"Only the curious will learn and only the resolute will overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient." ~Eugene S. Wilson.
This quote summarizes my daily approach to working with young children. While I believe that every child has the capacity to learn, I have a passion for early childhood because of the natural curiosity young children bring into my classroom. They are eager to meet new friends, sing new songs, read new books and test their own ideas out without the fear of failure that creeps up as they age. By no means is this to say that all students are ready to jump in and try every new idea that is presented to them! They are young and some will have moments where they miss their parents. They will cry. They will want to tell me all about their pet hamster during our calendar time. I will have a chance to laugh every day. This is kindergarten and in no other grade do I have a chance to see the enormous growth that will occur in one short year. The students that are entrusted to me in the fall will grow not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. To facilitate this learning, I set my classroom up in learning centers. I use trapezoid tables, rather than traditional desks so that we can rearrange our room to suit our needs.
We may be working in large groups or I may have them partnered up. I have found tables allow us flexibility and allow the students to view the furniture as a “classroom seat” rather than being stuck with the idea that this desk is “theirs” and no one else can be there. As we move around the room for our learning centers, this flexibility is a key to my classroom management.
About My Classroom...
Our building area is available each day during our center time. It is an excellent time to test out the concepts of spatial awareness, balance, coordination, logical reasoning and of course, sharing with others. To read more on the benefits of block play, you may want to read this article from the Early Childhood News. I believe children learn best by being active learners. Whether it is playing with blocks or using their entire body to form a letter "K", my desire is for my students to view each day as a quest for learning. They should look forward to coming to school and be excited about their accomplishments.
Reading is a major component of our curriculum and a key to their success. It is also an area that some of my students will struggle with. From our first day of school, I build them up to consider themselves readers. They all have prior knowledge that they enter the classroom with. My job is to find out what it is and use it to make their learning come alive. The more they comprehend, the better they will do. I want each child to experience success so I spend time assessing my students and work with them individually to find their strengths and weaknesses.
With the use of technology tools such as the iPad and our netbooks, I am able to incorporate audio books and extended language arts activities for those who needs these. Students are learning in new and exciting ways. We can provide tools that reach all learners at the level they are at. Technology does not have to be isolating.
By using iPads, my students' natural curiosity is partnered with the portability of the device. They gravitate toward each other and can't wait to share their ideas with their classmates.
All photos were taken by D. Matasovsky.
Student images were used with permission and may not be reproduced.