Team-Teaching

Earth Day Lesson Plan                                                                                

Day	Activity	Outcome	Assessment
Day 1	Mind-Map Shared Reading-Chart Poems	EL S&L 1.1,1.2,1.5,1.8 EL R&V 3.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8	Anecdotal notes
Day2	Read Book- Big Bear Hug Shared Reading-Chart Poems Re-visit Mind-Map	EL R&V 3.1 S/A	Anecdotal notes
Day 3	Video-Betsy's Kindergarten Adventure: Earth Day Shared Reading- Chart Poems Writing-Journal Entry re: Earth Day Revisit Mind-Map	EL S&L 1.2, 1.7 S/A EL W&R 4.1- 4.11	Anecdotal notes
Day 4	Edit Writing Revisit Mind-Map	EL W&R 4.4	Anecdotal notes
Day 5	School Yard Clean-Up Revisit Mind-Map	SS 1.3, H&WB 2.4	Photos Anecdotal notes

We recycled cans into beautiful flower pots for Mother's Day...

Reflection

           When I consider the duality of the “science” of teaching and the “art” of teaching a mental image that resonates with me is that of a balance-scale- one side holding the “science” and the other holding the “art”.  Not that the balance scale has to be perfectly proportioned, but never unbalanced to the extent that one element is compromised.  Recently, I had the privilege of team-teaching with a colleague who teaches kindergarten in the same school.  We had decided to collaborate on a week-long lesson plan on Earth Day.  As we planned, prepared, and carried out our lesson plan, I was cognizant of the balance-scale.  I wanted to ensure that we had considered the “science” of teaching, that the activities the children were going to participate in met the intended learning outcomes.  I also knew how important it was to be mindful of the “art” of teaching- drawing upon our previous teaching experience, knowing the social dynamics of our classes, and valuing the benefits of collaboration.  Even with the nineteen years teaching experience I have, I felt that any lesson plan I would have developed as an individual would be enhanced by team-work.  Collaboration has the potential to provide an enhanced dynamic to both the teaching and learning experience.

             Prince Edward Island’s kindergarten curriculum supports emergent, inquiry-based learning. Based on the time of year, we decided to explore Earth Day as the theme for our team-teaching lesson.  The intended learning outcome being addressed through our teaching was that the children would be able to demonstrate that co-operation is an important part of being a member of a group (Social Studies 1.3).  We titled our lesson plan Big Earth- Little Us!  We wanted the children to realize that although they are little, they can make a big difference in the class, in their homes, in their community, and in this world!

            It has been our experience, that when a topic is introduced in kindergarten, it is important to see what the children already know about the subject area.  We both wanted to begin the week with a class “mind-map”.  Following the brain-storming session, we read many chart poems and several books at shared reading time.  We also watched a video outlining the origin of Earth Day and various ideas and activities that the children can participate in to celebrate Earth Day.  Each time the children expressed any new learning, we added it to the mind-map.  We also had the children write in their journals.  All of the above-mentioned activities were conducted in our individual classrooms.  We decided that the culminating activity to celebrate Earth Day was to have both classes join together to clean the schoolyard by picking up the litter.

            Defining student success could perhaps also be described comparatively as the “science” of learning and the “art” of learning.  Certainly, we were documenting how curriculum outcomes were met through the use of anecdotal notes for many of the activities.  We were able to record the children’s particular ideas, contributions, strengths, and needs as they participated in each of the lessons.  The students had the opportunity to be involved in many speaking and listening activities, reading and writing opportunities, and with the school yard clean-up, we were able to address social studies and health and well-being.  We also took photographs of the children as they participated in picking up the litter on the school grounds.  Throughout the lesson plan, I could see how engaged the children were in learning about how important it was to take care of the earth.  The children felt empowered as they recognized the significant contribution they could make.  The balance-scale was evident in that, incredibly, the students even took the initiative to evaluate the items in their lunch boxes- strongly demonstrating the “art” of learning.  Their spontaneous and correct use of the newly-learned terms reduce, reuse, and recycle, further indicate an understanding beyond their years.  This provides ample evidence that the introduction of collaboration by the teachers evokes the life skills of co-operation, communication and, indeed, collaboration in the children.

