Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
~Albert Einstein
~Albert Einstein
Often times teachers wonder if the work they do with children actually makes a difference. Do the students internalized the concepts we cover? Do their lives change as a result?
This year, the kindergarteners spent time with Miranda, our Indigenous Liaison Facilitator. She brought to us the Seven Grandfather Teachings. All of the teachings apply to kindergarten work; however, there is one that all of us needed this year. This was the teaching of Bravery. In fact, the very day Miranda presented this teaching, we used what we learned. It was a bit chilly outside, which means that some students get cold. What do we do when this happens? We have two choices--stay cold or do something to warm up. That day, these students made up their minds to be brave about being cold and continue to work through the chills. At the end of the day, these students were proud to have made it through the day despite being cold for a short while. Sometimes we have to push ourselves before we can see results. What I did not expect was how the students turned this learning back on me, their teacher. Do you remember the snake event a few postings ago? Well, let me recap. It was April, there was snow straddling the sides of a fairly deep puddle and students were fishing for none other than SNAKES!!! They had no idea that their teacher absolutely, positively hates snakes! It seemed like the students were interested in snakes. Would they want to learn more? How could we keep this topic alive? What would happen if some snakelings happened to appear in our forest? It didn't take long to find out. The afternoon after I hid the snakelings in what I thought was a cozy little hole, a student came up to me, holding a handful of snakelings in his hand and asked, "What's this Mrs. McKinnon?" "AHHHHHH! Snakes!" came the screech as Mrs. McKinnon dashed from the forest. Shock appeared on this boy's face! His teacher was fleeing from a bunch of woolly brown things?! The chase was on once he realized there was one thing in the world that could get his teacher! Much to his teacher's surprise, some other students came over to ward off this youngster who was trying to put snakes all over her. Later, in a class discussion, the kindergarten class mentioned that a good thing to do when scared was be around someone else who is brave. They can help you to become braver. That's what the teacher got--a bunch of brave kids helping out. On other days when the snakelings appeared to be flying into Mrs. McKinnon's backpack and pockets, students continued to help her out. Even Teddy was enlisted to keep the snakelings at bay. Pretty soon, with the end of the school year drawing to a close, Mrs. McKinnon's original body guard got an idea. All year Mrs. McKinnon said that she was not the only teacher in the room--students were, too. Why not teach Mrs. McKinnon to be brave around snakes? The Plan Step One: Teacher and her aide plays with Mrs. McKinnon by being a snake and telling Mrs. McKinnon that they is going to get her! (Animal Allies Play) Step Two: Colour some of those colouring pages on the table and cut out a snake. Take it to Mrs. McKinnon, put it on her and walk away. (Fine Motor Skills Practice) Step Three: Keep reminding Mrs. McKinnon that she needs to be brave. Also, don't forget to reassure Mrs. McKinnon that she can do it. (Emotional Learning) Step Four: Make Mrs. McKinnon watch snake movies, so we can learn all about them. (Listening, viewing, and notetaking) Step Five: Find Mrs. McKinnon's red snake, Sammy and put him all over Mrs. McKinnon. (more Animal Allies Play) With each step, Mrs. McKinnon seemed to be more desensitized as compared to that fateful day of the snakeling discovery. What will happen if Mrs. McKinnon comes eye to eye with a real snake? Who knows, but she certainly should be more at ease around them as compared to the beginning of the year. If not, maybe she should practice what she teaches and decide to be brave. Not only did this student and her friends understand what it was like to be brave, they also worked on helping others learn these concepts. Teaching impacts not only the student, but the teacher, too. Next time, if you teach something to someone, get ready. You just might learn something, too. The secret is out. Our painting field trip was for you, Dad! We hope you love our paintings for years to come. In case you were wondering, we did the painting ourselves! Our work even impressed Tina Bourassa, our teacher from One Stroke at a Time Art. Check out below to see some of the process. |
Evansview Kindergarten
We're a deep-thinking, problem-solving bunch. Join us on our ride through Kindergarten. Archives
September 2018
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