2010-2011Reflections

This has been an awsome year.  I have been blessed with a great class.  They had a great amount of academic issues, but great personalities.  I have grown close to each and every child and dread telling them goodbye.  Anticipating next year is always a little nerve racking!! I don't even know where I will be next year thanks to the governmental issues.  I can only pray that I will be back in pre-k.  I'm looking at the bright side and if I get moved to kindergarten, maybe I can loop my fabulous class!!  Pray for all of us pre-k teachers this summer.  Our state needs pre-k in order for these children to succeed!!!

Guiding Children's Questions

As I was reading the section on "Guiding Questions" in Chapter 5 of the Drake & Burns textbook, I thought about how easy it is to just offer a "yes" or "no" question to students.  One thing I have always been taught as an early childhood teacher is to be sure to ask lots of open-ended questions.  The book calls these "guideing questions".  Sometimes asking"guiding questions" can be difficult because you have to be ready for any answer and it could take a really long time to get to the final point.  As I lead group time I like to ask open-ended questions and sometimes it can make our carpet time last what seems like forever.  I love to hear anwers and listen to the children's vocabulary as they try to answer my questions.  I work with very young children which often means their answers of very interesting!!  I tend to use more "topic questions" than ""essential questions" because my students are not ready for the abstract.  They need a little help to stay on topic, or who knows what you will be talking about my the end of the day.  I also use a lot of open-ended questions as I work through the learning centers with my students.  I like to make them think about what they are doing and as "what if" and "how could you" questions.  It is quite interesting to hear the answers when they have to think and use their imagination and prior learning knowledge.  I think I teach a great age to begin the important use of "guided questions".

Integrated Curriculum

May 21, 2011 - Blog

• I hope I am doing this correctly.  Please let me know if not!!  I am writing about the integration of curriculum.  I feel it is very important to integrate subjects with one another. It not only saves time, but making learning more enjoyable and easier to retain.  Drake and Burns gave some great examples of success stories of curriculum integration.  I especially liked the way the Academy in New York City incorporated so many subjects into the creation of handmade kites.  They had fun while conquering many subjects.  I'm sure they retained much of the information learned because of the integration.  I use curriculum integration across all subjects whenever possible.  There is a high success rate listed in the chapters showing how life skills, such as social skills and student collaboration coincides greatly with the integrated approach.  What do you all think about integrating the curriculum and do you practice this in your classroom?

Rena's Personal Blog: New to Blogging!!!

Rena's Personal Blog: New to Blogging!!!: "Let's do this!! We are learning in Grad School what elementary students are learning these days! TECHNOLOGY!!!! Wish I would have had this ..."

New to Blogging!!!

Let's do this!! We are learning in Grad School what elementary students are learning these days! TECHNOLOGY!!!!  Wish I would have had this when I was growing up!