Education begins in preschool and kindergarten for a reason. These are important formative years where students build skills and develop behaviors to carry them through many years of learning. As a kindergarten teacher, I make it my goal for students to leave my classroom at the end of the year as capable, confident learners.
In order for younger students to learn in a new environment, certain procedures and routines have to be established. Students must feel comfortable and welcome in their learning environment. Young learners must be taught how to operate in a group classroom setting. For some, this is her first time as a student in a class of many. Students must learn to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and needs to both their peers and adults they interact with at school. Students need to understand their role in the class, as well as the teacher's role.
So, what is a young learner's role? In my classroom, I teach students that they are writers. They are readers. They are scientists. They are explorers. Though many of them are learning to do these things for the first time, I want them to feel empowered to take risks in these endeavors. I want them to know that the skills they come in with, perhaps creating an illustration rather than writing a story, or interpreting the pictures in a book rather than reading the words, are valuable too. It's important to me that they do not see themselves as being at a
ED Pulse Poll Results: What Are the Benefits of Community Schools? — Whole Child Education
ED Pulse Poll Results: What Are the Benefits of Community Schools? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGED Pulse Poll Results: What Are the Benefits of Community Schools?October 22, 2013 by Kit Harris, ASCD ResearchASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. Recently theASCD SmartBrief ED Pulse poll sought out the opinion of its readers
