I’ve now been teaching kindergarten for three weeks. I’m learning as quickly as I can, but every day I realize how much more there is to learn.
My biggest adjustment has been the ability to notice the little triumphs my students are showing me. Last week, I assessed the reading levels of my students. At first I felt a little upset, because the students really struggled with the easiest book. Very few students could “read” the single word lines in the predictable story.
Begin at the Beginning
My Vice Principal watched me give the end of one assessment. She pointed out that the student has a lot of great reading skills- she has one-to-one correspondence when she points to the words, she has text directionality, and her “wrong” reading makes sense with the pictures and context. When my VP pointed that out, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. My Kindergarteners are starting at the very beginning, as they should be. It makes sense. I need to adjust the level of the things I celebrate. Even though I spent my summer reading books about emergent literacy and math, I still have to work to change my gut reactions!
