Summer Learning Place 2014 Week 2

Last week was another great week at Summer Learning Place and I’ve learned a lot of new things from my teachers. I love observing their lessons for getting new ideas. Here are some of the activities I saw:

· Using goldfish on a number line.

· After reading the directions, students were making sand castles with pudding, crackers, and sprinkles.

· Another group used learning centers which I always think is fun.

· One teacher taught writing skills using a flow map.

· The older students started reading a graphic novel (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) and it made me want to find a copy to read.

· The older ones worked on line symmetry and also made origami animals and wrote a poem about their animals.

The week started off great but on Wednesday one of our little ones had a major meltdown and I had to call his dad to come get him. Unfortunately when we went to take a break (allowed when sensory overload occurs), a spider with tons of babies dropped out of the weighted blanket. It freaked him out and there was no consoling him after that. The great thing was that on Thursday he arrived and the first thing he said was that he was going to have a great day.

Another day one little one cried and didn’t want to get out of the car. Apparently he forgot to brush his teeth and that threw the whole routine off. The teacher took him by the hand and calmed him down in the classroom. By the time we started the day, he was fine.

On Thursday, the brother of the first boy was having difficulties. We haven’t seen this side of him the past 7 days so we were surprised. The teacher and I talked about how on any given day, anybody could have a bad day. No two days are alike. (That’s the fun of teaching special ed!)

My teachers have done a wonderful job and we completed the first week of observations and lesson plans. They seem open to suggestions and constructive criticism. I’m hoping that this whole experience is meaningful to them and that they will remember this as a worthwhile time out of their busy lives.

Original photos by Pat Hensley