Second Practicum:
March 6th 2025
- Today I was moved into a different room at my centre because my mentor and the director felt that my classmate and I should be separate to truly see our own progress. Seeing as I was switched to a new room that meant meeting new children and building new relationships. I made my goal for these reintroduction days to be able to build a relationship with all the children, since I am now in a smaller room with 8 kids in total.
- I began my day off with playing dolls with TD and MB, asking them questions as we played to get to know them a little. As well as sharing some things about myself to them so they can get to know me too.
- At snack time myself and all the kids had grapes, this began a discussion of what colour grapes there are. The children debated back and forth whether there are red grapes or purple, some believing the other colour grapes did not exist. We came to a conclusion that there are red, purple, and green grapes because sometimes the colours change/look different for the red and purple.
- We then went for a class around the old folks home. As we were walking the children began to hop over the cracks on the sidewalk. I made a comment that they were hopping like bunnies, and some giggled and agreed while other began naming other animals that jump such as kangaroos and frogs. Changing what animals they were every so often and stating what colours they were, such as purple and pink frogs.
- As we were walking the children noticed the new plants growing in the gardens, talking about how it is spring which means plants grow, animals come out, and sometimes its sunny and sometimes it rains.
- After our walk we headed to their outdoor yard, having a dance party listening to their favourite songs, the gummy bear song, the floor is lava, and hop little bunnies.
- Lunchtime! We noticed that three of the children had the same crackers. Went back to talking about spring and all the “New baby plants” we saw growing, and all the birds we heard singing.
- Nap time, I sat with TD because he does not nap he just rests. We quietly whispered the entire time talking about how both of our dads are firefighters and we’ve both ridden in a firetruck before. How he is excited to go to the waterpark in the summer with his brother. The cool stick he found outside on our walk, and the birds we heard while walking. “Because it’s Spring, Spring is starting soon so the sun comes out with the birds” TD. Talked about how we like to be outside when it’s sunny and sing and dance. We talked about our fears, we are both scared of snakes because they don’t have legs. “Your hands are bigger than mine, my hand fits in your big part of your hand” TD “Do you think your leg is bigger than mine” TD.
- After nap we painted with nature items we found on our walk, sticks, leaves, and flowers.
- Played with cars, specifically the fire trucks because TD shared with SM and AF that our dads are firefighters which they thought was really cool.
- Went back outside to their yard, talked about the sun being so bright and warm. MB told me how if the sun is hiding then she sings and it comes back out because she is magic. Lots of sliding on the slides testing out how fast we can go down the slide. I went down the slide as well and got told grown ups can’t do that, then my mentor told the children that grownups can because we are just big kids.
March 7th 2025
- Start off the morning by playing dolls with EB, who does not say many words so its more of a challenge to get too know by having to find different ways of learning more about her. But a good learning experience.
- TD came and asked me to play the fire trucks game we played yesterday, then he introduces the monster trucks into our play.
- MB shows up and joins us playing cars and then redirects us both to play dolls again along with EB.
- Snack time, MH asks me to sit beside her. She notices we both have the same granola bar and is very excited.
- Then as a class we made brownies together, we had a few tears over messes but my mentor and I let the children know messes are okay and can be cleaned up. We all worked together taking turns with each part of making the brownies, and the children helped each other out when struggling. We discussed oven safety when it was time to cook the brownies.
- Next we went outside and came back to the slide and continued our play from the day before. As well as another dance party with the boys favourite song, the gummy bear song.
- We then went and explored the chalk, the children began drawing the things they saw around them, such as me, flowers, the sun and clouds. “Look the sun because its out because its spring” MB
- We then came back inside to get our brownies and decorate them with chocolate chips and jelly beans. ER noticed and pointed out how the chocolate chips were melting but the jelly beans were not. The children then explored with the chocolate chips putting them further into the warm brownie and noticing it melts faster that way.
- Lunch time, lots of different conversations about brownies, cake, donuts, and other treats that are our favourites.
