April 9th: Emma
04/09/17
My work with Project DIRECT thus far has been incredibly meaningful and fulfilling. Between juggling coursework, lab hours and meetings, thesis writing, and an ongoing graduate school search, Wednesday morning preschool hours are a welcomed treat each week. There’s no better feeling than walking into a classroom and immediately having 25 little faces light up with excitement to see you. This is by no means my first experience working with preschoolers, However, Kenner Discovery School (KDS) has allowed me to enjoy greater freedom and independence in the classroom than I’ve ever had before. I love being able to participate in classroom activities and work one-on-one with the children as I choose. What’s more, I can’t express enough how warm and welcoming the children and teachers have been at KDS – the environment is the perfect atmosphere for truly being able to engage in working with children of all abilities, backgrounds, and personalities. KDS is lucky in a number of ways, one being that there are a plethora of available resources, and another being its diverse student body. The opportunity to work in a classroom where children are all working together towards a similar goal despite ranging from practically illiterate to reading and writing at a 3rd grade level is an extraordinary thing to see, and an even more extraordinary thing to be a part of. I look forward to many more Wednesday mornings at KDS to come!
April 2nd: Chandler
4/2/17
My work at preschools has changed greatly since my beginnings in the Baker lab. From cleaning tables to helping out with teacher lessons, Project DIRECT has truly helped to establish comfort in volunteering at preschool environments. This past semester has found me with the goal of executing a service learning project seeking to engage some of the learners that get bored with the pencil and paper method of learning. Specifically, my project consisted of me creating a six-sided cube, with small, one-syllable words that kids could practicing rhyming with, printed on each side of the cube. Kids would then be called at carpet time to throw the cube, like a die, and say a word that rhymed with the word the cube landed on. Overall, the kids seemed very receptive to the method of learning, and displayed enthusiasm over rolling the die. Through the die project, and thinking on the times I have spent working with Project DIRECT, I appreciate the experiences in preschool classrooms Project DIRECT has brought me.
March 12th: Claudia
3/12/17
Preschool hours are what I look forward to every week. My Tuesday mornings are punctuated by a chorus of little voices calling out "Miss Claudia!" and running up for hugs, which is an incredible way to start a day, and I would recommend it to anyone. I really love giving these kids some one-on-one attention during Center Time that the teachers sometimes are unable to give them when trying to handle the entire classroom. I also get to help out during lunch and snack time in managing the chaos that is 11 hungry four-year-olds. I love getting to know each child individually and understand each of their strengths and areas that need strengthening. I also have the amazing opportunity to work in this class with children on the autism spectrum, with many different IEPs (individual education plans), and some non-verbal children. This mixed classroom full of neurotypical and non-neurotypical children has taught me so much and I've really fallen in love with each and every child in this class. For part of my service learning project, I'm helping to create an organizational tool to help the teachers organize center time and help hold the children accountable for their activities. I really feel like my presence in the classroom is a help to the teachers and is a fun new experience and adult to interact with for the children.
March 5th: Abrania
3/5/17
My work as a research assistant with Project DIRECT has varied significantly in the past two years, providing an assortment of experiences that will inform my future career in research. In my first semester in Dr. Baker’s lab, I had the opportunity to participate in data entry associated with program evaluations regarding the teacher training that had been in progress at several of our partner schools. In this process, I had the ability to learn from teachers’ experiences with our program from their own words, suggestions, and critiques. These lessons have informed my current participation in “Helping Hands,” a Project DIRECT program focused on collaborating directly with teachers in our partner schools to establish long-term and community-informed relationships. One morning once per week, I have the opportunity to provide any assistance that a teacher may need with her kindergarten class. From a trauma-informed lens, I have been able to provide specialized and extended interactions with students that often show behavioral problems, and I have developed incredibly positive relationships with children that may otherwise perform poorly. Teachers have also given me the opportunity to lead small groups with some kindergartners, giving them more free time to focus on their class and plan. Overall, working as a “Helping Hand” has given me a firsthand experience in understanding the strengths and challenges teachers and students face, doing so in a way that provides any aid needed. Through a bottom-up approach, these qualitative lessons, in turn, can inform the trauma-informed research we conduct at Project DIRECT. Participating in research that seeks to translate our current literature into effective interventions and public policy has been a defining experience in my own pursuit of a career in evidence-based policy, and I am incredibly thankful to Dr. Baker and Project DIRECT for the opportunity to participate in this work.
February 26th: Rachel
2/26/17
This year I’m working in a classroom of wonderful kids at Crocker College Prep. The students in my classroom have skill levels all across the board which has been a new challenge for me. Some are far above the average in math, for example, and can count to 200 and are already experts at adding and subtacting, while others are still struggling to count to 5. This semester, I’m lucky enough to be shadowing the school’s speech-language pathologist for a few hours a month, as I hope to study speech-language pathology in graduate school.
Additionally, I’m working on a service learning project alongside the teachers of my classroom this semester. Although I am still deciding on exactly what I’d like to do, my project will likely involve center-time. More specifically, I’d like to focus on center-time transitions and/or teaching the students about proper care and organization of the items in the center (e.g. dress-up clothing, blocks, art supplies, etc.). I’m really looking forward to continuing to develop my project, and to making it come to life in the next few months!
February 19th: Victoria
2/19/2017
The start of this new semester at McNair has been fabulous! I have been able to learn all the children's names and understand each of their personalities. My favorite part of every Wednesday is walking into the classroom in the morning and hearing "MS. TORI!!". The students have flourished within and outside the classroom. I am lucky enough to be at the preschool for a big chunk of their day leading a variety of the activities on Wednesday. Specifically, I love to assist them in updating the calendar and playing games that involve matching, which I do in front of the class. Using popsicle sticks, we are able to equalize the opportunity of who gets to come up and help.
Another thing I help out with is working at the name writing station during small groups. It has been amazing over just a few months to see the progress these students have made with their names. A lot of them are working on writing site words such as "me" and "have". I have enjoyed my time so much here and I cannot wait for this upcoming week when we are making shirts of their own Mardi Gras Parades!
February 12th: Caroline
2/12/2017
My first few weeks at McNair this semester have been great! I started originally at the preschool in November, and it's been so fun to see the kids growing and learning over the past months. The spring is always an exciting time in New Orleans, and in the past weeks the kids have had a lot to celebrate. Last week, they played some games and had a second line around the classroom in honor of Mardi Gras, as well as counted 100 of their favorite things about preschool to commemorate the 100th day of school. This week, they practiced writing their names and coloring inside the lines to make Valentine's Day cards for their friends.
Usually, the kids are able to have two blocks of time in the classroom- one devoted to a group activity (such as writing sentences, using sight words, or practicing their names and letters) and one devoted to centers, where they are able to choose between various activities such as rhyming games or using play-doh to make letters.
I've loved being able to see the kids on a weekly basis, because I've noticed that every time I visit they are getting better and better at skills such as writing their names and learning sight words. When I first started, they were just finishing their letters and numbers- now, they are able to read some words, write their full names, and even count to 100. I'm excited to see where they will be by the end of the year!
February 24th: Rachel
2/24/2015
I've had an amazing first few visits to my preschool this semester, and am continuing to develop nice relationships with those at the school all while learning a great deal about working and communicating with four- and five-year olds! Towards the end of this past fall semester, the teacher whose classroom I had been working had to leave. So, I was particularly excited to return to the preschool this semester, not only to see all of the students again, but also to meet the new teacher. After only a few visits, I’m very impressed with our new teacher. Right away she assigned me the task of brainstorming classroom themes and activities for Black History Month. I came up with a Jackie Robinson baseball theme, a Martin Luther King Jr. peace and friendship theme, and a Garrett Morgan (an African American inventor known for inventing the traffic light) cars, traffic, and transportation theme. I hope to be able to help out with the classroom’s March St. Patrick’s Day theme as well!
The progress I’ve seen in these students over the last few months has really reinforced my desire to help out and show my support throughout their growth and development. Every visit, I notice more independent “shoe-tiers” and fewer letter “E’s” being written backwards. My favorite memory of the past month was looking behind me and seeing that 10 giggling four- and five-year-olds, chasing me during a game of outdoor tag, had turned into at least 30 from three different classrooms. I’m looking forward to a wonderful rest of the semester.
