Kindergarten Update-D has come down with some allergy related gunk and has unfortunately been suffering with a drippy drippy nose. Today,Friday, a kindergartener told him that his runny nose was apparently caused by sleeping without socks on. So I'm guessing I better send D to bed tonight with several pairs of socks on; maybe multiple layers will increase the effectiveness of the cure!
The title above sums up my day yesterday. (Or at least part of my day.) I subbed in kindergarten from 8:15-11:20 on the fifth day of school. For those of you who don't know there are many analogies that could be said about doing anything with a class of kindergarteners the first few days of school. Herding cats on horseback...squeezing a full tube of toothpaste back into a tube....wrestling a half dozen alligators while herding cats and squeezing toothpaste back into the tube. All are pretty appropriate descriptions of what happens when kindergartens start school. Generally speaking, in our school, you've got scared, nervous, excited, confused five year olds many of whom have never sat down in an academic setting. You teach everything as if no one knows how to do it. You teach how to sit on the floor and not bother your neighbor. You teach how to get up and get in a line not a clump. You teach how to hold scissors. You teach how to turn the paper when you're trying to cut with scissors. You teach the names of the colors in English and Spanish and then spend extra time with the Chinese kid because he is totally lost. (Seriously part of my day yesterday.)
And you get to see and hear so much. Like "Ta dah! I just wrote my name!" And "My favorite color is lleloh!" (Not politically correct to chuckle at speech lisps but seriously, it's very cute.)
I also had the pleasure of explaining to these new kindergarteners what a substitute teacher was. If you haven't really worked with kids before, you might not understand how confusing that is. There are always a few kids even in first grade who wonder if their real teacher is coming back. But not to worry, as I'm explaining that their teacher would indeed be back after lunch, one little girl decided she better voice her concerns about the teacher's absence. "Are you funny?" she asked. Good to know what kindergarteners worry about. Hope I left her with her worries at bay.
3 comments:
I'm totally laughing out loud right now imagining some of these things probably happening in Kaylen's kindergarten class.
Kaylen told me today that one of the rules her teacher told them was that if someone already knows something she's teaching, to just be quiet and go along with it, so that the kids who don't already know it don't feel bad.
I think she's a little bit bored with Kindergarten so far. She knows how to do many things already that I'm sure some struggle with. She's so smart, but there are other areas she needs the work.
Anyway... Thanks for sharing! I don't envy your job. I couldn't do it, and I'm so thankful for teachers!
Hehe, sounds like fun. Stressful fun at times, but still fun:)
I really appreciated your comment on the mission trip fundraising letter entry on SCL - spot on, you totally hit the things I was thinking about. Nice family blog! We have a real heart for orphans and widows, also. I hope and pray that adoption is a door that God will open to us in the future.
Post a Comment