For the past two years I have had the honour and the privilege of working with the wonderful Nicole Haas. I am supposed to be her mentor, but I think she has given and inspired me so much more than the other way around. Nicole is a compassionate and kind kindergarten teacher. She purposefully reaches all her students so that they feel loved and accepted, and are therefore, ready to learn. The joy and the wonder of learning is eminent in her room. Kids have a voice. They are heard. Students are cherished. They excel. This year has been difficult because these "littles" have really felt the stress of Covid-19. They have been scared and demanding. Students know something is unusual. They easily pick up on the stresses felt at home. Some students have sad stories of inequity and loneliness to tell. However, their knight in shining armour is Nicole. She enables them to feel safe. Nicole hears their pain and empathizes with them. She makes this complex reality easy to understand and navigate. I have had the privilege of watching her totally diffuse situations of anger and frustration with kind words and compassionate action. And as if that isn't enough Nicole loves to take learning outside. She has devised an awesome outdoor program that her students completely take for granted and enjoy. Nicole put together a wonder wagon for us all to use. Just looking at it fills my own grade 2 students with curiosity and wonder. Conversations start with "Mrs. Fleming, we've got this great idea, we could use .......... from the wonder wagon and ................" And finally, Nicole has this amazing ability of being able to listen to people and make a polished document about what is being said at the same time. Her documentation is superb. I am always joking with her that she has made a stunning document while I am still trying to find the w.......
So, it is with great sadness that at the end of the school year I will be saying goodbye to an excellent teacher, colleague and friend. I am looking forward to seeing what she does in the next chapter of her teaching career. Her new school district is so blessed to have her. If you want to check out her website it is here: https://sites.google.com/s/1S6MxXw3bFJW0DxJg14hMlu-XO99gpvPW/edit?userId=112146724713310765821 And, cheekily, if you want to be a kindergarten teacher in September at our school just post a comment and I will get back to you.
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Many people have inspired me over the years so I thought I would blog about some of them. Can't believe that it has been two and half years since I met this amazing educator! In October 2018 I was able to travel to Kelowna from my small school on the Westshore of Vancouver Island and spend the day at Ellison Elementary. Victoria Den Ouden (or The Vicki as she is called in my school) had promoted the event on twitter. I had previously downloaded an article Vicki wrote about loose parts https://bctela.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/BCTELA-2018-Eng-Pract-Jrnl-lowres.pdf (page 25) The staff at my school thought it was wonderful and so I got the funding to go to a writing workshop given by Angela Stockman.BBCTELA-2018-Eng-Pract-Jrnl-lowres.pdfCTELA-2018-Eng-Pract-Jrnl-lowres.pdf So, why was the day amazing? First, Angela Stockman is a thinker and enjoys grappling with questions. The questions are meaningful, poignant, easily lead to engagement and most importantly, when you put the answers together, they tell a heartfelt story. If I was telling you this story out loud I would stop right here for effect and repeat that last sentence. Think about that for a second, minute, hour. The questions are meaningful, poignant, easily lead to engagement and most importantly, when you put the answers together, they tell a heartfelt story. Isn't that what makes us human beings? To learn through engagement and the heart. To have our stories heard in a safe environment? If you are a presenter or a consultant this is the key to excellent professional development. She knew her audience (which isn't always possible.) Angela used her time wisely, she had the right amount of talk versus getting her audience up and around trying new things and collaborating on ideas. She consistently asked for feedback (which I think is brave.) And she was inspiring. Not only that, Angela had two books published and somehow she added to the books instead of just repeating them. For the first time, in a long time, I wasn't an outsider with crazy ideas. I was home. I have so much to thank her for. My students love "loose parts." They love sticky notes. They love how individual the process of writing can be, and how they can still collaborate and let their voices be heard. I am so thankful to be part of her tribe. I am so thankful that I get to influence my school in this way. Of course, as we learn and grow we go deeper. Which really for me is what her latest book is all about. Going deeper, letting your students lead, asking deep thinking questions and grappling with answers. Disrupting the stories they tell themselves , and I tell myself about being reluctant to write (or in my case blog.) I am so thankful! If you want to check Angela out please go to www.angelastockman.com. Sign up for her weekly newsletter you will be glad you did!
If you have spent any time with me you will know that I do not think of myself as a writer. Give me a subject concerning education and I can talk for hours about it. In fact, I have so many opinions that before long I will notice that your eyes are glazing over and you are thinking about all the laundry you have to do at home. Also, as you may have already noticed short sentences do not come easily to me. This could be why I am a fan of Henry James. And then, of course, there is the issue of commas. Where do they go, when do they go, and why do I either use too many or not enough? All of these issues are a barrier to print.
