Thursday the 25th
Today was a pretty uneventful day. Did a bunch of photo copies for my teacher, but I also did some reading with a few of the kids. I had them read a page three times, and timed them (with them not knowing that they were being timed) I was amazed at how each one they significantly better. There were 4 boys and one girl that I did this with, and the boys did much better than the girl did. But the weird thing to me is that she did better on the first read then all of the boys, but the boys improved much better than her. I am not sure what that is all about.
Friday the 26th
I LOVE this class. They are so cute and so open with what they say. I was listening to two boys conversation. They were laughing about how they thought ladies underwear was disgusting. One boy said that he was never going to get married because he didn't want to have anything to do with a girl that had to wear ladies underwear. The other boys reply was "well, I can't wait to wear men's underwear because then I will have big balls and a big unit like my dad". The other kid asked what a unit was, but I interrupted and helped them find a different conversation. But I had to tell the teacher and we had a good laugh about it.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
February 25th & 26th
Today was a great day in class. It started off by getting to watch my son do the morning announcements. But my favorite part (other than seeing my son) during announcements is the little pledge that only Miss Leidholm's class does.
"I pledge today to do my best
In reading, math and all the rest.
I promise to obey the rules
In my class and in the school.
I'll respect myself and others too.
I'll expect the best in all I do.
I am here to learn, all I can,
To try my best to be all I am."
What a motto to set for young children. I think it is really amazing for these children to learn how to take self responsibility.
Today I took individual children out in the hall to read with them. It really struck me how some of the kids with more self-esteem, could read better, when the other kids with lower self esteem struggled with reading. There was this one girl that was so excited to go out in the hall with me. She ran to me, gave me a giant bear hug, then dragged me down the hall by my hand to where we were going to read. She had not read the book we were about to read. She was very distracted the whole time she was reading, I kept having to keep her on point. She also kept telling me that she wanted to be fat just like me when she grew up. I asked her what she meant, she replies "Well, when moms like you are fat, that means they are good cooks. My mom is really skinny, and her food is always gross. Cayge told me you were the best cook, and make yummy food. So, I want to be a good cook, and fat like you." Well, I guess I couldn't be anything but flattered. I guess it was a compliment. Then there was a boy that I went out in the hall to read with. He told me straight off the bat, that he didn't want to read, and he wasn't going to. I asked him why, and he told me that he already knows how to read, and that he didn't need my help. So, we just sat there and talked for a few minutes, then I bet him that I could read the book faster than him. And before we knew it, he had read the whole book, and did a very good job at it. It just goes to show that some just need a little push to do what they know they can do.
Feburary 26th
Today in Mrs. Hill's class, they got to do "Kids On Campus" and go to the REC Center. First we partnered up and headed across the street to the Rec. Once there we played games in the indoor hockey area. Then the kids got to do the Rock Climbing Walls. They were so excited. I couldn't believe how equal it was between the boys and the girls. I thought that the girls would be "girly" and be more timid, but they jumped right in (most of them "butting" in front of the boys!). There was one girl that chose not to do it, and one boy that was a little more timid then the rest, but for the most part, they all had a great time.
*Mind you that they weren't allowed to climb higher so that their head was at about four feet, and there was an adult with them whenever a child was on the wall.
It was a really enjoyable time for all the kids, and I am so glad that our University offers a program like this (both the service learning and the Kids On Campus) to the young children in our community.
"I pledge today to do my best
In reading, math and all the rest.
I promise to obey the rules
In my class and in the school.
I'll respect myself and others too.
I'll expect the best in all I do.
I am here to learn, all I can,
To try my best to be all I am."
What a motto to set for young children. I think it is really amazing for these children to learn how to take self responsibility.
