Holiday Lesson Plan

I was really nervous going in to my classroom on Thursday. We had been planning this holiday lesson plan for about a week. Thursday morning was the day we had all been anticipating. I had my materials ready for the morning. Throughout the week, I had already separated everything I needed so I would not be fidgeting around in the classroom trying to get things together. When I arrived, my teacher and the students were ready to begin the fun activity. I began my reading them The Polar Express. I read enthusiastically and periodically stopped to ask them comprehension questions. Something I would have done differently is I would have read the story prior to the day and actually think about questions to ask the students. While I did ask them, I feel that I could have been asking them a variety of questions. The kids seemed attentive and every time I asked them a question, they answered right away. I loved having all the kids sitting at the reading carpet listening to my story. Next, I explained to them what the craft activity was. They moved to their seats and I began passing out the materials. I decided that I would pass the materials step by step so kids would not be tempted to play with the materials and possibly loose them. We started by gluing the sticks in a triangle shape to form the reindeer head. I noticed that they all helped those who were having difficulties and I as well walked around the classroom helping and making sure everyone was on the right track. We then proceeded with the googly eyes, the nose, and the antlers. The kids really enjoyed the activity and being able to have a hands on experience. They all were eager about going to the next step in their reindeer process. Another thing I would change about my lesson plan would be to really connect the craft with the story and make them have connections of their own. This would have really tied the whole lesson together. Overall, I feel it was a successful day filled with fun. This semester has been quite the eye opener. The more I've spent time with the kids, the more I've realized that I would like to pursue an career in education. I have been part of some of the student's progress and that it very rewarding. Also, I have learned how to deal with kids whose abilities are slightly behind those of the majority of the class and how to accommodate to those kids. My teacher has been helpful, and I have learned a lot from this experience. I can't wait for next semester!