This observation took place in my kindergarten
classroom. I have a student teacher who
has recently taken over instruction. As
I observe her lessons and work with small groups of children, I have more time
to genuinely observe and listen to the children in my room. That is the one part I hate about my job; I
am usually the only adult in the classroom with 30 plus students. Being able to actively listen to each of my
students and take in all aspects of their sweet personalities is virtually
impossible with all of the instructional and assessment demands. Needless to say, I am thankful for the
opportunity to slow down and observe when I can.
A new little girl started in our class this week in the
afternoon class. She was used to a full
day program, so coming to school after lunch for the first time really had her
confused. She came in the room very
nervous; crying and clinging to her mother.
The mother and teacher in me wanted to rush to her side and help her
feel better and navigate through our room, but I also knew my student teacher,
Lindsey, needed to take the lead on this one.
I was impressed with how well she did.
Lindsey placed her hand on the little girls shoulder and said, “OK
sweetie, your mom needs to go now you will see her in a little while. You are going to stay here with us. I will show you where to hang up your
backpack.” The child was hesitant and
continued to cling to her mother.
Lindsey carefully found the little girls hand and lead her away from her
mother.
Once her mother left, the little
girl stood in the middle of the room and did not want to move. Instead of pressing the issue, Lindsey stood
back and gave her some space. This made
me think of “the art of stepping back” (Stephenson, 2009). As an observer, I could tell the little girl
was not ready to join the group yet, and I was proud of Lindsey for noticing
the same signs and stepping back to give her the child some space. Lindsey went on like normal, taking
attendance and getting the students started on their day. After a few minutes, Lindsey squatted down next
to the little girl and told her when she was ready; she would help her join the
class. The child nodded and said she was ready. After that, the little girl had a great day
and seemed to relax and have fun with the other children. I am proud of Lindsey for helping her
transition so easily.
Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC:
Young Children, 64(2), 90-95. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the
Education Research Complete database. http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=37131016&site=ehost-live&scope=site
It seems like your student teacher did an excellent job dealing with the situation. Children often need time and space to think and to begin to feel comfortable in a new environment. She did a great job of stepping back and looking for cues to show that the little girl was ready to join the class. This past semester I had a student teacher, I also really enjoyed the times where I was able to step back and observe the children and their interactions with the student teacher. Being the only adult in the room, it is often difficult to take time to observe and listen. Thanks for sharing your observation!
ReplyDeleteLeigh,
ReplyDeleteIt’s always nice when there is another person in the classroom to give us a little break (if there is such a thing with kindergarteners). Lindsey did exactly what I would have done with the new student. Stepping back works better than most teachers realize. I know we as early childhood educators tend to want children to just come in and immediately start interacting with the other children. Children also need time to” observe” .And new children especially should be allowed to observe, before starting in a new environment. Lindsey has truly learned from a positive role model/mentor (YOU). I would not be the least bit surprised if she does not consult with you once she gets her own class.