The highlight of last week in Second Grade was definitely our community service visit to Sheltering Arms preschool. It was an eye-opening experience for students to learn of the others’ unfortunate circumstances, but it was an equally monumental experience for me.
After being spread out into 5 classrooms, the teachers of the preschool immediately assigned my students to lead activities such as planting seeds, reading Dr. Suess books, and designing bookmarks. I quickly felt a sense of freedom. I was not in charge. I was not assigned. I was only there to simply capture the experience through photos and video and to observe. I enjoyed stepping back and watching how the Second Graders handled being thrown into a classroom full of strangers to teach! But they fared well. They played dress-up, rac
ed cars, cooked and grocery shopped, and cut out construction paper– they had a blast! Unlike the experience a high school or adult volunteer would have, the Second Graders did not have to “pretend to enjoy” the activities– they truly did. This was apparent in both the three-year-old reactions all morning and in my students’ My Learning reflections that afternoon.
I kept on asking myself, “Why was I so impressed?” “Did I not expect them to participate and lead?” I think it was because all year long, I never stepped back (for more than a few minutes) and had the pure freedom to observe. Somewhere in those Second Grade brains, the executive function of regulation had been developing all year long. Regulation involves evaluating the available information and modulating your responses to the environment. They knew how to talk to a class of youngsters. They knew how to reconcile an argument over markers, how to fairly pass out stickers, how to kneel down to a three-year-old’s level, how to stop and ask for predictions while reading to a class.
To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. My students blew me away with their calm demeanor, careful words, and leadership skills. I’m so blessed I had the chance to step back and observe!
Learner, Thinker, Writer, Observer: Kathy Bruyn serves the Trinity School community as a Second Grade teacher.
Kathy, one of my favorite things to do as an administrator is to observe in a classroom. Watching children and teachers brings me joy. The process of learning creates excitement. How fabulous that the Second Graders were able to teach and gain the joy that we have making learning accessible and inspirational.
It’s true- the kids did an AMAZING job with the younger children. How true that stepping back to “just” observe gives you a totally different perspective! So glad for this opportunity to help others and to see our students in a different light!
Thank you for giving the students an opportunity to reflect on their experience. I believe that they will one day look back at that time and relive parts of the day because of the artifact they created. Maybe it will help them to see something in themselves they had not been able to see, or make a connection they had not made. Maybe it will just make them smile about how happy they were and they made others feel. Either way, that’s awesome.