The students at Clear Spring School are not the only Kindergarten students to enjoy wood working. As I had described earlier, the University of Helsinki has a wood shop where Kindergarten teachers earning their master's degrees, learn to teach wood working to kids.
It's called pedagogy... knowing the developmental needs of the child and developing age appropriate lessons to facilitate their growth. Pedagogy is about a lot more than knowing how to read and do math.
You will recognize "flip cars" that are designed to work either right side up or upside down and to flip at a finger touch. I asked my new students, "Have you done woodworking before?" No, they had not.
My editors are beginning to work through my woodworking with kids book.
Make, fix, create and extend toward others an understanding of the pedagogical function of the hands.
Hi Doug! How many students would you recommend teaching at a time? I would love to do a woodworking project in my daughter's class (1st grade), but we have 31 kids and some (well probably many) of the kids have a hard time following directions. Only worried from a safety perspective :).
ReplyDeleteHelen, I try to keep my classes no larger than 10. It is, as you say, difficult for some students to follow directions. It can be hard for them to even listen or understand the importance of following directions. I have been asking my 5th and 6th grade students to repeat lessons in the hope that they may better understand the second or third time around. Lay things out to be done, demonstrate, making sure that all eyes are firmly on what you are doing, and then be prepared for the inevitable questions and failure to fully understand.
ReplyDeleteClasses of as many as 25-31 are commonplace all over the world even though smaller class sizes are proven to give better results, even in academic subjects.I wish schools, teachers and parents would get behind a serious reduction in class sizes. You may have to divide the class in thirds, or find another strategy.
ah okay!!! that makes sense :) Thank you!!!!
Delete