The name game

Learning names is challenging. It seems to make such a huge difference, when you are able to use their names to get each persons attention. It is so difficult. I tried to use the animal name thing the other day, but it really didn't seem to help, in fact I think that I had done better the previous day at just trying to remember them. I can't decide if there are just days that I am more in tune or able to focus and so names go better. Sometimes it seems like it is just because the names are more familiar, or the group is 11 instead of 13, and those 2 extra names make a difference. At any rate, I hope that this gets easier, and will keep working at remembering names, simply because I do believe that it makes a huge difference.

Another thing that I have been learning this last week, is how often adults also need to be taught. I wonder how we could better communicate to parents their ability to make a difference in the day. I have to admit that previously I had not considered that part of my practicum learnings would be the adults on the field trip. I am not sure if part of the reason that I had a day with little parental support, is because of something that I did, and they didn't feel like they could step in. Since that day I have been less hesitant to ask parents to do something. On Wednesday, I had a great group of parents, with little prompting from me, they assisted in making sure that lines were enforced, that kids went into the line that they need to be in, and jumped in to makes sure that kids kept their hands safe. Some of the things that they did actually gave me ideas for ways to include parents in the future. (Asking a parent to stand on the other side of the cider press, asking them to assist with helping every child get a turn in the laundry, asking them to finish un-screwing the cider press to prep for the next group.) It is wonderful how every day is a new day with something new to learn.