This is why we teach!
International School Principal James Pastore writes about a recent visit to an Early Years classroom where the children were being taught by an enthusiastic and talented young teacher.
I have just finished a great observation of a new teacher in KG2 (super new. Right out of uni new. A “fresher” for you UK lot! 😉).
She and her TA were a seamless educational ‘machine.’
I was so impressed! Today was more work on the letter M and the number 4 (adding and subtracting too!).
We do our observations . . . unannounced . . .
. . . on a multi-page rubric, with evaluative words we must use and with boxes to tick.
So yeah, you might have parsed out of the last paragraph that I’m not a fan of how obs are done and never have been in any school where as a teacher I was subjected to them and as an administrator mandated to do them.
However . . .
The saving grace of mandated observations is that they force a principal to be in the classroom for a full lesson. . .
And . . .
That does permit principals to see magic when magic happens.
Which it does.
Even from a new teacher.
A fresher.
2 months into her career.
Teaching M and the number four to five children who were;
- Engaged
- Engrossed
- Invigorated
- Thriving
I loved that lesson!
As a bonus, when I left the room two class sections of KG1 were onstage practicing for an upcoming assembly.
So, I had the joy of watching a group of educators – TAs, teachers, assistants – guiding their children through:
It was lovely to watch for a minute and feel the smile stretching my face!!!
I’m still smiling as I type this and await an online KHDA (the Knowledge and Human Development Authority – our regulator in Dubai) training meeting to start.
KG matters.
Teachers and TAs matter.
And every time I see a KG lesson on the letter M I think of a short video from Sesame Street from 50+ years ago . . .