February 24th: Stephanie
2/24/2015
For the past year, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at a local preschool. After a month away for winter break, it was incredible to see the academic and social strides the children had made. The students can sing the A-B-Cs fluently, count to higher numbers than when I left, and can recite the days of the week and the months of the years flawlessly. A typical morning in the classroom consists of circle time, center time, and going outside to run around and play with other students (which is also known as gross motor time). During circle time, one of the teachers will lead the kids in singing songs, read a book and help the group practice their numbers and letters. During center time, the students have the opportunity to make the decision of where they want to spend their time. Whether it is in the play kitchen, putting together puzzles, playing music, playing in the water or sand stations, or coloring, it is incredible to see the students gain crucial fine motor, academic and social skills. After center time, the students have the opportunity to run and play outside with students in other classrooms. I love seeing them use their big muscles and learn to negotiate difficult situations like asking another friend to play or losing a game. Volunteering every week has been an incredible experience and I look forward to the rest of my semester working there.
February 10th: Leah
2/10/2015
I work once a week at a local charter school in a combined Pre-K/Kindergarten classroom. After a month away for winter break, seeing how the kids have grown in my absence is astonishing. The children who were just learning to recognize different letters before I left for break are now writing their names legibly and beginning to read. I work specifically on improving literacy with the kids, and we have been writing letters each week and coloring pictures that begin with those letters (e.g., coloring a picture of a lion for the letter L). Besides working on letter sounds and writing the letters, the children are working on coloring in the lines and coloring pictures in a realistic manner (e.g., coloring a ladybug black and red, not blue and green). The children are also mastering the correct way to hold a pencil, which has significantly improved their ability to write clearly. Coming into this classroom each week is an incredibly positive experience for me, and the children never fail to make me laugh and smile. What other job could I walk into each week and get hugged just for showing up?
February 2nd: Callie
2/2/2015
Since beginning my work with Project DIRECT this past summer, I have had the opportunity to experience two different classrooms at my preschool. It has been an incredibly interesting experience to observe the juxtaposition between the teaching strategies utilized in the two classrooms. I am currently writing my honors thesis on punitive behavioral management strategies, so observing the daily choices teachers make about using reinforcement over punishment has been incredibly meaningful.
Currently, my classroom is working on a number of different social and behavioral skills, as well as mastering the daily routine. One of my favorite activities from my classroom is a singing and dancing circle game called “friend of mine,” which helps the students appreciate the friendship of all their classmates. During the game, one student stands in the middle of the circle and picks one other student to dance around with them. All of the other students sit in a circle and sing the following song:
Will you be a friend of mine,
Friend of mine, friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine,
And dance around with me?
After the song is over, the first student returns to their seat and the second student gets to pick another friend from the circle. Each student gets a turn before the game is over. The students in my classroom love music and dancing, so this is a perfect activity for them. It really helps the students branch out and see that friendship is limitless; they can be friends with all of the other students in the classroom. They are also given the opportunity to practice taking turns, and not getting upset if they are not picked first.
We have also been working on using our words when we are angry or upset instead of crying or hitting. I love the way the teacher in my classroom calmly says to the students, “I can see that you’re angry and that’s okay. Would you like to sit over there and calm down until you can tell me what is wrong?” This teaches the students that having emotions like anger or sadness is okay, they just need to learn how to responsibly respond to those emotions. The students really seem to welcome the opportunity to take the time to remove themselves from the situation and calm down, and this has been an incredibly effective behavioral management tool, which leads to better problem solving. Once the students have a chance to calm down, they can use their words and allow the adults to find a solution.
In addition to my regular preschool time, a couple of weeks ago, I took a few hours out of studying to join in on the festivities at one of my preschool’s parties. It was a perfect study break! I helped pass out treats and met a number of my student’s parents. It was so much fun to see all of the children in their costumes and it was such a nice shift from the normal classroom routine. I am really enjoying my time at the preschool; this has been such a wonderful opportunity for me. Each week, I receive so much love and appreciation from all of the students, teachers, and administration. I really feel like my time there has been well spent. I look forward to continuing working with them for the rest of the school year.
January 26th: Sarah
1/26/2015
Upon my first day back at my site, I was welcomed with hugs from lots of smiling Kindergarteners. The class spent the beginning of the morning reviewing the letter U and the different sounds it can make. The teacher read My ‘U’ Book and then the class broke up into groups for station time. I helped one group practice in their handwriting book. We traced the letters g, u, and i. I helped the students write each letter by emphasizing which directions they should be drawing the loops and lines. Later, I worked with a group on reading responses. The children reread a simple picture book called Grandpa that they had read with their teacher already. It was amazing to see some of the students reading the short sentences all on their own. They have made so much progress since September! After looking over the book for the second time, the children chose their favorite part and drew a picture of the scene. I helped them write captions for their illustrations. The children brightened up my morning as usual, and I can’t wait to watch them continue to learn and grow!
January 26th: Sam
1/26/2015
This week, my preschool was conducting standardized testing. During testing, the classroom transitioned between different activities, such as physical education (P.E.) and movies. This week, I had the opportunity to interact with the children outside of the classroom. The P.E. coach led a variety of exercises, such as stretches, jumping jacks, and breathing techniques. Throughout the year, the coach had been working with the kids on motor development, such as riding a bike and throwing a football and basketball. The coach told me that at the beginning of the school year, the students had trouble with these skills, and that it’s great to see that the students have improved so much since then.
After the outdoor activities, we moved into the classroom where the preschool class sat at the rug with students from other classrooms. The teachers brought out a projector and speaker, and turned on Netflix to watch a movie. I thought that the accessibility of technology used in the school was impressive. In my elementary school years, if we wanted to watch a movie, the teacher either brought out the old television with the VCR or we went to the auditorium. The teachers turned on “The Adventures of Puss in Boots,” and I called students from the carpet to work with them one on one. I asked them to recall, identify, and write numbers from 6-10, and I assisted the students that had trouble remembering the numbers or writing the numbers backwards.
Meanwhile, the students individually transitioned from the classroom to taking their test. When a child passed his or her standardized test, the teacher excitedly hugged the child and cheerfully congratulated them. After months of hard work, the teacher was relieved and happy that the student was successfully developing the skills they had been working on throughout the year. Seeing this interaction between the teacher and the student was a memorable event. Through all the rollercoaster experiences as a teacher, these moments are likely a refreshing reminder of why the teachers originally chose their professions.
December 12th: Laura
12/12/2014
This year, I am working at a new site! For the first time in a couple of years, I am back in a pre-k classroom, working with 4- and 5-year-olds. So far, it's been quite an experience! I am used to working in classrooms with younger children that are more play-based, as younger preschoolers construct their knowledge about the world by playing and exploring their environment. In my current pre-k classroom, the focus has been more academic, although there is, of course, time still set aside to play. When I arrive in the morning, the kids are cleaning up from center time and moving to the carpet for read aloud. The book always has to do with the theme for the week (this past week was food groups and healthy eating). We stop to talk about the story every couple of pages in order to keep the children engaged. This week we were also working on differentiating between the beginning, middle, and end of a story, so we talked about the beginning, middle, and end of the book the teacher was reading aloud. Then, the kids "journal" about the book, which for them means writing their name, drawing a picture, and then creating a sentence using the beginning sounds/letters of the key words. We then ask them to tell us their sentences and write them down as they tell us. As you can imagine, some of the students have a better handle on this than others, but they're definitely making progress. These reading activities are much more structured than I'm used to with preschoolers, but at this college-prep elementary school, there is a huge push for mastering early literacy and math skills at a young age.
During my mornings in the pre-k classroom, I also get to participate in group math time, where we go over the calendar, sing an adorable "days of the week" song, and practice recognizing the day's special numbers. Last Wednesday they were working on 11 and 12, so we counted up to 11 and 12, looked around the room to find 11s and 12s, and then each student had the opportunity to sit down and practice writing an 11 and a 12. Some of the students were able to do it independently, but we helped many of the students by writing down an 11 and a 12 for them to copy, or writing down an 11 and a 12 for them to trace. Despite some of the students' difficulties with the writing assignments, I am very impressed with what they know and are able to retain from week to week. It is clear that most of the students are eager to learn, and are capable of challenging work! So far I'm enjoying my time at this site, and learning a lot about the school's mission and the expectations they have for their young scholars.
December 12th: Sam
12/12/2014
This semester, I resumed volunteering in a preschool classroom at one of our partner schools. When I first came to the classroom, the children were learning letters, sounds, rhyming, and how to spell their names. The children were also preparing for a special test, which was a two-stage process that measures the students’ academic performances. I lead activities with the students to recognize upper case and lower case letters and help pronounce them. They repeated short songs and sounds associated with each letter, such as “W is for Ww, Ww, Ww, Washer.”
