Tag: Classroom

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This time of year, back in the day…My classroom was the place for fun that enhanced our learning….We had time to incorporate into the curriculum, learning through special art and creative poetry projects that were made for our parents, as holiday gifts…

We truly enjoyed taking two special field trips to magical places that our children got to experience first hand: visiting a pumpkin patch farm and the viewing of the Nutcracker Ballet…Some of our children would never have had those opportunities…What learning!

We spent a great deal of time learning and appreciating different cultures and how they celebrated the season…And finally, the children couldn’t wait for the culmination of the celebration of the season with our holiday cookie exchange…Then off for winter break!!!

It is my hope that our public school teachers continue these beautiful traditions for our children…As we know, there are those children who especially need to know the Beauty of the Season…

This could be a Season of Miracles…

Our Season of Thanks….

Quote• Posted on by Janis Sexton
Posted in Mission, Reflections

School Spirit…

Posted on by Janis Sexton

With the beginning of a new school year, and the start of my second year since retiring…I am ready to reflect on those many wonderful memories …

The one I do hold dearly is that all through my thirty-eight years…I truly appreciate my children allowing me such a wonderful platform where I could utilize my unique sense of drama and creative talents into my teaching..

In today’s challenging times, with fewer resources, and many demands of teaching; even after these many years; It was the children’s love and innocence that provided me with passion to inspire them utilizing my enthusiasm and my strong sense of spirit…

They were a wonderful audience where each day was unique… And led to my success I felt as a teacher…

It was always my goal to find the fun… And now, I can recollect those moments of fun a teacher shares with his or her children… Through this captive audience, my children allowed me to keep my spirit alive…Keeping “the child in me alive”…

When I first began teaching in the early “Seventies”, I was young and fresh; our curriculum allowed time for the fun…We got to bake more often…Play and theater was a big part of the day…I myself enjoyed the opportunity to use drama in the classroom… I felt like I was playing a role, putting on a performance…to engage with the children…Never a dull moment…Each day was a new beginning….The years flew right on by….

Teaching the children of today, has certainly become much more serious… than just the “play”… I have needed to become a strong, positive role model… incorporating “my spirit’ to get their attention…even to manage behavioral issues…

For many of the children, I was their one positive constant in their lives… Utilizing my drama and creative spirit to reach them, even for that moment…Hopefully touching their lives forever…

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Our class and school makeup, represent a “Rainbow of Diversity”…

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We are fortunate to be part of a school district that is within a university community… Because of this population, many of our parents come from other countries to attend the University of Florida;
Our school characterizes a rich blending of cultures and ethnicity… We have had many children from such countries as : Asia, Central and South America, and Africa…
In addition, to such cultural diversity, many of our children come from biracial homes… I have come to the realization, because of this colorful “rainbow” of diversity; our children have a better understanding;

Moreover an appreciation of our similarities, and acceptance of our differences…

This time of the year,“Winter, a Season of Love and New Beginnings”, is the perfect time to facilitate and model through a variety of activities blended into the curriculum; Those important values of love, acceptance and an appreciation of our differences… My first graders, are so very willing to accept and appreciate our diversity…

What an opportunity this makes!…

Through my teaching experiences, I utilize so many creative activities through literature, poetry, music and the arts to help teach these essential values…We learn how we and other cultures celebrate this time of the year… We even take our children on a field trip to experience a ballet… the “Nutcracker”…Our children are dazzled by this experience…

My children write poetry as a winter project to share with their family utilizing recycled Holiday Cards …They write thank you letters to teachers and helpers at our school… We even put on a play to share with our book buddies…All showing our love and appreciation…

Through our creativity and the arts… Love and Acceptance of our differences is valued, appreciated, and accepted…

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South Africans Reflect On Mandela’s ‘Rainbow Nation’ (npr.org)

Over The Rainbow (beliefhope.wordpress.com)

“Season of Love and Acceptance of Cultural Diversity…”

Posted in Mission, Reflections

First Week…Back to School…

Posted on by Janis Sexton

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I have always enjoyed the Friday before the beginning of the school year to meet my new students and their parents…I rely on just that brief meeting to begin making an assessment, when parent and child come in to meet me…
One important piece of pertinent information gained from this meeting is that I can begin to assess those children that may be outgoing or those that may be quite reserved….

The first week of school is the crucial time when I focus on establishing… “Our Relationship”, one that lets my children know I will love them unconditionally; providing a classroom for structure to inspire learning, and moreover, feel safe to accept and appreciate our differences…No matter what is presented…The foundation for a successful year ahead…

Posted in Mission

Ready or Not…

Posted on by Janis Sexton

My Classroom is ready for learning….Hopefully when my new first graders arrive Monday, August 18th…Our class will provide them a place to feel safe and learn to appreciate their love of learning…

This will be my final year…I will be retiring…

Back in 1972 when I first began, there was such hope and idealism…We just survived civil unrest…We just  integrated our schools; hopefully providing all our children a strong education with such wonderful programs such as: Head Start and Parenting Programs …We teachers were ready to teach and inspire all our children!

