Feb.5, 07

Today started with the daily routines as usual. At the beginning of the school year, Ms.Carson would lead the students in doing the calendar, singing the songs, asking them about the weather, counting the number of days that they have been in school, etc. As the year goes by, she is giving the students a greater responsibility. She chooses one student each week to lead the calendar time, so they become little teachers of the class. I can see that they really love it and enjoy it. When they stand up there, even if some of them are shy, they look more "teacher-like" in front of the class, like a little leader. I think this is a great way to make the students feel comfortable about themselves, and they can learn to speak publicly without feeling nervous.

Before I start my practicum, I thought that Grade Ones are very little children. They surprise me by being more mature than I expected, and Ms.Carson surprise me by the way she talks to them. Once, I saw a girl tapping on another girl with a ruler, and the first girl said, "Hey, I don't like it, stop it. I don't like you doing that." I don't believe I was able to do that when I was in Grade One. Today, Ms.Carson sat down and talk to them about their recent issues in the classroom. They were having a lot of arguments, so she told them that when they encounter a problem, try to solve it themselves before coming to her. She wants them to try as best as they can, but if it doesn't work, that would be the time to tell her. However, if they are out in the playground and some older students are trying to bully them, they should not confront them because they are weaker and smaller. They should run and tell a teacher about it, just to protect themselves from immediate harm. I would never imagine saying that to Grade One students if I have not been doing this practicum. There are still a lot that I need to learn from these students and Ms.Carson!