Adapting to change and establishing our shared learning environment

Change

It's been an incredible week of learning, not only for the children but also for the teachers and parents. The beginning of a great year ahead. 

Change is scary sometimes; however, using the words of the ancient Greek philosopher of Ephesus, Heraclitus, that have been sung so beautifully by Indie Arie, "The only thing that is constant is change!". Change encourages questioning, wonderings, inquiry, and growth. Change is good if we allow ourselves to explore the advantages it has to offer us. 

Over the past 7 days, all the students of ISPP experienced a huge change in their environment which they explored with much enthusiasm. The changes they experienced as individuals varied. Some were able to adapt sooner than others they reconnected to familiar faces, friends, furniture and equipment from the old campus on Norodom. Others, on the other hand, were adapting to bigger changes. Country, teachers, loss of old friends in different places, school life, and making new friends. Adapting to these changes is a feat that costs energy and emotions, for big and small people alike. 

Week review

This week in EY2 we have taken these feelings and emotions into consideration as we worked towards establishing child-friendly and understandable essential agreements. Through the aid of the character Ms. Beany and Golden Rules Animal Stories, the children were encouraged to make connections on what 'learning together' might look like, sound like and feel like. 

Their 'written responses' were established through individual conversations while reflecting on the actions of the story characters. 

The essential agreements (posted in the classroom) will be regularly revisited as the children take action within their learning environment. Aided by the 'rainbow chart' they are encouraged to manage the own behaviours. 

Each morning every child begins on the colour green meaning we are ready to learn. Like in our adult lives, our days go up and down, but with each passing day we have an opportunity to start fresh, to learn from mistakes made and build on newly acquired knowledge. 

Throughout the day, the children may move up or down the charts:

Alongside our work on articulating an understanding of our shared learning environment, we have also focused on our circle time skills: looking, listening, speaking, thinking, and concentration. We enjoyed practicing these in our classroom as well as during our specials classes which we visited for the first time on Thursday and Friday. 

Music with Ms Liegh

Art with Ms Dana

Library with Ms Anne

With Thursday and Friday being our first full days of school, we used that time to do some general observations and assess some specific abilities. The children viewed the story Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh.

Before viewing the children were asked 2 focus questions - What did the mice do? and what happened? - this encouraged them to view with a purpose. Later the children engaged in a variety of fun activities; such as, retelling the story using images, mixing primary colours and predicting how they change, and cutting shapes to make mice, from which the teachers could record the data we needed.

 

Lunchtime

The week review would not be complete without mentioning something about our lunchtime. The children have practically all shown a fantastic ability to manage themselves and their space. I have enjoyed sitting and eating with children, not only to monitor but to capitalise on this valuable time as a learning opportunity. If you child is a 'home food' eater, please be sure to send in all the utensils s/he needs to support their independence. 

First fulltime week

With the first full-time week ahead of us, it is understandable that your child may be extremely tired and very likely cranky when s/he returns home in the afternoons. My advice as an experienced mother and educator is: Choose your battles and be gentle with them and yourselves :)

Have a great week.