The vision of my ELA classroom has shifted quite substantially from my first thoughts regarding how I would introduce writing, representing and oral language to my students. However, the one thing that holds true from that initial perspective is the importance of maintaining a dynamic, creative, interactive and cooperative space for the learning and development of oral and written language skills. What this course has provided us with is a wealth of material on how we can address the differing needs and learning styles of our students, such as by adapting lessons to suit individual strengths - not only to allow for each student to be successful, but to encourage a supportive and productive classroom environment for all.
One of the most important ways I will have my students experience written language is through the use of personal journaling. Journaling is a way for students to interact with their own ideas, think freely and not feel constricted or deterred by their level of writing ability. What many of the articles we’ve read, and our guest speaker Robin Stevenson, have mentioned is the benefit of having children write for the sake of writing, and not having them feel constrained by spelling, grammatical errors or other writing hindrances. In this way, journals and free-writing provide the best way for students to become comfortable with the writing process and learn how to simply get their ideas down. This is the same for using drawing notebooks, especially when it comes to the early stages of writing development. In her article, Savage makes note of how drawing is just as important as writing for young learners, especially when developing skills in the mere deliverance of ideas. This process in itself is of utmost importance, and the revision, editing and conventional lessons are skills they will learn in time. Children simply need the opportunity to develop a keen interest in writing for themselves, and not because of the demands or pressures from teachers to provide a finished product.
Another benefit of journaling is that it provides an inclusive activity for all students, which addresses the necessity for teachers to provide choices and variations (such as different media) to meet the varying needs of their students. For instance, podcasting provides a completely different outlet for delivering ideas orally. Some students may not have progressed with their written skills, but others may struggle with performance anxiety, or have difficulty delivering their ideas via a formalized oral setting. In this regard, podcasting is a way for students to record their voices, and present their thoughts orally within a comfortable setting; this only further raises their confidence in their oral development. Even apart from the inclusion podcasting can provide in your classroom, it is also an excellent resource for both the deliverance and reception of information. Children can also view podcasts for input purposes as they have become another means of delivering information in an engaging and interactive way, which is something we need to recognize and address with regards to our modern ELA students.
On that note, we have learned a variety of other interactive approaches through which we can engage and encourage our students’ development. One thing that stood out to me was the incorporation of drama with regards to story reading, viewing, and representing. I had never thought that drama could be used as a teaching tool in ELA, but after completing our strategy presentation on “Franklin Fibs” - where we used the story circle and story stick to encourage children to recognize story development via the characters, setting, plot and so forth - I realized how beneficial it can be to have children take on the roles and physically represent the main ideas. Similarly, another strategy presentation used the drama act of “sculpting” another classmate to represent a particular scene from a story, which is another great way for students to actively engage with the material. These types of activities are not only interactive, but they provide more creative ways of teaching conventional lessons, which is something I want to emphasize throughout my teaching philosophy.
If I can design a classroom where students feel challenged - but also comfortable, included and valued - in addition to providing them with the foundational tools they will need for future development, then I will feel confident with my teaching decisions. I want to ensure they have the opportunity to learn and grow at their own pace, so that perhaps they, like Jack in “Love that Dog,” can gain confidence and pride in the work they produce as a result of my teaching approach of allowing them the space and time to do so. Each student presents an interesting new challenge, but as long as we celebrate their differences, encourage individual strengths, and provide choice through our learning activities, then everyone has the potential, and platform, to succeed. :)
Monday 28 November 2011
Saturday 5 November 2011
Aaron's Hair
...Scratch that - "Page's Hair"
Of all the resources available for teaching writing in the classroom, the case study done on a young student, Page, caught my eye. One quote in particular brought to mind a very interesting perspective on the writing process:
“Page was passionate about writing. ‘I can do writing good,’ she said confidently. ‘But sometimes it’s boring, like combing your hair.’ She hated combing her long, snarly blonde hair, but ‘then I keep on combing it, and that’s like revising it more and more times. Then, once I’m done combing my hair, or once done writing my story, it’s fun, and I feel proud of myself and I get a lot of compliments’” (Structure and Freedom, 69).
