I went to workout this week with a group I started with about a month ago, I have some knee issues and have just finished physio about a month ago, and haven't done any real workouts or sports in about 6 months. Needless to say the workouts are grinding but to reach my goals I continue to go, even if while I'm there I am continually saying I hate this. I came home this Thursday, especially discouraged after the last part of the workout I literally could not finish. (Apparently I can not run for five minutes, then hold a kettle bell for the 6th minute of running and then continue the running). Long story short, I came home upset that I couldn't do it, embarrassed that the other people in the class had witnessed it and generally feeling my own LIMITATIONS. How does this apply and relate to education you ask?
I'm getting there, so I come home upset, and I mention to my significant other that I hate knowing my own limitations. It got me thinking about my students. . . .and their struggles, what do they feel are their limitations, what do they become upset about? Am I supporting their struggles enough, understanding what it is they need, and the encouragement and support necessary for their success? Am I doing enough to change their mind that they don't have limitations?
So going back to my discussion with the significant other, I mentioned to him about my own limitations, his response? "What limitations? It's not a limitation Kat, you can't say you have limitations because you can't do something YET. You will get there, it just takes time to get there."
I am going to think of my classroom the same way, when students are frustrated or upset about what they don't understand or haven't mastered I am going to remind them of YET. It will happen and they will get there! I also think I need to think of my own discouragement and make sure that I am being that cheerleader for each student, they can all get there, it just might not be YET.
I have some pictures I thought I'd post of some cool stuff my kids have been doing:
I teach 4/5 Drama and I found an activity in the Drama Schemes, Themes and Dreams about sequencing involving a wordless picture book. I colour copied 8 pictures from the book, made sure they were randomly stacked and had groups decide what story was being told, writing up their own story. I wasn't sure how it would go, it's a high energy group but they really got into it and the discussion was excellent! Each story was different, the coolest thing was seeing how each group interpreted the pictures! Here are some shots:
Last thing I wanted to show you was the anchor chart my class created after a read aloud called "The Streets are Free," we used the reading strategies we've already covered this year for several days to create a chart about what the book meant to us. I am actually considering having students do their own mini version after another read aloud, it would be a great assessment opportunity and may be an excellent discussion starter. We are moving on to inferencing this week and I am excited to see what the kids will think up!
Have a great week!
Kathleen :)