And now, sadly as I embark on retirement, I so very feel we have lost what is truly important..Inspiring and teaching all our children…
However, I am still hopeful that we will not let this continue, allowing powerful businesses taking control of our public schools…

We will find our way back to what is essentially  Important…
Teaching all of our children! wpid-20140806_141403.jpgwpid-20140806_141112.jpg
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Continue reading “Ready or Not…” →

We love the month of February…We have so much to look forward to besides the stressors and rigors of curriculum and testing....

With my planning and organization, I do find creative ways to allow time for celebrating Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day through creative writing, reading ,and art… Might even utilize math activities, as well...

The children wrote a Valentine’s Day poem to their family, with illustrations; decorated Valentine’s bags, and brought in cards for their classmates that were to be done by themselves….We had a Valentine Social sharing our love and exchanging Valentines….

The children loved learning about our Presidents; George Washington and Abraham Lincoln…We learned about the history of our Flag….

We will celebrate this patriotic unit with a culminating activity for our parents; a patriotic program that will include songs that we learned in our music class….All our first graders will share in this exciting performance, and our wonderful music teacher directing…

Teaching should really be about making learning fun and interesting…. It really is so much more than tests and collecting data….

(more…)

February… a Busy Month…

Posted in Reflections

Celebrate…100 days!…

Posted on by Janis Sexton

Monday, February 3rd  will be our “100 days”  of the school year celebration… This is a milestone for us… On this special occasion, learning activities, especially in math will    commemorate this special milestone…

” What can we count using the magical number”100″?

“If you were given $100.00, how would you spend the money?”

At this time, first graders are realizing they can do  more learning becoming active in their learning; listening and following teacher directions; becoming more independent…I can read!

Now, we  are more than half way on the path to becoming a second grader!

Continue reading “Celebrate…100 days!…” →

Posted in Reflections

Teaching Reading….

Posted on by Janis Sexton

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I have loved the joy of teaching young children to read…. It has been such a delight in seeing them for the first time realize they can read….There is such a look on their precious faces of surprise …

This year for me has been a quite challenging…Our school is a diverse school in a progressive district…We do have a majority of children from poverty…Our school does have a reputation, even with the challenges… Always striving to maintain the status quo… With all the demands of Common Core Curriculum, and the rigors of Testing…. These challenges, added to the many other teaching responsibilities…

We struggle with the problem our children face who live in such impoverished conditions…

I will always inspire my children to love to read, even with all these demands… I do feel though, no one is listening to our children…They are our future...

Posted in Reflections

Our Classroom…

Posted on by Janis Sexton

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Teaching since 1972, I have taught first grade for over twenty of those years; learning from my vast experiences with children ; to which I have acquired such knowledge associated teaching grades ranging from kindergarten through fifth grade, in addition to teaching student teachers at the college level…

I have formed strong feelings about how important the first grade is, in a child’s education…

It is my opinion, first grade lays the foundation for learning…Especially when teaching children of diversity, I feel it does take a strong, nurturing, effective teacher…A first grade teacher begins the process of taking the child from kindergarten; which has the responsibility to socialize and begin the process; into being more formal and structured…

This process, not every child is ready nor willing to make…It is the teacher’s role to help facilitate this process…I feel it does take that strong, loving, structured approach…

The classroom is where this “magic” takes place… The process begins at the very beginning of the school year when you meet your students with parents during “Meet the Teacher”…This is a wonderful time to informally evaluate the children, and their interactions with parents, in the classroom…This is where I start assessing through my observations…

I can find out just in that brief interaction if they may be outgoing or a reserved child…Questions about their likes and dislikes get answered, as well…Will they be ready or apprehensive about their first grade experience…This first meeting with the child is just an indication…Not all children get to come, nor have a parent that comes to this event…And moreover, every child is different….A teacher must be flexible to “go with the flow”…

Teaching children from diversity, the preparation, and how I will provide the structure is essential…Room arrangement with displays with books, computers, literacy stations in writing, science, social studies, math, and ‘eye catching’ bulletin boards need to be part of this preparation to make the “room” a warm, fun “eye-catching”, safe place to learn…

Having a strong plan for behavior management that goes along with the school plan, must be flexible enough to meet the needs of the children, is essential for success…Every child is different, and how I would handle these particular issues in a positive and proactive plan needs to help facilitate the learning that may interfere with our learning and keep our classroom safe…

Successfully teaching first grade does take many hours to prepare..Much of this preparation is before the new year begins…My goal is to facilitate learning that will inspire my children to have a great year and a strong foundation in the curriculum…that will carry them on their journey; love school and learning….

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