Page's metaphor for the writing process is incredibly accurate; it can be a lengthy, often frustrating experience, but the end product often reflects a one's own confidence, satisfaction and pride in their work, along with garnering external praise from teachers and/or peers. That process of combing out the tangles, when you take the time, effort and self-initiative to do so, results in a sense of self-satisfaction and, most likely, complimentary praise. Reflecting on Page’s initial commentary, as stated in her Grade 3 interview, brings forth concerns of how to teach writing and representing, especially as we continue to formulate our ELA teaching philosophy. My main concern would be one Page shares: the complex and often lengthy writing process can be boring. I would have done a great disservice to my students if they felt the writing process was a daunting, and boring, experience, as it would mean I had not allowed them the opportunity to become comfortable in their abilities. In this regard, the fundamental point I want to stress to my students is the importance of balance in writing. There are endless strategies and methods to utilize when learning how to instruct, explain and assess writing and representation, but without encouraging an open, creative and imaginative nature, the students may not gain writing confidence, see personal progress or growth, or develop a passion for writing. Therefore, I feel my teaching philosophy for writing and representing is going to stress the need for academic structure AND creative liberty; if not, I fear my students will suffer in both writing confidence and enjoyment, which would be a detriment to their educational future.
An effective way to balance structural feedback with an open-minded environment, is for children to share their personal thoughts, ideas, and work with others. This can be achieved through various group-sharing activities, as well as student-teacher conferencing. The IRP states, under the Grade 1 PLOs, that students should “use a strategy after writing and representing to improve their work (e.g. sharing their written work and representations...(C6)” (IRP, 54). The IRP clearly identifies the benefit of students exchanging ideas with their peers, or teacher, to gain feedback for both personal and academic development. Similarly, the textbook states that conferencing - particularly between the student and teacher - can “provide opportunities for joint assessment of student writing as teachers and children discuss student progress” (Chapter 9, 299). Having the opportunity to share with your teacher can be incredibly rewarding for both parties, as children not only receive constructive feedback, but gain confidence in knowing they’re on the right track. In addition to the teacher’s role, conferencing allows the student a chance for self-assessment. The textbook states that “if students are to improve their writing, they must be able to see the need for that improvement - hence the need for student self-assessment” (Chapter 9, 301). Therefore, students must be open to both peer and teacher commentary, in addition to recognizing their own growth potential.
Robin Stevenson, our guest lecturer, expanded on this notion of self-assessment through her focus on student reflection. She mentioned that the teacher needs to model improvements for writing and representation, while also stressing the importance of making mistakes. A significant aspect of the writing process is revision, and children need to know it’s okay to reflect, adapt or change their work. Simple activities, such as writing a morning message that contains mistakes, presents an opportunity for students to gain confidence in recognizing and correcting errors, while also realizing that everyone needs help during the writing process. When it comes to ways to encourage self-reflection, Robin suggests this is best achieved through free-writing or journals.
The IRP notes that students need to “create imaginative writing and representations, often modeled on those they have read, heard, or viewed...(C3)” (IRP, 54). Creative or imaginative writing can stem from a teacher-led story where the students draw or sketch along - an activity geared towards the Kindergarten age group - or perhaps by the teacher presenting the students with a topic to explore ahead of time, such as: “what are some activities you like to do on the weekend?” Regarding this specifically, the C1 PLO in the IRP states: “[Students must]...create straightforward personal writing and representations that express simple ideas, feelings, likes and dislikes, featuring...ideas represented through words, sentences, and images that connect to a topic” (IRP, 53). Whether personal writing takes the form of a journal, or other free-writing style activities, there should be an emphasis placed on freedom of expression, especially as it pertains to student reflection on, and self-evaluation of, their work.
What I find most valuable is how equalizing journals can be; children are given the chance to reflect on their own ideas, on their own terms, and without the potential concern regarding critique or grading. Many students lack academic confidence and require an alternative outlet for creative exploration; in this regard, journals have become an excellent way to accommodate varied learning needs. Returning to Page for a moment, I think the journals solve one of the concerns mentioned in her final reflection. During the middle years, Page felt that the creativity originally stressed in early elementary had dissipated, and academic structure had taken hold. She mentions using more “short cuts,” as the need to expel academic writing had overtaken the desire for teachers to allow free-writing or creative exploration in the classroom. Page’s reflection stresses the need for teachers to “...get experience from everywhere, listen to how your students respond to what they’re writing about, and incorporate [that] free type of writing” (Structure and Freedom, 73). Page’s concern supports my own desire to create balance; not only does free-writing provide students with an outlet for personal reflection, but it can also be an academic asset for teachers. By having our students keep writing notebooks or folders, and letting them reflect on their own work, we “can tell what topics the children enjoy writing about the most and what they do their best writing on” (Chapter 9, 296), which makes writing folders, notebooks or journals a means of progressive assessment for both student and teacher. Whether for teacher assessment purposes or personal reflection, journals provide another foundation for balance between academic structure and creative liberty.
