Communication
I try to make it a point to create and maintain positive relationships with my colleagues, the parents of the students I teach, and the community.
School Involvement
This year I worked closely with our music teacher, assisting with the Christmas Concert and Christmas Choir. I ensured that I was available to help with the small details (such as recording musical pieces for at-home practice). I also played piano for our School Mass.
Colleagues
Throughout the year, the other two Montessori Grade One teachers and I have tried to collaborate as much as possible. One of the teachers and I co-taught Health/PE, and will sometimes combine our classes for other projects as well. We also transplanted plants together as part of our Science unit. Although scheduling the time to get together and plan is the most frustrating aspect of collaboration, we agree that the opportunities to have our classes together are worth it. It is also less stressful for each of us as teachers when we collaborate and share.
I have positive relationships with the other teachers in our school, and feel welcome in their classrooms.
Home and School Connection
To encourage positive communication between our school and the students' home, I email regularly (school and classroom updates, links to newsletters, etc) and send home our classroom newsletter. I have included a sample:
School Involvement
This year I worked closely with our music teacher, assisting with the Christmas Concert and Christmas Choir. I ensured that I was available to help with the small details (such as recording musical pieces for at-home practice). I also played piano for our School Mass.
Colleagues
Throughout the year, the other two Montessori Grade One teachers and I have tried to collaborate as much as possible. One of the teachers and I co-taught Health/PE, and will sometimes combine our classes for other projects as well. We also transplanted plants together as part of our Science unit. Although scheduling the time to get together and plan is the most frustrating aspect of collaboration, we agree that the opportunities to have our classes together are worth it. It is also less stressful for each of us as teachers when we collaborate and share.
I have positive relationships with the other teachers in our school, and feel welcome in their classrooms.
Home and School Connection
To encourage positive communication between our school and the students' home, I email regularly (school and classroom updates, links to newsletters, etc) and send home our classroom newsletter. I have included a sample:
april_newsletter.pdf | |
File Size: | 655 kb |
File Type: |
I have recently set up a classroom Twitter account. I use this mainly as a place to put up quick updates on our day (special presentations, etc) as well as photos of the students collaborating and doing their best work!
In November (2014) I emailed my parent group asking for a parent volunteer to read with my struggling readers once a week. I was amazed at the response! Two moms come in every week to read with my lower readers (working on decode skills and confidence) and my highest readers (working on comprehension and response). Another mom regularly takes home anything I send her and cuts laminating, craft prep, fabric for special projects, etc. I am so grateful for their support; it has taught me so much about the value of a parent-teacher team.
I like to do "special projects" in the classroom that I invite the parents to come and help with. So far we have transplanted plants (September) and hand-sewed Christmas Stockings (December).
Parents have also come in for Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day parties.
In November (2014) I emailed my parent group asking for a parent volunteer to read with my struggling readers once a week. I was amazed at the response! Two moms come in every week to read with my lower readers (working on decode skills and confidence) and my highest readers (working on comprehension and response). Another mom regularly takes home anything I send her and cuts laminating, craft prep, fabric for special projects, etc. I am so grateful for their support; it has taught me so much about the value of a parent-teacher team.
I like to do "special projects" in the classroom that I invite the parents to come and help with. So far we have transplanted plants (September) and hand-sewed Christmas Stockings (December).
Parents have also come in for Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day parties.
Community
In an effort to contribute to our community, our class (along with the other Montessori Grade One classes) is participating in Grande Prairie's Get Active Walk and Flower Plant in Muskoseepi
Park. The students will be planting flowers in the planters near the pavilion.
Our class was given a spider plant for our classroom; as most people know these plants reproduce very quickly! After discussion, the children realized that there weren't enough little plants for them each to have one; they came up with the idea to transplant the 'spiderlings' and give them to the seniors at a local seniors home. I love their generosity! We will do this in the springtime.
I welcome community members to give outcome-related presentations. So far we have had a Science presentation from Alberta Parks, as well as a few health-related presentations from the nursing students at our local college.