Announcer (00:01): Highlighting the amazing stories from inside the North Clackamas School District. This is the Proud To Be NCSD podcast, hosted by longtime principal and current community relations director, Curtis Long

Curtis Long (00:18): Ask anyone who works in kindergarten. And it's no secret that teaching a lively group of 20 plus feisty five and six year olds how to read and write is certainly rewarding. But hard work.

Curtis Long (00:32): Just ask Sunnyside kindergarten teacher Summer Smith who rarely sits still as she spends her days guiding students.

Summer Smith (00:38): So here are our play choices today.

Curtis Long (00:40): Asking questions to keep lessons rolling.

Summer Smith (00:42): What do they do at a bank Ben?

Curtis Long (00:44): And even breaking into song to keep her talkative troops on their toes.

Summer Smith (00:48): Partner talk is over,

Curtis Long (00:50): But with so many different levels of learning in her chorus of classroom voices. How do North Clackamas kindergarten teachers like Smith make sure all of their students understand classroom vocabulary from those who already aren't shy about swiftly sputtering sentences?

Kindergarten Student (01:04): I actually readed my mom and dad's mind before my dad wanted the sandwich and he had say, you readed my mind. Because, because he actually did.

Curtis Long (01:13): To those with limited vocabularies whose home language isn't English. Welcome to Language for All. A scheduled and structured part of each kindergarten day in the North Clackamas School district that teaches our youngest learners, regardless of language level, new common vocabulary terms through guided repetition, simple drawings and best of all student role playing. In fact, kindergartners are having so much fun learning while playing that the daily lessons are now affectionately called "Play During LFA."

Summer Smith (01:42): We're gonna talk about a new community helper today

Curtis Long (01:46): During today's lesson about doctors, it's the students doing the teaching as they explain what they already know.

Summer Smith (01:52): Where do you sit when you're at the doctor's office?

Kindergarten Student (01:55): Where's a special chair?

Summer Smith (01:57): Tell me about this special chair. What do you mean?

Curtis Long (02:00): While Mrs. Smith sprinkles in some big vocabulary words along the way.

Summer Smith (02:04): My turn stethoscope. Your turn Stethoscope.

Curtis Long (02:08): Today on the Proud To Be NCSD podcast, we listen in on the heartbeat of this unique instruction method with Smith herself, along with several other NCSD kindergarten teachers who are ready to spread the word about play during LFA. And those could be some pretty big words.

Summer Smith (02:23): I heard about an auto scope. I heard about a, what was this one called Where we listened to the heart? The thermometer. Thermometer and a therm. Oh my goodness. You know how long these words are?

Curtis Long (02:38): Open wide and learn how kindergartners are learning to voice new vocabulary through purposeful play. Of course, until it's time to clean up

Song (02:53): "C'mon clean up the room!"

Curtis Long (02:54): Next

Curtis Long (02:56): Oh, clean up the room. Oh, just try to get that earworm outta your head as we welcome you into another edition of the Proud To Be NCSD podcast. Back from a short hiatus when our district communications team needed to focus some attention on some other projects. But we are back today and back with some of the people I most admire in our school district every day. They teach and inspire our district's youngest students. It's kindergarten teacher Summer Smith, Kristin Blaine, Kapo Chan, along with ELD Specialist Katie Lynn and co-director of District Partner teaching preschool partners. Erin Moulton. Well Summer Kristin Kapo. Katie and Erin, thanks so much for taking time outta your busy day to join us today.

Group (03:34): Thank you; thank you for having us!

Curtis Long (03:35): Oh, so many exciting things to visit with you about today, but as we usually do on this podcast, since there is no video, let's have each of you introduce yourselves along with your position and location so listeners can put a name with each voice.

Kristin Blaine (03:47): I'm Kristin Blaine. I teach kindergarten at Oregon Trail Elementary.

Summer Smith (03:51): My name is Summer Smith. I also teach kindergarten and I'm at Sunnyside Elementary.