To return full circle and examine Page’s reflections upon completing her Grade 12 year, there is an obvious shift in her perspective. What I find most revealing is how she discovered for herself the value of the writing process, and realized that all the hard work of reflection, editing and revising, can be just as rewarding as a “short cut” to completion. Page notes:
“I discovered how to do just enough to get decent grades. I learned short cuts; I never did many drafts. I had discovered conditioner. It helped with the snarls, and certainly didn’t take as much effort....All the combing I did used to get me compliments. I don’t get many compliments anymore. My hair never looked as nice as when I combed by hand, over and over, and my writing never turned out as nice either.” (Structure and Freedom, 74)
There is something to be said for learning effective writing foundations, and by examining Page’s case study, we can see how she valued both academic and creative endeavours. Teachers have the responsibility to prepare students for their educational futures by providing the necessary tools for success, and that begins as early as Kindergarten or Grade 1. However, as important as academic development is, the creativity and imagination that comes from journal writing is fundamental to building the confidence required during the writing progress. As a teacher, we need to show that all writing stages are important, from the discussion and feedback stage to the free-writing and personal reflection/self-assessment stages. As Page’s reflections highlight, writing is not an easy process, but it can be incredibly rewarding when you achieve both personal and academic achievement - or, when you can get all those tangles out yourself.
Resources:
Bainbridge, Joyce, Rachel Heydon and Grace Malicky. “Assessment and Conventions of Writing,” from Constructing Meaning: Balancing Elementary Language Arts, Fourth Edition. Nelson Education Ltd.: 2009.
British Columbia Ministry of Education. “English Language Arts, Kindergarten to Grade 7: Integrated Resource Package 2006.”
Casey, Mara and Stephen I. Hemenway. “Structure and Freedom: Achieving a Balanced Writing Curriculum.” English Journal (2001): 68-75.
Stevenson, Robin. EDCI 302: Guest Lecturer. October 21st, 2011.
Tuesday 18 October 2011
Mortimer
Assuming that most have read, or at least heard of Robert Munsch’s Mortimer, we can agree that if this book taught us anything, it’s that children LOVE to hear the sound of their own voice. My curiosity as a teacher revolves around how we can harness that childhood desire to be LOUD, and constructively explore functions such as voice, sound and oracy in a way that still piques student interest. New technological advancements, such as podcasting, create the perfect outlet for doing just that. When we began this discussion in class, there were many ideas and activities suggested that identified the functional aspects of podcasts. For instance, children could develop interview skills by putting together a radio show based on information they have previously researched. Not only is this interactive and imaginative, but it is also a useful representation of their skill-set. Apart from these helpful ideas, I still left feeling unsure of how to utilize podcasting in the classroom, and so I did a little searching online.
I found a fantastic YouTube video that not only gives background information on podcast development, but also includes helpful tips on how to incorporate podcasting into your classroom routine. For instance, the video emphasizes how podcasts can be used for both the production and reception of information; students can either listen to a particular podcast and respond, or demonstrate their knowledge by creating one of their own. Not only were student activities outlined, but the video also provided feedback on how teachers could use podcasts for their own research, organization and lesson planning.
In addition to this instructional video, I found an online link to an informative article that compiled subject-specific podcasts. The article is titled “80 Excellent Podcasts for Every Type of Classroom,” and has a wealth of material that would be incredibly useful for us new teachers. The subject divisions were also beneficial as they clearly identified teacher resources versus those which could be tailored for classroom use.
Another website, “PodFeed.net,” comprises an entire database of podcast listings that could be manipulated for the classroom. I experimented with different searches, and found a link to an English storyteller who reads fairy tales. Something like this could be great in a primary classroom, either as an introduction to a new ELA unit, or simply for use during quiet story time.
