appreciation

I am fortunate in that the state of New Mexico mandates that kindergarten teachers have an assistant in their classrooms. This opens up a whole new world of opportunities for me. Last year neither my assistant nor I were really sure about what we were doing or how to really collaborate as it was the first year that either of us had been in the classroom. We meandered through the school year, figuring out what worked and what did not, and basically managed to stay afloat. This year, it is a completely different story.

We have flow. The students know what that flow is. They know that they will not get away with things like asking one of us for something and then turning to the other if the first says no. We are equally in charge of the classroom. During language arts the students work together on a whole group lesson and then break up into centers. As students rotate through the centers they work with me on one skill and with my assistant on another (and a third group works on sustained quiet reading). Six weeks into the school year we have the routine down. Students know when they are working with which teacher and what those expectations are. As I said, we have flow - not just my assistant and I, but our students as well.

That flow was put to the test this morning as my assistant had family obligations that took her out of the classroom for a couple of hours. First thing in the morning, the students asked, "Where is Mrs. S.?" I let them know that Mrs. S. had an appointment and that she would come to school later. We worked through the first part of our morning routine and then centers came. I walked the entire class through what they would be doing at Mrs. S.'s center without her. They handled it like champs. After I got my group situated, I checked in with hers and everyone was on task.

Pure magic. I couldn't help but imagine what my classroom would have looked like had this happened last year (it was not pretty by any means). Everyone had told me that the second year of teaching is so much better than the first (and each year after that even better), but today was the true test for the rules and routines that I have set up. I love feeling prepared and like I can actually do this on my own. But, even if I can do it on my own, I am so appreciative of the help and support that I receive from my assistant.