Curtis Long (03:55): And a beautiful singing voice by the way.

Kapo Chan (03:57): <laugh>. My name is Kapo Chan. I am a kindergarten teacher at Beatrice Morrow Cannady Elementary School.

Summer Smith (04:04): And my name's Katie Lynn and I'm an English Language Development specialist at Sunnyside Elementary.

Erin Moulton (04:09): And I'm Erin Moultonn. I am the co-director of Teaching Preschool Partners and I was a kindergarten teacher for over 11 years before my current role.

Curtis Long (04:19): Oh, it's so great to have all of you here. I wanna start with each of our kindergarten teachers here with the first question. It's after school right now as we record this. You've had all day with five and six year olds. Just how tired are each of you right now? <laugh>?

Kapo Chan (04:31): Very tired, super tired.

Summer Smith (04:34): <laugh>

Kristin Blaine (04:35): Won't really feel how tired until I get home and have a chance to sit down

Curtis Long (04:39): <laugh>. Yeah, no chances to sit down. In fact, Kapo, I heard that you actually had to take a little rest today, uh, while the kids were out of the classroom.

Kapo Chan (04:45): <laugh>. Oh yes. I actually had to lay down on the floor for like 10 minutes to just calm down <laugh> recharge and get ready to go again.

Curtis Long (04:54): Oh, I love that. I love that. Well, the focus of this podcast is on play during LFA, which stands for Language for All. That raises a couple questions for our listeners right away. First, let's explain what language for All is as part of the North Clackamas Elementary curriculum.

Katie Lynn (05:07): Um, so back in 2015, North Clackamas School District started a model called The Inclusive Model. And so instead of doing a pullout model, our district really heard what parents were saying about wanting their students to always be in the classroom, students who are learning to become fluent English. So a team of teachers and coaches got together and developed a seven unit plan to teach language in the classrooms. So ELD specialists like myself would teach alongside a classroom teacher. And this team used science and social studies standards and infused lots of vocabulary and lots of opportunities for kids to practice in sentences. And over time we kind of started to all notice that while there was a lot of great aspects to the curriculum, we kind of started to notice that a lot of our students who are becoming emerging bilinguals weren't participating as much as we wanted them to, that they were actually more of the, the quieter participants on the carpet.

Katie Lynn (06:04): And we started to work and look at how do we evolve our practice to make it more of a model that's gonna reach all of our learners. Like not only our kids who need to become fluent in English, but also our English only students. So we started to look at how do we create this formal language instructional model into more an immersive language. 'cause really there's two avenues for acquiring a second language or any language is formal instruction versus the immersion model. And an immersion model is really authentic exchanges. Like if you move to France tomorrow and you had to go to a restaurant and order your meal, you're gonna use the language of a restaurant,

Curtis Long (06:47): Which is much different from when I was a teacher and even a principal a few years ago when English language learners were pulled out of the classroom. Right. And taught individually

Katie Lynn (06:56): And taught out of context. Right. Completely different lessons. So the intent is to have an inclusive model where kids are all learning the same content at the same time with lots of layers of scaffolds. So the purposeful play portion of language for all or LFA is creating those authentic immersive experience for our students to apply whatever formal language they're learning across settings, like going to the doctor's office and needing to check in and what language do you use at the doctor's office? Or how do you order your food at a restaurant? Well let's create a restaurant so we can build that authentic exchange. And so we started to notice that all of our learners, not only our multilingual learners were really building their vocabulary because they had to in order to like engage in these super fun activities.

Curtis Long (07:45): So gone are the days of let's say the doctor's office holding up a picture of a doctor and having students basically memorize what that is, right. And be able to say that word. Now they use that immersively mm-hmm <affirmative>. In a setting in the classroom.

Katie Lynn (07:57): Right. It's kind of like going from a little bit of that robotic field like, okay, everybody repeat after me. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Towards, okay, when you go to the doctor's office station today, here are some words you might use or you're gonna hear your peers using them and and they'll jump in and use 'em too.

