Who’s the Teacher?
Posted by Hope Spencer on 23 Oct 2009 | Posted in: Inspiration and Motivation, Teachers and Teaching
Recently, my husband, Brent, and I went to Minneapolis to visit my brother and his family. My four-year-old nephew, Charlie, was happy to act as our tour guide. For the price of a frosted doughnut, he showed us around the local grocery store. He pushed a child-size cart and led us to the snack and soda aisles—before he conveniently showed us the baker’s doughnut display! He helped us check into our hotel and was eager to lead us to the elevator and the pool. He also pointed out the nearby mall as we drove him back to his house.
Charlie wanted to show us other things too. He taught Brent and me how to race cars on his racetrack. He helped Brent get the rhythm of scooter-riding. Then he tried to teach me how to play his new video game, but some things take longer than a weekend visit.
It was hard for me to remember that this delightful little boy is only four. He had so much to offer and was so excited to share it. It reminded me that, as a teacher, I know I had a lot to teach my kids. But the kids had a lot to teach me too! Just like Charlie, your students have fun skills and talents as well as important knowledge they want to share with you. But unlike Charlie, you probably won’t have to pay them in frosted doughnuts! Though if you should happen to have any, why not share? Enjoy your students today!
Hope
6 Comments |
Subscribe
|
Email This
Dear Dominique,
While it is appropriate to do a unit on feelings,
openning the window for futher discussions, learning experiences, and awareness I feel I need to point out how important it is to keep that window open.
Of course your students will be excited about so many of the units you have planned (hopefully, the children were invited to let you know their interest), so I would suggest throughout the day, week, or school year you continue to introduce important “Feeling Lesson”.
I always found that when you put some lesson or concept, to music and movement children enjoy it more and retain the lesson longer.
Another activity children love is using the puppets,
(Especially when teacher & assistant or acting like children) in their puppet show. And they love to make their very own this is me puppet to use when acting out their plays.
Wishing you the very best….Happy Teaching.
Annette
This season has been a wet one, so we weren’t able to go outside to play in the leaves until one day last week. When we got to a good patch of leaves and began throwing them in the air to make it “rain”, my four year old group and I all had smiles. One of the children called out “This is the best day ever.” Another child began singing a leaf song we had been practicing for a couple of weeks. Soon, everyone had joined in. Now that song made sense. It’s one thing to see the leaves from the window, and another to touch, and throw, and smell, and cover your friends.
Fall is beautiful in West Virginia and a wonderful time to discuss the seasons with my class. This year I was telling my students that there were four seasons; winter, spring, summer, and fall. We talked about the weather of each season, how the trees change, and what clothing we might wear as the weather changes. We were just getting ready to sing a song about the seasons when one of my students raised his hand politely and asked, “But Mrs. Aragona, aren’t you forgetting deer season?”
I used the pumpkin faces in the Oct/Nov Mailbox 2003. They make a great book and the children can relate how they feel as they make the drawings.
Ask the children what makes them feel happy, sad etc as they make the face of each feeling.
I also let them make pumpkins out of stuffed bags putting faces on them, using real pumpkins and letting them paint faces on them is fun also. Face masks are fun made out of paper plates too.
What a great reminder–I think sometimes I get so caught up in what I have to teach the students and teaching the standards I forget they can teach me:)
I am doing a preschool unit on “Feelings”. Does anyone have some activities or art activities that you have used that were really successful?
Thank you,
Dominique