- Nap time, sat with TD again and talked lots about, spring, waffles, swimming, plans for the weekend (going to his Grandmas) wants to go climb while at his Grandmas, and giraffes. He asked me what giraffes look like and I asked what he thought first before showing him, then after we looked it up we giggled at the funny pictures of their purple tongues and long necks.
- After nap I played cars with SM and ER, then we switched to dinosaurs, then back to cars, then back to dinosaurs, and then we combined both the cars and dinosaurs.
- Then TD, EB, and I explored building with the magnet tiles, building boats, houses, and bridges.
- Then we headed outside to their yard where SM, ER, MB, EB and I played a game of tag. After all that running they were exhausted so we played on the slide.
March 14th 2025
- “My tummy hurts i ate to many eggs, I need a doctor” MB This began a lot of doctor exploration through their play. We played doctor all morning, taking turns with who’s tummy hurts because they ate to many eggs. Giving medicine, and checking forehead temperature.
- Talked with TD in French a little bit because I found out he can, he was so excited that I could speak it and I was so excited that he could.
- Circle time, book about Pete the cat going to the doctor, they all loved it so much.
- Snack time, very excited because most of the children had strawberries.
- We went to the gym for a bit, lots of running and catching each other. SM told me and his friends before starting the chase game to be safe and make sure we don’t run into anyone because that could hurt them. MB made us take water breaks every so often because her Mom told her how important it is to drink water when exercising.
- Went outside to their yard, the dinosaurs were looking through the sandbox for treasure. We observed the bird noises, EB and I played airplanes and birds. ER told us about the bunny he had in his yard the day before, and TD shared with me that he has a pet bunny named Cinnamon. “Oh the birds are singing” MB sings and runs around the yard with her arms up like a birds wings.
- Back inside for lunch, talked about the birds we heard and sang bird songs. Talked about snails because MB had a wrapper that had a picture of a snail on it.
- Nap time, coloured with TD, drew his grandparents, his bunny, he drew me, a monster truck and surprised me with it and said “ You are going to love this because we play with monster trucks”
- Back to playing doctor again, patients only had tummy aches again.
- Back outside, EB practiced her climbing, took her for a ride in the wagon around the yard, pushed her on the swing, and sliding on the slide.
March 19th 2025
- Began our day continuing exploring doctors and their different roles, we added to our doctors office in the room. “Doctors need other doctors” TD
- SM brought in food and was talking about how doctors need to eat, and patients need to eat when they wait to see the doctors because it takes a long time and they might get hungry. “Coffee helps you wait because doctors work at night” SM
- Circle time, did magic tricks
- Snack, talked about how popcorn is made the whole time
- Walked to the gym I led both ways and MH whispered to me telling me I was doing a good job and gave me two thumbs up.
- Lunch, I read the children a story to settle the silly’s and get us ready to sit down and eat.
- After nap we played doctors again, discussed lots about them and what we know about doctors. As well as what we need to add to our doctors office.
- Go outside to their yard, play on the bikes, fill up a big bucket of dirt. The children wanted to put the bucket on the back of one of the bikes so they could drive it around the yard. They asked me to lift it up and over to the bike for them and I said no because I think they can do it. They were a little upset with me but then found a way to work together and move the bucket. HL reminded the others that they can do hard things (this is said a lot in their classroom). It took them 25 min but they moved the bucket all the way to the bike without moving the bike and lifted it up onto the back. We were all so proud and excited after.
March 20th 2025
- Doctor play all morning, talked about what doctors do versus don’t, such as dance and help animals.
- Circle time, listened to SM new favourite song, super wings. Danced around the room as airplanes.
- Snack time, we talked lots about planes and who’s been on one before and where they went, as well as the show where the song comes from.
- Outside, the sand pit got new sand which was really exciting. Spent the entire time outside in the sand with HL, TD, and MB. Started off with digging, building, making “cement”, building roads and bridges and fences. “Cement needs water to work” TD. Cement is used for “Roads, SIdewalk, Poles, and Caterpillers.” TD, MB, and HL. I asked what they meant by caterpillars because I was only thinking of wet cement, and they explained that they lay on the warm sidewalks. TD made holes and put sticks in them then filled the holes up with his cement (water and sand) to ensure the polls stayed upright.