In addition to these podcast ideas, I delved further into VoiceThread and found numerous grade specific projects that piqued my interest. One Grade 2 focused project stood out mainly because it required a variety of skills, technology based and otherwise. The students were asked to create their own I-Spy games after first looking at different books in the library, and then bringing in 10 items of their own to use for their game’s construction. The students were asked to create an avatar of themselves, which was then uploaded to VoiceThread with the aid of the school tech teacher - an asset that not all teachers will have in their arsenal. The students also took digital pictures of their items, which were also uploaded, and then added their own voices to the interactive game design. Projects like this are great for us contemporary teachers as they demonstrate how we can enforce reading and writing skills through the use of technology.
This exploration opened my eyes to the creative and imaginative potential - or opportunity - that podcasting creates. However, apart from the keen interest students may have for working with and creating podcasts, it is important to note the other benefits that technology provide. On a simplistic level, the use of recording voice lends another medium for children to work with, and may open more doors for academic progress. Perhaps you have a student who is uncomfortable with presentations, but giving them the option to record their story and play it back to the class suddenly provides a new-found comfort and confidence amongst their peers. In this regard, we can see how the opportunities provided by technology are endless, and I welcome the chance to further explore podcast ideas in my future classroom!
PS...In my search for podcasts, I actually found a YouTube clip of Robert Munsch reading Mortimer - just goes to show you how much bedtime story-telling has changed!
Friday 7 October 2011
Purple, Green and Yellow
Frazzled - that pretty much sums up this picture. I hate to say it, but this will likely be me in my first teaching position - that is, if I am not able to harness the necessary resources available to beginning teachers. While the most valuable learning will occur in the classroom, there are key tools at our disposal that we need to utilize, such as the Integrated Resource Package, or IRP.
IRP: Structure, Efficiency, and Potential Challenges
The most beneficial aspect of the IRP is the practical curriculum knowledge it provides. The document outlines a grade-by-grade break down of B.C. curricula in a structured, methodical manner. This includes the fundamentals of the ELA structure: oracy, reading and writing, in addition to other useful information on formulating lesson plans. Conversely, the potential hindrance with such formalized government documents is the generality of voice and framework they typically embody. While the information provided regarding PLOs (Prescribed Learning Outcomes) is essential to planning and structuring our lessons, the way these concepts manifest themselves in the practical environment will be up to the discretion of the teacher, which is daunting for us new educators.
My greatest concern is how to connect the IRPs theoretical basis with the tangible classroom environment and transform such general requirements into accessible and dynamic lesson plans. Each teacher encompasses the creative liberty to meet ELA curriculum requirements, and as a hopeful Kindergarten teacher, my methods or approaches will likely differ from those teaching a Grade 5 class, for example. While there are obvious benefits to having an open platform for designing and organizing your lessons, as a beginning teacher I would feel more confident with a specified structure, which will create greater challenges for me to face in my first teaching experience.
Regarding the document itself, the IRP is relatively current and addresses many needs of today’s ELA students. One particular quote stood out to me regarding the contemporary approach to instruction:
IRP: Structure, Efficiency, and Potential Challenges
The most beneficial aspect of the IRP is the practical curriculum knowledge it provides. The document outlines a grade-by-grade break down of B.C. curricula in a structured, methodical manner. This includes the fundamentals of the ELA structure: oracy, reading and writing, in addition to other useful information on formulating lesson plans. Conversely, the potential hindrance with such formalized government documents is the generality of voice and framework they typically embody. While the information provided regarding PLOs (Prescribed Learning Outcomes) is essential to planning and structuring our lessons, the way these concepts manifest themselves in the practical environment will be up to the discretion of the teacher, which is daunting for us new educators.
My greatest concern is how to connect the IRPs theoretical basis with the tangible classroom environment and transform such general requirements into accessible and dynamic lesson plans. Each teacher encompasses the creative liberty to meet ELA curriculum requirements, and as a hopeful Kindergarten teacher, my methods or approaches will likely differ from those teaching a Grade 5 class, for example. While there are obvious benefits to having an open platform for designing and organizing your lessons, as a beginning teacher I would feel more confident with a specified structure, which will create greater challenges for me to face in my first teaching experience.
Regarding the document itself, the IRP is relatively current and addresses many needs of today’s ELA students. One particular quote stood out to me regarding the contemporary approach to instruction:
"To promote success for all learners, teachers must adapt their instruction to respond to the diverse literacy needs of their students, including those with special needs. Two critical elements in this kind of instruction are voice (opportunities for students to participate in decisions about their learning and to be engaged in a classroom community) and choice (options from which students can select) (IRP, 26)
."
