Post date: Sep 4, 2012 5:01:03 PM
Today I taught a class of first graders at the farm! We had been preparing for this opportunity for a couple of days, and the team resolved that Kavin could explain seeds, plant growth, and compost and I could explain chickens, the work related to maintaining chickens, and also the role chickens play in the cycle of our farm (since that was the first graders' unit). The day before, I made a worksheet for the first graders - I drew a chicken, and put places for the children to label its parts, and created a section for the children to draw arrows to indicate the life cycle of chicken manure. Kavin and I prepared speeches germane to our topics. However, the next day, I figured out some fundamental flaws with my teaching method. I had never accounted for the fact that the children had just learned how to read and write. My worksheet, consisting of many blanks and complicated (for those just beginning to read / write) words, took forever to complete as each kid went at his/her own pace. The kids also wanted to complete hands-on activities. In the beginning of the first session, I began my "speech" (enthusiastically and informally), but after seeing the kids distracted by the chickens (who wouldn't be?), I turned to the worksheet. After finishing the worksheet, I allowed the kids to feed the chickens some plants (which they loved!) and then taught the second session based off of what I had learned during the first. Overall, this was a good experience for me. I love kids and working with them, and I realized that making a kid-friendly curriculum must match up to the kids' level in school. I also learned the importance of teaching young ones the need for organic food and farming; the young are the future. All in all, working with the kids was awesome, and I would have loved to teach more kids at the farm. Maybe next year!