It really has been an interesting week to say the very least and the unknown of the future that lies ahead for all of us.
During all of the these closures there is difficulties and feelings of stress and anxieties and now in addition, so many of you have the added pressure of being a teacher to your children. Some great advice that I have seen and totally agree to involve the following points:
-You don't need to try to replicate the whole school experience, do what works for you and your family.
-Don't try to be your child's classroom teacher. Just keep being the teacher you already are and who have been as their first teacher since the day they were born.
-Please be easy on yourself - keep in mind that we are trained for years and had many years practise and do not expect you to replicate the same overnight.I know that I couldn't possibly take over your job overnight and we know and understand that you wouldn't be able to do ours. Let us support you when you need, we are here.
I believe right now following the curriculum isn't as important as spending time with your child doing some of the following experiences- reading with your child, cooking with your child, gardening with your child, enjoying nature and its wonders with your child. Also making and creating things, singing and dancing and playing with your child.
There is important readiness skills that can also be reinforced at home during this time such as your child putting shoes on/off, doing up zips and buttons, helping make snacks, setting the kitchen table, following a sandwich recipe, butter toast, feed pets, fold socks for mum and getting dress independently.
Above all parents, keep being the kind, calm role-model your child needs through this challenging time. This is how you teach. Keep doing you - your child is learning from you every day.
For those parents wishing for support or feeling uncertain - I am here. Please contact me if I can help. We are currently learning ourselves and evaluating how we can try to adapt our teaching methods to digital based and trying to help you to help your child. This is all new to me too! So please bare with me as I go online to help your 3 and 4 year old continue to learn.
Kind regards, Miss Horrocks.
A new platform for learning: SEESAW is COMING TO KINDY!
Seesaw is a great digital platform for parents to see learning activities given to you by their classroom teacher. Then the parents and child can send responses back in the form of photos, video and even voice recordings.
Follow these steps-
Parents will receive their child's learning code by email or facebook messenger.
1:Go to seesaw website https://web.seesaw.me/ or install the seesaw class app.
Parents are to sign in as their child in order to be able to share with the classroom and teacher.
2:Press " I'm a student".
3: Scroll down to the text code box. DO NOT SIGN UP. Put your child's code in. It should save automatically.
4- You can press on the Green + icon and the following page will come up.
5-You and your child could take a photo/video of a piece of work to send onto your wall. Only the teacher can see it.
6- If you press on the light bulb icon on the right hand side, you will see the word Activities. There will be a sample activity for you to try to see if it works. If you press on this, you will see what the teacher has posted for your child to complete at home. There will be videos, voice instructions, stories, learning experiences and even links to songs.
Good luck and don't hesitate to contact me by the facebook page or email me
katie.horrocks@cewa.edu.au
Seesaw won't start untill Week 10 or term 2.
#weareinthistogether
