The Sound of Encouragement...

Wow. At the beginning of this school year I never thought that I would make it through and entire semester of my biggest fear: KINDERGARTEN. But with each and every day of counting to ten and saying my ABC's I began fall in love with the "little bugs" (as my CF would say). I must admit, one of the most annoying things about the kiddies is the repetition. Sometimes I felt like they were never going to remember what letters come after L-M-N-O-P and everything I was saying was going right over their waist-high heads. However, towards the end of SIT something amazingly adorable and encouraging happened. Throughout the semester I had been stepping way out of my comfort zone by dancing and singing songs with the class about anything and everything. If there was something they had to learn, I created a song and a dance using the information. One day during a typical Writer's Workshop all of the little ones were working independently at their seats. Then I heard it: 

"Columbus sailed on three ships, three ships, three ships. Columbus sailed on three ships in 1492. The Nina, the Nina, the Pinta, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, the Santa Maria. Across the ocean blue. Across the ocean blue."

By the time the first few students had gotten to the third "three ships" every student in the class had joined in singing together quietly as they continued to illustrate their Writer's Workshop pieces. I smiled as I listened to the students randomly singing a song I had taught them weeks ago together. Once they had completed the song they simply quieted down and continued working. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, they would randomly break into song during independent work singing one of the songs I had taught them in one of my many lessons.

Although this may not seem like that big of a deal to interns that have spent the past semester in the upper grades, to me this proved that on some level I had gotten through their little heads. Not only were they remembering the information, they were reciting it again correctly! Their random outbursts into song encouraged me that I had done something right and that they had clearly enjoyed my teaching. It may not seem like much but it lights up my day every time it happens.

A little advice for all of you making the switch down to kindergarten next semester: sing, dance, and get silly!