Arts, Environment and the Child: Walking the Wheel of the Seasons

Today I met with the education group for the first time.  I was exciting to hear everyone’s ideas coming together to form this group.  We have decided to work on some curriculum that centers around one general concept but developed different activities for many different learning styles.  We will be using the “Multiple Intelligence” concept as a framework for our work.  I am very excited for this; curricular development has recently become a new passion of mine.

Confident that I will be successful.  I feel I have had a lot of experience in this area.  She said the kids are a bit difficult because some of them do not play fair and they all want to be it, typical attitudes for children in kindergarten to experience while tying to learn to participate and work on a team.

We had our first meeting with Ms.  Murray today.  She seemed like she was very open to us being in the classroom and doing what we want to do, we all kicked around different ideas according to what we are interested in.  I think I will be doing my contract with her, even though I will not necessarily be going consistently.  I spoke with maja about going to different schools, it sounded like they would like us to go to the same classroom to get the feel for it, I just don’t think I will be putting in as much time in the classroom as I did last quarter.

I went to Lincoln today to do our lesson in the gym.  We played two group games very successfully.  We also did some brain gym activities to warm them up, they seemed to like them even though they were unsure about them, the children had a lot of fun, and I found it a breeze compared to my normal gym activities with my kids at work.  I think it was simpler because they were all the same age group.

We went to Roosevelt to do our first Art lesson.  I felt extremely uncomfortable.  This classroom experience was so much more stiff ling to me than any other.  During the lesson I felt so much tension from so many people.  
The group of kids I was working with was not into the project at all, they just wanted to go look at the other animals or paint.  They did not have an option, and many of them were upset that they had to stay within the guidelines we gave them.  I couldn’t really blame them, if my friends were painting or playing with snakes I wouldn’t want to work with pastels (it seems they use them more often than paint.)  There was a lot of miscommunication going on; different adults were telling the kids different things.
            When I left that day I felt like I never wanted to go back.  Now that I’ve had a bit of time to sit with this, I think that I could go back if there was some willingness to the amount of structure.  I know I’ve never run a classroom before but I have been a kid and I have worked with them enough to know that most kids would like to do their own thing explore, especially with art, and I know that most teachers want it done their way and for good reason but there has to be a balance.

We had a group meeting today about our presentation.  It seemed as thou we were all feeling a bit overwhelmed as to what we were going to do.  After taking some time to throw out ideas it just fell into place.  Were going to do a sample activity that examples all of the Intelligences.  I’m excited because we will be able to get the class involved.  Our topic will be on recycling and landfills.

We had a Presentation Meeting today; it was just Heather and I.  I think we both felt a little stuck, like things needed to fall into place before we could go anywhere else.  I was extremely out of it and unable to focus, and exhausted from my family that I was not a lot of help.

Today I sat down to brain storm for the lesson plan we are doing in Ms. Murray’s class.  I found myself confused and unsure of what to do.  I have been putting off working on this for a while because of all the pressure that’s on us.  I feel like Jan was disappointed in how things went last time that I just don’t want to disappoint her again.  Marja constructed the last lesson plan and she has been a teacher before, I don’t have the experience she does.  I am trying to pull from that lesson what we have all learned, what to do different next time, and I’m still finding it difficult.

Today I am feeling incredibly frustrated with dream weaver.  There was nobody on the computer center staff that could help me; I went in search for a classmate.  I was fortunate enough to find Ben, I don’t know what he did or how he did it but he not only fixed my immediate problem of having someone else’s information on my file, but he also made it so I could upload things again! YEAH!  I have been having this problem for so long, I have a lot of work to catch up on.

I was supposed to meet Crystal at Roosevelt to go over our lesson plan and check out the area to see where we can walk and collect twigs.  She never came; this worries me a bit because if she was a no show today what if she doesn’t come on Wednesday.  I’m almost thinking about talking to Ms.  Murray about cancelling, we’ll see if she calls me back.  I wouldn’t cancel accept I feel a lot of pressure to do well in this class.

I went to talk to Ms.  Murray today about cancelling the lesson for Wednesday.  I told her that the other person backed out and that I felt unprepared to do it by myself.  I think if it was a different classroom I would have felt more confident, but I feel a lot of pressure with this class and lesson plan.  She told me she did not need it super structured and that she would help and that there would be someone else from our class there.  She convinced me to do it.  I feel better about doing this lesson than I ever have.

I did my lesson plan today at Roosevelt.  I felt like it went well, however I think Ms.  Murray still thought it was a bit too hectic.  Joe and Jan were talking about how giving second graders options isn’t a good idea.  I disagree.  Especially during art why can’t we give them options?  Let them be creative. There were four adults in the class room to help, and they had two options to pick from, so if they had questions and were unclear about what to do we were all available.  I strongly believe that kids are way too institutionalized these days.  I understand you need to keep order in the classroom but there has to be a balance between order and creativity and giving them options.  This experience has turned me off to public schools, or at least the traditional public school teaching methods.
            I’ve spent all quarter researching different learning styles and teaching methods, I feel like I was unable to experiment with them in the classrooms I have been in this quarter.

I have been thinking a lot about my reflections and frustrations with the public school system.  I feel I have been to judgmental.  There is a lot about public school that I do not know.  I have only begun to see what goes on there.  Before I can make anymore judgments I will need to educate myself more and spend more time in the system with an open mind.