Erin Moulton (08:13): And building off the idea that play is a natural learning strategy that we don't have to teach children, right? So then they have this really, this drive to play and use, um, all those natural learning strategies to incorporate that language through their play. So that's just building off that connection. Right.

Curtis Long (08:28): And I imagine, I mean they're only five years old, but it probably doesn't feel like school to them. They're actually playing, this is what I would be doing at home or maybe out on the playground. We talked a little bit about that and you heard it in S ummer's classroom, they're playing during LFA time, but it's not just made up pretend scenarios. This is what is often referred to as purposeful play. Tell us about that.

Summer Smith (08:49): So a lot of the work that students are doing in the classroom is student led with guidance from teachers. So in my classroom, the kids were really interested in making jewelry and that led to them creating a jewelry shop and talking about where there are jewelry shops in the community and what we need for our jewelry shop. And they thought about security and how we have to make sure that the security is protecting all of the things and you need someone to sell. And all of those pieces where before maybe we would've talked about a building or a community space, but this was their, their creation, their ideas, their we need money, we need a credit card, we need to be able to have someone who checks you out. All of those pieces that is student led, which then leads to all of this excitement and joy around play.

Curtis Long (09:42): And they came up with that. I mean, when I visited your classroom, they had a scanner to scan things and they had a locked area for the most expensive jewelry that they had made out of pipe cleaners and beads. So they came up with all that on their own. Yep. And it sounds like that's unique to summer's room. Maybe your classrooms didn't have a jewelry shop, maybe you had something else.

Erin Moulton (09:59): I'd love for Kristin to talk about her mechanic shop.

Kristin Blaine (10:01): Oh, oh yes. <laugh>, the mechanic shop was very popular. There was basically a car on the wall that I created for the kids and they could add wheels. There were different tools that the kids created that I also had some available and kids made appointments because they had flat tires or they need their oil changed. There were lots of car crashes that needed to be fixed. They set up a waiting area. They had magazines to look at <laugh>, some of them just said, I'll be back later. And they went off to work and then they came back. Is my car ready? Well, why isn't it ready? The cashier collected the money at the end. Yeah. They made signs to go with, they said how much each service cost and they loved it.

Erin Moulton (10:45): So it sounds like so much vocabulary, authentic vocabulary, more than what even would be in the unit. Absolutely. Oh, pouring out of the children as they're trying to solve these problems.

Kristin Blaine (10:53): Yes, absolutely. And things they've seen just a little bit maybe in their real life, but it's, it's just such a great chance for them to try things out and see what happens and mm-hmm <affirmative>. In an authentic way.

Curtis Long (11:05): Did you drop off your car with them <laugh>?

Kristin Blaine (11:07): No, I did. I asked for the car wash, which I'm still waiting for that.

Curtis Long (11:12): Yeah. I haven't got the car wash yet. Yep. Kapo how about in your classroom? What, what a purposeful play has been happening in your room?

Kapo Chan (11:17): You know what, it has been a joy to see that my students actually turn a kitchen into a hair salon. Oh,

Curtis Long (11:24): A hair salon.

Kapo Chan (11:24): <laugh>. I know. They were like wearing those apron and they're like, okay, I am seeing ketchup and yellow mustard. I am going to color your hair. <laugh>

Summer Smith (11:33): <laugh>.

Kapo Chan (11:33): And then they were like using the forks for brushing hair. Yeah. So, uh, they were like just sitting on the floor using all the materials from the kitchen and to do it for their hair.

Curtis Long (11:43): So the ketchup and the mustard became hair dye. I know. Yep. And the forks became combs and brushes. Okay.

Kapo Chan (11:49): Yep. Yep. They're actually using the vocabularies, like those are hair dyes. So I'm go, can I dye your hair? So they're like, you can tell they are really engaged in play. They're having rich conversation with their peers, with their teachers, and they're just being very creative.