After fall break, the students started learning how to recognize, count, add, and write numbers. The teachers used a visual activity with a bear and small items to help count. For example, the bear could be taking 3 balloons to a party. The teacher would then stick balloons on the bear and have the children count with her. She would keep placing balloons until the students shouted “STOP!” to notify her that she had reached the correct number of balloons. The teachers in this classroom are very energetic and motivated. I look forward to seeing more activities and being part of the plans the teachers have for the students throughout the rest of the year.
November 18th: Johanna
11/18/2014
I have gotten the unique opportunity to work in the same preschool continuously for 7 months (last spring, this summer, and this fall). Since last semester, my preschool has gone through a lot of changes. They have added 3 new classrooms of students and they have hired new teachers. Being in this “new environment” has been extremely interesting, especially watching the returning students interact within this new environment.
Two of the students in the classroom are returning students and one of them has taken on the roll as “teacher’s helper”. She helps the new teacher and new students get used to the school. It’s been great to see her take on this responsibility. Every time a new student starts in the classroom, she makes sure to introduce herself, ask the new student to play, and then continuously checks up on him/her throughout the day. Watching her grow as an individual has been extremely rewarding and I cannot wait to see her continue to grow throughout the year.
November 18th: Leah
11/18/2014
Each Wednesday I have the pleasure of working in a blended pre-K/Kindergarten classroom. All of the children range between 4 and 5 years old, and each child is unique in his or her own way. I have gotten the opportunity to get to know each child on a personal level through my interactions with them during carpet time. Carpet time is one of four stations that the children rotate through while I am with them. The other stations include a reading station, in which one of the teachers works on reading developmentally appropriate stories with the children; a computer station, in which the pre-K children play learning games, and the kindergarten children engage in online activities that monitor their progress; and a journal station, in which each child writes or draws in his or her journal according to the theme of the day with the other teacher’s assistance. I engage with the children during carpet time, and I get to work with every child throughout their rotation to that station. We practice making words and recognizing letters and sounds by using magnetized cookie sheets and letters. We also use puzzles to match letters to their corresponding sounds and pictures, such as L for Lion.
I have greatly enjoyed watching the children grow and develop literacy skills with each successive week. I am also impressed by their honed social skills and ability to recognize each other as friends. They all play well together and practice sharing regularly. They also all recognize the classroom rules and are quick to let a teacher know if a fellow student is breaking those rules. Overall, working at this school has been an incredible experience and great practice for my future teaching endeavors.
October 27th: Rachel
10/27/14
Prior to this year, I did not have much experience working with preschool-aged children, so I was a bit nervous to start as a teacher’s aide in the Head-Start classroom I had been assigned to. However, by the end of my first day, I left extremely excited about the opportunity and about returning the following week. I was welcomed with kindness from the teacher and teacher’s assistant in my classroom, the students, and everyone else I’ve encountered so far at the school. After only two visits, I’ve learned nearly all of the students’ names, and I feel that I have established numerous warm relationships amongst the students as well.
On Tuesday mornings, I arrive just before “center time”. I have already grown accustomed to the high-pitched squeals and warm greetings I receive as “Miss Rachel”. Center time begins with a fun song, and my first task is to make sure that each student is wearing the proper colored clothespin to match the center he or she is at. Popular centers include reading, art, dress-up/ “house”, and music. Each day the class does a different art project. Last week, for example, we dipped sponges in paint to create autumn trees and leaves. Students are always excited to take home and show-off their stellar paintings and creations! I’ve also had fun “playing house,” where activities range from cooking plastic bagels to exploring the latest preschool fashion trends (the tiara and the fireman jacket are popular right now).
After center time, the class plays outside for about 15 minutes, followed by reading and a few more activities before lunch. Outside, I’ve worked with students on avoiding physical confrontation when upset and taking turns on the swing-set. Last week, I enjoyed reading The Giving Tree to the class, and practicing the word (“find”), color, and number of the week. To practice, we had to “find” nine orange items around the classroom. I love the hands-on teaching style I’ve experienced already, including song, dance, movement, call-and-repeat, and more.
In just two visits, I’ve witnessed a great deal of kindness, intelligence, and potential in these students, and I am looking forward to working with them throughout the year. My experience at the preschool has already continued to reinforce and enhance my passion for education and working with children.
04/09/17
My work with Project DIRECT thus far has been incredibly meaningful and fulfilling. Between juggling coursework, lab hours and meetings, thesis writing, and an ongoing graduate school search, Wednesday morning preschool hours are a welcomed treat each week. There’s no better feeling than walking into a classroom and immediately having 25 little faces light up with excitement to see you. This is by no means my first experience working with preschoolers, However, Kenner Discovery School (KDS) has allowed me to enjoy greater freedom and independence in the classroom than I’ve ever had before. I love being able to participate in classroom activities and work one-on-one with the children as I choose. What’s more, I can’t express enough how warm and welcoming the children and teachers have been at KDS – the environment is the perfect atmosphere for truly being able to engage in working with children of all abilities, backgrounds, and personalities. KDS is lucky in a number of ways, one being that there are a plethora of available resources, and another being its diverse student body. The opportunity to work in a classroom where children are all working together towards a similar goal despite ranging from practically illiterate to reading and writing at a 3rd grade level is an extraordinary thing to see, and an even more extraordinary thing to be a part of. I look forward to many more Wednesday mornings at KDS to come!
April 2nd: Chandler
4/2/17
My work at preschools has changed greatly since my beginnings in the Baker lab. From cleaning tables to helping out with teacher lessons, Project DIRECT has truly helped to establish comfort in volunteering at preschool environments. This past semester has found me with the goal of executing a service learning project seeking to engage some of the learners that get bored with the pencil and paper method of learning. Specifically, my project consisted of me creating a six-sided cube, with small, one-syllable words that kids could practicing rhyming with, printed on each side of the cube. Kids would then be called at carpet time to throw the cube, like a die, and say a word that rhymed with the word the cube landed on. Overall, the kids seemed very receptive to the method of learning, and displayed enthusiasm over rolling the die. Through the die project, and thinking on the times I have spent working with Project DIRECT, I appreciate the experiences in preschool classrooms Project DIRECT has brought me.
March 12th: Claudia
3/12/17
Preschool hours are what I look forward to every week. My Tuesday mornings are punctuated by a chorus of little voices calling out "Miss Claudia!" and running up for hugs, which is an incredible way to start a day, and I would recommend it to anyone. I really love giving these kids some one-on-one attention during Center Time that the teachers sometimes are unable to give them when trying to handle the entire classroom. I also get to help out during lunch and snack time in managing the chaos that is 11 hungry four-year-olds. I love getting to know each child individually and understand each of their strengths and areas that need strengthening. I also have the amazing opportunity to work in this class with children on the autism spectrum, with many different IEPs (individual education plans), and some non-verbal children. This mixed classroom full of neurotypical and non-neurotypical children has taught me so much and I've really fallen in love with each and every child in this class. For part of my service learning project, I'm helping to create an organizational tool to help the teachers organize center time and help hold the children accountable for their activities. I really feel like my presence in the classroom is a help to the teachers and is a fun new experience and adult to interact with for the children.
March 5th: Abrania
3/5/17
My work as a research assistant with Project DIRECT has varied significantly in the past two years, providing an assortment of experiences that will inform my future career in research. In my first semester in Dr. Baker’s lab, I had the opportunity to participate in data entry associated with program evaluations regarding the teacher training that had been in progress at several of our partner schools. In this process, I had the ability to learn from teachers’ experiences with our program from their own words, suggestions, and critiques. These lessons have informed my current participation in “Helping Hands,” a Project DIRECT program focused on collaborating directly with teachers in our partner schools to establish long-term and community-informed relationships. One morning once per week, I have the opportunity to provide any assistance that a teacher may need with her kindergarten class. From a trauma-informed lens, I have been able to provide specialized and extended interactions with students that often show behavioral problems, and I have developed incredibly positive relationships with children that may otherwise perform poorly. Teachers have also given me the opportunity to lead small groups with some kindergartners, giving them more free time to focus on their class and plan. Overall, working as a “Helping Hand” has given me a firsthand experience in understanding the strengths and challenges teachers and students face, doing so in a way that provides any aid needed. Through a bottom-up approach, these qualitative lessons, in turn, can inform the trauma-informed research we conduct at Project DIRECT. Participating in research that seeks to translate our current literature into effective interventions and public policy has been a defining experience in my own pursuit of a career in evidence-based policy, and I am incredibly thankful to Dr. Baker and Project DIRECT for the opportunity to participate in this work.
