I recently signed up to get updates from EdWeek via email and today's update included an interesting link.
I highly recommend that you click on the link and watch the short video. Susan Kempton, the author of the book Let's Find Out: Building Content Knowledge with Young Children, takes you on a tour of her classroom. Let's just say it doesn't seem like a "typical" Kindergarten classroom...
I am very curious where she teaches and what kind of school it is (public, private, charter?).
I am interested in reading her book, yet I am not sure if it would just frustrate me.
Her classroom seems amazing, yet VERY different from my own.
No doubt, her students are learning a ton and LOVE going to school each day.
Getting greeted with a big hug follow by visits with a variety of live animals that are the classroom pets, followed by choice time to explore a variety of fun stations include big wooden blocks, sewing, and a pretend dentist's office for dogs and cats, as well as opportunities to look through tons of interesting books...who wouldn't want to be in her class?!
But, watching the video left me wondering...
How does she teach reading?
How does she teach math?
Is all the learning exploratory and incidental?
This strikes me as what Kindergarten should look like. Yet, in most cases I think Kindergarten no longer resembles this kind of classroom environment and this kind of learning.
What do you think of Susan's classroom?
What do you want to know about her teaching?
4 comments:
Basically left wondering the same thing :)
In some ways her room looks like a Waldorf room---but a bit more cluttered. I really was amazed at the amount of animals she has in her classroom.
It reminds me of Montessori in that the children have choice areas to do their work. But I see your point, she didn't really talk about how they go about their planned lesson time. Maybe she has open exploration time and then planned lesson time?
I agree her philosophy is Waldorf based. Some where in between the meeting and greeting time and free time has to be structured learning. I love the environment!
Her room is 2-3 times bigger then most of our classrooms. The y also seem to be full day. The amount of stuff all over would be a write-up from OCEA and fire Marshall for most of the classrooms in my area. She also mentioned 2 other adults working with her, we are lucky if we get an aide for an hour. The building big blocks would be a lawsuit if anyone ever got hurt.....
Post a Comment