Jan.11, 07

This is the first time I come to Greensborough P.S. on Thursday, and I find that they are quieter than they are on Fridays. Usually, when I went on Friday, they would be talking to each other and fidgeting when we are doing the calendar. Today, they were listening and they were not loud at all. Students’ attention span and moods vary from day to day, and they get used to the 5-day school cycle. They can feel it when it is the beginning of the week, and also when it is coming near weekend. Therefore, teachers need to adjust their lessons according to the days. Planning serious and silent working lessons probably would not be a good idea for a Friday. Even teachers are allowed to wear jeans on Friday! It is interesting how we are dealing with children, and not papers and computers. We need to adjust and accommodate with care to our students.

Ms. Carson taught a lesson on length and width today. She asked me to put masking tape on the floor to make five big rectangles. Then, after she introduced the students to the concept of length and width, they used linking cubes to explore. They talked amongst their groups, and they had to cooperate. Ms. Carson used a lot of body motion to teach them the concept, which I find quite useful. The motion would be embodied into their knowledge system, and it can act as a reminder to the concepts when they forget.

When I asked Ms. Carson about what they are doing in language, she told me that she is integrating science and language, so they write a lot about what they learn in science. They are reading about Winter, they have a brainstorming web on the board with Winter words, and they do writing about Christmas and stories about Winter. I think that it is a good approach, because it will reinforce their knowledge about the subject when they are exposed to it more often.

One thing that I learned today is that I need to learn how to draw animals! I was helping Ms. Carson to draw pictures beside the ideas on the Winter web, and I had trouble drawing a deer and a squirrel. Being able to draw is fundamental to teaching at the elementary level, so I decided that I would find some drawing books and practice drawing animals. This will be my goal for 2007!