Erin Moulton (12:05): Well, and it sounds like they're building off that thinking routine that we built into the LFA and play curriculum around this idea of what else can it be? Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So we take around an object and we'll pass it around the circle and we'll ask, this is not just a bottle of ketchup, what else could this be? Oh, or this is not just a pine cone. What else could this be? Where we're practicing that creativity and imagination and extending their vocabulary as well as their ideas of how to think outside the box.

Curtis Long (12:29): So we heard about a mechanic shop, we've got a jewelry shop, we've got a hair salon. I would imagine that students who may be reluctant to participate in the traditional lesson, this is a perfect avenue for them to get involved in and get to know their peers a little bit better and find their niche in the classroom socially. Mm-hmm

Summer Smith (12:44): <affirmative>. Absolutely. Especially because there's so many different opportunities. You can have a student, another space in my classroom, small world. They built a hospital on the day that you visited. Yeah. And they created, what do you need in a hospital or an ambulance and you need the parking spots. And they really thought through all of those, those different pieces that are in the hospital. And then they got to the people in the hospital. So you may not know a lot about a jewelry shop, but you might know more about a hospital. We had kiddos who were building the Titanic and we talked about how the Titanic was also a community of people together. And so really celebrating each child's what they can bring is what draws them in to what we're doing.

Katie Lynn (13:28): I will never forget a moment I had last year in summer's class where we had a student who was just struggling to connect with the other students in his class and was kind of in a silent phase. And we just were really trying to get to know the student and get to know what he knew. And there was a, a moment where Summer took a picture of what he had produced. And at the end of LFA and play, we share what students created and the kids get to come up and talk about it. And he came up and he talked for probably 10 minutes straight. And the language that just poured out of them, I remember summer and I looked at each other and we're like, wow, that was in there. And so he got to the, he was so motivated to show what he knew and that his picture was up there on the screen for everybody to see, or his picture of his creation was up on the screen. And so it just, it really opened the door to get so many kids to be motivated to share their thinking and

Curtis Long (14:22): What a big boost for that student to be. To see them.

Katie Lynn (14:25): And for his peers too, right? Yeah. To his peers to see like, oh, he knows so much. He does know. He doesn't talk much. Yeah. There's a lot in there. So that's really exciting to see.

Erin Moulton (14:33): And that reminds me, Katie, when I visited Kapo's classroom last time, you talked about the impact on some of your second language learners that you've seen the LFAM play curriculum.

Kapo Chan (14:42): Actually I do have a lot of English learners in my classroom. It's just amazing to see doing purposeful play. They are very engaged and I hear some of them, them, they're using their home language during playtime. But, uh, some other English learners, they're really using the, the language, the vocabularies that we taught from the mini lesson and apply the language during playtime so you can see the engagement. They're excited, they're just eager to try and using different materials, uh, to turn the kitchen, the salon, and also building with the materials that we have, like making, uh, building a zoo, building the community. Like they talk about going to the grocery store. They were like using paper to draw like Fred Meyer. They were using small people and they're like building blocks like, oh, this is the Fred Meyer and then this is me and my mom going to buy groceries. So they, you are hearing a lot of like the languages that they're using as a English learner. So also I feel like for English learner in the classroom during playtime, that is the space and time when they feel more comfortable communicating with their friends. Yeah. And trying new ideas. And instead of like a traditional sitting on the carpet listening to the lesson and they have to raise their hands to answer question. No, they don't have to. They can just talk to their friends during play.

Curtis Long (16:00): That'd be perfect for me. You don't have to raise your hand or anything. You just participate.

Erin Moulton (16:03): Well, and then when we were there, you were saying that they talk so much more because it's, it is just during play, right? So it's pouring out of them. Mm-hmm. Where they have all this language, what I was observing in some of the lessons that they're waiting their turn or they're letting the English speakers go first. Right. And then you see them and they're playing and they're using both languages. Mm-hmm. Right. Which we know from research is so important

Kristin Blaine (16:23): Along with the language, just the social emotional learning that happens and it's amazing. I mean there are problems all the times happening, but kids are solving those problems. Sometimes they need help, sometimes they don't.

