How perfect is the above John Lennon quote when applied to life? Isn't the ultimate goal in
life to find happiness? I personally believe this to be true. In fact, when you look at our Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers also believed this to be true when they promised these three rights: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Ahhhh, there's the rub: we are not promised Happiness itself, only the opportunity to pursue it. This distinction often proves to be a difficult one to teach our youngsters. While I cannot promise undeniable happiness in my classroom, I can promise this: Every child in my class that is respectful, responsible and gives their best effort will be rewarded with a feeling of pride...which, coincidentally, is an important step in everyone's pursuit of happiness.
After 11 years of teaching Kindergarten, I found myself beginning a new journey. Though I miss teaching the younger ones as they enter their first year of "real" school, I really enjoy the differences that come with the older ones!
In second grade, my main goal was to continue to pique each child's interest when it comes to learning. I stood by my belief that children learn best when the material is presented in a fun way. I can promise that Reading and Writing remained priorities in Second Grade, with math close behind. Though these three subjects are the cornerstone to an excellent education, Science and Social Studies did not get lost in the shuffle. I like to integrate these two subjects, tying them in with Language Arts. This allowed me to devote a majority of our time Reading and Writing while simultaneously exploring the fascinating worlds of Science and Social Studies.
Now that I am in fifth grade, things will change...but only a little. My goal will remain to promote reading and writing. These two subjects areas will always be a priority. However, with the children older now, they will be able to do much more reading and writing independently. Math, being my forte', will take on a whole new arena...I mean multiplication, division, fractions, algebra, WOW! Science and Social Studies will also look more advanced than I'm used to. But, I am looking forward to dipping into the much more challenging concepts we will be seeing!
As a parent, you do have certain expectations that will help foster your child’s learning. First, make sure you go through your child's folder routinely along with the daily planner on a regular basis. Look over the work with your child, complete any unfinished work together and send it back regularly. Also, encourage your child to read as often as possible and even continue to read WITH your child nightly. Even though you most likely have an independent reader, seeing how much YOU enjoy reading will inspire your child to read more. Next, encourage your child to write as much as possible because as we know, "practice is the best of all instructors." I recommend introducing your child to the idea of keeping a journal or diary to write in daily, or at least weekly. Finally, try to set up as many daily routines as possible and assign as many household responsibilities your child can handle in order to establish confidence and autonomy. By doing this, you are shaping an independent thinking, self-reliant, contributing member of society. And, shouldn't that be our overall goal when all is said and done?
I look forward to an exciting and fun year. I know that if we all work together, we can make this year your child's best yet and start them all on their way to finding their happiness!
life to find happiness? I personally believe this to be true. In fact, when you look at our Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers also believed this to be true when they promised these three rights: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Ahhhh, there's the rub: we are not promised Happiness itself, only the opportunity to pursue it. This distinction often proves to be a difficult one to teach our youngsters. While I cannot promise undeniable happiness in my classroom, I can promise this: Every child in my class that is respectful, responsible and gives their best effort will be rewarded with a feeling of pride...which, coincidentally, is an important step in everyone's pursuit of happiness.
After 11 years of teaching Kindergarten, I found myself beginning a new journey. Though I miss teaching the younger ones as they enter their first year of "real" school, I really enjoy the differences that come with the older ones!
In second grade, my main goal was to continue to pique each child's interest when it comes to learning. I stood by my belief that children learn best when the material is presented in a fun way. I can promise that Reading and Writing remained priorities in Second Grade, with math close behind. Though these three subjects are the cornerstone to an excellent education, Science and Social Studies did not get lost in the shuffle. I like to integrate these two subjects, tying them in with Language Arts. This allowed me to devote a majority of our time Reading and Writing while simultaneously exploring the fascinating worlds of Science and Social Studies.
Now that I am in fifth grade, things will change...but only a little. My goal will remain to promote reading and writing. These two subjects areas will always be a priority. However, with the children older now, they will be able to do much more reading and writing independently. Math, being my forte', will take on a whole new arena...I mean multiplication, division, fractions, algebra, WOW! Science and Social Studies will also look more advanced than I'm used to. But, I am looking forward to dipping into the much more challenging concepts we will be seeing!
As a parent, you do have certain expectations that will help foster your child’s learning. First, make sure you go through your child's folder routinely along with the daily planner on a regular basis. Look over the work with your child, complete any unfinished work together and send it back regularly. Also, encourage your child to read as often as possible and even continue to read WITH your child nightly. Even though you most likely have an independent reader, seeing how much YOU enjoy reading will inspire your child to read more. Next, encourage your child to write as much as possible because as we know, "practice is the best of all instructors." I recommend introducing your child to the idea of keeping a journal or diary to write in daily, or at least weekly. Finally, try to set up as many daily routines as possible and assign as many household responsibilities your child can handle in order to establish confidence and autonomy. By doing this, you are shaping an independent thinking, self-reliant, contributing member of society. And, shouldn't that be our overall goal when all is said and done?
I look forward to an exciting and fun year. I know that if we all work together, we can make this year your child's best yet and start them all on their way to finding their happiness!