             As both classes joined together to gather the litter in the school yard, I could sense a feeling of anticipation and excitement that had been built throughout the week.  The children spoke, almost bragged, about the impending adventure to schoolmates.  Both teachers had encouraged class discussions about where it was safe in the school yard to pick up litter, what was safe and unsafe to pick up, and the importance of wearing rubber gloves.  We had collected plastic grocery bags for each of the children to place the litter.  We also had an extra-large bag to place all the small bags in, hoping to emphasize the amount of unnecessary litter on the property.  A conversation that we had with the children prior to the activity was that the playground equipment was out-of-bounds during the clean up.  The big day had arrived and the children could not wait for it to be time for us to go outside.  The weather was co-operative and the children were all properly dressed for the occasion.  When we went outside, the students scattered over the backyard of the school, some venturing out alone, and others pairing off or going in small groups.  Most of the children stayed engaged in the activity for a full half-hour and were content.  The teachers wandered around the property with the children, helping point out and pick up litter as well.  From the teachers’ perspective, the children were very successful in demonstrating that co-operation is an important part of being a member in a group.  Perhaps more importantly though, the children felt successful working together!

            Although the school yard clean-up can be considered successful on many levels, there were definitely some areas that could have been re-thought.  Some children really struggled with coordinating holding the bag and placing the litter in the bag.  Perhaps we could have used the buddy system, where one child held the bag and the other picked up the garbage.  Some children found it very difficult not to go near the playground equipment, especially as the time outdoors neared twenty minutes.  Perhaps we could have offered a twenty minute clean-up followed by ten minutes on the playground for those that found thirty minutes too long.  As part of our assessment, we photographed the children tidying the playground.  I wish I had have brought a note pad out with me to record what the children were saying as they cleaned.  After the children had all gone home, I found I was struggling trying to recall some of the statements and conversations I had overheard.  On the week that we had planned to do the clean-up, the grade one class had the same idea, but got there two days before we did.  We assured our panic-struck students that there would be plenty of litter left for us to find.  We were unaware of the grade one’s intentions.  Had we shared with the remainder of the school staff our intentions, the kindergarten and grade one children could have planned to do the activity together.  I wonder how much richer the experience could have been had we collaborated with the grade one teachers.  I aspire to collaborate with the grade one teachers.  Particularly, I would like to learn more about their curriculum. Finding the time right now is my greatest challenge.

             I truly enjoyed and appreciated the sharing that took place among the kindergarten teachers during our last class together.  Many of us presented Earth Day lesson plans.  That was collaboration at its finest.  I know next year, there will be even more possibilities available as we explore Earth Day with the students.   I am reminded how grateful I need to be for being able to be a part of an amazing group of Early Childhood Educators who have been given the opportunity to further their education through this transition period of kindergarten into the formal school system.

             I was blessed to have the privilege of team-teaching with my colleague. Although she has a meek personality, her passion, knowledge, and experience shine through her work with kindergarten children.  I found that she was open to discussions, responsible in contributing her fair share, and she was willing to accommodate to share my ideas as well.  I am, self-admittedly, too independent, almost tenacious.  I had to remind myself to not come on too strong or over-bearing.  I wanted us both, and our students, to benefit from the experience.  

            Team-teaching provided a way to share ideas and materials, it reduced preparation time, and it strengthened the working relationship between colleagues.  Not only was the teaching experience enhanced, but the learning experience was enriched as well.  It was evident that the “science” of teaching and learning complement the “art” of teaching and learning.  We often say that we want our students to reach their fullest potential.  Perhaps our kindergarten curriculum can be enhanced to reach its fullest potential through collaboration.