This week’s readings made me realize that our school isn’t really allowing time for the children to have group learning that can be extended for days. We do have group learning every day, however it is basically group learning at Circle Time, introducing the lesson of the day, during teacher-directed small group and group learning that is encouraged or guided by the teacher.
I liked how the children came up with the idea of sending a letter to a place that if far away that was quicker than by mail, which was the way they were doing it. The teacher did not give the answer, she allowed the children to come with their own ideas, like, rocket, eagle, wind and telephone. The children even drew their own ideas. After having a conversation one of the children came up with the fax machine and from there they involved a parent. We don’t do this at our school. To be honest there isn’t any time. Last week during a Staff Meeting our director had us go over the monthly Calendar and added more things to it. No longer is it only filled with lesson plans but now we have maybe two or sometimes three teacher directed activities. I asked my director that there was no time available if the children wanted to learn something else, and her answer was, “There always is.” But there really isn’t and this is sad. My co-worker and I tried to show her that our days are filled and there is no breathing room but she continued to add more things to do on the Calendar and said we can always fit it in.
I would love to have these learning groups that are children-directed. Everything here is teacher-directed. I’m feeling so over whelming because I’m learning about new and exciting things and want to implement them into the school but if we do it’s added on to what we are already doing, it’s too much! How can teachers change the minds of their directors? I’m getting discouraged. I promised myself that I wouldn’t complain in my blog this week but I am. I believe in what I’m learning and want to make it happen in our school. I really believe that it would be for the betterment of our school, the children, parents, students, and teachers. How can this be done? Are you able to have group learning directed by children? How is it done where you work?
At our school we sometimes get visits from frogs and insects. How fun would it be to have the children, who often are excited by this, learn about them and come up with ideas that we could make happens and come alive! We also hear the train whistle or see helicopters and airplanes fly over our school. The children often point them out the teachers. I bet if it was allowed we could have child directed group learning. Another special visitor is the Nene Goose. The flock will fly low and we often see them every few weeks. Children bring to school a nest to school that they found, a bug they put in a jar, or a shell that they found. I believe if we aloud the time for this, these things could be great learning experiences.
I often hear children tell stories to each other when they play and after reading this week’s reading it makes me wonder if we could extend this type of group learning? I would like to. I look at the different centers that the children are playing in and think of the group learning that is taking place, as well as how it can be extended. Is there a way to do this? How? Do you think group learning is important? The book goes over in detail the Seven Propositions of learning groups, what do you think of them? Aren’t the children learning from each other? Isn’t play an essential part of learning? Is it important enough to let go of old ideas to let new ones take place and form?
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI can feel the frustration in you. You are not able to implement the knowledge you've learnt into the classroom. The things that the director added into the list, are you able to turn these things or topics into a learning group setting? During small group in you regular schedule, were you able to use this time for small group learning? When you describe that frogs and insects come into the classroom and the children will be fascinated, are you able to make it as one of the curriculum plan in your classroom? Is your program or director plan the lesson according to the children's interest or the teacher's? Are your program/philosophy statement following the Hawaii Content Standard or The creative curriculum or something that I don't know? Are you able to speak up/stand up for the children's needs and interests during staff meeting?
Hey Susan,
ReplyDeleteWow, what a story. Its sad to hear that your program don't allow the group learning to extend for days. It is good for the children to come up with their ideas and expand on it through days. Is your program a program where only the director can implement ideas and tell you what to do? Everybody has rights to stand up for what they believe in. And I believe if you sit down with your coworkers, and with your director and tell your director what your idea is, do you think that your program can change. It may take only one person to speak up to get something done. If you want something go for it. There is no shame in asking and discussing what you are feeling. Is your program and open door program, where you are allow to go to someone and talk to them? When you have learning group in circle time, you mention that sometimes the children are interested in bugs, or airplanes, do you think that during that circle time or the day after you can talk about it? Is this a program with a set curriculum? It sounds like your boss seems like he or she has all the control and power to tell you guys to do this and do that. I think that sometimes, your boss should put your shoes on and see how it is in the classroom. I believe with a little talking and showing to your director what you feel you want to implement it will be done. However I wonder, how would the director point of view feel like? Would he or she feel that why should you be telling me what to do because Im the director or will he or she be open to new ideas?
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI would be discouraged and frustrated as well if my director keeps adding teacher directed activities into my lesson plans. Why do you think she added two or three more teacher-directed activities? What did your director based the teacher-directed activities on? Did she come up with those activities?
Regarding about the frogs and insects, have you thought about making it as monthly curriculum? Since the children shows excitement and curiosity about frogs, insects. helicopters or aiplanes, why not turning them into a curriculum or group discussion during circle time? Are you allowed to change your monthly calendar or does your director want you to stick to it no matter what? I remember when we had our insect and ocean animals curriculum, each lasted for about two months! And of course, not everyday we implemented about mostly insects or ocean animals, but we also fit other things in our weekly calendar. Also what work for us is that instead of doing monthly planning, my teacher/director does weekly planning!
Thanks,
Hannah
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experiences about teacher-directed learning. Indeed, many schools and teachers follow teacher-directed teaching and learning. As my own teaching experiences, teacher-directed teaching and learning is full of our school. Actually, children-directed group learning can very challenging for most teachers because it take times to figure out children’s theories and spend times to apply children’s theories in our teaching. After read about Reggio children’s learning experiences, I started to change my teaching style and encourage myself to use children-directed group learning. Here I would like to know, how do you think about the weaknesses of teacher-directed group learning? What will be the disadvantages/advantages of children-directed group learning?
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteYour honesty gives all of something to really think about in terms of our own practice and situations. The rethinking of practice is not an easy process and can be even harder when accountability and expectations are added to the mix. I wonder how you might make an argument for your director.
Your colleague in our course did something quite interesting this week. She took a previous observation and then rethought it in terms of the ideas shared in our course. How might you rethink your monthly calendar through the lens of our course? Try focusing on one day and see how it might be rethought. What emerges from the rethinking? Does it help you to make an argument for how the curriculum might expand beyond the limitations of standardized practice?
Jeanne