Most important here is the active involvement of students; they need to engage with class materials and structure, while also exploring their ability to control or direct aspects of their own education. In order to encourage classroom involvement, students need to be exposed to creative and collaborative activities, and the IRP mentions a perfect example of this for the Kindergarten classroom. The document states that “the teaching of literacy in Kindergarten should be taught in a “purposefully joyful and playful way” (i.e., through purposeful, but engaging and playful activities). Play is an essential experience that extends, enhances, and enriches a child’s learning (IRP, 4).” As a future Kindergarten teacher myself, the IRP clearly provides useful information on how to design an interactive and multifaceted classroom that stimulates the students’ learning processes. Furthermore, these ideas directly connect with recent discussions on oracy in the classroom, and how to address the needs of today’s ELA students.
Diversity and Complexity: Today’s ELA Students
First and foremost, today’s ELA students are diverse. I volunteered in a grade 4 classroom in which the teacher had 5 ESL students from varied cultural backgrounds - and no means of which to support their individual development. The multicultural aspect of Canadian society is a blessing when it comes to educating ourselves and our students about other cultures, religions and various worldly issues, but as a teacher facing 25 students and 5 who do not understand a word being taught, you can imagine the challenges ahead of her. In addition to cultural differences, there are a wide range of learning and behavioural disorders that have become prevalent in contemporary classrooms, which only further cements our need as new educators to be flexible, adaptable and prepared to meet the demands of today’s changing population.
Another significant challenge will be incorporating engaging and stimulating activities that students respond to. This holds true specifically for language and oracy development in today’s ELA classroom. Growing out of a generation who saw the emergence of instant messaging and ‘Facebook’, we can recognize how speech development, and comfort in peer-centered verbal exchange, has been largely ignored in the social realm. As a result, children today require their teachers to develop a comfortable environment for engaging in conversation and practicing verbal skills with their classmates. Robert E. Probst raises a crucial point by stating how “we [as teachers] need to find those ways of helping [students through] simple activities, or structures, that get conversations started in comfortable, relaxed, nonthreatening ways (Tom Sawyer, Teaching and Talking, 48).”
As members of a fast-paced, vibrant and often over-stimulating society, children are suffering with the traditionally structured approaches to learning. Teachers today need to address the changing circumstances of their students, and adapt lessons to encourage collaborative exchange. The textbook identifies the importance of keeping the classroom active, dynamic and vocal. “Maintaining a vital oral language curriculum means that classrooms cannot be quiet places....[Teachers need to] capitalize on activities such as collaborative projects, reader-response groups, and drama activities in an effort to enhance their students’ abilities to articulate their thoughts and feelings clearly and with confidence (Language Development and Oracy, 56).” These are important points to raise for us new teachers who will need to use the more unorthodox and/or varied approaches necessitated by today’s ELA students.
It will be a learning process, but we must recognize the excellent resources at our fingertips, such as the IRP, which can guide us in the right direction. Apart from such resources, we also need to remain aware, adaptable, and prepared for the changing demands of today’s ELA students, so that we are able to address and meet the needs of our future classrooms.
Resources:
Bainbridge, Joyce, Rachel Heydon and Grace Malicky. “Language Development and Oracy” from Constructing Meaning: Balancing Elementary Language Arts, Fourth Edition. Nelson Education Ltd.: 2009.
British Columbia Ministry of Education. “English Language Arts, Kindergarten to Grade 7: Integrated Resource Package 2006.”
Probst, Robert E. “Tom Sawyer, Teaching and Talking.” Adolescent Literacy, 43-59.
Sunday 18 September 2011
Where The Wild Things Are.
Hello to the blogging world,
I must admit one thing first: I do not blog. I never have. To be honest, the idea of the world having an inside view to the rambling notions in my head is mildly terrifying. I tend to live in my own head-space most of the time. I was always a dreamer; I just preferred to keep those things to myself and not necessarily put my ideas out there for the world to see. However, those who know me, know that I am a serious Chatty Cathy. I love to talk, I'm a huge rambler, and I am more than happy to delve into in-depth topics - often to the point of exhaustion. That being said, I'll do my best to stick to the topic at hand - for the sanity of my readers, as well as myself. On that note, this week's entry is to discuss English Language Arts (ELA) and how it appears in an Elementary classroom. In order to discuss this, I'll have to reflect a little on my own childhood.
