To give a little background, this week I am doing my Level 3 Field Experience in Sheffield, Iowa. I am in a second grade classroom and those kids are the cutest, let me tell you. I am staying with a woman, Ann, who is lives 7 blocks from the school and actually has a room right next door to my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Clapham. Both Ann and Mrs. Clapham are wonderful, sweet woman and I have loved getting to know both of them!
I hope to blog each day a story or the things that have stood out to me the most, and those precious things the kids say.
The first day was kind of long and I was exhausted at the end of the day!!! After getting home from school, I finally understood why my mom always said, "Just let me sit for 5 minutes." After she got home from school in the afternoon. That is exactly how I felt!!
The biggest thing I took from Mrs. Clapham on the first day was her gentle spirit and tender, compassionate touch with the kids. It was so evident from her first interaction with a student in the morning how much she cares about each and every child in her class. It is so hard to explain and something I could only learn through experience and practicing. All of my extended field experiences have been with older kids, where touch can be a little bit more of a touchy topic. (Ha-no pun intended) I feel as though it still kind of is stressed in every grade to be careful with teacher-student touch, which has always made me kind of nervous in a classroom, knowing what is "okay." Students receive hugs in the morning, after school and all day she is showing she cares by putting a hand on their back while they are asking her an individual question, running her hand over their hair, etc. It is hard to explain without it sounding creepy or over the top- but believe me, it is just how I remember my elementary teachers being with me and it is something that every child wants-- someone who shows they truly care. She is also always complimenting them or pointing out a new shirt, sweet shoes, cool hair-do, etc. Her character, gentle spirit and compassion as a teacher is definitely something I would like to carry into my classroom someday. With my own nieces and nephews and children I know it is so easy for me to give them a quick hug or show them I care, but it has always been a little bit more difficult for me to do in the classroom and I don't know why. So, that said, it has been my goal this week to take note of individual characteristics of children, get on their level when speaking to them, hear them out and occasionally, when it is fitting, place my hand on their head, back, shoulder, etc. when I am talking to them. So far, it's been great and it has given me more energy as a teacher to feel like I am connecting with those students on a different level!!!
It took the kids the morning to warm up to me a little bit, but by the afternoon they were asking me all kinds of questions about myself and at the end of the day, there was a little boy who came up to me and asked me if he could give me a hug before he left. What a sweetheart, if only you could meet this child. (He reminds me a lot of my nephew Miko). I was taken back by this request at first (as I mentioned earlier I've never really had this experience in a younger classroom) and I didn't know what to say to him! (I honestly was worried about whether that was okay for me to do). In case you are wondering, I did give him a hug and he was excited. About four other girls came up and naturally gave a me hug before I left for the day-- let's just say I went home one happy teacha :)
I hope to blog each day a story or the things that have stood out to me the most, and those precious things the kids say.
The first day was kind of long and I was exhausted at the end of the day!!! After getting home from school, I finally understood why my mom always said, "Just let me sit for 5 minutes." After she got home from school in the afternoon. That is exactly how I felt!!
The biggest thing I took from Mrs. Clapham on the first day was her gentle spirit and tender, compassionate touch with the kids. It was so evident from her first interaction with a student in the morning how much she cares about each and every child in her class. It is so hard to explain and something I could only learn through experience and practicing. All of my extended field experiences have been with older kids, where touch can be a little bit more of a touchy topic. (Ha-no pun intended) I feel as though it still kind of is stressed in every grade to be careful with teacher-student touch, which has always made me kind of nervous in a classroom, knowing what is "okay." Students receive hugs in the morning, after school and all day she is showing she cares by putting a hand on their back while they are asking her an individual question, running her hand over their hair, etc. It is hard to explain without it sounding creepy or over the top- but believe me, it is just how I remember my elementary teachers being with me and it is something that every child wants-- someone who shows they truly care. She is also always complimenting them or pointing out a new shirt, sweet shoes, cool hair-do, etc. Her character, gentle spirit and compassion as a teacher is definitely something I would like to carry into my classroom someday. With my own nieces and nephews and children I know it is so easy for me to give them a quick hug or show them I care, but it has always been a little bit more difficult for me to do in the classroom and I don't know why. So, that said, it has been my goal this week to take note of individual characteristics of children, get on their level when speaking to them, hear them out and occasionally, when it is fitting, place my hand on their head, back, shoulder, etc. when I am talking to them. So far, it's been great and it has given me more energy as a teacher to feel like I am connecting with those students on a different level!!!
It took the kids the morning to warm up to me a little bit, but by the afternoon they were asking me all kinds of questions about myself and at the end of the day, there was a little boy who came up to me and asked me if he could give me a hug before he left. What a sweetheart, if only you could meet this child. (He reminds me a lot of my nephew Miko). I was taken back by this request at first (as I mentioned earlier I've never really had this experience in a younger classroom) and I didn't know what to say to him! (I honestly was worried about whether that was okay for me to do). In case you are wondering, I did give him a hug and he was excited. About four other girls came up and naturally gave a me hug before I left for the day-- let's just say I went home one happy teacha :)
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