Menu
Open Sidebar

Reflecting on Our Year Together

June 16, 2021 | Kristen Jordan

We are reflecting as we wind down our school year.

We have been thinking about what we have learned and done together this year, at the same time that we think about children moving beyond the Trees Class. Some children have shared their plans for next year as well as asked questions or wondered about what might be next.

We visited the kindergarten classroom, even though the space itself will likely be different next year.

The Trees children asked questions of their kindergarten counterparts and received answers: 

“Do you learn about the same things?”–Some yes, and some no. 

“Do you have Frog and Toad books?” –Yes!

“Do you have worship?”–Yes!

One way we have been reflecting on our own year is that children have chosen their favorite rhymes, chants, and movement activities, and we have revisited those.  A few favorites are:

“Zoom, Zoom, Astronaut”

Which is faster? A snail or an ant?

“Tick Tock, Tick Tock, I’m a Little Cuckoo Clock”

Zachhaeus Was a Wee Little man”

Pretend to be a snail:  eat with your radula (teeth), look around with your antennae, hide when there is a predator…

Additionally, we have been remembering what we have studied and learned about this year.  

The children remembered:

Snails

Ants

Planting

Louis Armstrong

Faith Ringold

Mae Jemison

George Washington Carver

We also looked back at our Tree study from the fall.

And thought about the story of Creation that we heard during worship at the very beginning of the year.

Children are revisiting their number stories again in drama, reading and acting out their number stories using stuffed animals.

Children have drawn another self portrait and reflected on how they have changed and grown.  We’ve had many conversations about things children can do now that they were not able to do earlier in the year.  

Children looked through the work in their bins and portfolios and considered what they have accomplished. 

All of this is happening as we have the pleasure of honoring each individual child each day for the character qualities that they have brought to the Trees Class this year!

It has been a year full of such amazing growth and development; of fun and joyful learning for all of us.  What a blessing to be able to spend time reflecting and revisiting it!

Kristen Jordan

Teacher, Rivers Class

Kristen Jordan began helping at Mustard Seed School in 2006, after her daughter had been a student in the preschool. She substituted for many years in all grades; in 2011, she returned to the classroom and has been a teacher in The Nest ever since.

Prior to the birth of her daughter Clara, in 2002, Ms. Jordan worked in Brooklyn as a first grade teacher with the New York City Public Schools. During this time, her school collaborated with the Brooklyn Museum, and this work helped Ms. Jordan develop a real interest in the parallels between the process of making art and the process of writing in the classroom. She thoroughly enjoys teaching both art and literacy to preschoolers.

Ms Jordan’s background includes work with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. While at Teachers College, she trained with esteemed educator and author Lucy Calkins. Early in her teaching career, Ms. Jordan did not think that she wanted to teach very young children but her view has changed! She now really enjoys and takes great interest in young children and their development.

Ms. Jordan enjoys reading, working out, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her daughter and family. Although she has lived on the East Coast for a very long time, as a native of Oregon, she really loves the mountains!

Related Stories

June 21, 2023

Trees Class Honoring!

Learn More
June 14, 2023

Reflecting

Learn More
June 7, 2023

Insects and Inquiry

Learn More