Placement+2+Wk+1+Experience


 * Waterford Elementary School (Orlando, FL)

(*All real names are substituted for made-up names for teachers' and students' safety.)

March 15, 2010** Monday

What a big jump Pre-K is from my high school students at Timber Creek! I'm in a Pre-K Varying Exceptionalities classroom at Waterford Elementary in Orlando. The kids are 3, 4, and 5 year olds. Most of them are 3! Everything in the classroom is tiny. Most of them were sick today so I spent most of the day wiping their drippy noses!

My supervising teacher has 18 kids total divided in 2 groups. One in the morning and one in the afternoon (8:30-11:00 and 12:30-3:00). She has one paraprofessional to help her.


 * Some of the things I learned today:**


 * Boys love books about firetrucks and big machines.
 * Girls love to cook food with strawberries on top.
 * You can't take your eyes off the kids for one minute because they'll be all over each other fighting!
 * Teaching younger kids is more involved and requires much more energy than older students!
 * Kids say the darnest things!
 * This is gonna be a fun playful learning experience!


 * March 16, 2010** Tuesday

There were so many kids absent today. (7 total) So there were only 4 kids present. They were still a handful though! Most kids are sick and even the ones who were there today were either coughing and sneezing.


 * Some things I learned today:**


 * Little kids are sick way too often.
 * Time change is really tough for them. (we sprung forward last Sunday)
 * Many kids at the age of 3 don't know how to share, but a few do and love sharing.
 * Even little cute 3 year old girls know how to bully.
 * Special Ed bus drivers have a helper with him/her in the bus to assist kids.
 * You can make a fun activity making a 'snake' (reptile lesson) by using flat cotton pads, straight pastas wrapped in red bandage. Glue the eyes!
 * Using food (small pieces of snack) is a great strategy for increasing or acknowledging good behavior.

Thinking ahead for the lessons I will be responsible teaching for this 2nd placement, I checked out a few Spring books at the Media Center, including these 2 big books! Of course I had to get one of Eric Carle's!