Curtis Long (16:35): You heard that at the very beginning where the two kids were, no, I wanna be the checkout person. I wanna be the checkout person. And some are just pause for a minute and said, well how could we figure that out? And they did. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Yeah. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And just like Mrs. Smith with her feisty five-year-olds, it's time for us to pause for a minute as we reach the halfway point of our inside Look at play during LFA. So far we've learned what exactly language for all means as part of the daily kindergarten schedule and how its implementation has helped self-esteem soar for even those most shy about sharing. But what about our special guests has play during LFA made them even better teachers?

Summer Smith (17:11): 100%. Absolutely. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. For me a big shift was understanding how capable my students are and thinking about the value of their interests and skills, their ability to do things in the classroom

Curtis Long (17:27): And what makes them fall in love with their rambunctious roommates day after day.

Kapo Chan (17:32): I'm always learning with them. It's so easy for adults or teacher to really jump in and try to facilitate and guide them what to do, what to say. But like doing this LFA lessons, I feel like I try to step back and really observe and listen to what they're sharing, what they're saying. And I just feel like I'm learning new things every day with them.

Curtis Long (17:53): You'll learn plenty of new things too. As the second half of this playful podcast continues right after this. Are

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Kristin Blaine (18:54): But just the growth from the beginning of the school year till now, almost the end of kindergarten. It's amazing. It just encompasses so much our LFA and purposeful play.

Curtis Long (19:05): Now that brings up a good question. Does this start beginning of the year in September your starting play with LFA or does it come later as you get to know your students a little bit better? Day one. Day one it starts. Mm-hmm.

Summer Smith (19:15): Day one because

Kristin Blaine (19:15): Kids know how to play. Yep. We don't have to

Kapo Chan (19:17): Teach them. They already, they want to play. Mm-hmm Hmm.

Curtis Long (19:20): Yeah, that's a good way to put it. That's why our kindergarten teachers do what they do. They know that kind of thing. Kindergartners wanna play first and not even know they're learning along the way while they're playing. Right? Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So we're listening to this and we call it purposeful play. And it's purposeful for a reason in that there's a purpose for the students. It's also a purpose behind what the teacher is doing. Obviously you don't just throw out a bunch of ketchup and mustard bottles and say, Hey, play with ease. Talk a little bit about the structure of what goes into what you are doing as the teacher to get them set up for success in play with LFA.

Kapo Chan (19:50): So I remember when I was teaching the community unit, I think we explicitly introduce each community helpers. So the role, what do they do, and also, uh, have a lot of like partner talking to have students brainstorm ideas of what they're doing with their jobs. And I think that create the opportunity for the students to talk about what they do with us, giving them some open-ended question. And also like through the mini lesson, we're also using a lot of read aloud to start the mini lesson with. So I feel like with the structure with teacher guiding students with the conversation that they had, I think uh, it is really important to introduce some background knowledge for them so that they have an idea of how to apply what they have learned in their play.

Summer Smith (20:37): So the next part of that is the kids exploring and us, this was the part where I didn't know when we started what my role was. That really started a lot of our conversation of the kids are playing, how do I support? What do I need to do? And it came down to listening to the kids and responding to them and encouraging them to teach one another and recording and collecting their ideas so that when we come to that third portion where the kids are teaching kids and the kids are bringing forth the vocabulary and all of their ideas, we are able to say, look what your classmates did. And we're giving them that ownership and we're creating speakers out of them. Right? Like when you're, when you're excited to share something, you're not thinking about like, oh, I'm public speaking right now. It's this excitement of oh, I get to share this thing. And that just continues to bolster in our vocabulary.