February 26th: Rachel
2/26/17
This year I’m working in a classroom of wonderful kids at Crocker College Prep. The students in my classroom have skill levels all across the board which has been a new challenge for me. Some are far above the average in math, for example, and can count to 200 and are already experts at adding and subtacting, while others are still struggling to count to 5. This semester, I’m lucky enough to be shadowing the school’s speech-language pathologist for a few hours a month, as I hope to study speech-language pathology in graduate school.
Additionally, I’m working on a service learning project alongside the teachers of my classroom this semester. Although I am still deciding on exactly what I’d like to do, my project will likely involve center-time. More specifically, I’d like to focus on center-time transitions and/or teaching the students about proper care and organization of the items in the center (e.g. dress-up clothing, blocks, art supplies, etc.). I’m really looking forward to continuing to develop my project, and to making it come to life in the next few months!
February 19th: Victoria
2/19/2017
The start of this new semester at McNair has been fabulous! I have been able to learn all the children's names and understand each of their personalities. My favorite part of every Wednesday is walking into the classroom in the morning and hearing "MS. TORI!!". The students have flourished within and outside the classroom. I am lucky enough to be at the preschool for a big chunk of their day leading a variety of the activities on Wednesday. Specifically, I love to assist them in updating the calendar and playing games that involve matching, which I do in front of the class. Using popsicle sticks, we are able to equalize the opportunity of who gets to come up and help.
Another thing I help out with is working at the name writing station during small groups. It has been amazing over just a few months to see the progress these students have made with their names. A lot of them are working on writing site words such as "me" and "have". I have enjoyed my time so much here and I cannot wait for this upcoming week when we are making shirts of their own Mardi Gras Parades!
February 12th: Caroline
2/12/2017
My first few weeks at McNair this semester have been great! I started originally at the preschool in November, and it's been so fun to see the kids growing and learning over the past months. The spring is always an exciting time in New Orleans, and in the past weeks the kids have had a lot to celebrate. Last week, they played some games and had a second line around the classroom in honor of Mardi Gras, as well as counted 100 of their favorite things about preschool to commemorate the 100th day of school. This week, they practiced writing their names and coloring inside the lines to make Valentine's Day cards for their friends.
Usually, the kids are able to have two blocks of time in the classroom- one devoted to a group activity (such as writing sentences, using sight words, or practicing their names and letters) and one devoted to centers, where they are able to choose between various activities such as rhyming games or using play-doh to make letters.
I've loved being able to see the kids on a weekly basis, because I've noticed that every time I visit they are getting better and better at skills such as writing their names and learning sight words. When I first started, they were just finishing their letters and numbers- now, they are able to read some words, write their full names, and even count to 100. I'm excited to see where they will be by the end of the year!
February 24th: Rachel
2/24/2015
I've had an amazing first few visits to my preschool this semester, and am continuing to develop nice relationships with those at the school all while learning a great deal about working and communicating with four- and five-year olds! Towards the end of this past fall semester, the teacher whose classroom I had been working had to leave. So, I was particularly excited to return to the preschool this semester, not only to see all of the students again, but also to meet the new teacher. After only a few visits, I’m very impressed with our new teacher. Right away she assigned me the task of brainstorming classroom themes and activities for Black History Month. I came up with a Jackie Robinson baseball theme, a Martin Luther King Jr. peace and friendship theme, and a Garrett Morgan (an African American inventor known for inventing the traffic light) cars, traffic, and transportation theme. I hope to be able to help out with the classroom’s March St. Patrick’s Day theme as well!
The progress I’ve seen in these students over the last few months has really reinforced my desire to help out and show my support throughout their growth and development. Every visit, I notice more independent “shoe-tiers” and fewer letter “E’s” being written backwards. My favorite memory of the past month was looking behind me and seeing that 10 giggling four- and five-year-olds, chasing me during a game of outdoor tag, had turned into at least 30 from three different classrooms. I’m looking forward to a wonderful rest of the semester.
February 24th: Stephanie
2/24/2015
For the past year, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at a local preschool. After a month away for winter break, it was incredible to see the academic and social strides the children had made. The students can sing the A-B-Cs fluently, count to higher numbers than when I left, and can recite the days of the week and the months of the years flawlessly. A typical morning in the classroom consists of circle time, center time, and going outside to run around and play with other students (which is also known as gross motor time). During circle time, one of the teachers will lead the kids in singing songs, read a book and help the group practice their numbers and letters. During center time, the students have the opportunity to make the decision of where they want to spend their time. Whether it is in the play kitchen, putting together puzzles, playing music, playing in the water or sand stations, or coloring, it is incredible to see the students gain crucial fine motor, academic and social skills. After center time, the students have the opportunity to run and play outside with students in other classrooms. I love seeing them use their big muscles and learn to negotiate difficult situations like asking another friend to play or losing a game. Volunteering every week has been an incredible experience and I look forward to the rest of my semester working there.
February 10th: Leah
2/10/2015
I work once a week at a local charter school in a combined Pre-K/Kindergarten classroom. After a month away for winter break, seeing how the kids have grown in my absence is astonishing. The children who were just learning to recognize different letters before I left for break are now writing their names legibly and beginning to read. I work specifically on improving literacy with the kids, and we have been writing letters each week and coloring pictures that begin with those letters (e.g., coloring a picture of a lion for the letter L). Besides working on letter sounds and writing the letters, the children are working on coloring in the lines and coloring pictures in a realistic manner (e.g., coloring a ladybug black and red, not blue and green). The children are also mastering the correct way to hold a pencil, which has significantly improved their ability to write clearly. Coming into this classroom each week is an incredibly positive experience for me, and the children never fail to make me laugh and smile. What other job could I walk into each week and get hugged just for showing up?
February 2nd: Callie
2/2/2015
Since beginning my work with Project DIRECT this past summer, I have had the opportunity to experience two different classrooms at my preschool. It has been an incredibly interesting experience to observe the juxtaposition between the teaching strategies utilized in the two classrooms. I am currently writing my honors thesis on punitive behavioral management strategies, so observing the daily choices teachers make about using reinforcement over punishment has been incredibly meaningful.
Currently, my classroom is working on a number of different social and behavioral skills, as well as mastering the daily routine. One of my favorite activities from my classroom is a singing and dancing circle game called “friend of mine,” which helps the students appreciate the friendship of all their classmates. During the game, one student stands in the middle of the circle and picks one other student to dance around with them. All of the other students sit in a circle and sing the following song:
Will you be a friend of mine,
Friend of mine, friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine,
And dance around with me?
After the song is over, the first student returns to their seat and the second student gets to pick another friend from the circle. Each student gets a turn before the game is over. The students in my classroom love music and dancing, so this is a perfect activity for them. It really helps the students branch out and see that friendship is limitless; they can be friends with all of the other students in the classroom. They are also given the opportunity to practice taking turns, and not getting upset if they are not picked first.
We have also been working on using our words when we are angry or upset instead of crying or hitting. I love the way the teacher in my classroom calmly says to the students, “I can see that you’re angry and that’s okay. Would you like to sit over there and calm down until you can tell me what is wrong?” This teaches the students that having emotions like anger or sadness is okay, they just need to learn how to responsibly respond to those emotions. The students really seem to welcome the opportunity to take the time to remove themselves from the situation and calm down, and this has been an incredibly effective behavioral management tool, which leads to better problem solving. Once the students have a chance to calm down, they can use their words and allow the adults to find a solution.
In addition to my regular preschool time, a couple of weeks ago, I took a few hours out of studying to join in on the festivities at one of my preschool’s parties. It was a perfect study break! I helped pass out treats and met a number of my student’s parents. It was so much fun to see all of the children in their costumes and it was such a nice shift from the normal classroom routine. I am really enjoying my time at the preschool; this has been such a wonderful opportunity for me. Each week, I receive so much love and appreciation from all of the students, teachers, and administration. I really feel like my time there has been well spent. I look forward to continuing working with them for the rest of the school year.
