Entry #12 - Learn & Serve

Today was my last day of Learn and Serve for this semester. When I came into the classroom this morning, the students were getting started on their breakfast. As usual, the teachers walked around and greeted each of the students. We then did the pledge and started morning meeting. The kids were very well behaved today and the class was able to transition smoothly. After morning meeting was finished, Mr. Azzarella had a surprise for the students. Instead of doing the normal alphabet exercises and stations, he had a craft for them to complete that helped them with their numbers. The craft was to make a chain out of construction paper. Mr. Azzarella provided the students with strips of paper and the students had to cut out the numbers from a worksheet and glue each of them to each strip of paper. After they completed this, they were ready to begin their chain. The students were to make their chain in numerical order, so the first circle of the chain being number 1 and the last being number 24. This was a beneficial and creative way for children to learn numbers and correctly order of them. Our textbook explains that there are four dimensions of creativity; generating ideas, digging deeper into ideas, courage to explore ideas, and listening to one's inner voice. The text states that "creativity is not so much a personal characteristic as it is a process that involves both thinking and personality" (Kirk, Gallagher, Coleman & Anastasiow pg.292). I believe that it is important to add some crafts and creative work into the classroom. Students all learn differently some hands on, others by listening to a lecture. Everyone varies, and I believe that because of this it is important for teachers to vary their instruction as well. The students worked on this until lunch and I went around and helped the students as they worked.

Learn and Serve this semester had been great! I could not have asked for a better placement. It was my first experience of actually being in a self-contained special education classroom and I loved it. The students were wonderful and the teachers were very knowledgeable and helpful. I took a lot from Mr. Azzarella's classroom that I know will help me in the future. This has been my best placement yet and I hope to get more experience in special education classrooms.