Using Art to Express Ourselves….
Intentional teaching means to create an environment that provokes children to explore their surroundings with curiosity and purpose. While the children are in control of what they want to learn about, Ms. Wilson and I are responsible for creating opportunities that encourage questions to further each child’s overall development.
This week we intentionally reduced the art materials available in the art area to a few crayons, glue sticks and scissors. The “intention” being that we wanted to teach children that writing tools belong on paper. More importantly, we wanted them to discover how art materials differ from one another and how art can be used as a way to express oneself.
Many of the children enjoyed painting on large paper taped to an easel. We noticed that this painting activity provided the children with emotional support in centering themselves. Our first masterpiece is located outside our classroom door. We welcome you to stop by and take a look!
Learning How to Use the Toilet…!
You might have noticed that we have been changing the children’s diapers with them standing up in the classroom bathroom. When children are changed lying down, they are not an active participant in the toilet learning process. Therefore, we have them stand up. When a child has a bowel movement, we have them do a “Downward dog pose” by having him/her look down with both of their hands on the floor. This may sound funny but this works! We then ask them to pull their pants up (with teacher support if needed). In this way, children are actively engaged the entire time and will gradually take ownership of the process and become more independent. Diaper Free Before 3 by Jill M. Lekovic, Md. is easy to read and gives you some great ideas on how you can help your child with the toilet learning process. If you would like to borrow from our classroom library, please let us know!
Intentional teaching means to create an environment that provokes children to explore their surroundings with curiosity and purpose. While the children are in control of what they want to learn about, Ms. Wilson and I are responsible for creating opportunities that encourage questions to further each child’s overall development.
This week we intentionally reduced the art materials available in the art area to a few crayons, glue sticks and scissors. The “intention” being that we wanted to teach children that writing tools belong on paper. More importantly, we wanted them to discover how art materials differ from one another and how art can be used as a way to express oneself.
Many of the children enjoyed painting on large paper taped to an easel. We noticed that this painting activity provided the children with emotional support in centering themselves. Our first masterpiece is located outside our classroom door. We welcome you to stop by and take a look!
Learning How to Use the Toilet…!
You might have noticed that we have been changing the children’s diapers with them standing up in the classroom bathroom. When children are changed lying down, they are not an active participant in the toilet learning process. Therefore, we have them stand up. When a child has a bowel movement, we have them do a “Downward dog pose” by having him/her look down with both of their hands on the floor. This may sound funny but this works! We then ask them to pull their pants up (with teacher support if needed). In this way, children are actively engaged the entire time and will gradually take ownership of the process and become more independent. Diaper Free Before 3 by Jill M. Lekovic, Md. is easy to read and gives you some great ideas on how you can help your child with the toilet learning process. If you would like to borrow from our classroom library, please let us know!