I have worked mostly with elementary age children, so this is going to be a fairly new experience for me. I have volunteered in kindergarten classrooms before, and now that I am officially going to be a full-time kindergarten teacher in about a month, it has finally sunk in that kindergarten is, in fact, my preferred niche in the world of education.
Teacher training started last week, and each day, I've been trying to find inspiration that would help me decide what kind of classroom environment I would like to create for my little princes and princesses.
Inspiration and mood boards really help me visualize the kind of environment I want to provide my kindergarteners. Here are a few things that I really want to focus on during class, and hopefully would help make their kindergarten year a very successful, but at the same time enjoyable one. After all, kindergarten literally means "children's garden!"
Reading
It is my job as a kindergarten teacher to help my kids adjust from home life to school life, and most of them will come in expecting to, not only read more books, but also have an adult read to them, just like mom or dad would do each day. Of all the areas in my classroom, I am most excited about our reading corner. I want to have a cozy atmosphere for reading, with a single couch for the storyteller (initially the teacher, and hopefully in the middle of the school year, someone who has already mastered his/her basic independent reading skills), bean bags, soft carpets, warm lights, and full book shelves.
And if we're lucky, I'd like to have a special reading fort if anyone wants to do independent reading. I am hoping that this kind of welcoming atmosphere would help foster their love for books, something that I find utterly important in a child's life.
Organization
I am quite the neat freak, and this sense of organization has really helped me focus on each task at hand. I want my kids to have accountability in the classroom when it comes to organization in both our immediate surroundings and their behavior. I would like to give them each a sense of responsibility in maintaining a peaceful environment that is conducive to learning and growing. Rotating tasks such as "white board cleaner" or "paper passer" or "color pencil organizer" will not only help them in their fine motor skills, but also give them a healthy sense of purpose in their school life.
Learn, Communicate, and PLAY!
May it be reading, writing, math, science, or art, I want my kids to learn something valuable each day, be able to communicate these new discoveries with their classmates and their family when they get home, and at the same time, and often more importantly, be allowed to do what they're supposed to do as 5 and 6-year olds: play! I want bright colors, educational toys, drawing, storytelling, music, and laughter. At this age, it is important to allow children to be children. That's how they learn. That's how they grow. And that's how they discover who they are as gifted individuals.
And as for me, this poster just says it all...
And I'm proud of it!
(All pictures grabbed from Pinterest!)
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