Thoughts from Student Teaching

"Our singing unit (3rd&4th grades) is progressing well. I made yet another Excel spreadsheet workbook today (Robin says they’re a teacher’s best friend—the high-tech partner of Post-it Notes ®, perhaps?), compiling all our students’ singing scores. Robin & I noticed the difficulty many children have in reading songs written in hymnal-style notation, with the melody above the words, and the verses written line by line underneath. It's cause kids don't have to use hymnals anymore! Projector screens are NOT the same!"

"For the first time, I had to leave the room because the kids were cracking me up so much. For some reason cute little Franky's "holy guacamole" in response to Miss Irvin's xylophone ostinato just hit me as hilarious!! "

On our thirst for stories: "One thing I've noticed about all the grades is that they "snap to" when it's a story they're being told. They may roll all around the floor or be talking up a storm to themselves, their neighbor, or no one in particular, but the minute they realize a story's being told, they move in close, and sit remarkably still! I love interacting with the younger kids, I think because of this propensity towards stories and imagination. They naturally gravitate towards me... I have to win over the older kids a little more gradually. Not that I won't enjoy teaching the older grades as I get used to them... it just isn't as completely ...natural to me."

So...those are some of the thoughts that tangle like serious pasta in my brain...