Kristin Blaine (21:33): Sometimes there is more than just the teacher in the classroom, so there can be an adult run station as well. I think we were showing the kids pictures of different scenarios and asking about their feelings. How would you feel if there was a picture of the dentist's office? How would you feel if you were here? And tell me why would you feel that way? Sometimes that's the teacher, sometimes it's a, a parent helper. Sometimes it's the ELD specialist. It just depends. It's great to have lots of adults in the room. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. At Purposeful Playtime.

Katie Lynn (22:03): And when we set up our school-wide schedules at the beginning of the year when we set up our school-wide schedules at the beginning of the school year, kindergarten teachers and ELD specialists like myself, we make sure that our schedules align so that we can co-teach and co-plan together during LFA and play. So when I first started doing this, I'm like, I don't understand my role anymore. So, and now I can see like a clear three session model. There's the mini lesson, there's break into play and you'll see both classroom teacher and ELD specialist carrying around clipboards and interviewing kids and collecting and documenting what words they're using. So we can bring that up during the share out at the end and or you'll see myself or the kindergarten teacher taking pictures of what they're creating and then we immediately upload to the slideshow. So it can be right there in the same day lesson to share out or the next day. And there's a lot of moving parts. And I think that teachers are in constant motion too, because we're following the kids as they're exploring and we're collecting, um, what they're producing. So that can help us plan for the next day and really meet their needs and, and expand on. There's

Erin Moulton (23:13): The mini lesson and then there's that time when you're talking about where you're making the choices to head off to play, where we're really focusing in on their executive functioning, which is a huge part of what teachers are doing during the kindergarten year. So it's that time when you're helping children make a plan and being thoughtful about where they're headed or where you're connecting them to some thinking they had from the day before. So then they're heading out to tackle some of those standards. So the way each tables are set up in the kindergarten teachers' classrooms for children to explore

Curtis Long (23:39): In kindergarten, it's not just hand out a test and sit back at your desk and watch them complete the test. Not

Summer Smith (23:44): Really, definitely not

Curtis Long (23:45): <laugh>. Hope they turned in. No, I watched Summer. She was moving around. I bet you had 10,000 steps in that room. <laugh> walking around that room and and keeping track of your kids. And I think that's interesting that you're as an ELD specialist mm-hmm <affirmative>. You're taking anecdotal notes, you're writing down what students are saying, so you have that evidence of how this is working.

Katie Lynn (24:02): Some of the learning that happens during LFA and play is like, we have a five senses unit where they're using all their five senses to explore different items and make observations. We have a transportation unit that explores force and motion and gravity. And we have a plant and animals unit where they learn about the plant life cycle, the structures of the plant. And we have several other units too. We also have a communities unit, a family and traditions unit. So we learn about different cultural celebrations.

Summer Smith (24:32): There's also the who am I unit, where we are learning about how everyone is unique and everyone has things that make them special,

Kristin Blaine (24:41): The transportation, how we get from here to there.

Kapo Chan (24:44): And also we have the weather and season unit.

Katie Lynn (24:47): They learn all about thermometers and making predictions and tracking weather. So there's a lot of content in each of the units that not only just are they expanding their vocabulary, but there's content embedded as well.

Curtis Long (24:58): <laugh>. And these are all different play units as well where they'll integrate those mm-hmm <affirmative>. Elements of play right. Into learning about all those different topics throughout the school.

Katie Lynn (25:05): Right. Essentially those are the themes that dictate what's available to them in the purposeful PlayStations.

Kapo Chan (25:12): And then also when we set up the PlayStations, we're being very intentional, making sure that the PlayStations actually align with what we're teaching. Mm-hmm <affirmative>.

Erin Moulton (25:20): Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And one of the threads that runs through all of these units that they're talking about are these habits of mind of like being a scientist or being, um, a community member that align with a lot of the social emotional transformational standards that have been out come, that have come out recently in the last few years. So that, thinking about that, our social emotional learning is not something that happens in an isolated time of the day. It's something that's happening for children throughout the day. So LFA in play is extending that opportunity to really work on seeing your sense of belonging and who you are as a community member.

