Yesterday we went to our local school for information day and enrolment information etc for Eloise. Now I could have started Eloise in school this year but there were a few determining factors into the decision to hold her back.Socially she was still too excitable. I think she would have seen school as more of a social place to be rather than a place of learning (I know it's both but the scales would have been tipped if that makes sense).
Secondly, I am a July baby and I found being one the eldest worked to my advantage developmentally. Leaving school at 18 was good for me. I'd like my daughter to have the same advantage.
By easter this year I realised that Eloise had developed so much since the beginning of the year, and should there have been easter enrolments like there used to be, I might have been considering it very seriously. She can count into the 100's (gets bored but she recognises numbers way past 600) can write her name, use scissors (with her left handed scissors that is) and recognises every letter of the alphabet and even can read and spell out basic words. She understands letters going together make X sound etc. etc. I have worked with her pretty consistently on this since she left kindy - and the little girls are coming for the ride so-to-speak.
Anyhow, so today at the orientation the current kindy classes put on a show for us and I was asking myself should Eloise really be in that class.. ? She kept asking when it was her turn to go on stage and when 'their' turn would be over. When the did eventually finish, she chose a moment of silence to announce 'Yay Mummy! It's over!'. Thanks Eloise!
We went on a tour of the school and I was really impressed, this is a smallish community school but the technology is amazing. It has smartboards in every classroom, the classrooms are well appointed and the library is amazing. I sooo love the smartboards. I want one. There are NO blackboards in the school.
Here's a demo. I really, really love it.
By the time they start next year they will have teleconferencing facilities on the smartboards - so schools can contact other schools - e.g. Learning about the Outback, city schools can hook up with outback schools and vice-versa to learn about life elsewhere. We met both the teachers and I was really impressed, funny thing was I wasn't expecting to be - don't ask me why!
The only thing that concerned me what composite classes - I just don't like them but they're a reality so I need to get over myself. The other odd thing is a year 1 class had 2 teachers - 2 part-time teachers take one class. Unrealistic to think it shouldn't happen, but I think I need to get my head around that because I see benefits and risks to that.
Print this post in friendly format
2 lovely comments:
Hey Liss...I went to a primary school which had 42 kids all up...teeny, tiny little town...and we always had composite classes.
My take? They're a positive rather than a negative. I started doing the work of the year above me from year 3 (apparently I was 'bright') but I always think being in the same room as kids older than me challenged me to work harder and learn more. Just wanted to let you know they're not all bad!
As a teacher - composite classes are nothing to worry about. Within a single year level, you have a year or more age range anyway, and much greater range of ability, and emotional and social development. A good teacher will be teaching each child at the level they are at anyway, regardless of their age or grade level. If you find a teacher who gives all the kids the same work (especially photocopied sheets!) for every activity, you should be worried about that because s/he is not catering for individual differences.
Don't worry about the part time teachers until you are faced with Eloise being in their class - it may never happen. As long as they communicate well with each other, it shouldn't be a problem.
Post a Comment