Welcome to Kinderland

I ended last school year excited to start a new journey as a 5th grade teacher.  I spent time over the summer combing through the 5th grade curriculum.  I was planning ways in which my students could direct their own learning.  Since I was moving from 3rd, I was going to have some students for a second time.  That prospect was really exciting.  After 2 days of preparing my classroom, my administration asked me if I would be willing to move to kindergarten.  Enrollment in the school had changed and a teacher needed to move.  Even though I was completely stoked about teaching 5th, I agreed.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.  I was. I had 4 days to prepare my room, and prepare myself for my first kindergarten class.  I honestly didn’t know what to expect.  Fortunately for me, the kindergarten team welcomed me with open arms.  My room came together.

I will never forget seeing my students for the first time.  They came in wide-eyed.  I could tell a few were nervous but most were eager.  It took maybe 5 minutes for me to know that I made the right decision.  I loved it.

Kindergarteners are learners not “students”.  Those that attended a preschool are more student-like but overall they are mostly untrained.   As a third grade teacher, I spent the first part of the year letting my students know it is okay to sit on the floor and work.  Or it is perfectly all right to stand at your desk or sit in the cubbies.  I had to almost convince them to be comfortable in their learning space.  Even by third grade, they are trained to be a certain way in a classroom.  Kindergarteners are different.

We are having a blast.  We are learning and growing together.  Our learning space is changing as we study and learn new things.  The students and I are rearranging the furniture to make letters and shapes.  They are teaching each other how to use technology. They help each other decode words or write numbers and letters.  They have a voice.  I am listening.

Here is a view into our classroom.

Welcome to Kinderland

Chairs are optional.

We like using technology.

We have choices.

We change the classroom.

We doodle.

We build patterns.

We’re learning letters and sight words.

We collaborate with 5th graders.

We work together to problem solve.

We are comfortable.

We invent.

We learn together.

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