Kapo Chan (25:50): And then we also have like a reflective closing circle right after purposeful Playtime. So that also, uh, applies some social emotional learning with purposeful play. So for example, when students are having some conflicts, they're working on solving problem. So we can definitely address those situation as a whole group at the end of the day, doing a closing circle. There are ways we can solve the problems. I like some of the students would tell me, oh, maybe I should try to use Counsel choices next time when I'm playing with my friends. Or we can take turn, we can talk it out, we can move on, move away and find a different choice. So you can see like students are really thinking about and we reflecting from what happened during Playtime and talk about it during our closing circle.

Summer Smith (26:35): I think capo, you highlighted the fact that the students are the ones coming up with that idea. It's not, Hey, let's solve this for you. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. It is the kids are coming together in this community to navigate problem solving, which is going to give them those skills in all areas

Katie Lynn (26:50): In which I've noticed to be incredibly empowering as not the kindergarten teacher, but as another adult in the room who often sees how kids handle themselves during LFA and play in such a responsible way because they are empowered to do so. Because purposeful play is a student centered way of teaching versus a teacher led everything. So they're empowered to help make those decisions and solve those problems because the systems are set up to support that.

Curtis Long (27:21): I'm thinking about some of our listeners who are thinking, you know, they're kindergarten, they're five years old, what do they really have to know in kindergarten? But I know you guys can attest there are state standards in kindergarten, what kindergartners should be able to do by the end of their kindergarten year. Maybe talk a little bit about those now. We don't have to go into all of them, but what do you feel a responsibility to make sure your kindergartners can do by the end of their first year in public school?

Erin Moulton (27:43): So connecting to standards around helping children understand about weather and how to protect themselves. That's one of the standards in kindergarten from cold or from the sun. And so then they're off headed to a station where there are materials so they can build themselves a shelter. And so then they've made that plan, the child has chosen, I'm gonna go make a shelter. And then you're following the teacher, I mean the teacher following the child over there and then taking some notes, what they're observing the child doing in that space. Maybe taking a photo, writing a quote the child has said, and then connecting it back to something you saw them doing in the, the day before. Or maybe you're connecting it to something another child was doing when they were painting about a weather event that was happening. You're helping them build relationships with one another. And then I, what I've seen all of you do when I've visited your classrooms is then bring that thinking back to the whole community and then helping the children see the standard inside of the children's creations and work.

Kristin Blaine (28:35): They have explorers, notebooks, which is something new we've started this year. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. The kids will oftentimes write and draw observations because

Kapo Chan (28:44): We are doing like scientific drawing, doing plants and animals unit, like making sure that the pictures are accurate, big, colorful, and detailed with details.

Curtis Long (28:53): So for community members that think I want kindergarten, they just need to know their ABCs. Mm-hmm. And you know, move 'em on to first grade. There's much more to it than that.

Summer Smith (29:01): And there's also the piece of learning to be a good community member in the classroom. Yeah. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And learning to navigate conflict, navigate taking turns, not just thinking about what are you going to say, but listening to what your partner is going to say. Sharing their ideas. There's also the piece of understanding the world around them. Like they have social studies standards where we want them to understand what is this world that we live in and what role do we play? Because that's a life skill. We, we want kids to see themselves in our world and understand what's happening and be people who question and ask and wonder like, how does this work? What does this look like? And that begins a lifetime of learning. And kindergarten is that foundation, right? So if we start it now, my kids ask way too many questions. I love it, but they, they wonder all kinds of things because LFA has caused us to engage in conversation about what does that mean? What do you wonder about that? And now it's like, okay, I'll write that question down, we'll come back to it. But that's gonna go into first grade and second grade. And throughout their lives of seeking information and gaining knowledge.

Curtis Long (30:09): And summer. And Kristin and Kapo, I know some of you have been teaching for a while teaching kindergarten. My question would be, do you see yourself as a better kindergarten teacher based on the evolution of these kind of lessons and these programs?

