6: Week of Sept. 26

This was my first week in Kindergarten. So far, I love it! My mentor teacher is very organized, and I really like that about the class. Everything is very well planned so there is not that much wasted time. There are 22 students in the class and they have a very wide range of abilities. I didn't realize how much difference there would be in skills since they are only 4 and 5 years old. Already at this point, there is a definite gap. Many of the students have parents who work with them at home, and this makes all the difference. The gap is already wide, and it will only get wider if intervention does not take place. I was impressed that at only 5 weeks into the year my mentor teacher had already begun intervention and working with certain students to try to get them on the right track. I am most looking forward to seeing the progress made by some of the students and where they will be by the end of my time there. Another thing I really like about Kindergarten are how the students respond to activities and projects. They get so excited and try to do a good job. One of the main differences between middle school and Kindergarten is the motivation level. The middle schoolers did everything they could to get out of work, and it didn't matter what it was, they didn't like it. In Kindergarten, they love almost everything and will do anything. My question is, at what age do students decide that they suddenly hate school and why does this take place? In my experience, I have seen the change begin to happen around 4th grade.