Guest Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Can you help. I am starting a new job after Xmas in small village school in small Yr R class. All other years are mixed with 2 age groups, Yr1/2 etc. The HT wants KS1 to think more of itself as being a class with five adults and wants us to team teach, me going into the KS1 class and the KS1 teacher sometimes coming into YrR - basically, I gather to help the lower achieving Yr 1 children, but without "sending them down into YrR". I feel this needs some time to think very hard about how this will be done successfully - could have benefits for both sides. I want to get to know my own children first and settle them after the change of teacher and so for the first term I will take a few of the Year 1 children into a couple of my literacy and numeracy sessions. We may then think about a more creative cross curricular curriculum for the KS1 class which they do not have at the moment and which may fit more into a FS way of working, or by having 'challenges' for KS1, but we do not know where to begin. Does anyone have any experience of this type of thing - possibly those of you in mixed YearR/1/2 classes? Any publications or books you know about which may help? I do not think the HT is quite aware of the very flexible way we work in the FS - how we may plan one thing, but something else entirely may happen and I do not want to lose this - I really want to work with children's interests. I do not really have experience of working in a mixed age group. At the same time, I want to help the KS1 teacher with her low achievers, they would benefit from a more FS type curriculum. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebe123 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Hi, I am nursery trained but this sounds like an excellent idea in principle. It will allow you to treat each child as in individual and the vertical grouping will help all round. As you say, very much FS ethos. I am sure others with relevant experience will be along shortly, but as someone who waves goodbye to children as they leave for school wondering how they will fare, I would be thrilled to see this as the next step. Good luck! Lesley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I started teaching in a village school this September and I have a Rec/Y1 class. I am job sharing and up to now the 2 year groups had worked quite separately, with one group being taken by the TA and the other by the teacher. However, I have started to introduce a more FS style for all the children and it is working really well. Basically, we have a literacy or numeracy focus all morning, the children are either working in a small group with an adult or doing CI activities. In some areas of the classroom there is a 'challenge' aimed at the Y1s, and they are encouraged to do this at some point during the morning. At the end of the session we have 'review time' when we talk about what the children have been doing and I highlight any particularly interesting work. I am finding it is working in all sorts of ways, when the Year groups are working together the quality of the play is far higher, when they are involved in CI activities everyone is more involved so it is much easier give small groups your attention, the Y1s have great ideas which stimulate the Reception children..... I would highly recommend it! The only trouble is my job share partner still likes to work in a very formal way, but thats another story....!! Kathryn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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