We have moved on from World Geography to bigger and better things... SCIENCE! Now, I am not usually too fond of teaching social studies OR science, but I have to say... this year I LOVE it! I think it has something to do with teaching the Core Knowledge curriculum, rather than teaching straight to the standards. Read about my new-found love with Core Knowledge in this post. What I love about Core Knowledge is that we get to teach super-fun topics (like our latest- Classifying Animals), but our state standards are still embedded within the topics.
I had this "AH-HA!" moment today. Kids keep coming up to me lately saying, "Miss Woodward, look! I found the word equator in my book!" Or, "Miss Woodward, I'm reading the Komodo Dragon book. Yep, it's a reptile, so it must be cold-blooded."
OR.... this little guy, who chose to spend his free time making a venn diagram, instead of drawing flowers and zombies like the rest of his classmates.
Yep, that's a venn diagram comparing warm-blooded animals and cold-blooded animals. ((Aside from the fact that octopus and fish are not reptiles, can we just take a moment to acknowledge that he did this totally on his own, without guidance from me? Pretty neat, if you ask me.))
And then it hit me- How COOL is it that these kids are so interested in science and social studies? How COOL is it that my ELLs are using content- specific vocabulary in their everyday language? How COOL is it that they spend their few free minutes drawing venn diagrams? How COOL is it that they read the animal books I brought and are able to tell me if the animal is warm- or cold- blooded, and a vertebrate or invertebrate?
I must be doing something right. These kids are on their way to becoming lifelong learners. They are making connections. They are letting the knowledge stick in their brain.
And I LOVE it!
What moments have you had that totally reinforce why you became a teacher?
Until next time,
-Miss Woodward
