What Do Scientists Do?

Classify!

This week, I gave each table a bag of similar items, and asked them to put them in groups of like things.

These kiddos are pros! I was impressed by how quickly and efficiently these babies were able to make decisions and work together.

I was also met with a totally different approach at the end!

This little darlin' not only blew my mind in his thinking, but also in his ability to have his tablemates agree with him!

LOVE thinking out of the box!

The First Day!

 Monday morning came. In walked 40 little feet. In came 20 little minds. In came 20 smiles in all different sizes. Monday morning, my heart grew 20 sizes.

Early in the day we discussed our fears. I gave each table a piece of manilla paper labeled with fears. Their instruction was to right down their worries for the new school year without talking. Twenty little faces looked at me, worried. I told them it was fine and they could even cover it up. 

And so they began. Some knew right away what they needed to write. Others were reserved, and waited until they felt it was safe. We sat in silence for several minutes.

After I saw that everyone was finished, I asked them to stand up, walk around their table, and read their neighbor's worries to themselves. Then, we walked around all the tables.

We are all worried about the same things.

What if no one likes me?

What if my teacher is mean?

What if someone laughs at me?

I  pointed this out to the little minds around the room, and the air got just a bit lighter. I told them we are not going to let this stop us from having a great year! These fears are not going to hold us back!

We then proceeded to tear up every fear to shreds. We threw every fear into the trash. We had fun.

Next, I passed out another piece of paper, but this one was labeled "Hopes"

As they wrote, I could see the worried lips turned to pleased smiles. They wrote the things that had already made them happy that morning. They wrote about all the things they were looking forward to. 

It was magic :)

We kept these papers. We immediately put them up on the wall. 

It's going to be a great year.

Just Keep [Teaching] Swimming

Or alternatively: "How to Have Someone Puke Down Your Swim Suit and Come Back for More!"

This summer, just like the past hundred six, I am teaching swim lessons. Typically, I'll spend 6 hours a day in the pool, and potentially do 96 individual week long sessions a season. That's a lot!

When I was a sophomore on the high school swim team, our special ed peers would come in on spring days to learn to swim. This was something set up within the school, I don't think with the highest of swimming expectations, but rather social. Despite this, Coach saw my potential and asked me to work for him that summer, starting over minimum wage.

And I turned him down!

And then realized, "Oh, it's more money and closer to my house, And I don't have to wear pants!"

"And I'll fall in love and meet my future husband there!"

Well, I didn't think that would happen.  But it did and that's a story for another time!

Learning to dive. Check out those nose bubbles!

As I approach my first year of teaching, I've been comparing how I want my classroom to run and feel and if that is a reflection of my swim lessons.

The major difference is the lack of true lesson planning. I have always felt that teaching was more intuitive, and this may be why. I've always had to decide on the spot, watch how it progressed and and then make another decision.

Next I would say that direct instruction definitely takes the front seat in the pool. I feel like I'm always forcing orders:

"Kick, Kick, Kick!!" 

"Put your face in!"

"Use big arms!"

"Don't drink the water!!"

I didn't realize this until I had a little girl come in who was already very comfortable in the water. So instead of giving her a play by play for how to do backstroke, I instead used guided questions. This allowed her to explore the effect she had on the water, and quickly she had "figured out" how to swim a new stroke!

This is something I saw my peers do so often in the classroom, so implementing it in the pool was a huge "Duh" moment for me, and I feel like I've opened up a new bag of tricks.

The biggest struggle for me, in and out of the water, is when the students simply refuse. I hear No, I don't want to" a lot, but I get it, swimming can be scary at first (and its more often the babies just saying their new favorite word). A big part of this comes down to trust and confidence. This is why I spend a lot of time making inside jokes with three year olds. The sillier I am, the less they think about water accidentally going up their nose It happens all the time, no big deal, just blow like a bull *cue laughter*

I'm hoping to instill that same culture in the classroom this year with Morning Meeting routines. Hopefully by building deeper relationships head on, the No's will be no more.


Do you find yourself using teaching methods in other aspects of your life?
I am guilty of sometimes using my teaching voice on my husband...it's not his favorite :)

Alright, time to go. Anyone guess where I'm headed? Here's a hint: it rhymes with swinning pessons

First Post

Hello!

As a teacher, I am am constantly interested in what makes students better. My favorites bar is filled with teaching blogs, I have stacks of professional development books I'm reading, I listen to education podcasts in the car and on walks... you could say that I am taking in all I can in the education world. The current theme I find among all the buzz words is having students create. Create stories, projects, songs, etc. Wonderful! Awesome! Love it!

I feel though, that with all my consuming, am I creating anything?

This blog is set out to be a place for me to formulate, reflect, and create. I am excited to be producing something myself, and am interested in seeing where it takes me.