When the Governor of our state closed down the schools and we received official word from our Superintendent that our schools were closed it was 3 minutes before my preschoolers were dismissed. My co-teacher, our assistant, and myself were in shock. We already had a preschool meeting scheduled for the next day so to open the doors and to tell the parents we were closed for the next 3 weeks broke our hearts.
When the news came we that we were not opening again this school year my heart sank.
In the Spring you really see the kids begin to blossom and grow into independent learners and now we weren't even able to say goodbye to them.
Currently, we Zoom with our preschoolers once a week, post videos 3 times a week with a story book, a math lesson, and a fine motor/self-care activity to work on. The parents are able to record and message us back. We also provide learning packets with hands on activities for the kids and parents to use at home.
My Project
I often describe teaching preschoolers like the life cycle of a butterfly. They come to my classroom small and hungry for knowledge. Do you know that a child's brain is 90% developed by the time they are 5?! As 3 and 4 year olds they learn through play and hands on activities.
So, as the hungry caterpillar eats more it is preparing for its metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly.
So as the school year goes on, my preschoolers are absorbing everything they learn in my classroom to grow and change into independent learners for Kindergarten.
The goal of this project to coincide with my lessons I am presenting on zoom with my students weekly. I use the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to discuss the life cycle of the butterfly, days of the week, healthy and not healthy foods, rote counting, and counting objects. Normally in class we would also be observing our caterpillars in our kit and watching them eat and grow and change into butterflies. This project will allow my students to observe the changes in real time with their own butterfly kit.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Arotzarena and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
