Sneak peek into my teaching world
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Inquiry, Creativity and Wonder
This gallery is a snapshot of different aspects of my work that range from creativity in art work, working with children on the composition of their stories, hands on reading and writing, collaboration with colleagues and observations of children's learning through play.
When we open our minds to the multiple facets of children's world and their endless quest for discovery, we as educators become witnesses and facilitators of an extraordinary journey that is full of surprises and possibilities.
Landforms Project
The landforms project was an introduction to 'The natural wonders of the world' theme and why they make us wonder. Is it size, location, depth, beauty, all of it? During the exploration of different landforms, the students engaged in a multitude of discussions, representational drawings, waterfall dances, clay work and more. One of the highlights of this project was children's concern about people who live near volcanoes and how they have to 'listen' to Earth all the time. This is an example of a detour we took from our 'planned' project and after some contemplating, the children populated their volcanic mountains with forests and bird nests as preventative measures that would give people in the villages time to move away from danger.
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Interactions with light transformation
Light as an essential element of life is a source of fascination for the students.
Different materials created opportunities for the students to observe light and colour, reflection, refraction and shadows. The light lab created interactions between the students where inquiry and explanations took place with the help of imagination and a series of observations. Stories of shooting stars, astronauts, scary shadows and superpowers filled the spaces.
This is one of my favourite places of learning because it represents an environment where students create their theories and use experiential means to verify them.
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Nature in my teaching
Natural experiences help children foster their curiosity and connect with our planet and nature becomes a classroom without walls.
The outdoors provide endless learning: trees for climbing, edible gardens, intricate shapes, sounds of birds and harmonious colors to name a few.
Our walks in the forest are rich with teachable moments that the children cherish and transfer into nature journals. They provide an awareness about the needs of living things.
The fruit project we started three years ago continues to develop in the shape of edible gardens.
Critters are regular visitors in the classroom and they vary from slugs, caterpillars and chameleons. The students create mini habitats to accommodate and welcome them while we study their body parts, compare and contrast, and observe their behaviours.
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Learning spaces
The environment is 'the third teacher'. Creating spaces that speak to students, with pleasing colors that do not overload the senses is one of the core elements of the spaces I create.
These environments welcome exploration, students are surrounded by materials they can reach and use, to facilitate their own learning. Their structure and layout reinforces my image of the child as capable, eager to learn and able to make choices that do not need adult supervision. It is aesthetically appealing and it helps the students focus on their learning.