and did not miss aspects of the curriculum. It was very interesting to get a first hand account about what we get right and wrong regarding ELL services.

The article that I read discussed research that supports the importance of oral language in its relation to reading (sometimes when I read these articles I am like "duh" ask any person who helps teach children to read and they could tell you this).
The article gave suggestions for teachers including the following: promote intentional conversations, create opportunities and time for content based discussions and opportunities for reflection. The reflection portion is something that I am trying to focus on in my classroom this year. I believe that self-reflection is important for students, including, five year olds. It gives them the opportunity to orally discuss what they have accomplished in a center and shows me that they are making the connection between what I have taught them and the activities in their centers, while building oral conversation skills. This is something I am tweaking as the year goes on!