Did you have fun in Kindergarten? I want my classroom to be a place for rigorous learning opportunities -- and somewhere the students find exciting and fun! In order to achieve this goal, I need engaging, hands-on activities for my students to have fun with....and learn!
I teach in an urban district with a high concentration of poverty.
Unfortunately, my students lack the social skills, vocabulary, prior experiences, and motivation to be enthusiastic about learning and the opportunities that will come to them with a good education. My goal as a Kindergarten teacher is to create a learning environment that gives them the opportunity to interact with each other in fun, engaging ways that have the students eager to come to school -- and excited about learning. Many of the students in my classroom come from households with no income and are solely dependent on social services. Our district has placed an emphasis on regular, on-time attendance -- how can we teach students who are not there? Realizing that having students in school on time is a shared responsibility with a student's family, I do know that a child who is excited about being in school and eager to learn is easier to get there than one who is bored and disengaged.
My Project
With the adoption of the common core standards and curriculum...and all the assessments that accompany this, my students opportunities to 'play' and have fun with learning have been greatly diminished. Science is a great way to give the students an opportunity to explore and learn together. By providing students with magnets in a variety of sizes and styles, with learning activities to accompany them, my students will have fun while learning about scientific properties and magnetism. The main idea behind a centers approach to learning is to get the students talking to each other, posing questions and sharing ideas in a non-threatening environment. There are so many opportunities to expand vocabulary and introduce additional science concepts through the attraction of magnets!
A variety of magnets and an infusion of science center activities will make my science center more engaging to 5 and 6 year olds who are curious about the world around them.
Excitement about what they are learning in school will hopefully carry over to better attendance, more conversations and sharing about what my students are learning in school, and a greater appreciation for educational opportunities.
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