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I am placed in 4 th grade with more than half of the kids are energetic boys. One day, my mentor teacher asked me to lead a “banana spelling game.” At first, I thought they would lose interest quickly. But something surprising happened, when I let the students make their own rules, their eyes lit up. Suddenly the quiet ones were laughing, and the energetic boys were working together to keep the game going. Their version was even better for small-group play. In that moment, I realized that joyful play isn’t just fun, it’s how children let us into their world, and how learning becomes alive.

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I’m having the amazing opportunity to teach first graders at sacred heart of Jesus. All of these kiddos are so bright, and funny! I also love helping the ones who need an extra bit of support. This was my first week and I’m already learning so much about them, and how my teacher teaches!

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I teach 5th grade, and what stood out to me from this presentation was the importance of being aware of different development levels of my students and making sure they still have playful elements in learning!

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Each child has a unique developmental path and set of needs. I believe it is my role as an educator to provide instruction and support materials that are diverse and inclusive. I will keep an open heart and mind to allow my students to show me what it is they need to succeed while gently pushing them to grow.

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I teach a mixed 1/2 grade classroom in a public charter school with bouncing bundles of joy! What stood out for me as helpful were the development and learning principles and making mental notes on where I see each within my classroom. Specifically under principles 5 & 6 for example, where we had students share whether they knew how to count in multiple languages and found connections between peers on which languages they wanted to share. They shared counting in English, Spanish, Hebrew, German, Armenian, Russian and Mandarin! Everyone was excited for learning more together. I want to remember to slow down and merge more connections between students so the environment feels safe and they'll be open and willing to explore learning together.

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I teach sweet kindergarteners and I have seen the benefits of scaffolding lessons because they are at different skill levels. If we are doing a cutting exercise and they are to follow a line, for those that have less fine motor skills, I will make straight lines and for those that have more of a mastery, I will make more difficult lines to cut. That way each child feels confident and successful at their skill level. Each child develops at their own rate and it is important for me to remember that meeting each child where they are developmentally supports their growth and confidence in the classroom.

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I’m teaching in a combined 1st and 2nd grade classroom and I’m realizing how essential movement is for this age group in the classroom. As we have been going through classroom procedures and instructions, I’ve noticed the kids are losing stamina quickly and start to wiggle a lot on their own. I think that it would be developmentally appropriate to include more movement during instructional times to engage their minds and bodies.

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I teach Kindergarten at a private school.

It is important in this introduction to structured school that the curriculum is made engaging and fun, connecting to development principle 3. This will create a attitude of excitement towards learning which is critical for entering into 13+ years of school ahead!

Also, integrating the learning across disciplines will help them understand the impact of each thing they are learning about and how it is all interconnected. This relates to the 7th principle.

I want to remember to be aware of each child's individual background and skillsets, so that there are appropriate and engaging activities for all students.

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I teach awesome 4th graders!

I learned a lot about how important it is to truly understand your students wants and needs in learning. All students want and need differently and as teachers, we need to identity those differences and be able to develop curriculum that is appropriate for everyone.

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Many of my students enjoy Dungeons and Dragons, and I have begun starting to invoke the strategy and dice-based aspects of playing role-play board games (TTRPGs) to demonstrate real-world applications of math skills especially

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Here's an example entry....

In preschool, allowing for choice is sometimes the only way I see participation because they might be shy and want to work alone or they might be social and learn best with peers. I appreciate that both solo and group work were described as being equally important in the classroom. I also feel that "when they're ready" is a key phrase for making the learning meaningful.