I LOVED Language Arts as a kid. I devoured books, I wrote stories - I spent most of my time in imaginary worlds, and without even realizing it, I was using Language Arts skills. How did I know the foundations of writing, reading, spelling, sentence structure, and so forth? Well, we learned all those things in the classroom, and more often than not, they were under the guise of fun, energizing activities. From even the earliest years, we were surrounded by those fundamental principles that allowed us to grow and experience through both structured and creative means.
If I had to think how Language Arts appears in the classroom - or rather, how I would like it to appear - I would immediately transport myself back to my own Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes. There were bright colours, students' work pinned on the walls, stations set up with reading chairs, free carpet space, and more books than you could possibly imagine. Do I credit those early classroom environments with my love of Language Arts? Absolutely. As a student just learning how to transform myself into the role of teacher, I recognize how influential the classroom environment was in shaping my learning experience.
I think the most interesting thing I've come to reflect on after beginning this program is just how far-reaching the Language Arts are. It is not just the act of reading or writing, but listening and speaking, along with viewing and representing ideas through a variety of forms. ELA is fundamental to all activities in the classroom - from the more structured lessons, to the creative freedom of arts and crafts projects. It provides a means of communicating ourselves and our ideals in visual, written and oral forms, which leaves it completely open to interpretation and practice. In that regard, it may seem overwhelming to think that it will be our (aka the future teachers'!) responsibility to ensure these kids have the fundamentals necessary to develop their own identity in writing, reading, presenting and so forth. However, as challenging as it will be, I cannot wait to see the rewards. These next few months will be a learning process for us all, but if it means I am ever closer to getting the chance to set up a room with colourful, bright, energetic posters, and sit on a big carpet with all the kids as we read a story together, it will be entirely worth it.
I must admit one thing first: I do not blog. I never have. To be honest, the idea of the world having an inside view to the rambling notions in my head is mildly terrifying. I tend to live in my own head-space most of the time. I was always a dreamer; I just preferred to keep those things to myself and not necessarily put my ideas out there for the world to see. However, those who know me, know that I am a serious Chatty Cathy. I love to talk, I'm a huge rambler, and I am more than happy to delve into in-depth topics - often to the point of exhaustion. That being said, I'll do my best to stick to the topic at hand - for the sanity of my readers, as well as myself. On that note, this week's entry is to discuss English Language Arts (ELA) and how it appears in an Elementary classroom. In order to discuss this, I'll have to reflect a little on my own childhood.
I LOVED Language Arts as a kid. I devoured books, I wrote stories - I spent most of my time in imaginary worlds, and without even realizing it, I was using Language Arts skills. How did I know the foundations of writing, reading, spelling, sentence structure, and so forth? Well, we learned all those things in the classroom, and more often than not, they were under the guise of fun, energizing activities. From even the earliest years, we were surrounded by those fundamental principles that allowed us to grow and experience through both structured and creative means.
If I had to think how Language Arts appears in the classroom - or rather, how I would like it to appear - I would immediately transport myself back to my own Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes. There were bright colours, students' work pinned on the walls, stations set up with reading chairs, free carpet space, and more books than you could possibly imagine. Do I credit those early classroom environments with my love of Language Arts? Absolutely. As a student just learning how to transform myself into the role of teacher, I recognize how influential the classroom environment was in shaping my learning experience.
I think the most interesting thing I've come to reflect on after beginning this program is just how far-reaching the Language Arts are. It is not just the act of reading or writing, but listening and speaking, along with viewing and representing ideas through a variety of forms. ELA is fundamental to all activities in the classroom - from the more structured lessons, to the creative freedom of arts and crafts projects. It provides a means of communicating ourselves and our ideals in visual, written and oral forms, which leaves it completely open to interpretation and practice. In that regard, it may seem overwhelming to think that it will be our (aka the future teachers'!) responsibility to ensure these kids have the fundamentals necessary to develop their own identity in writing, reading, presenting and so forth. However, as challenging as it will be, I cannot wait to see the rewards. These next few months will be a learning process for us all, but if it means I am ever closer to getting the chance to set up a room with colourful, bright, energetic posters, and sit on a big carpet with all the kids as we read a story together, it will be entirely worth it.
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