I apologize for not putting out a blog post sooner. With all that has been going on with the first half of Term 1 being taught from home, there was a lot to unpack when we finally got back in the classroom.
I have had such a blast teaching this classroom and getting to know their strengths and weaknesses. Our first week back in the classroom consisted of re-acclimating to the classroom not just for the students but for us teachers as well. Our first priority was to truly meet the students personally and assess them in the classroom. But most importantly get them comfortable with the changes in their daily schedule and make sure they understand the rules of the classroom.
During this month we worked a lot on our Unit of Inquiry. During term 1 we have been talking about "Who We Are" and about how the differences in people give us new ideas and perspectives. For one of our lessons the students paired up and would ask each other if they like certain things, and if they did they would paste the picture of the thing they liked. In the end the students differed in many things and the worksheet was proof of how they differed in what they liked.
Their ability to read is a high priority in Pre-K and I am asking all of the parents to help them read at home with them whenever you have a chance. In class I make sure that each child has a 1-on-1 reading session with me, Ms. Nao, or Mrs. Aynur. We focus on 4 children a day and by the end of the week every child has had a reading session with the teacher. I also encourage the children to read in class when they have free-time. Throughout the month we are always practicing sight words and I am impressed with how much they remember. It's always fun to see how many ways we can teach and learn the sight words.
In the gym we are using our time less for play time and more for practicing their gross motor skills and advanced movements. Anytime we are in the gym there is a theme behind it. Some of it is a secret though! because we want the parent's to be surprised during sports day.
Okay, I'll show you a sneak peak but don't tell Ms. Nao I showed you.
As a reminder we will be having our Parent-Teacher Conference on 22nd of July. I am looking forward to having a chat with you all.
Updates: I have been assessing each students reading level and I have noticed improvement in all the students. Please encourage them at home to practice reading on Raz-kids and read with them as much as possible, it will go a long way in their development.
As for homework, if your child has trouble doing the homework encourage them to do their best but try not to give them the answer or have them work on it until they get everything right. We want them to make mistakes so that they take responsibility in correcting their mistakes themselves instead of relying on the parents or teachers for the right answer. Of course if they have trouble understanding the homework then giving them explanation on what to do is fine.
If homework is difficult to understand for the parent, feel free to send a message to me via google classroom in either Japanese or English. It will be easier for me to respond via google classroom rather than Jupiter.
I hope you enjoy reading the blog, check back here every now and then for more updates.
