The last two weeks I have been working in an elementary school with Kindergartners. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays of every week I work in the morning with this one Kindergarten class. In the class I work with the students on their daily journals. Their journals consist of drawing any picture/s that they would like, but they have to write about what they had drawn on the lines provided. Last week I learned that one of the students that I am working with is on a 3rd grade reading level. I could see this through his journal one day. He had written Madagascar on his paper and then had drawn all the characters from the movie. He is a very bright boy, and during their morning circle he has trouble keeping quiet and staying seated. I think this is because he becomes bored with the class. A lot of the students have surprised me with their journals. At a kindergarten level, some of the kids are writing complete sentences on their own. There is a wide rang of skills in the class. Some students are still learning to write their letters, and some of the students are writing full sentences. All of the kids I am working with are all very different, but they are very enjoyable. Having to work with this class at the beginning of the day starts my Tues, Wed, and Thurs. very well.
Nicole,
I am so glad that you have a wonderful class to work with. I also think it is special that your teacher is a former student of mine. Conyers is still sometimes a small town! Having a wide range of abilities within a class is a challenge but the reality of education today. It is helpful for the slower learners but I have some doubts about whether it helps the more advanced or not. What do you think?
Posted by: Susan Stamps | February 01, 2006 at 11:05 AM