Friday, June 9, 2017

We have been making the second editions of our
 "All About Me" books.
I have been reflecting on where each child began when they entered The Gan and where they are now.
While in September the project took most of the month to create,
in June it has taken one week.
As in September, I used this book as a way to assess what each child knew and was capable of accomplishing on their own.
When the school year began the class was predominately 2 1/2 and 3 year olds with some 4 year olds. We had returning friends and we met new friends.
Currently, we have a mostly 3 and 4 year old class, with two 5 year old friends preparing for a new adventure in the fall.
While creating the books this week, I noticed more of my friends were able to follow 2 step directions-an important developmental skill.
Fine motor skills have greatly improved, as well as the patience needed to use those skills-for example cutting and writing.
My friends' attention spans have lengthened which allowed them to sit and create a few pages of their books with me at a time-for a few of them they created it all at once!  They just kept drawing and writing.
I have faith in every child in this class (and every graduate).
Because my belief in them is unyielding, I will encourage them to try to reach a bit beyond their comfort zones.
We have had class discussions about expectations. This is how I describe "expectation" to the preschoolers: Once I know you can do something on your own, then I expect you to.
They are thrilled when that means climbing the train engine or balancing on the logs, it is not as exciting when it comes to them following through on the "harder" stuff.
At times, this means they are not my biggest fans.  It does not deter me.
I see their potential, I want them to see it.
As I looked at their September 2016 picture side by side to the June 2017 picture, I couldn't help but be impressed by how much the children have grown and developed their capabilities in the past year.
Books like these are concrete examples of their hard work.
I hope you enjoy them as much we enjoyed making them.
It has been a privilege to be their morah.
 



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