- Lunch, talked lots about drawing with chalk on cement, and how we are going to build more gates and fences when we go back outside.
- During lunch HL was not impressed with me because MH and SM asked me to sit beside them before she did and I did not move next to her when she asked. After we ate I asked her how she was feeling and why she was feeling that way. She explained she was upset because she wanted to sit next to me. I explained that I can’t sit beside everyone because there are only two sides of me. MB came over and helped me walk HL through deep breathing to calm her down and stop the tears, because MB remembered how I showed her this last week when she was upset so she wanted to help HL. We gave each other hugs and I sat next to HL’s bed at nap time because she asked if I could do that for her.
- After nap MB would not wake up and her friends wanted to wake her up to the song crazy frog so we played it and they danced around her to wake her up. She woke up and said “Sometimes I like when they wake me up crazy other times I don’t, but today I do.” Then she jumped up and danced along with them.
- More doctor play, looking in the mirrors at their doctor selves. “I think I look like a doctor, I feel like a doctor” MB
- Drawing with TD, we were drawing the things we had built in the sandpits earlier that morning.
March 21st 2025
- Started our morning off by painting and drawing on old cds to decorate the fence in their yard, talked about and tested out mixing different colours.
- Little bit of doctor play, SM showed me his scab on his elbow from falling on his deck at home, and explained to me that his body had made a bandaid for his owie.
- Then went and explored the old sewing machine that my mentor had put out for the children. Along with screwdrivers, magnifying glasses, and a wrench. Started to take apart the different pieces on the sewing machine.
- Snack time, talked about what we wanted to do after snack, decided we wanted to go for a walk to the library.
- Got to the library and did a bug picture scavenger hunt that was set up in the children’s section. Then played with the puppet show booth.
- As we walked back the children noticed all the spray paint that was on the grass that the workers had sprayed on to mark things. Talked about all the different colours of spray paint it was that we saw, orange, blue, red, pink and white. “The workers did that so they can dig with the excavator.” -ER
- Lots of busses were driving past us and the children began talking about how they want to go and ride the bus one day with all of us.
- Walked past some poles that had been taken out of the ground and had cement on the bottoms. Made me think of how MB and TD were exploring that idea the other day, but they were not here today so I took a picture to show them the next day they were back.
- Lunch, we talked about being fired and what that means. “You’ll be fired” – SM “Then we will have to get the firefighters” -ER
- Halved our nap time so we can play longer after, I told the children I was tired and jokingly said I was going to nap today too. “Grown ups don’t nap they have to watch us nap”-ER “We can watch them nap today instead and we stay up “ -MH
March 24th 2025
- Doctor play all morning. “Gloves get foggy so you have to take it off sometimes.”- SM “I need to call another doctor in for help.” -SM Then SM was checking my heart with the stethoscope, I asked if my heart was okay and was told yes it is but I have a baby in my tummy. “I am Doctor S not just S.” -SM.We talked about adding more beds in our doctors office so we can see more patients. Then worked out where to put the beds.
- Decorated CDs again, lots of pink because that was the top favourite colour, and because MH was wearing an all pink outfit today.
- Went to the gym after snack played chase, practiced bouncing balls like basketballs, kicked and threw the balls as far or high as we could.
- Outside, went to the sandpit again and continued with the idea of making cement to build fences. Then switched to making birthday cakes with the sand.
- Pretended that the little hill in the middle of their yard was our boat, travelled all around to different places like the zoo, and to visit the dinosaurs.
- Drew on the chalkboard with HL, lots of rainbows, hearts and unicorns because those are her favourite.
- Lunch, talked about crackers and broccoli the whole lunch time. MH asked me to sit with her during nap time and read her a story about bears.
- Nap time, read with MH then went and sat with EB because she wouldn’t sit still with anyone else sitting next to her. She grabbed my hand and put it on her head and since she does not speak much I wasn’t fully sure what she was asking then she demonstrated on me that she would like me to play with her hair.