January 26th: Sarah
1/26/2015
Upon my first day back at my site, I was welcomed with hugs from lots of smiling Kindergarteners. The class spent the beginning of the morning reviewing the letter U and the different sounds it can make. The teacher read My ‘U’ Book and then the class broke up into groups for station time. I helped one group practice in their handwriting book. We traced the letters g, u, and i. I helped the students write each letter by emphasizing which directions they should be drawing the loops and lines. Later, I worked with a group on reading responses. The children reread a simple picture book called Grandpa that they had read with their teacher already. It was amazing to see some of the students reading the short sentences all on their own. They have made so much progress since September! After looking over the book for the second time, the children chose their favorite part and drew a picture of the scene. I helped them write captions for their illustrations. The children brightened up my morning as usual, and I can’t wait to watch them continue to learn and grow!
January 26th: Sam
1/26/2015
This week, my preschool was conducting standardized testing. During testing, the classroom transitioned between different activities, such as physical education (P.E.) and movies. This week, I had the opportunity to interact with the children outside of the classroom. The P.E. coach led a variety of exercises, such as stretches, jumping jacks, and breathing techniques. Throughout the year, the coach had been working with the kids on motor development, such as riding a bike and throwing a football and basketball. The coach told me that at the beginning of the school year, the students had trouble with these skills, and that it’s great to see that the students have improved so much since then.
After the outdoor activities, we moved into the classroom where the preschool class sat at the rug with students from other classrooms. The teachers brought out a projector and speaker, and turned on Netflix to watch a movie. I thought that the accessibility of technology used in the school was impressive. In my elementary school years, if we wanted to watch a movie, the teacher either brought out the old television with the VCR or we went to the auditorium. The teachers turned on “The Adventures of Puss in Boots,” and I called students from the carpet to work with them one on one. I asked them to recall, identify, and write numbers from 6-10, and I assisted the students that had trouble remembering the numbers or writing the numbers backwards.
Meanwhile, the students individually transitioned from the classroom to taking their test. When a child passed his or her standardized test, the teacher excitedly hugged the child and cheerfully congratulated them. After months of hard work, the teacher was relieved and happy that the student was successfully developing the skills they had been working on throughout the year. Seeing this interaction between the teacher and the student was a memorable event. Through all the rollercoaster experiences as a teacher, these moments are likely a refreshing reminder of why the teachers originally chose their professions.
December 12th: Laura
12/12/2014
This year, I am working at a new site! For the first time in a couple of years, I am back in a pre-k classroom, working with 4- and 5-year-olds. So far, it's been quite an experience! I am used to working in classrooms with younger children that are more play-based, as younger preschoolers construct their knowledge about the world by playing and exploring their environment. In my current pre-k classroom, the focus has been more academic, although there is, of course, time still set aside to play. When I arrive in the morning, the kids are cleaning up from center time and moving to the carpet for read aloud. The book always has to do with the theme for the week (this past week was food groups and healthy eating). We stop to talk about the story every couple of pages in order to keep the children engaged. This week we were also working on differentiating between the beginning, middle, and end of a story, so we talked about the beginning, middle, and end of the book the teacher was reading aloud. Then, the kids "journal" about the book, which for them means writing their name, drawing a picture, and then creating a sentence using the beginning sounds/letters of the key words. We then ask them to tell us their sentences and write them down as they tell us. As you can imagine, some of the students have a better handle on this than others, but they're definitely making progress. These reading activities are much more structured than I'm used to with preschoolers, but at this college-prep elementary school, there is a huge push for mastering early literacy and math skills at a young age.
During my mornings in the pre-k classroom, I also get to participate in group math time, where we go over the calendar, sing an adorable "days of the week" song, and practice recognizing the day's special numbers. Last Wednesday they were working on 11 and 12, so we counted up to 11 and 12, looked around the room to find 11s and 12s, and then each student had the opportunity to sit down and practice writing an 11 and a 12. Some of the students were able to do it independently, but we helped many of the students by writing down an 11 and a 12 for them to copy, or writing down an 11 and a 12 for them to trace. Despite some of the students' difficulties with the writing assignments, I am very impressed with what they know and are able to retain from week to week. It is clear that most of the students are eager to learn, and are capable of challenging work! So far I'm enjoying my time at this site, and learning a lot about the school's mission and the expectations they have for their young scholars.
December 12th: Sam
12/12/2014
This semester, I resumed volunteering in a preschool classroom at one of our partner schools. When I first came to the classroom, the children were learning letters, sounds, rhyming, and how to spell their names. The children were also preparing for a special test, which was a two-stage process that measures the students’ academic performances. I lead activities with the students to recognize upper case and lower case letters and help pronounce them. They repeated short songs and sounds associated with each letter, such as “W is for Ww, Ww, Ww, Washer.”
After fall break, the students started learning how to recognize, count, add, and write numbers. The teachers used a visual activity with a bear and small items to help count. For example, the bear could be taking 3 balloons to a party. The teacher would then stick balloons on the bear and have the children count with her. She would keep placing balloons until the students shouted “STOP!” to notify her that she had reached the correct number of balloons. The teachers in this classroom are very energetic and motivated. I look forward to seeing more activities and being part of the plans the teachers have for the students throughout the rest of the year.
November 18th: Johanna
11/18/2014
I have gotten the unique opportunity to work in the same preschool continuously for 7 months (last spring, this summer, and this fall). Since last semester, my preschool has gone through a lot of changes. They have added 3 new classrooms of students and they have hired new teachers. Being in this “new environment” has been extremely interesting, especially watching the returning students interact within this new environment.
Two of the students in the classroom are returning students and one of them has taken on the roll as “teacher’s helper”. She helps the new teacher and new students get used to the school. It’s been great to see her take on this responsibility. Every time a new student starts in the classroom, she makes sure to introduce herself, ask the new student to play, and then continuously checks up on him/her throughout the day. Watching her grow as an individual has been extremely rewarding and I cannot wait to see her continue to grow throughout the year.
November 18th: Leah
11/18/2014
Each Wednesday I have the pleasure of working in a blended pre-K/Kindergarten classroom. All of the children range between 4 and 5 years old, and each child is unique in his or her own way. I have gotten the opportunity to get to know each child on a personal level through my interactions with them during carpet time. Carpet time is one of four stations that the children rotate through while I am with them. The other stations include a reading station, in which one of the teachers works on reading developmentally appropriate stories with the children; a computer station, in which the pre-K children play learning games, and the kindergarten children engage in online activities that monitor their progress; and a journal station, in which each child writes or draws in his or her journal according to the theme of the day with the other teacher’s assistance. I engage with the children during carpet time, and I get to work with every child throughout their rotation to that station. We practice making words and recognizing letters and sounds by using magnetized cookie sheets and letters. We also use puzzles to match letters to their corresponding sounds and pictures, such as L for Lion.
I have greatly enjoyed watching the children grow and develop literacy skills with each successive week. I am also impressed by their honed social skills and ability to recognize each other as friends. They all play well together and practice sharing regularly. They also all recognize the classroom rules and are quick to let a teacher know if a fellow student is breaking those rules. Overall, working at this school has been an incredible experience and great practice for my future teaching endeavors.
October 27th: Rachel
10/27/14
Prior to this year, I did not have much experience working with preschool-aged children, so I was a bit nervous to start as a teacher’s aide in the Head-Start classroom I had been assigned to. However, by the end of my first day, I left extremely excited about the opportunity and about returning the following week. I was welcomed with kindness from the teacher and teacher’s assistant in my classroom, the students, and everyone else I’ve encountered so far at the school. After only two visits, I’ve learned nearly all of the students’ names, and I feel that I have established numerous warm relationships amongst the students as well.
On Tuesday mornings, I arrive just before “center time”. I have already grown accustomed to the high-pitched squeals and warm greetings I receive as “Miss Rachel”. Center time begins with a fun song, and my first task is to make sure that each student is wearing the proper colored clothespin to match the center he or she is at. Popular centers include reading, art, dress-up/ “house”, and music. Each day the class does a different art project. Last week, for example, we dipped sponges in paint to create autumn trees and leaves. Students are always excited to take home and show-off their stellar paintings and creations! I’ve also had fun “playing house,” where activities range from cooking plastic bagels to exploring the latest preschool fashion trends (the tiara and the fireman jacket are popular right now).
After center time, the class plays outside for about 15 minutes, followed by reading and a few more activities before lunch. Outside, I’ve worked with students on avoiding physical confrontation when upset and taking turns on the swing-set. Last week, I enjoyed reading The Giving Tree to the class, and practicing the word (“find”), color, and number of the week. To practice, we had to “find” nine orange items around the classroom. I love the hands-on teaching style I’ve experienced already, including song, dance, movement, call-and-repeat, and more.