I also find it hard to keep on topic let alone know which topic I have decided to write about. I also find the rules that underpin writing way too constraining. For me, the physical labour of writing or typing just kills creativity and thought. So where was I? Teachers often apologize for things they make public - be it making a meal, baking a cake, creating art, knitting a sweater, or trying something new when teaching a class. Phrases like, "this is my first time," "I am still learning," this may not be good....." are the words attached to photos of beautiful creations and exemplary work. When did we as a profession become so critical of ourselves? And yes! I say things like this to myself all. the. time. So, this has to stop! I am facing my inner-critic head on and attempting to regularly blog my thoughts about education. It does not matter who reads it, or who doesn't. What matters is that I practice doing something I am not confident about. It will help me reach the students in my class who feel the same way about print. It will help me to have fun in producing the written word. I am very proud to teach in British Columbia. The Ministry of Education has come up with a set of "I can" statements for students that give space for play and self-directed learning. Not only is the student going to be able to show these statements through self-assessment, but I, as the teacher, can make space for this learning in the classroom any way I, and they, want. Great freedom and great responsibility all at the same time. For my class the statements are things like "I understand and share basic information about topics that are important to me," and "I can get new ideas in which I have an interest and build my skills to make them work." On this day it was Stuffy Day. One day a month the kids can bring up to two stuffies to school and the whole day revolves around sharing your day with your stuffy. Seven students decided to set up a Pet Center. "In familiar situations, with direct support, I communicate with peers and adults. I understand and share basic information about topics that are important to me. I talk and listen to people I know. I plan and complete activities with peers and adults. I can answer simple direct questions about my activities and experiences." They wanted to make a space in the classroom where they could look after the stuffies while kids were working. A bit like a doggy day care. This then evolved into an internet clothing factory. They decided to measure the animals and make hats and collars for them. The orders came in. The students had to decide who was going to go around the class with an imaginary ipad and get the orders, what the hats and collars were going to look like, and who was going to make the orders. "I can get new ideas, build on other’s ideas and add new ideas of my own, or combine other people’s ideas in new ways to create new things or solve straightforward problems. My ideas are fun, entertaining, or useful for me and my peers, and I have a sense of accomplishment. I can usually make my ideas work within the constraints of a given form, problem, or materials if I keep playing." The factory begins..... "I can ask questions, make predictions, and use my senses to gather information. I can explore with a purpose in mind and use what I learn. I can tell or show something about my thinking. I can contribute to and use simple criteria. I can find some evidence and make judgments." After all that hard work the Pet Care Hats and Collars Store was closed for the day. In all of this all I had done was observe and be astounded at what was going on.
Do you ever feel so passionate about something that you just don't have the words or the voice to explain what it is all about? That is how I feel about the role of play in everyone's education - not just the Grade 1/2 class. When it works well it appears effortless and inconsequential. What are students learning? They are just playing.... To quote Sir Ken Robinson “Play in its many forms has fundamental roles in all phases of life and especially in the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of children.” When you play you have some much needed control. When you play you learn how to work with others. You learn how to build on the ideas of others. You learn that you have creative ideas. When you play you have fun and your self-worth is built up by none other than you! Here are some examples of play in the grade 1/2 classroom. Tomorrow I will write about the Pet Care Centre that all came together during play and got students self-assessing the BC Core Competencies. The whole thing was stunning!
I start most days with "Choice Time." In a usual Grade 1 classroom most free time happens in the afternoon after the academics have been completed. In my Grade 1/2 class I have found that it is easier to get kids in through the doorway when they start school with something they have chosen to do. The rules are you can do anything sensible and use anything you see in the room. By doing this I can see how and what students are thinking. On occasion, the creativity and play that occurs can set the whole day in motion and create a theme for the day. Playing with Lego. Making a puppet. Making a structure with boxes. It is amazing what stories you can create with Littlest Pet Shop.
So, I had this idea that every week I would post the latest and greatest concerning the Grade 1/2 class. I had great plans! Perfectionism got in the way and nothing got accomplished! Now it is New Year's Day and I am ready to look back at the past three months and reminisce before I prepare for the New Year. This is a reminder of how neat my room can look. This year I have the use of two rooms. The second room is for meeting times and a reading space. Everything may look as if it is in its place. However, I am a strong believer that the kids need to own these spaces too and they have given me other ideas as to how the classrooms can be set up and used. Looking forward to going in tomorrow and seeing if it works.
I am not going into school yet as I try to squeeze every bit of time I have left into my vacation. However, the weather is changing and it is my husband's birthday this week. This means it is now time to start doing some planning as I contemplate the new school year. It is a bigger class with several new students, lots of siblings of families I already know, and my old grade ones are now grade twos. Instead of compiling overviews I am writing unit plans for the year and I am enjoying the new BC curriculum after using it for the first time last year. And yes I thrive with having a messy desk!
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