Week One of Kindergarten

My littles and I have completed one week. I was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly it went. We have learned all about class dojo, we can line up (in the same order every time!) and walk quietly, and we know lots of catchy songs that teach us (no matter how annoying they are to adults). 

My goal for the week was to create an environment that incorporated choice, challenge and comfort. Along the way we also got a lot of learning done. 

Look at my cool word wall! Students are able to grab the word they need and then reclip it onto the correct letter's ribbon. 

Students decide what work they are proud of and want displayed on the Incredible Work board.

A comfy place for little people to sit while reading.

My students have a variety of ability leveles based on their prior experiences so far. It's a bit challenging to meet them all where they are but that's ok. The joy that I feel when a high flyer makes a profound connection is the same joy I feel when a struggler beams with pride for understanding the basics of our lesson. 

I had the chance to meet and greet about half of my parents at Back to School night. I appreciated the efforts of all the hard working parents that showed up. Some, no doubt, had worked all day before coming to the program. Some, admittedly had difficultly understanding it all. Regardless of their challenges, they attended. Their attendance shows their children that they care about a positive outcome this school year. And it reminds teachers like little old me that we are a community of hearts all hoping and sacrificing for the good of our students. 

Mrs. T