In just two visits, I’ve witnessed a great deal of kindness, intelligence, and potential in these students, and I am looking forward to working with them throughout the year. My experience at the preschool has already continued to reinforce and enhance my passion for education and working with children.
October 12th: Stephanie
10/12/15
When I walked into my preschool partner classroom (a 4-year-old classroom in a local community childcare center) for my first day of volunteering this semester, I was greeted with a warm welcome from some familiar faces from last year as well as some new ones. Every Wednesday morning, I have the wonderful opportunity to volunteer in the same local preschool that I volunteered in last year. It has been great working in the same classroom as last year with the same teacher, but new classroom of students. For the past few weeks in the preschool, the students have been working hard at learning their numbers, letters, and shapes. Additionally, the teachers have been helping the students learn the days of the week and the months of the year through a catchy jingle to help them remember.
This past week, the students were learning about community helpers such as firefighters, police officers, nurses, and doctors. The students then had the opportunity to express what community helper they wish to be when they grow up. The children drew pictures of themselves grown up and helping in the community. These pictures will all be compiled and made into a homemade book for the classroom. The students are also learning about positive interactions with their peers by sharing their toys and using “gentle touches.” Overall, I have greatly enjoyed my time at the preschool and I look forward to another great semester of volunteering!
October 12th: Sarah
10/12/15
My first few visits to my partner preschool classroom (a pre-K/K blended classroom in a local charter school) have been very enjoyable. I love being bombarded with hugs from the children upon my arrival each Wednesday morning. The structured classroom creates a wonderful learning environment. I have a great time doing “energizers” with the students in between activities so that they can get their “wiggles” out. Their teacher leads many songs, chants, and movement exercises that help the students to focus and calm down.
It is amazing to watch the children learning new things every minute. In class, we have been using picture clues to read wordless books. After story time, the Kindergarteners practice writing their power words and coloring in their journals. I enjoy interacting with the children. It is a pleasure to hear their imaginative insights and to hear them talk enthusiastically about the things they know. Although some of the children need assistance staying on task, overall I have been impressed with their behavior. I am excited to help out as the children continue to grow and learn over the rest of the semester!
10/12/15
When I walked into my preschool partner classroom (a 4-year-old classroom in a local community childcare center) for my first day of volunteering this semester, I was greeted with a warm welcome from some familiar faces from last year as well as some new ones. Every Wednesday morning, I have the wonderful opportunity to volunteer in the same local preschool that I volunteered in last year. It has been great working in the same classroom as last year with the same teacher, but new classroom of students. For the past few weeks in the preschool, the students have been working hard at learning their numbers, letters, and shapes. Additionally, the teachers have been helping the students learn the days of the week and the months of the year through a catchy jingle to help them remember.
This past week, the students were learning about community helpers such as firefighters, police officers, nurses, and doctors. The students then had the opportunity to express what community helper they wish to be when they grow up. The children drew pictures of themselves grown up and helping in the community. These pictures will all be compiled and made into a homemade book for the classroom. The students are also learning about positive interactions with their peers by sharing their toys and using “gentle touches.” Overall, I have greatly enjoyed my time at the preschool and I look forward to another great semester of volunteering!
October 12th: Sarah
10/12/15
My first few visits to my partner preschool classroom (a pre-K/K blended classroom in a local charter school) have been very enjoyable. I love being bombarded with hugs from the children upon my arrival each Wednesday morning. The structured classroom creates a wonderful learning environment. I have a great time doing “energizers” with the students in between activities so that they can get their “wiggles” out. Their teacher leads many songs, chants, and movement exercises that help the students to focus and calm down.
It is amazing to watch the children learning new things every minute. In class, we have been using picture clues to read wordless books. After story time, the Kindergarteners practice writing their power words and coloring in their journals. I enjoy interacting with the children. It is a pleasure to hear their imaginative insights and to hear them talk enthusiastically about the things they know. Although some of the children need assistance staying on task, overall I have been impressed with their behavior. I am excited to help out as the children continue to grow and learn over the rest of the semester!
- Spring Sign-Off
- 5/29/2014
- Hi there! This is your social media manager (and the person responsible for the Get DIRECT Blog!), Mackenzie. Our spring semester as Tulane University has come to a close and, as such, it's time for me to graduate! I'll actually be heading to Japan later this summer to teach English as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) with the Jet Program, so I'm sure I'll gather tons of interesting stories about the differences between education here in the USA and overseas. Keep an eye out - you may see an update from me sometime in the future!
It's been an absolute pleasure keeping you updated on our research projects and the RAs' time in the community with our local preschools. A new RA will take over the blog (and our Facebook page) at the beginning of the next semester, sometime around the end of August or the beginning of September, so you can expect to see some new posts then.
In the meantime, have a wonderful summer, readers!
May 1st: Johanna
- 5/19/2014
With only a few visits to the preschool left, it’s interesting to look back and see how the kids have grown in the past few months. Specifically, one child comes to mind. I’ll call him Bob. Bob came to the preschool late in the year and is older than many of the other children. At first, he had a hard time adjusting to the schedule of the preschool and was overwhelmed by many of the activities. One thing that was curious about Bob is that he had been exposed to certain experiences typical of a child his age but was also lacking many experiences quintessential to the preschool age group. For example, he loved working with puzzles but was overwhelmed and confused by wooden blocks. He also had a huge fear of slides. Over time, he has become more comfortable with these new experiences and objects and has started to experiment and play with them all on his own - something he was not willing to do initially.
Another development at the preschool has been the great influx of students this semester. As the class size increases and the range of developmental levels changes, the teachers have had to revamp their teaching styles and interactions with the children. When I first began volunteering in the classroom there was a large proportion of students that had an Individualized Education Program (IEP). IEPs are the plans school put in place to ensure that the educational needs of children with identified disabilities are met. Many of the new children in the program are typically developing, and this has created an interesting dynamic in the classroom. There is less time for teachers to work one-on-one with the children that need early interventions, and there is now a larger focus on overall behavior. On the other hand, the children with disabilities get an education in a best-practice inclusive environment, and the children without disabilities get to experience an early learning environment that is diverse and welcoming of all children. I am excited to see how the classroom and learning environment develops as this preschool's enrollment continues to increase.
May 1st: Stephanie
- 5/19/2014
Every Thursday morning, I am greeted with cheers, smiles, and hugs when I walk into the preschool classroom at the center - what an amazing way to start my day! Over the past few weeks, the students in the class in which I volunteer have gone through a great positive transformation. From the beginning of the semester until now, the students have experienced three different teachers coming and going from the classroom. Currently, the head teacher has been in the classroom with the students for a few weeks, and there seems to be tremendous improvement. In my eyes, there is much more cooperation, respect, and, most of all, learning.
The students are working on learning their letters, numbers, colors, and calendar months. While this process is going slowly, the key is repetition, and there is definitely significant progress being made. Personally, my favorite aspect of volunteering is when the students break up into small groups around the classroom and I get the opportunity to read a story to one or two students at a time. This gives me the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with the students to talk, play, and read. My time volunteering in the preschool is a highlight of my week, and I cannot wait to continue in the classroom.
May 1st: Mackenzie
- 5/19/2014
With my time in the preschool coming to a close in a few weeks, I've been reflecting on the improvements I've seen in the children that I've come to know in my classroom. Though it's only been a few months, I was surprised to notice marked changes in the kids and their behavior! While my first few weeks were hectic and filled with attempts to prevent outbursts, encourage sharing, and keep all of the kids on track, the number of kids exhibiting severe behavior problems has reduced over time. Now, instead of an entire classroom of chaos, it seems that only a select few students choose to act out at a time. During circle time on the rug, the majority of the children now settle down to sit and listen. Last week when I read the students a book, there were even a few moments of complete silence as the children concentrated and followed the story.There are still kids that have problems sharing with one another, but the teachers and I have been encouraging them to use their words to ask for a toy, rather than grasping it from someone else's hands. We're also trying to herd the stragglers back to the rug where they belong when they decide to wander elsewhere during circle time. It's my hope that some of what we're imparting will stick, and judging from the improvements I've already seen in the kids, I'm sure some will.
