Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts

Monday, January 16, 2012

day job: week of jan. 7

Last week in Kindergarten* . . .

. . . we enjoyed the beautiful weather and went outside to explore foam shapes on the easel. (We dipped the shapes in water to make them stick.)

Someone made a lion with her shapes!

We practiced writing with markers on the whiteboards . . .

. . . and with our fingers in some colored sand.

Some of us drew portraits of our friends . . .

. . . while others played with playdough.

One person pretended to be the teacher . . . 

. . . while another pretended to be someone else :)

Our favorite game of the week was "In the Box," a Mrs. Emy original. (What else?)

Some of us liked getting ALL the way in!**

During math time we worked with partners to sort cubes into equal groups . . .

. . . then we turned our cubes into patterns!

And when we were finished with our work, we put everything back in its place.
Sometimes on our own . . .

. . . and sometimes with a little help.

So there you have it -- a few glimpses into our first post-break week. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of what we do all day.

xo, emy



*Kindergarten I (or KG1) is like preschool here. While the kids do come everyday, they're still just three and four years old. I try to incorporate as much play- and sensory-based learning as possible, though I'm also currently required to teach sight words and letter-of-the-week, do guided reading sessions, and issue worksheets as homework. Like anywhere, it's a balance between doing what I'm told and "doing my thing." So to speak.

**Lest you think this wasn't educational, here was the point: The children were practicing the short /i/ sound and a new sight word, "in", as well as learning positional language (in English). They needed to take turns, and they were cheering and laughing with their classmates. In fact, they were all having so much fun that every single student wanted a turn and actively participated the entire time.  In one lesson, we hit literacy, numeracy, social studies, and, of course, foreign language. A small miracle, if I do say so myself :)


Friday, November 4, 2011

we interrupt our regularly scheduled timeline

To bring you the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.

The kindergarten where Emy teaches staged their very own version, in conjunction with the real deal taking place this past week. It was a week-long event, from preparation to execution, and probably the most exciting school activity thus far.

Watching excitedly as the play area is transformed into Mount Arafat.

Learning about the Hajj through a video in the Computer Center.

Day of: Listening to a run down of instructions for the event.

Performing the tawaf (circling seven times in an anti-clockwise direction) on a replica of the Kaaba.

Waiting for the next rite. Boys and girls both wore traditional dress.

Praying together.

Getting water from the Zamzam well.

Handing out "stones" to the children (balled up tinfoil)...

...which are then used to "stone the devil" as Ibrahim is believed to have done.

It was a really beautiful day in many ways - if only we could show you the expressions of joy, excitement, and wonder on these little faces! (Andy's reaction to seeing the photos for the first time: "They're just so cute." It's true, they are.) Emy probably learned just as much as the children. After all, it was her first Hajj, too :)

Eid Mubarak, everyone! xo, andy&emy