I went to an ELK PD workshop today to meet with fellow ELK colleagues.
We watched an interesting video on the importance of Block Play and how all subjects and areas of the ELK curriculum can tie into it. I picked up an interesting thought of one of the teachers/educators featured in the film. She mentioned that as an educator, our most important goal in kindergarten should be to help children learn how to think.
It is such a valid point. Sometimes we're so focused on expectations and covering curriculum that we forget that students won't grasp the concepts unless they know HOW to think. The whole thinking process involves so many aspects of learning new things, exploring, pondering, applying knowledge, bouncing ideas off of peers, the giving of and accepting of feedback, building upon feedback and learning how to problem solve. This is so true even in social situations. Students learn to talk with each other, accept each other's ideas and feelings, negotiate and make compromises (problem-solving to resolve conflicts).
I'm so blessed and excited to be able to witness students blossoming as they learn HOW to think, HOW to problem solve and HOW to explore in such a wonderful, non-threatening and FUN environment.
It's great being an ELK Teacher!!!
~Mrs. Tereena Clarke
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