- With the nice weather, the class has been spending more and more time outside with each passing week. Recently, one of the teachers brought out a large parachute, and the children gathered in a circle to bounce a ball along its top. Another week, I blew some bubbles for the kids to chase. Both activities were a huge hit! Just last week, one little girl spent nearly the entire recess period holding my hand as we raced and played duck-duck-goose. It was a really touching reminder that the kids have accepted me as part of their class, and I'll be sad to leave them when the semester is over!
March 20th: Johanna
3/20/2014
These past few weeks at the preschool have been very hectic for me and the classroom teachers I assist. My class is composed of roughly half typically-developing children and half children with special needs, and every week there seems to be a new student. It’s great to see the class growing, but there’s always a lot going on. In the past week the class has grown from 11 to 15 kids and now accommodates children aged 18 months to 5 ½ years. It’s been interesting watching the teachers change their techniques as the demographics of the classroom changes. Because so many new children have transitioned into the classroom, the teachers have had less time to focus on their regular teaching routines.
This past week, instead of going outside (it was cold and wet), we had a “dance party”. The kids love to be active, and this was a great way to let off some steam. By far, their favorite is the chicken dance. They like to make chicken noises along with the song. We also tried to play duck, duck, goose, but this was not as successful. However, despite the difficulties, it was amazing to watch. The class is very diverse in terms of developmental ability, but even so, there are really no barriers between the children. One of the kids wanted to make sure that every child got picked, including those that are wheelchair bound. It was amazing to witness their comradery and acceptance of everyone.
March 20th: Mackenzie
3/20/2014
My time out in the community is spent at a local Head Start facility, where I assist two teachers in managing their classroom of 17 children. The classroom is integrated, meaning that children of varying developmental levels displaying various types of behaviors are all grouped together despite their differences. The children with special needs often meet with school clinicians in other classrooms for brief periods throughout the day, while the other kids stay with me, Miss L, and Miss S for the usual schedule.
At first, I was overwhelmed by the amount of action in the classroom - the schedule is packed with lots of fun activities, including center time (during which the kids get to play with one another at various "stations," which include the imaginative play station, a reading corner, a glitter sandbox, a puzzle area, and more), circle time, and playground time. The kids are very energetic, but it's clear that there are some behavioral issues affecting the class as a whole. A few children frequently act out, and they disturb and distract other children when they do so, meaning that the teachers and I soon have an entire classroom of fighting, screaming, or otherwise off-task children. When the negative behaviors are nipped in the bud and the offending child set aside and talked to, the rest of the class is usually more receptive and calm, but stopping the troublesome behaviors before they start is a challenge in itself.
Luckily, in the past few weeks, I've seen a marked improvement in a lot of the students. While I'm still adjusting to the teachers' methods of teaching and discipline, I try my best to encourage positive behaviors I see and gently discourage any negative ones. Last week, I even watched one girl rush over to help Miss L when a student with special needs got away from her. The girl, whom I'll call Anne, ran after the other child, whom I'll call Tommy, and gently led him back to the teacher while calmly talking to Tommy to prevent one of his frequent tantrums. Two students also took the time to hold the classroom and hall doors open for each other as we traveled outside for playground time. Even though I've only known the kids for a few weeks, I felt really proud to see them helping one another.
March 20th: Stephanie
3/20/2014
While the Project DIRECT team works many hours in the confinement of the our research lab, a big part of the team’s mission is the implementation of effective interventions within preschools. As undergraduate Research Assistants, our job is to maintain strong community ties and give back to the local community. Every Thursday morning, I have the wonderful opportunity to volunteer in a preschool classroom at a local center.
For the past few weeks, the teachers in the classroom have been working hard at teaching the kids about writing the letters of the alphabet and the recognition of different shapes and colors. When I first arrive at the classroom, the students eat breakfast together and engage in conversation with their peers at their assigned tables. After breakfast comes circle time on the carpet. This is an opportunity where the teachers have the students' attention. The children listen and sing along to educational songs and review colors, shapes, and the calendar months, as well as many other fundamental lessons. My favorite part of circle time is when the teacher puts a little drop of moisturizer on each student’s hands to foster “soft touches” with their friends and “sharing and caring hands.”
After sitting in circle time it is time for the students to move around, play, and learn. There are different “centers” around the room set up, such as a reading area, a block area, a place to paint, and a table with play-doh, in addition to other fun yet educational and therapeutic activities. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my weeks I have spent at the preschool, and I look forward to the rest of the semester!
Meet the RAs: Jeremy
2/27/2014
Hi, everyone! My name is Jeremy, and I'm a senior majoring in Psychology at Southern University at New Orleans. I hope to continue my studies by going to graduate school in the future, where I'd like to concentrate on child psychology. I chose to work with Project DIRECT because of its involvement with local preschools and children. By contributing to the lab and visiting our partner schools, I'm getting a chance to learn about early childhood education from the perspective of a teacher. I find this helpful as I have always wanted to understand both the issues and successes of our public elementary school system.
Meet the RAs: Stephanie
2/27/2014
My name is Stephanie, and I am from Livingston, New Jersey. I am currently in my Junior year at Tulane University and I am a Psychology Major as well as a Jewish Studies minor. After college, I plan to go on to receive my Masters in Occupational Therapy. I hope to eventually work with a population of kids with developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and various other injuries and disorders. Outside of the classroom, some of my hobbies include running, reading, and cooking.
Meet the RAs: Johanna
2/27/2014
Hi, everyone! My name is Johanna and I have been a member of Project DIRECT for the past two years. I am a junior at Tulane University studying Psychology and Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. I am also a community service scholar at Tulane and am involved in Tulane United for Autism and Hillel’s Tulane Jewish Leader program. I currently serve as the dance director for The Prism Project of Greater New Orleans, an inclusive performing arts program for children with and without special needs between the ages of 6-14. I love working in the preschool twice a week and can’t wait to share my experiences will all of you!
Meet the RAs: Mackenzie
2/25/2014
Hi, everyone! My name is Mackenzie, and I'm currently a senior at Tulane University. I'm double-majoring in Psychology and Asian Studies, and I've been working as a research assistant with Project Direct since June 2013. In addition to lab work, I'm also in the process of completing my Honors Thesis in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Baker. My thesis involves a systematic literature review of published journal articles focused on socioemotional interventions for preschoolers at-risk for or currently displaying behavioral problems. Specifically, I'm investigating the effects of the intervention implementer (specifically, researchers/clinicians, teachers, or parents) and treatment fidelity (how correctly the implementers follow the intervention) on the outcomes for the children. If I find any interesting results, I'll be sure to include them in a blog post in our "research" category, so keep your eyes peeled. I'm also responsible for the Get DIRECT blog, so many of the posts you'll be reading come from me!
Though I lived in Georgia before the age of six, I grew up and attended elementary through high school in New Jersey, after which my family moved to Delaware while I headed to Louisiana for college. Now, my family lives in Nevada, so that's where I currently call home. I don't have any solid plans post-graduation, but I hope to be accepted into the JET Program (the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program), where I would travel to Japan and act as an assistant English teacher and cultural ambassador for the US. I'm excited to be working with local preschoolers and assisting teachers in any way I can during my last semester in NOLA!
Meet the RAs: Sam
2/25/2014
Hello! My name is Sam. I am a sophomore at Tulane University majoring in Psychology and currently in the Pre-Med Program. I am a Korean-American from Southern California. I graduated from Granada Hills Charter High School, and I currently attend Tulane University through the POSSE Scholarship.
A little about me: I lived in Paraguay, South America until just before second grade, but I moved back to California for educational purposes. I've worked with children at my church’s children ministry since middle school. As such, I’m experienced in working with elementary students at many ministry events, such as Christmas Performances or Vacation Bible School, and in Sunday schools as a teacher, volunteer, and body worship leader. My hobbies include photography, tennis, and ping-pong. At Tulane University, I work with a different age range of children as compared to those back home, but I mainly work with children in their early childhood development period. I hope to become a pediatrician to serve and give back to children.
Meet the RAs: Laura
2/25/2014
Happy Tuesday, readers! This week, we're going to be rolling out our first updates from our Research Assistants currently working as teaching assistants in community preschool centers. While we can't mention any specifics, we're happy to detail our thoughts on our experiences and any progress we see being made in the classrooms. We're starting off with some brief bios as an introduction. Here's our first RA--Laura S:
Hi! My name is Laura, and I'm a sophomore from Boston, MA. This is my second semester working with Project DIRECT! I am a Psychology/Early Childhood Education Major and a Spanish Minor with hopes of eventually becoming a child psychologist. I spend most of my time here at Tulane working in various schools (mostly preschools, some elementary) throughout the city, and I am loving every minute of it.
