I apologize for my long absence from blogging. Things have been hectic between my solo week in the fourth grade, switching to the first grade, and my visit from my father a couple of weeks ago.
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| I have included some pictures from the Pinewood Halloween Celebration a few weeks ago! Students signed waivers allowing me to photograph them. Enjoy!! |
I'll use this post to talk about my experience transitioning from the fourth grade to the first grade at Pinewood. I want to begin by saying how much I enjoyed my placement in the fourth grade. I honestly had no idea how much I would love it. Fourth grade is the only age group where I had not been placed. I had no clue what to expect and was pretty confident that I would not get on with the older children. I could not have been more wrong. I don't know if it was the group of students, my cooperating teacher, or the stars aligning themselves but my first seven weeks at Pinewood were wonderful. I loved the content covered by the fourth grade curriculum. I loved that I was able to access a higher level of thinking and independence with the fourth graders. I could ask them questions and they could answer with evidence to support their opinions. Of course, it was easy to love teaching a group of students that love learning as much as they do. These children would BEG me for creative writing homework or to give them extra time to write and share their stories with me. The kids would stack up their pink creative writing notebooks on my desk for me to read and write my comments at the end of the day. Their stories were precious and the strides I saw them making in their language and thinking were incredible. I teared up on my last day with them.
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| Sweethearts! |
That being said, I was not totally prepared for the transition into the first grade. I was going from a class of independent readers and writers to nineteen six-year olds who can't tie their shoes. First grade is a totally different ballgame. I was expecting a bunch of needy babies with snotty noses and band aids on their knees (presumably from tripping on their untied shoes). And I was right. They are very needy. They do have snotty noses. They chit chat over me. There are tears. There is blood. There is quite a bit of hand holding and hugging. BUT I have been blown away by this group's outstanding passion for learning and their overwhelming compassion for helping one another. The acts of kindness and service that I have had the privilege to witness in the last few weeks has been more than a reminder of why I want to be a teacher. There are students in the first grade that have adopted one another and are constantly ready to stand to each other's defense. Half of the students in first grade have been identified to need ESL support. Their friends have decided to stand by them to support their language development and help them practice their English. When one student is crying or hurt on the playground, five students are on the ground with them hugging them or encouraging them. If a student is sick, their desk is covered in a stack of drawings from their classmates. Students walk in every day with drawings or gifts for their classmates. Who knew six-year olds could be so thoughtful? It reminds me that empathy cannot be taught. It is something that must be experienced. It makes all of the hard work, blisters from cutting (yes, the scissors gave me blisters), snot and glitter on my pants (different sources, same kid), and nightmares about being unprepared worth it. I am really starting to love the first grade as much as I love the fourth grade.
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| I was Where's Waldo! Sorry about the quality of the pictures. It was dark and I was using my cell phone. |
The last few weeks at Pinewood have reminded me just how important support from fellow staff members is within a school. Of all of the lessons I have learned thus far in my student teaching experience, this is the most significant. Pinewood is unique in its family atmosphere. You can tell as an outsider, at least in the elementary department, that all of the staff members genuinely like, respect, and trust one another. Teachers can lean on one another to get through the difficult parts of teaching. And then they can laugh about it all together later. I really feel that the relationships between the faculty and their willingness to collaborate to solve problems (whether that be helping an individual student or resolving a school-wide issue) is the foundation to what makes Pinewood work. Out of all of the schools that I have attended, observed, or been placed in, the elementary staff at Pinewood is the most in-sync and supportive that I have seen. I am so fortunate that they have extended this relationship to me throughout my internship. I am so blessed and happy!
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