Last Day at Saint Mary's

This past Monday was the last day of Saint Mary's. Since it was the last day, we decided to do something special. As a class, we all did some sort of Winter Wonderland theme. They were all good games because as soon as we said "Winter Wonderland" the kids went absolutely crazy. This was really good because their attention was captured the whole time, and they didn't just wonder off like they sometimes do to play basketball or soccer. All of them were interactive, and involved.

Another reason why these games were really good was because they were creative. One group had a game that involved making a snowman. I think this game was a great idea because all the kids were active, and it did involve a good amount of activity. The way the game worked was their were a bunch of different objects out on the floor. As a team, it resembled a relay race. One member of the team at a time would run out and grab a piece of the snowman and bring it back. The first team with all the pieces to the snowman, were the winners.

My group's game was also in holiday spirit. We had an obstacle course for the kids which they were all really into. They started off hopping on the snowflakes, then skipping through hula hoops. This lead them to sliding under the garland behind a few mats. Then, they had to throw a white soft ball (snowball) at Santa. Then for fun, we had a stocking of stickers that the kids would put on the tree that we had taped to the wall. Finally, for the best part of the whole course, we made a sleigh out of a cardboard box where the kids all got in and walked down to the start of the whole obstacle course. We originally had scooters in the sleigh so it could actually be a sleigh ride, but we figured dragging two kids at a time would be entirely to slow. We just had 6 kids max at a time go in and lift the sleigh up and walk across the gym.

Overall the time at Saint Mary's was a great experience. It taught me a lot about how to handle and deal with children. It also taught me what to do when the kids would get a little out of control, or not pay attention to your game. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that if your not all that interested or excited about your game, the children definitely won't be either.

Saint Mary's memories

We have one more lab day at Saint Mary's and it all has gone by so fast. I like how each week is a different motor skill so that we are forced to find different games and activities that the kids must learn. In my opinion, trying to assess the kids is the hardest part. You have to concentrate on one or two kids the entire time and really really watch them. You must see if their movements are correct, what they are doing wrong, doing right. It is very important do this because in the future they might be problems you will encounter in the teaching field.

It is good practice to know what kids struggle with and what some of them are good at. Some games focus more on motor skills then others. Other times, it is fun just to play with them and do something they really enjoy. The younger kids really enjoy tag games as the older kids are more into sports like basketball and soccer.

Their were also problems encountered with the Saint Mary's children. Some of them were just so energetic we just couldn't control them and it got out of hand. They have been cooped up all day in class and just ready to let loose. One problem, however, is that they just want too do their own game or own sport. Their not very interested in what you have to say or what game you are ready to present but just want too have their own fun. It is all natural though, since I'm sure I was the same way when I was in elementary school. Next Monday is our next and last lab day and we are hoping to incorporate some Christmas themes.

A Rough week at Saint Mary's

It was a rough week at Saint Mary's. The kids were really loud on this particular day, and weren't really all that interested in what we had to say while explaining the games. I think the reason for this was that they had been inside all day and were ready to let loose. In a way, it was good to experience this first hand so you know what you could possibly encounter in the future. How to deal with kids as they get rowdy and loud. Another tip that I picked up was that you should always have a set of rules before you go out their and teach and have a set plan. One group went out and was kind of unsure as to what they were doing. You could tell because the children lost interest very quickly and it was hard to regain their focus

The game that me and Jason did was a tag game that dealt with Halloween. I think it was a good idea because the kids were in the spirit and were in the mood to do something with the holiday involved. The point of the game was that their was a witch on a broomstick (noodle). She/he was the tagger and when you were tagged, you were frozen in place. The only way you can become untagged is if someone with a ball throws it to you and you throw it back, freeing you. Everyone had one of those spider balls and that was what we were throwing back and forth.

All in all, it was a good game to play with the kids and at certain points they really got into it. At times, however, there minds wondered and drifted off to other things and did get loud. If the kids minds aren't captured and involved the interest level drops faster then you could ever imagine.