I joined Cohort 21 because I was shoulder-tapped. This is my fourth year teaching Senior Kindergarten (SK) and I enjoy evolving or tweaking the program to better meet student interests and needs. I am interested in engaging with a framework to constructively think about my teaching practice.
I want to create more opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular projects/collaborations that increase writing, engage students, and meet them where they are at.
This goal relates to my school’s strategic priority of written curriculum development and planning. Using our long-range plans and scope and sequence more efficiently to help educators meet their goals in a holistic and engaging manner.
The Season 12 Strand that resonates with me is Pedagogy, Belonging, and Wellbeing because I would like to create an environment in which students can feel that they belong as their interests are represented and explored while we are also engaging in successful academic growth.
I tried an idea yesterday that integrated our drama centre theme with an Ontario Writing Assessment practice.
So glad you joined Cohort 21! Looking forward to your posts.
Hi Kiloran, It was wonderful to meet you yesterday and I’m so glad to be grouped with you. I love how you are right down to business as you’ve already started posting pictures of you classroom and ideas for you active plan. I am looking forward to getting to know you.
Bob
Hi Kiloran, this looks fantastic and I imagine it really filled your bucket! I also imagine that in your fourth year of SK you have lots of confidence in knowing what will work and what won’t. It looks like this went really well!
I’m really excited to chat more about this in person. Do you have an idea about specific content you want to branch into? Or are you hoping to touch all subjects with your cross-curriculars. If that’s the case I would love to help with any STEM projects!
Robin
The focus is really on developing our writing program. I wanted to come up with interesting topics for them to write about.
I’ve contacted the science teacher and we hope to create a vocabulary list about health and germs. Next month they test areas in the room for germs and the hope is that the students with then draw, label, and write a sentence about where germs are in the classroom and how we can prevent getting sick.
Later is the year we do a space unit where coding is involved and I hope to integrate more writing in that as well.
What STEM projects do you have in mind?
Hey Kiloran,
Cross-curricular projects/collaborations that involve writing can be so impactful for students! I love that you’re taking this on as your focus. Can’t wait wait to hear more about it next time we meet!
Shauna
Hi Kiloran,
This is a great idea for a project. As mentioned above, cross-curricular projects are so meaningful to students of any age but especially early childhood which utilizes play-based learning and emergent curriculum lenses. I’d love to hear more about what you are trying to integrate (skills, subjects, both) – a great writing resource for me is Celeste Kirsh (https://open.spotify.com/show/751lsc8mCu30yxnvekQ1Jl?si=e6c6ae39a1a2483b) – you may have subscribed to her podcasts already but she also has an amazing instagram page where she posts about Teaching Writers (https://www.instagram.com/teaching_tomorrow/) – it’s also really funny!