The choir continues...

Now that I've spent three days in my placement I can see that the singing is not going to stop. My CT uses songs for everything. She practically sings instructions to the students and today I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about the logic behind it. Music is very soothing to the ear, and in any Kindergarten classroom calmness is desired. My CT is actually a model teacher for the magnet school program and she attends conferences hosted by the Lincoln Center in NY to bring information back to Pleasant View. She is a teacher of other teachers as well; a mentor if you will. She was part of the initial grant writing process that happened a few years ago when Pleasant View was considered a failing school (for not meeting AYP). Now that this form of intervention has been brought it, the schools population is increasing as well as the students' academic performance. Pleasant View was originally a K-5 building, and enough parents got together to form a committee that expanded the building K-6. Within the last two years the building has expanded to a K-8 setting, with most of the older kids being schooled in portables near the playground. My CT noted that the facilities of the school are being pushed to their maximum right now and she would like to see the older grades split to a new building-but funding is always the issue.
Anyhow...today I was a little surprised when my CT turned on the "Cha Cha Cha" song for the students. Developmentally, moving along with the words of the song is probably a great them for them, but I'm not so sure I would want my 5 year old hearing the words to the beginning of this song. Anyhow, I know that the students had a great time with it because they were singing aloud and doing all of the right moves. At this point I'm really blown away by the intense amount of songs that my CT uses AND the students all know. Many of them sing along with her and my guess is that the music also has something to do with the visual and performing arts piece. But that would be a good question for me to inquire about later.
Journals were really fun this week because I really had a chance to get involved in the classroom. Once the students finished "writing" their stories, they were told to raise their hands and either myself or their teacher would come around and they could read their stories to us. After they read them, we write out the correct words/spellings and give them checks for each sound that they correctly identified. Because it was the first day that I was going around and doing this, everyone wanted to read their stories to me. It was a nice feeling :)

Welcome to C-2

Today was my first day of field placement at Pleasant View Magnet School. I've worked in a magnet school before, however, Pleasant View focuses on visual and performing arts, which is new to me. The school seems like a nice place; it has a warm feel to it. However, I have heard from some friends that live in Lansing that the surrounding neighborhood is a little "rough".
My first impressions of C-2...
I walked in to a class of about 25 students with 1 teacher, all sitting on the rug in the front of the classroom singing a song. I quickly noticed the students' artwork hanging on the walls and the globe shaped lights that my CT has hung above the windows-which have cute little curtains hanging from them. The students sit at tables, in groups of 4-5. There is a play corner in the back of the room that has a Little Tykes kitchen along with student cubby's. There is a pretty diverse crowd sitting on this rug...racially at least. As I'm walking around, taking in this sense of community that has already been established, the students are dismissed to their seats for journal time. My CT then introduces me to the class and then they go about their business. It's clear to me that they know what is expected of them-they get right to work.
They begin their journal work and in a matter of minutes I can see the different academic levels coming through. Some students write whole words and simple sentences. Other students are still drawing a picture to get their brains thinking of words to use. Other students are drawing lines, instead of letters, as if they were text. Some students are copying their names from the name tag that is taped to their desk.
Recess time.
We all go outside and play for about 15 minutes. The playground is a busy place! K-8th grade students attend this school, and many classes are out for recess at this time.
When the students come back in the classroom they go straight to the rug and wait for their teacher to start singing a song. I'm noticing that there is a lot of singing going on in this classroom and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Would I be comfortable doing this in front of someone else? Is this my CT's personal choice?
The rest of the day breezes by as I spend more time observing the different interactions taking place and try to place faces with names as my CT calls them aloud.
This is going to be an interesting year...I wonder if the singing will continue???