The transition. A Year to reflect.
My planning time greatly decreased; however, my time spent prepping increased 10-fold. My free time was spent cutting, gluing and colouring templates - crafting an example of EVERYTHING in advance. The day relied so much on routine that I now had only 2 teachable hours. You may think "that's all?". And so did I, at first! In Kindergarten time, 2 hours meant 6-8 mini lessons and double the amount of transitions. I soon realized I had my hands full.
Every piece of advice I received before embarking upon my journey in Kindergarten, had one word in common: Routine. Routine. Routine. I dislike routine. I think it's boring. I see the value in it. But I personally dislike it, very much. My distaste for routine was my first hurdle.
I strongly believe change is important to any classroom. And the ability to adapt to change is an essential skill to learn to better function as citizens in the real world. Because the Kindergarten classroom is so dependent upon routine, I wondered how I would incorporate change. I began by changing a few pieces of furniture around the room. I changed the room's decor according to our theme of study. Letting the students know in advance that the room will be different upon their return tomorrow not only built excitement but also prepared those suffering from anxiety to adapt more quickly. My students were apart of the change; therefore, they had some control over their environment. The more often something changed, the better equipped they became for the next inevitable change, beginning with something as superficial as seating arrangements.
Curriculum can be learned. I spent many hours learning what I needed to know. My natural talents with young children and mothering demeanour definitely worked in my favour.
Thus far, my rantings may seem negative. I assure you, there was nothing negative about my experience in Kindergarten. It was a learning curve. The highlight of my year in Kindergarten were "my kids". Within months, they grew into people. And I had a lot to do with that! The relationships I forged through discipline, hugs, laughter, and commitment are worth the sleepless nights. I worked so hard to go above and beyond what was expected. Working with such young children was so gratifying. They see the effort you put in and thank you for it daily. If I added a new center, they were so excited to try it and expressed how cool and fun it was. While teaching in upper elementary, I rarely saw genuine excitement to learn from the students. I've learnt that I feed off of their excitement. It's what pushes me to go above and beyond. It's the reason why I spend my weekends working on "school stuff".
After my evaluation (which went splendidly), my principal told me I found my niche, that my soft demeanour is ideal for cycle one. For the first time in my life, a principal did not say that I "smile too much" and need to be "more firm". When I taught secondary and upper elementary, I had to go against my nature and be "tough". It truly was a struggle for me. I know how to manage a classroom and am able to discipline when necessary but I prefer to do so without having to raise my voice repeatedly and throw students out of class.
Every piece of advice I received before embarking upon my journey in Kindergarten, had one word in common: Routine. Routine. Routine. I dislike routine. I think it's boring. I see the value in it. But I personally dislike it, very much. My distaste for routine was my first hurdle.
I strongly believe change is important to any classroom. And the ability to adapt to change is an essential skill to learn to better function as citizens in the real world. Because the Kindergarten classroom is so dependent upon routine, I wondered how I would incorporate change. I began by changing a few pieces of furniture around the room. I changed the room's decor according to our theme of study. Letting the students know in advance that the room will be different upon their return tomorrow not only built excitement but also prepared those suffering from anxiety to adapt more quickly. My students were apart of the change; therefore, they had some control over their environment. The more often something changed, the better equipped they became for the next inevitable change, beginning with something as superficial as seating arrangements.
Curriculum can be learned. I spent many hours learning what I needed to know. My natural talents with young children and mothering demeanour definitely worked in my favour.
Thus far, my rantings may seem negative. I assure you, there was nothing negative about my experience in Kindergarten. It was a learning curve. The highlight of my year in Kindergarten were "my kids". Within months, they grew into people. And I had a lot to do with that! The relationships I forged through discipline, hugs, laughter, and commitment are worth the sleepless nights. I worked so hard to go above and beyond what was expected. Working with such young children was so gratifying. They see the effort you put in and thank you for it daily. If I added a new center, they were so excited to try it and expressed how cool and fun it was. While teaching in upper elementary, I rarely saw genuine excitement to learn from the students. I've learnt that I feed off of their excitement. It's what pushes me to go above and beyond. It's the reason why I spend my weekends working on "school stuff".
After my evaluation (which went splendidly), my principal told me I found my niche, that my soft demeanour is ideal for cycle one. For the first time in my life, a principal did not say that I "smile too much" and need to be "more firm". When I taught secondary and upper elementary, I had to go against my nature and be "tough". It truly was a struggle for me. I know how to manage a classroom and am able to discipline when necessary but I prefer to do so without having to raise my voice repeatedly and throw students out of class.