Kindergarten means making new friends, learning new ideas, reading new books, solving new problems, playing new games, reaching new goals, making new mistakes, and having a whole lot of fun along the way!
One of the differences between teaching in the States and teaching in South Korea is the timeline. Normally, the school year begins at the end of summer or fall back home, either at the end of August or the first week of September. But in Korea, the school year begins in March.
So say hello to my new kindergarten class - Kindergarten Class of 2017!
[Okay...so I just had a moment as I was typing that. When my current students graduate from kindergarten it'll be 2017. MIND BLOWN. How has time flown by so fast?]
Alright, back on track. It has been officially 2 months in with my new kids, and we've accomplished so much already! Still adjusting to new routines and seeing what works and what doesn't work for each child, but progress nonetheless!
So say hello to my new kindergarten class - Kindergarten Class of 2017!
[Okay...so I just had a moment as I was typing that. When my current students graduate from kindergarten it'll be 2017. MIND BLOWN. How has time flown by so fast?]
Alright, back on track. It has been officially 2 months in with my new kids, and we've accomplished so much already! Still adjusting to new routines and seeing what works and what doesn't work for each child, but progress nonetheless!
Cooking class
Another thing I love about teaching here is that once a month we have a cooking class where the students learn about nutritional foods and learn how to become a little more self-sufficient. Yes, the things we 'cook' are VERY simple, but they're learning how to use their fine motor skills. They're learning how to become more independent. And more importantly...they're LEARNING! I think sometimes we get so caught up with teaching our students the traditional academic goals, we forget just HOW IMPORTANT it is to teach our children and students everyday task that'll not only help them in other subject areas, but will help them in their everyday lives as well. Ultimately, the goal is to teach our students to become self-sufficient citizens that can contribute to the community or society positively, right?
So yes, to varying degrees, I do believe teaching students how to properly use scissors and knives is just as important as learning how to properly site your resources using MLA/APA format when you're writing a paper...But that's probably another discussion for a later blog post.
So yes, to varying degrees, I do believe teaching students how to properly use scissors and knives is just as important as learning how to properly site your resources using MLA/APA format when you're writing a paper...But that's probably another discussion for a later blog post.
earth day activities
Field trip at the botanical garden
At the end of each month we go on a field trip, and as a teacher...field trips can leave you mentally and physically drained by the end of the day, but I do believe it is crucial to be able to learn from outside classroom experiences because it gives students hands on experiences, helps with social development, and let's face it...children need an educational fun break sometimes.
For the month of April, we went on a field trip to the Botanical Garden to go along with what we were learning in science - Plant Unit, and of course to celebrate Earth Day!
This was a self-tour guide field trip, and although I would have preferred to have a tour guide, it was still a valuable experience for the students. I think the best part is when you're able to apply what you've taught in the classroom on the field trip, and you see the lightbulbs in their heads light up and they're spewing out facts they've learn about plants.
Mission complete.
For the month of April, we went on a field trip to the Botanical Garden to go along with what we were learning in science - Plant Unit, and of course to celebrate Earth Day!
This was a self-tour guide field trip, and although I would have preferred to have a tour guide, it was still a valuable experience for the students. I think the best part is when you're able to apply what you've taught in the classroom on the field trip, and you see the lightbulbs in their heads light up and they're spewing out facts they've learn about plants.
Mission complete.
I have officially accepted the fact that it is nearly impossible to take a group photo with everyone facing the camera.
Bok choy plants
For our plant unit in science we learned about the parts of a plant and their needs, and what better way to learn about plants and contribute to Earth Day than to plant our very own Bok Choy plants. These bad boys sprouted surprisingly quickly. We planted them on a Thursday, and when we came back to school 4 days later on Monday, they looked like the photos above. Gotta give it to my students, they have a mean green thumb.
How did you celebrate Earth Day?
How did you celebrate Earth Day?
*The rest of the photos from our activities can be found in the media section of my website. Click on the following link to view the photos! =)