3/20/2014
These past few weeks at the preschool have been very hectic for me and the classroom teachers I assist. My class is composed of roughly half typically-developing children and half children with special needs, and every week there seems to be a new student. It’s great to see the class growing, but there’s always a lot going on. In the past week the class has grown from 11 to 15 kids and now accommodates children aged 18 months to 5 ½ years. It’s been interesting watching the teachers change their techniques as the demographics of the classroom changes. Because so many new children have transitioned into the classroom, the teachers have had less time to focus on their regular teaching routines.
This past week, instead of going outside (it was cold and wet), we had a “dance party”. The kids love to be active, and this was a great way to let off some steam. By far, their favorite is the chicken dance. They like to make chicken noises along with the song. We also tried to play duck, duck, goose, but this was not as successful. However, despite the difficulties, it was amazing to watch. The class is very diverse in terms of developmental ability, but even so, there are really no barriers between the children. One of the kids wanted to make sure that every child got picked, including those that are wheelchair bound. It was amazing to witness their comradery and acceptance of everyone.
March 20th: Mackenzie
3/20/2014
My time out in the community is spent at a local Head Start facility, where I assist two teachers in managing their classroom of 17 children. The classroom is integrated, meaning that children of varying developmental levels displaying various types of behaviors are all grouped together despite their differences. The children with special needs often meet with school clinicians in other classrooms for brief periods throughout the day, while the other kids stay with me, Miss L, and Miss S for the usual schedule.
At first, I was overwhelmed by the amount of action in the classroom - the schedule is packed with lots of fun activities, including center time (during which the kids get to play with one another at various "stations," which include the imaginative play station, a reading corner, a glitter sandbox, a puzzle area, and more), circle time, and playground time. The kids are very energetic, but it's clear that there are some behavioral issues affecting the class as a whole. A few children frequently act out, and they disturb and distract other children when they do so, meaning that the teachers and I soon have an entire classroom of fighting, screaming, or otherwise off-task children. When the negative behaviors are nipped in the bud and the offending child set aside and talked to, the rest of the class is usually more receptive and calm, but stopping the troublesome behaviors before they start is a challenge in itself.
Luckily, in the past few weeks, I've seen a marked improvement in a lot of the students. While I'm still adjusting to the teachers' methods of teaching and discipline, I try my best to encourage positive behaviors I see and gently discourage any negative ones. Last week, I even watched one girl rush over to help Miss L when a student with special needs got away from her. The girl, whom I'll call Anne, ran after the other child, whom I'll call Tommy, and gently led him back to the teacher while calmly talking to Tommy to prevent one of his frequent tantrums. Two students also took the time to hold the classroom and hall doors open for each other as we traveled outside for playground time. Even though I've only known the kids for a few weeks, I felt really proud to see them helping one another.
March 20th: Stephanie
3/20/2014
While the Project DIRECT team works many hours in the confinement of the our research lab, a big part of the team’s mission is the implementation of effective interventions within preschools. As undergraduate Research Assistants, our job is to maintain strong community ties and give back to the local community. Every Thursday morning, I have the wonderful opportunity to volunteer in a preschool classroom at a local center.
For the past few weeks, the teachers in the classroom have been working hard at teaching the kids about writing the letters of the alphabet and the recognition of different shapes and colors. When I first arrive at the classroom, the students eat breakfast together and engage in conversation with their peers at their assigned tables. After breakfast comes circle time on the carpet. This is an opportunity where the teachers have the students' attention. The children listen and sing along to educational songs and review colors, shapes, and the calendar months, as well as many other fundamental lessons. My favorite part of circle time is when the teacher puts a little drop of moisturizer on each student’s hands to foster “soft touches” with their friends and “sharing and caring hands.”
After sitting in circle time it is time for the students to move around, play, and learn. There are different “centers” around the room set up, such as a reading area, a block area, a place to paint, and a table with play-doh, in addition to other fun yet educational and therapeutic activities. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my weeks I have spent at the preschool, and I look forward to the rest of the semester!
Meet the RAs: Jeremy
2/27/2014
Hi, everyone! My name is Jeremy, and I'm a senior majoring in Psychology at Southern University at New Orleans. I hope to continue my studies by going to graduate school in the future, where I'd like to concentrate on child psychology. I chose to work with Project DIRECT because of its involvement with local preschools and children. By contributing to the lab and visiting our partner schools, I'm getting a chance to learn about early childhood education from the perspective of a teacher. I find this helpful as I have always wanted to understand both the issues and successes of our public elementary school system.
Meet the RAs: Stephanie
2/27/2014
My name is Stephanie, and I am from Livingston, New Jersey. I am currently in my Junior year at Tulane University and I am a Psychology Major as well as a Jewish Studies minor. After college, I plan to go on to receive my Masters in Occupational Therapy. I hope to eventually work with a population of kids with developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and various other injuries and disorders. Outside of the classroom, some of my hobbies include running, reading, and cooking.
Meet the RAs: Johanna
2/27/2014
Hi, everyone! My name is Johanna and I have been a member of Project DIRECT for the past two years. I am a junior at Tulane University studying Psychology and Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. I am also a community service scholar at Tulane and am involved in Tulane United for Autism and Hillel’s Tulane Jewish Leader program. I currently serve as the dance director for The Prism Project of Greater New Orleans, an inclusive performing arts program for children with and without special needs between the ages of 6-14. I love working in the preschool twice a week and can’t wait to share my experiences will all of you!
Meet the RAs: Mackenzie
2/25/2014
Hi, everyone! My name is Mackenzie, and I'm currently a senior at Tulane University. I'm double-majoring in Psychology and Asian Studies, and I've been working as a research assistant with Project Direct since June 2013. In addition to lab work, I'm also in the process of completing my Honors Thesis in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Baker. My thesis involves a systematic literature review of published journal articles focused on socioemotional interventions for preschoolers at-risk for or currently displaying behavioral problems. Specifically, I'm investigating the effects of the intervention implementer (specifically, researchers/clinicians, teachers, or parents) and treatment fidelity (how correctly the implementers follow the intervention) on the outcomes for the children. If I find any interesting results, I'll be sure to include them in a blog post in our "research" category, so keep your eyes peeled. I'm also responsible for the Get DIRECT blog, so many of the posts you'll be reading come from me!
Though I lived in Georgia before the age of six, I grew up and attended elementary through high school in New Jersey, after which my family moved to Delaware while I headed to Louisiana for college. Now, my family lives in Nevada, so that's where I currently call home. I don't have any solid plans post-graduation, but I hope to be accepted into the JET Program (the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program), where I would travel to Japan and act as an assistant English teacher and cultural ambassador for the US. I'm excited to be working with local preschoolers and assisting teachers in any way I can during my last semester in NOLA!
Meet the RAs: Sam
2/25/2014
Hello! My name is Sam. I am a sophomore at Tulane University majoring in Psychology and currently in the Pre-Med Program. I am a Korean-American from Southern California. I graduated from Granada Hills Charter High School, and I currently attend Tulane University through the POSSE Scholarship.
A little about me: I lived in Paraguay, South America until just before second grade, but I moved back to California for educational purposes. I've worked with children at my church’s children ministry since middle school. As such, I’m experienced in working with elementary students at many ministry events, such as Christmas Performances or Vacation Bible School, and in Sunday schools as a teacher, volunteer, and body worship leader. My hobbies include photography, tennis, and ping-pong. At Tulane University, I work with a different age range of children as compared to those back home, but I mainly work with children in their early childhood development period. I hope to become a pediatrician to serve and give back to children.
Meet the RAs: Laura
2/25/2014
Happy Tuesday, readers! This week, we're going to be rolling out our first updates from our Research Assistants currently working as teaching assistants in community preschool centers. While we can't mention any specifics, we're happy to detail our thoughts on our experiences and any progress we see being made in the classrooms. We're starting off with some brief bios as an introduction. Here's our first RA--Laura S:
Hi! My name is Laura, and I'm a sophomore from Boston, MA. This is my second semester working with Project DIRECT! I am a Psychology/Early Childhood Education Major and a Spanish Minor with hopes of eventually becoming a child psychologist. I spend most of my time here at Tulane working in various schools (mostly preschools, some elementary) throughout the city, and I am loving every minute of it.