Kids.
Why are children so intimidating? Today I taught my first interactive read aloud lesson to my kindergarten mentor class (if you haven't been following along, I am a teacher in training). I read through my book and planned all weekend, but when I sat down to start reading, I froze for a moment. I just stared at this group of kiddos looking up at me and I thought "what if I mess this up!"
Children are the most honest group of humans on the planet, and I think that is where my fear stemmed from. I knew they would tell me if they hated it. I also kept thinking that everything you do impacts a child, and I just hoped my lesson would make a positive and meaningful impact.
Luckily, they didn't hate it. They actually did better than I could have imagined. I tasked them to think about the different topics from the book while we read. After the book we discussed topics, they came up with several more topics within the book than I anticipated, and the students who rarely speak were sharing their ideas and putting themselves out there.
As prepared as I feel going in to most days of student teaching, this was not one of them. Today showed me though that children are receptive when you put your passion in to your lessons. I feel like that can be applied to all aspects of our lives. When you put your heart and dedication behind something you will be successful, and without trying a group of kindergartners taught me that.
Today they taught me that they have no limits, they can do anything they set their minds to and so can I!
Thanks for sharing this Morgan! It makes me feel a little less nervous about my IRA I have to do on Thursday. I like the line "their passion to learn helped fuel my passion to teach them."
ReplyDeleteKids are honest and forgiving. They know when we are not fully prepared for a lesson or when we are having a bad day. I have always found that it is best to be honest with them and tell them if something is off. They are very forgiving and will do their best to help you out.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nerve wracking when we are doing something new, that's totally out of our element! And that's okay! I love how you recognized that, but then also realized that it wasn't about what you weren't used too or what you "didn't know", it was about your love for teaching, and your passion for those kids! Your heart is in a beautiful place and because of that, I also believe you can do anything! Way to go! <3
ReplyDeleteI love this post, this is what makes you a great future teacher!! I like the line "How lucky I am to have a chance to learn and grow everyday", educators are life-long learners and I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had a great lesson. These first lessons are hard and yet if you are honest and open with your students they will be right there with you. They want you to be successful just as must as you want them to learn. Nice work. Thanks for sharing your day!
ReplyDeleteLouie!! I see it in the picture! We are in the midst of an Ezra Jack Keats' study, in my preschool classroom. What a great book to plan for kindergarteners. I bet the children never noticed your "freeze" - often, these moments are just that - so brief. This is wisdom: "I am going to start looking at it from their lens."
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