leaves of the fall

 

Last week we did an activity for the fall season. I read a story about the weather and then we talked about the fall. We discussed the leaves that fall from trees during that season and the children talked about how it look. I gave each child a magnify and asked them to go out to search for leaves that look like the fall leaves.

The children were so motivated about this and they were showing each other’s what they found. I asked children to smell and feel the leaves and describe that, then I asked them to make a collage of the leaves  they found. I liked how the children were focus in the activity, they were engaged and they w compared their leaves.

I think this activity was good and the children enjoyed it because it was student centered and I tried to let them work independently and choose their partners. Some girls took a big sheet and they told me that they decided to make a collage together. I was glad that they were able to make such decision .

 

Recycling Activity

This week we did a recycling activity because our theme is environment and recycling. I sent letters home to children's parents telling them to send recycling materials like water bottles, tissue boxes etc. the children came with lots of stuff and they were excited about them.

 

 

During the circle time I explained what is recycling and showed them the materials that they brought and asked how can they reuse it and what they can do.. the children came out with great ideas for different materials and then I asked them to move to the table.

 

 

We but everything in one table and the children sat on another table I explained for them that they can use whatever they want from the table and create what they want. I tried to make the activity open so they can create any thing and give them the time they want. The children were really engaged and they spent an hour making different things. I noticed that when they had the time and the materials they showed more creativity. They were independent and they worked cooperatively when they were helping each other cutting tapes and foil.

 

 

 

Everyone was engaged and there were no un appropriate behavior. The teachers also commented that the children need more of such activities were they can express them self freely without directions, models or instructions so I will try to do open ended activities in next lessons. Other teachers also liked the activity and they asked me to print the parents' letter so they can do the activity =)

Outdoor Environment

 

I tried a new thing during this teaching practice which is using the outdoor environment. They have an access from the classroom to back outdoor area where cooperative activities and big projects can done there. The children were very excited about using the outdoor environment and when I took them out for the first time. They were running and playing and it was hard to explain and talk to them. However, after I explain to them that some children will be inside doing other activities and they will have turns to do outdoor activities they started to understand and it was easier to manage inside and outside activities.

 

 

One of the activities i did in the outdoor area was a bus painting activitie. I divided the children into two groups and each group painted a bus.

 

 

 



a child is writting letter u of the word bus



 



the children decided to add their pictures



 

Measurement chart

The children had a lot of fun doing a height measurement chart. The children chose yarn and flower colours and I divided them in pairs so each two children measure each other’s height using yarn and they put it on the wall. I think the activity helped the children to cooperate and talk, they were really interested to see each others height and they were motivated to compare them. I did the activity in two days and the second day I asked the children who did the activity to explain it for other children to reinforce their knowledge and to scaffold each other learning. I tried to step back as much as i could and let them work independently.

You can do this activity for the _mass length and height outcome- it’s really fun =)

here are some pictures

The children brought flash lights from the classroom to investigate others height!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Footprint

I did an activity for letter F. I asked the children to write the letter f on their papers then I let them print their foot on the paper and help each other to print their foot. I gave the children the instructions and I told them that they have to wait for their turn. They were so excited to take their shoes off and do the activity outside.

 

 

children are writting letter F

 

 

I was concerned about the management of the activity because they are not used to such activities and they don’t usually use the outside area. However, the children were really good during the activity. They were waiting for their turn and when some children finished they asked me to help other children. So I tried to step back and let them do the activity independently. I think the activity worked well because the children were really motivated to do it.

 

 

 

 

 
After we finished the children clean up and I choose some children to help me to display their work.

 

 

 

 

 

a child !

I have a boy named Saif in my classroom. He is one of the most missed behavior children in my class. After I did the behavior chart it affected most the children but Saif was not really affective by the chart. It may affect him later if I stay consistent but I really want to try something different with this child. He always refuse to sit on the circle with any teacher, he hit other children and during the small tables activates some times he refuse to do them and choose to go to the computer.

The boy is very smart  and his English also is developed but he is in the low group because of his behavior. I start thinking of his life and the impact of that on his behavior.. His parents are divorced and he live with his older sister who is in grade five and she took care of him he have also two younger brothers. They live with their father and a maid . as I knew from my teacher his father is not always at the house and when the school call the father to come to the school he never showed.

I observed him in the last two days and I noticed the teachers are surrounding him with negative feedback all the time because they are tired off his behavior but that broke my heart and I think this is the place where the teachers should make him feel safe, secure and build his self esteem. I tried to use positive reinforcement by giving him positive feedback whenever he do any good thing ,I also I tried to build a stronger relationship with him by talking with him before the assembly.

 

help me =( any suggestions?

behavior management strategy

 There are no clear rules in the classroom and no specific behavior management techniques that children are familiar with or I can follow during my teaching practice . There are many problems arise from this such as, the  children don’t stop what they doing when the teacher ask them to sit on the carpet, they talk and don’t listen during circle time, some children hit others and sometimes they refuse to do what the teacher asks them to do.

I started a behaviour management technique using children photos. If the children did what the teacher asked them, clean up etc.. they move up until they reach the cloud and then they get a reward. On the other hand if they miss behave they move down. The behaviour chart that I used worked really well with some children but the ones that I was concern about their behaviour it did not affected them a lot.

I tried to be consistent with it but I felt that something is missing but after our discussion about behaviour management on Thursday I figured out that I needed to add a consequences beside the rewards. The children need to understand that there are consequences on their bad behaviour. therefore, I decided to add another column at the bottom of the chart which will be area where the child will miss about 2-4 minutes from play time

I talked with my mentor as well the Arabic teacher about the management system that I am going to use and  they agreed to use it so all of us will be using the same behaviour management technique which I think will make more sense for children and reduce confusion.

We decided to focus on positive behaviour and use prising wards, certificates and gifts as rewards.

Here you can find some certificates =)

http://www.mrprintables.com/printable-certificates-for-kids-good-behavior.html

http://www.rewardcharts4kids.com/good-behavior-printable-certificates/