Reflections Week Four

A quick reflection 

As we come to a close on week four, I am learning more than ever.  Today’s point of focus is how organization and routine is saving me.  The classes are huge, and to give them a different procedure every day is difficult, students don’t always understand at first and with being in an open environment, rounding them up to try again is far from an easy task.  When I first started I was agitated by the transition times.  So much time was spent on organizing students, a lot of movement time was lost.  A lot.  But when I tried to shorten, skip steps, or make things go a little faster, students became confused and it took more time to reel them in than the transitions did in the first place.  Opps.  Now, whether this is because of how the classes were established at the beginning of the year, or this is just how it is for this age group will be something for me to determine as I gain more experience.  Regardless, if it wasn’t for the ridged warm ups at the beginning of every class to a ridged procedure in forming up for activities not a lot would be accomplished with these kids.  “Free range children” I call it.