tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post8724927272173779427..comments2022-03-25T18:47:05.741-07:00Comments on this kindergarten life: loosely told storiesLaurel Fyneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01694746377382643755noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-75222221802641971392016-12-01T04:58:31.369-08:002016-12-01T04:58:31.369-08:00Dear Laurel,
It is wonderful to read you after so ...Dear Laurel,<br />It is wonderful to read you after so many years. We met at the Summer intensive Reggio workshop with Diane Kashin. I believe I'm squatting in the far left hand corner of the photo in the picture frame souvenir we got. Your posts are inspiring. I am volunteering in my daughter's Junior K class at the moment and hope to put together a loose parts area. Your photos are very helpfull. Thanks again. if you have any recomendations, please don't hesitate to pass them on.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05847430641513934734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-507788447733819502015-06-28T16:02:32.233-07:002015-06-28T16:02:32.233-07:00Sherri,
While every year is different, I wrote thi...Sherri,<br />While every year is different, I wrote this post while I was still teaching 1/2 day Kindergarten (2 classes of 20 students or less) while now I am a co-teacher in a full-day early learning class (starting with 28 but numbers change monthly as we're in a high-transition neighbourhood) and there's a nice long part of the day for exploratory play, during which snack is always an option. As such, this schedule allows for self-regulation to develop - students have to decide between their various motivations. We don't have any set numbers, in terms of how many students may involved in a certain area or project. Truly these things are negotiated daily, in terms of who wishes to join in a group, what materials are used, and how the learning is shared (e.g. documented). We try to say "yes" more often than we say "no" but with a large class there are times it's necessary to limit materials, numbers or time, simply because we are so many in a room and we share the space with two other classes (we have a unique three-room pod, all kindergarten classes). We reflect on our choices often, with the students. It is very much a community. I hope this answers your questions, but if you'd like to see more, check our class twitter page (now inactive for summer but go back through the year) for examples of daily events: https://twitter.com/109ThornKsLaurel Fyneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01694746377382643755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-71688880574869790892015-06-13T05:20:01.406-07:002015-06-13T05:20:01.406-07:00Thank you for your images and inspiration! I am ex...Thank you for your images and inspiration! I am excited to know more about your approach. Do you encourage children to move amongst areas as they feel led? Do you have a set number of children in each area? How to you handle snack. Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-51695053590851271312013-06-11T08:24:15.528-07:002013-06-11T08:24:15.528-07:00Thank you, I shall tell them you said so.
Now is ...Thank you, I shall tell them you said so. <br />Now is a perfect time for that walk: geese are moulting. My kids helped me gather a large bunch of beautiful flight feathers this weekend, and today my class were adding them to the play all over the room. A word to the wise, though: when taking home bricks like I did (I love Colonel Sam Smith Park for the treasures!) be aware that many things love to nest in those holes. Such safe, little homes for spider eggs and other creepy crawlies. Lovely for little ones to discover, but perhaps not so lovely to discover all over your car. That's another story.Laurel Fyneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01694746377382643755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-5016353126761845792013-06-10T21:09:07.646-07:002013-06-10T21:09:07.646-07:00Laurel,
Their creaions are breathtaking. You hav...Laurel,<br /><br />Their creaions are breathtaking. You have a bunch of little Goldsworthys! I always find their sense of balance, symmetry, and design comes so naturally at this age. If we can nuture this, imagine what confident artists, risk-takers and problem-solvers they will be as they grow. I love the abundance and variety of the materials you offer the children, and how you get them to sign-in and choose what they would like to do. You've inspired me to take a walk to the beach!Sergio Pascuccihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14103112675879209782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-21300687725951444132013-06-10T14:04:38.553-07:002013-06-10T14:04:38.553-07:00Thank you! I'm delighted to have found you (th...Thank you! I'm delighted to have found you (thanks to twitter PLN) and your inspiring Pinterest boards.Laurel Fyneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01694746377382643755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-73820685290565398662013-06-10T13:52:17.455-07:002013-06-10T13:52:17.455-07:00Jocelyn,
I am truly humbled and honoured by your ...Jocelyn,<br /><br />I am truly humbled and honoured by your comment. It was people like you, Joanne and Serge (three blogs I've followed for quite a while now) and my wonderful Kindy AQ instructors, who gave me the courage to question everything I was doing, and to throw out what I didn't like. I used the PDSB mantra: "rethink, remove, repeat" to my classroom and to my program. In the last two years, I've seen amazing growth, in my students and in my own learning. I feel so connected to my students, and so incredibly proud of what they accomplish each week. <br />Those three words you picked out... I'm speechless. I love that you caught those, because those are all very important to my goals this year.<br /><br />That is exactly what I see growing out of emergent curriculum, even in my fast-paced half-day program. The collaboration allows for such depth of learning, and for all students to feel successful. Organic, because ideas grow and change and sprout up in new ways, but never really leave. Stamina, well I used to focus more on self-regulation, but I've come to see that they are on a continuum. The way that having plentiful, interesting choices for exploration allows students to try many activities and to become aware of their own interests, well, the first thing I see develop is self-regulation ("I love building, but I'm hungry, so I'm taking a break"). Then it naturally expands as students hone their talents and their focus, and suddenly you see students working through challenges that they would never have tried in the beginning of the year.<br /><br />That's a testament to inquiry-based programming, I think. It's not me, it's my students working hard. I'm just glad to be a part of it, listening and helping capture the ideas as they bubble up. <br /><br />Thank you again for your kind words. <br />LaurelLaurel Fyneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01694746377382643755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-379691127242952142013-06-09T13:25:03.395-07:002013-06-09T13:25:03.395-07:00Love this - so inspiring!
- Rachel (",)Love this - so inspiring!<br />- Rachel (",)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13401629998590054170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-57458545065589059462013-06-09T13:24:30.244-07:002013-06-09T13:24:30.244-07:00Hi Laurel,
What a fantastic post! You have created...Hi Laurel,<br />What a fantastic post! You have created such an inviting and beautiful learning environment for your students that has helped make such incredible opportunities for them possible! Three words stuck with me as I was reading... ORGANIC, COLLABORATION, and STAMINA. It's amazing how these words elicit such rich dialogue amongst our students and open-ended materials upon exploration are a fascinating learning tool! It's interesting because these three words also ring true when it comes to our own professional learning and development. Thanks for sparking my thinking and sharing your work! Your students are truly lucky to have you as their teacher and it goes without saying, but you're an inspiration to many. <br />Sincerely,<br />Jocelyn <br />www.ljpskindergartenteam.blogspot.comJocelyn Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17583566149113654951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-53041202363261191732013-06-09T07:32:57.349-07:002013-06-09T07:32:57.349-07:00Most of my bowls, dishes, and many of the gems hav...Most of my bowls, dishes, and many of the gems have come from second-hand stores like Talize or Value Village, but it's yard sale season too, so happy hunting! The teak dish with the metal bowls, however, was a hand-me-down family item that I used to use for appetizers. Not as easy to find as the wooden salad bowls (one big, several small) that I buy whenever I find them. The kids love those bowls, and lug them all around the room.Laurel Fyneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01694746377382643755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387202938979186877.post-88338981736575077112013-06-09T06:37:53.971-07:002013-06-09T06:37:53.971-07:00I've been looking for a Lazy Susan like the on...I've been looking for a Lazy Susan like the one in your last picture. May I ask where you got yours?Sunshinydayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13370801168873126923noreply@blogger.com