So Simply Katie

At Lakeview there is diversity. There isn't a lot of different cultures in the area but there are many different styles and level of learners. I have watched closely and enjoyed seeing the teachers respond to them. One of the strategies I saw that I really liked was when one teacher was teaching math and she used 3 different styles of teaching right in a row. She knew that she had some hands on learners and and some visual learners so she made sure to teach in different techniques. Another strategy she used was peer tutoring. When she was teaching a new concept she would watch for her fast learners to pick it up and then she asked them to help their partners who needed a little more time figuring it out. I really liked this technique because it teaches confidence and trust in each other.

This week in the classrooms I payed close attention to one small boy that came to class in a teeny little wheelchair and a medical mask. He made me think of the IDEA, that is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. I am so proud to be going into this wonderful profession where every child is treated equally. I of course am not allowed to ask what this little boy struggles with but it brings me joy and pride to see him in the class room being taught as he deserves. I don't know if he has an IEP but if he does it's so great that he is able to do school at his own pace and learn in his own ways. The IDEA gives this child the chance to feel like he is part of the class and not separated in any way.

    This week I have been focusing on engaged learning in the classrooms. I have had the opportunity to watch the teachers engage with the children and truly get them involved on a meaningful level. One of the things I saw was the use of a program that breaks the kids up into groups and gives them each a job. This program is called Kaegan. Each student takes turn doing each job within each group. I loved how it gave the kids responsibilities and a part to play in coming up with the answers.    Another thing I saw was a teacher asking one child from each group to get white boards, another child to get markers, and another student to get erasers. Then they worked as a group to come up with the final answer to a math problem, then one student at a time would raise their boards to show their answers. This got the kids involved in getting supplies out and again using separate roles to accomplish answers as a group.   The last example of engaged learning I saw that ...