STUDENT TEACHING
I am honored to be at Ocean Beach Elementary learning from Miss Molly Stewart. This school year is the first year OB Elementary has offered Transitional Kindergarten (TK). Molly has been assigned to the task. We are both excited to be apart of this program. I also get to see how a seasoned teacher handles a new curriculum. Our motto has been, "we will figure this out together".
Molly Stewart is my master teacher. She is a 12 year veteran teaching kindergarten. She is an amazing person both professionally and personally. I am absolutely blessed to learn from Molly. She is the teacher and human I will work so hard to become.
I arrived at her classroom on Wednesday, August 28th and we worked frivolously for the next 4 days (including the weekend) to prepare the classroom and ourselves for the school year and this new adventure. Kindergarten Orientation was on Friday, August 30th. I got to meet most of my new students and parents. The classroom became magical as our new four and five year old students explored their new home away from home. It was that night I had a hard time sleeping due to excitement.
ACTION RESEARCH
My initial thoughts are to learn more about the benefits of TK through my action research project. I feel it would be an exciting subject to research since everyone involved at OB Elementary is also interested in what will come of it. The idea of TK is it will serve as a bridge between and preschool and traditional kindergarten. Research shows "children who participated in high-quality early childhood programs tended to have higher scores on math and reading, greater language abilities, and less grade retention" (CCSESA school readiness writing team, 2011). Furthermore, "as students got older, they were less likely to become teen parents. As adults they had highter employment and earnings and higher tax contributions. There was less dependency on welfare, lower rates alcohol and drug use, fewer criminal acts, and lower incarceration rates" (CCSESA school readiness writing team, 2011). As it stands now, TK is highly beneficial for students who would not otherwise be ready academically, socially, emotionally, or developmentally ready for traditional kindergarten...but that's what I want to find out.
References: CCSESA school readiness writing team. Sacramento county, Office of education. (2011). Transitional kindergarten planning guide: A resource for administrators of california public school districts. Sacramento: Sacramento county office of education.
I am honored to be at Ocean Beach Elementary learning from Miss Molly Stewart. This school year is the first year OB Elementary has offered Transitional Kindergarten (TK). Molly has been assigned to the task. We are both excited to be apart of this program. I also get to see how a seasoned teacher handles a new curriculum. Our motto has been, "we will figure this out together".
Molly Stewart is my master teacher. She is a 12 year veteran teaching kindergarten. She is an amazing person both professionally and personally. I am absolutely blessed to learn from Molly. She is the teacher and human I will work so hard to become.
I arrived at her classroom on Wednesday, August 28th and we worked frivolously for the next 4 days (including the weekend) to prepare the classroom and ourselves for the school year and this new adventure. Kindergarten Orientation was on Friday, August 30th. I got to meet most of my new students and parents. The classroom became magical as our new four and five year old students explored their new home away from home. It was that night I had a hard time sleeping due to excitement.
ACTION RESEARCH
My initial thoughts are to learn more about the benefits of TK through my action research project. I feel it would be an exciting subject to research since everyone involved at OB Elementary is also interested in what will come of it. The idea of TK is it will serve as a bridge between and preschool and traditional kindergarten. Research shows "children who participated in high-quality early childhood programs tended to have higher scores on math and reading, greater language abilities, and less grade retention" (CCSESA school readiness writing team, 2011). Furthermore, "as students got older, they were less likely to become teen parents. As adults they had highter employment and earnings and higher tax contributions. There was less dependency on welfare, lower rates alcohol and drug use, fewer criminal acts, and lower incarceration rates" (CCSESA school readiness writing team, 2011). As it stands now, TK is highly beneficial for students who would not otherwise be ready academically, socially, emotionally, or developmentally ready for traditional kindergarten...but that's what I want to find out.
References: CCSESA school readiness writing team. Sacramento county, Office of education. (2011). Transitional kindergarten planning guide: A resource for administrators of california public school districts. Sacramento: Sacramento county office of education.