Today I took individual children out in the hall to read with them. It really struck me how some of the kids with more self-esteem, could read better, when the other kids with lower self esteem struggled with reading. There was this one girl that was so excited to go out in the hall with me. She ran to me, gave me a giant bear hug, then dragged me down the hall by my hand to where we were going to read. She had not read the book we were about to read. She was very distracted the whole time she was reading, I kept having to keep her on point. She also kept telling me that she wanted to be fat just like me when she grew up. I asked her what she meant, she replies "Well, when moms like you are fat, that means they are good cooks. My mom is really skinny, and her food is always gross. Cayge told me you were the best cook, and make yummy food. So, I want to be a good cook, and fat like you." Well, I guess I couldn't be anything but flattered. I guess it was a compliment. Then there was a boy that I went out in the hall to read with. He told me straight off the bat, that he didn't want to read, and he wasn't going to. I asked him why, and he told me that he already knows how to read, and that he didn't need my help. So, we just sat there and talked for a few minutes, then I bet him that I could read the book faster than him. And before we knew it, he had read the whole book, and did a very good job at it. It just goes to show that some just need a little push to do what they know they can do.
Feburary 26th
Today in Mrs. Hill's class, they got to do "Kids On Campus" and go to the REC Center. First we partnered up and headed across the street to the Rec. Once there we played games in the indoor hockey area. Then the kids got to do the Rock Climbing Walls. They were so excited. I couldn't believe how equal it was between the boys and the girls. I thought that the girls would be "girly" and be more timid, but they jumped right in (most of them "butting" in front of the boys!). There was one girl that chose not to do it, and one boy that was a little more timid then the rest, but for the most part, they all had a great time.
*Mind you that they weren't allowed to climb higher so that their head was at about four feet, and there was an adult with them whenever a child was on the wall.
It was a really enjoyable time for all the kids, and I am so glad that our University offers a program like this (both the service learning and the Kids On Campus) to the young children in our community.
Friday, February 19, 2010
February 19th, 2010
Today was my first day in the K+ room. It was fun to see my little girl interacting with her peers. We started out with the school announcements, and then the pledge. It is probably one of the cutest thing I have ever seen watching these little kids recite the Pledge. Then the class talked about what they were going to have for lunch. We also did a fire drill.
Afterwards, we worked on an art project that the kids had started the day before, then rounded out the hour with free time. One big thing that I noticed between the genders was the attention to details that was paid. The girls seemed way more meticulous on staying inside the lines, and finishing it with perfect detail. The boys just wanted to hurry up and get through the project. Theirs seemed more sloppy, and just wanted to get right to free time. And because I was a new face in the class, both the boys and the girls wanted me to help them do this, or that during free time. It was a fast 1 hour!
Afterwards, we worked on an art project that the kids had started the day before, then rounded out the hour with free time. One big thing that I noticed between the genders was the attention to details that was paid. The girls seemed way more meticulous on staying inside the lines, and finishing it with perfect detail. The boys just wanted to hurry up and get through the project. Theirs seemed more sloppy, and just wanted to get right to free time. And because I was a new face in the class, both the boys and the girls wanted me to help them do this, or that during free time. It was a fast 1 hour!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
February 11, 2010
I am starting to wonder if my teacher wants me in her room. Once again this week she has sent me down to the office to help them with MORE music notes. And when they no longer needed me, she just sent me to the copy room to make over 500 copies for her. (This is me just having a poor me moment, just let it pass, because I am already over it!) But on a lighter note, I asked to work in Mrs. Hills class room on Fridays. So that is 3 hours in Miss Liedholm's class on Thursdays, and 1 hour in Mrs. Hills class on Fridays. I know that's a lot of time to put in the school, but it's 100% worth it to be able to spend time watching my kids grow and learn in the school environment. It was really fun to see all the kids so excited to exchange Valentine's cards with each other. At home, my daughter was way more enthused about getting them ready than my son did. But when the day came, he was so excited to hand his out. While in the office, many kids came in and handed out their cards to the office staff. And the boys seemed just as excited as the girls did. It amazes me how such a little thing as a Valentine's Day card given to an adult brings such pride in a young child when they get a "Thank You" and a little hug. You can tell that no matter how their morning went at home, this little gesture made their day.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
February 4th, 2010
Today was my first official day of Service Learning at West Park. I have volunteered numerous times in the classroom I work in. But this day all I got to do was punch out musical notes for the office. I was a little disappointed because I usually read to the kids, or helped with math. But not today. Oh well, I guess to keep a school running happily, then I guess even the office needs help once in a while.
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