Summer Smith (30:22): 100%.

Kristin Blaine (30:23): Absolutely.

Summer Smith (30:24): Mm-hmm

Curtis Long (30:24): <affirmative>. And what, what has been the different, what do you see yourself as doing a better job of with your students?

Summer Smith (30:29): For me, a big shift was understanding how capable my students are and thinking about the value of their interests, the value of their and skills, their ability to do things in the classroom because I like controlling things that makes me happy. And as the result, I like things a certain way. Kindergarteners don't do that. I can't do that. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. I can't do all the things in a kindergarten classroom, but they can. And so seeing these kids explore and grow and be able to just do all of the things is incredible. And that was a huge learning for me.

Kristin Blaine (31:06): For me, I'd say there's so much research that has come out about play and how anyone, not just kids, but just you learn best when you're not stressed and, and it just comes so much easier to you. So just, there's a purpose for what they're doing. They, they know the expectations for the stations that they're playing at. Not that they can't take it the way they want to, but yeah, I think that's been big for me. The last probably five or six years is just all of the research that's showing how important play is with children especially.

Curtis Long (31:39): I think back to when I first started teaching and I was giving my young students timed multiplication tests with my timer in my hand in front of the room. I'm sure that didn't stress them out at all. I'm sure they were very relaxed and just love Mr. Long for that <laugh>. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Well, as we start to run outta time, I want to hear from each of you because it's no secret that you each have very challenging jobs. Well just like everyone in the education field. But when that alarm goes off in the morning, what inspires you to come to work in front of your five and six year olds each day?

Summer Smith (32:05): Their joy <laugh>, the excitement and they're like bounding in in the morning and just so excited to see what we're gonna do next. And they're so excited to explore and they're funny. They are so funny. But watching them discover learning and watching them discover this excitement is enough to wake me up every day. Mm-hmm

Kapo Chan (32:28): <affirmative>. I feel like as a teacher, I'm always learning with them, like doing this purposeful play. I feel like it's so easy for adults or a teacher to really jump in and try to facilitate and guide them what to do, what to say. But like during this purposeful playtime, during this LFA lessons, I feel like I try to step back and really observe and listen to what they're sharing, what they're saying, how they're using the language. And I just feel like every day I'm just learning with them. I'm learning new things every day with them.

Kristin Blaine (33:00): I just love the sparkle in their eyes and how fun they are every day. You know, they're not fun all day every day, but they are very fun. And just watching them learn in the growth again from the beginning of the year until now, it's amazing what they can do. Mm-hmm

Katie Lynn (33:18): <affirmative>. I think we can all agree that our jobs are incredibly hard work and we also have the benefit of very rewarding moments when we see the learning happening or when we see the confidence building or when we are there to see the first sentence spoken from a student who's just moved from a country, new country, or when we see the light bulb moment when kids finally are putting together something that had never made sense to them before. We all really live off of that energy and it keeps us going during those hard days and those hard moments. And there's really nothing I can think of that would replicate that feeling.

Curtis Long (34:00): Very well said Katie. Well, on the Proud To Be NCSD podcast, we've had the pleasure of interviewing teachers from all different grade levels, from high school all the way down to preschool. But I have to tell you, and I think lots of district colleagues would agree with me, kindergarten teachers, well, they're special. Many of you are the very first classroom teacher for our students on their journey through our district. And I know as a former elementary school principal, many kids can't talk about their elementary school experience without mentioning their kindergarten teacher. Thank you for being such an inspiration to so many smiling faces in our district, and thanks for joining us today on the podcast.

Kapo Chan (34:31): Thank you

Summer Smith (34:31): Thank you.

Curtis Long (34:33): Thanks for listening to The ProudTo Be NCSD podcast in North Clackamas. We know that education is a community effort and we're so thankful that you and your family are a part of our community. Until next time, remember, there are always great things to see wherever you go in NCSD.