Story of the Question
I want every child to find their voice and share their thoughts, feelings, and opinions with the whole group. This question is rooted in self-confidence and personal development. Being in a kindergarten classroom this semester, I observed many students who were in a classroom for their first time and interacting with other children their age for the first time. This question came to me from various aspects. The initial part that struck me was the class size and the possibility of children slipping through the cracks, particularly the quiet ones. With so many students in one class, it is easy for a child to “check out” and miss the lesson which can result in a domino effect for misunderstandings in future lessons. I realized how easy it is for a student to go through an entire day without saying anything to contribute to classroom conversation.
Particularly during the early weeks of school, my classroom mentor had the kindergarteners sit on the edge of the rug and we would go around the room and state our goal for the day. Sometime they were behaviorally based and other times they were academically based (e.g. I want to learn to read, I want to learn everyone’s name, I want to be a good friend). Either way, this was a great way to start the day, give everyone the opportunity to speak, and practice listening skills. However, even for a veteran teacher, it was a challenge to manage. For certain students coming up with a goal was nearly impossible and the group would sit there for a few minutes waiting for them to state their goal. This led to running out of time and the other students growing impatient sitting on the rug for so long – this could easily be thirty minutes, sometimes closer to forty-five. We did this several times and each time there was something that prevented every student from speaking. Either we would not make it all the way around the circle because it was taking too long and some students did not the opportunity to share their goals or some students would “pass” and for one reason or another, and were not revisited at the end. These students were usually the quiet ones and the ones who do not like to speak in whole-group.
I recall one day early in the school year when my goal was “to have a conversation with every person in this room before the day ended.” My classroom mentor loved this and it really stuck with me. I have had this goal in the back of my mind ever since and as these personal relationships with the individual students build, they gain confidence in themselves and feel comfortable around me as the teacher. Therefore, when they are comfortable, they will ask questions and “find their voice.”
My question does not particularly mean every student standing up in front of the class with everyone else sitting down. I am simply looking at every child’s voice being heard, both in terms of their comfort with public speaking skills and also their willingness to share their opinions and thoughts in front of others. I want to focus on my role as a teacher in their process and help facilitate these skills in the classroom on a daily basis.
Particularly during the early weeks of school, my classroom mentor had the kindergarteners sit on the edge of the rug and we would go around the room and state our goal for the day. Sometime they were behaviorally based and other times they were academically based (e.g. I want to learn to read, I want to learn everyone’s name, I want to be a good friend). Either way, this was a great way to start the day, give everyone the opportunity to speak, and practice listening skills. However, even for a veteran teacher, it was a challenge to manage. For certain students coming up with a goal was nearly impossible and the group would sit there for a few minutes waiting for them to state their goal. This led to running out of time and the other students growing impatient sitting on the rug for so long – this could easily be thirty minutes, sometimes closer to forty-five. We did this several times and each time there was something that prevented every student from speaking. Either we would not make it all the way around the circle because it was taking too long and some students did not the opportunity to share their goals or some students would “pass” and for one reason or another, and were not revisited at the end. These students were usually the quiet ones and the ones who do not like to speak in whole-group.
I recall one day early in the school year when my goal was “to have a conversation with every person in this room before the day ended.” My classroom mentor loved this and it really stuck with me. I have had this goal in the back of my mind ever since and as these personal relationships with the individual students build, they gain confidence in themselves and feel comfortable around me as the teacher. Therefore, when they are comfortable, they will ask questions and “find their voice.”
My question does not particularly mean every student standing up in front of the class with everyone else sitting down. I am simply looking at every child’s voice being heard, both in terms of their comfort with public speaking skills and also their willingness to share their opinions and thoughts in front of others. I want to focus on my role as a teacher in their process and help facilitate these skills in the classroom on a daily basis.