Sunday, August 22, 2010
Kindergarten preparation
My first week and half at Chugach Optional has been amazing! Never having been there before, I wasn't entirely certain what to expect and what I have found is very inspiring for one who understands and respects the way children learn and develop. The school is highly based on parent participation and open communication between staff and the families; as for their teaching philosophy, my mentor, Jean, is still able to promote the power of play within her classroom, when most schools have cut play in kindergarten. I was very surprised at the care and time that the teachers must put into their classroom prior to school starting and I now have a great appreciation for all of the hard work and planning that goes into the room preparation; I never realized how many pencils needed to be sharpened before school! During the preparation, I had the privilege of offering my own ideas as well as watching Jean work her magic as she set up a positive learning environment that was both warm and welcoming. The process is still ongoing and we still have a few things to organize before school starts on Tuesday, but for the most part we are ready for the little ones. :)
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sounds great! I look forward to hearing more.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley, nice post! I was thinking about the fact that you also have the benefit of watching Caycee put together her classroom as a brand new teacher. I think I would learn a lot from watching her create her own classroom, her own identity, especially since she was an intern at Chugach herself just a few years ago. Any perspective?
ReplyDeleteThat's true; as a new teacher to the school, I have been able to help her set up her room and also gain a different perspective as to how a room can be set up. I also never realized how much stuff teachers accumulate over the years and the importance of creating a treasure box of items to bring into a new classroom, because most of the stuff doesn't belong to the class. I think it will be great to be a part of Caycee's first year; she brings some awesome ideas into the kinder world and it's almost like I have two mentors instead of one. :)
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