Daily 5 Book Study Chapter 2

I can't get enough D5! I lay in bed at night thinking about what I can do next year to better my class. I do have some issues that I am going to have to work out. Mostly about trust. 

Thank you to Caitlin from  Kindergarten Smiles for hosting chapter 2 of The Daily 5.

I have really enjoyed reading this book with everyone.

1. Do you trust your students? How do you build this trust? Are you able to trust them and allow them to be independent throughout all aspects of your day? Are you going to be able to stay out of their way?

 This goes back to the control that I have such a hard time letting go of.  I am going to have to trust myself and trust that I have taught the kids the skill that they need to make the right decisions.  I like when in the book they asked "What am I doing now that I can trust the kids to do?" I talk all the time about teaching the kids to be independent.  I want them to be able to take care of their morning routines without me or their parents having to help them with every detail so why can't they take care of picking out which of the D5 they want to do.  I am going to have such a hard time staying out of their way.  They are just so little...

2. How much choice do you give your students throughout the day? Do you go over your daily schedule with your students or is it just 'posted' in the room?

I have no idea how I am going to be able to give 4-5 year old kids choice in their learning.  This is going to be  the hardest part for me.  It all goes back to that trust, can I trust them to make the right choices?  I will constantly be wondering if they did all of the things they were supposed to do. 

I do not post my schedule in my room.  I've always looked at it as something else to hang on the wall and manage.  The kids can't read it.  However, after reading what Krissy Miner from Mrs. Miner's Kindergarten Monkey Business wrote about why she post and reviews her daily schedule, I am seriously considering it.  My only issue is, I have two, half day classes and while we will follow the same routines the times will be different. (Maybe I can just number them.)

3. How are you going to create that sense of community where students will hold each other accountable?

As much as little ones love to tattle I'm thinking this may not be too hard.  I am going to teach the expectations and then teach the kids how to problem solve.  If there is that sense of community where kids all feel like family then there will be less trying to get each other in trouble and more helping each other out. At least, that's what I hope.  I know that there will still be kids who feel that need to tattle but hopefully we can work that out. 

4. Student ownership in learning? How do you instill this in every child?

How about instead of me telling you how I do it, I tell you how I am planning to do it?  Really, in the past, I have just taught and hoped they got it.  I didn't give much thought to telling them why we do things.  That really doesn't make sense though, because I am the type that if you tell me not to push that red button you better tell me why or I am going to push it and find out.  So I found myself asking why I didn't do the same for my kids.  Maybe it was because when I was in school they didn't tell us why,they just said do.  Next year, I plan on telling the kids what we are going to do each day and explain to them why we are going to do those things.  As I teach each of the Daily 5, I am going to explain why we do each of the things.  (I'm already making notes to myself.)

5. Stamina! How are you going to build stamina with reading? independent work? Will you use a timer? Will you set goals?

I have to admit, when I saw the word stamina before starting this book study I was like, "Really? Do we really need to take the time to talk to the kids about this?  Are they even going to care?"  Then as I was reading the book and reading some other post about this I realized just how important it really is. (Even if the kids don't really care, they are going to want to use that big word.)  Without stamina you wont get that independence.  I had been worried about how I was going to be able to to turn the rest of my class loose while I worked with my group.  I knew there was no way that they would be able to stay in any of the D5 for very long at all.  When I read in the book how with just one week of practice, one kindergarten class when from 1 minute to 10, I was blown away.  I now see just how important it really is.  I will probably use a self timer and practice, practice, practice.
I do like this timer. I think it is a great visual for the kids and, it's one that I can keep close to me so that I can reset it.

GET THIS!

My hubby came home for lunch and was talking about something he heard on the radio today.  He said they were talking about the top jobs that cause you to gain weight.  Guess what #3 was.  You got it. TEACHING!  He said it was due to stress. He should have stopped there.  Can you believe he had the nerve to say "They were jobs where you sit all day."  EXCUSE ME?!  Did you just say teachers sit all day?  WHEN? PLEASE TELL ME WHEN I GET TO SIT AT MY DESK!  Ha! I say whoever said that has obviously never spent a day in an elementary classroom.