100 day

So I have procrastinated writing a post all week because I didn't know where I wanted to take it, but I have decided that even though I cannot have a blog or outside website for use IN my classroom, I still want to reflect on what I am doing.  So here it goes!

Today was the 100th day of Kindergarten.  For any of you who work with young children, you understand the significance and magnitude of holidays.  I'm not sure about others, but for me, 100th day is the holiday celebration in my room that I cannot wait for.  Rather than just spending an hour on a party, we celebrate it all day, incorporating all the academic areas.  I love that my students are so engaged and learning more than they'll ever know that day.  We started the day with an ambitious list.  Some of our activities included: 

• making 100 day crowns
• building a tower of 100 cups
• doing 100 exercises
• creating portraits of what we would look like when we turn 100
• collecting 100 cans for our community food pantry

As our day progressed, I stepped back and watch a community of learners doing activities.  I was able to just facilitate these activities.  I watched students doing age appropriate things without feeling pressured.  I lost count of how many times my students told me that it was the best day ever.  They had no clue that we were addressing so many standards through our activities.  They counted and wrote their numbers without any hesitation or resistance.  They willingly worked together and problem solved.  They saw the tasks as challenges that they HAD to work together to accomplish.  They did not see it as "this is mine, this is yours".  As they decorated their crowns and made their fruit loop necklaces, I watched them collaborate and help one another.  Groups counted the fruit loops together, while another all sorted the colors first.  I agreed with them - it was the best day ever. Why can't we have more days like this?

It was even more gratifying when students begged me to take pictures and send them home.  They couldn't wait for their parents to see what they were doing.  As we made 100 snowballs at recess, one student came running over, "Quick get the iPad - we need pictures so we can write about it!"  

I stood back as a proud teacher and realized, yes I have to teach curriculum and standards and assessment does drive instruction, but so does creativity and play.  5 and 6 year olds need time to be just that.  And guess what, they are so inquisitive by nature that they are going to question and learn throughout.  The card I received at the end of the day asking, "When can we have another 100 day?" left me thinking, when can we?