Today was my last day at my work experience for the morning i was with the youngest children again. i was playing and interacting with them for most of the morning. 2 of the children especially took a shine to me and i really enjoyed spending time with them and playing and reading with them. After their playtime they did their activity which was making snowmen out of paper plates and paper. A lot of help was needed while they were painting these snowmen but they really enjoyed it, when they were finished i took them one by one into the bathroom to clean up. we then read stories ion the library and then it was nearly home time they sang songs and played games until it was home time when were downstairs with them waiting for their parents i saw my old group and they all said goodbye to me and gave me hugs. i was very happy. then it was home time.
In the afternoon i was with the younger kids for the day and i really enjoyed it. they were doing hammer beads for the first part and i helped all the girls and the usual girls that take a shine to me were sitting on my lap and giving me hugs . i had great fun with them. after this they did their activity which was making flapjacks. after this me and Lisa then had to tidy up the kitchen. it was snack time them and all of the children came downstairs, the younger and older. when they were finished, expectantly me and the other 2 girls on work experience were given a presentation by the staff and children. they all thanked us very much and we all got biscuits and sweets to celebrate. the children gave us hugs and we got a card. it was a lovely gesture and it made us feel really appreciated but also sad that our work experience was over. It was home time then for the last time. I really enjoyed my work experience in Happy Days and i can't wait for my next one.
This week in Happy Days i was with the youngest of the kids in Happy Days. They are 2 and 3 year olds. There was no set activity today so i felt that the day was very long but i had fun interacting with the children. They loved me playing games with then and reading storeis. I actually really enjoyed being with the younger kids for a change. At snack time i helped them with their lunches and putting them way. I had to do more her with the younger kids compared to downstairs as they are younger. At home time i helped them with their coats and helped them downstairs and it was lunchtime for me.
In the afternoon i was helping out with the younger kids and then i went outside with them to play. It was freezing. I was hoping to come back in then but i was put with the older kids and it was their turn to go outside! I didn't mind too much as i get on really well with the older kids. when we went back inside the children just did some colouring and then it was time for me to go home.
This week i was making paintings of moons with my group. we were doing it in a way that we placed a piece of plastic shaped like a circle on a sheet of paper and the children painted over and around it. when we lifted up the piece of plastic there was a white circle on the page then that was the moon. we then left all these paintings over to dry. after the painting the kids had free play and then we played outside. I helped and tidied up and then it was home time.
In the afternoon i spent time with the kids and helping with their activity which was making salt dough shapes. they had a lot of fun doing this and i cleaned up after this. I had a good day in work experience and i'm looking forward to next week.
T
his week the children in the morning were recreating Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night painting. the object of the art activity was for the children to recognise the colours and shapes in the painting and to paint what they see. i was in charge of helping the children who wanted to do this activity and to guide them along. the cildren really anjoyed this and i also had to help clean up after. i helped them during much time aswell if they needed anything. i felt really good that someo f the children came up to me if they needed anything rather than the teachers. i felt that they were comfortable with me. they listened to songs before it was hometime.
in the afternon we were outisde with the older kids, there if they needed anything but otherewise just relaxing. when we went back inside i was with the group that was doing clay an dof they neede anything i was there. i enjoyed thus time with them as i could have a proper conversation with them and also with the minder there. i really enjoyed this work experience day.
This week all of the girls on work experience were in the same room as we had to help the children with their Christmas picture. this picture is for a Christmas card that is that is going to have all of the children's pictures on it. this took quite along time as many of the children had trouble understanding the concept.
after they had done their Christmas pictures they had free play until lunch. i played with them and helped them during lunchtime. i did my usual tasks of sweeping up and cleaning the tables when they were done.
in the afternoon i was with the younger children. i was playing with them outside and then when they came in i helped them with their activity which was playing with Gloop (it is a type of mixture than provides great enjoyment). after all this it was time for me to go home.
This week when I arrived in Happy Days there was staff meeting on in the morning in the montassori room to i was told to help out with the playshool upstairs until the montassori children arrived. i was upstairs for about an hour with the small children and i just played with them and helped them with anything they needed.
when the montassori children arrived I went back downstairs. there was no set activity today as half of their class was already gone. i just intracted with the kids and played with them. i helped a few with drawing and painting aswell. at luchtime i did what I usually did and helped them with their lunches and to clear away after. I then swept the floor and wiped the tables. I helped them with their bags and coats aswell.
in the afterschool i had to cut out pumpkin shapes for the children to paint. i also hepled them with their second activity which was making jelly with jelly sweets in it for thr Halloween party. they enjoyed this and enjoyed helping then. the children just had free play then until it was time to go home.
T
his week the children were using stencils to make halloween cats. They painted in the stencils using their fingers. As usual most of the paint ended up on my clothes or the floor, but they enjoyed it. i played group games with them for the rest of the morning and then i read them a few stories to them. they had a lot of fun playing different games with me and they kept asking me to play babies with them, i was always the mammy. after lunch they listened to some songs and then it was hometime.
After lunch i came back to the afterschool group. i had to photocopy pictures for them, cut out paper pumpkins and clean up the paint after. when the activity was finished me and Ciara hung up all of the Halloween decorations, which turned out really well.
So far i am loving my work experience!
This week in Happy Days it was Road Safety week. for the morning activity the children were doing their handprints in green and red to understand that green means go and red means stop. the ultimate lesson was to always hold someones hand crossing the road. i helped the children to this painting and to also clean up after, it was a very messing job as they stated to high five my face and clothes with the paint. after i was red and green free it was lunchtime. when they had finished we played outside and then sang songs back inside. the children went home singing and with green and red hands.
in the afterschool we had to clean all the shelves in the building which at the beginning didn't go very well as the basin was cracked and leaked all over the floor! when all of the water was cleaned up we quickly went back to cleaning the shelves. the younger children were outside so i was put with them. we played games with them and then we had to sweep up all the leaves in the play area. baking was next and the children were vey excited. they made banana bread while i helped with the process. while it was cooking they coloured in pictures. unfortunelty our day was finished before the banana bread was cooked, but it smelled amazing.
my work experience just kepps getting better and better
I had my second week of work experience this week and it was even better than last week. I felt that I wasn't really a stranger any more and that the children felt more comfortable around me because I had been there before. The first activity was making trees with their hands. I had to trace around each of their hands and then they stuck leaves on to them to make the tree. The children really enjoyed this. For the rest of the morning the children were painting, playing with toys and drawing pictures. I helped them whenever they needed it and when we had to tidy up. The two sides of the room then swapped so I got another set of Montessori and they did the same as the first group. At lunch time I helped anyone that needed things opened or put away. After lunch they children finally got to play outside as the rain had stopped. This was music to both mine and the children's ears! All hell broke loose when they went outside they were running and screaming but enjoying themselves. I played some games with them like What time is it Mr Wolf? and follow the train. They loved this! Unfortunelty it started to rain them so we had to go back inside. The children then got their bags and coats and sang songs until their parents came. It was a very busy morning.
I came back in the afternoon for they after school children but there was another Montessori group on upstairs so I helped out with them. It was a very quiet afternoon as there were only 4 children there and two of them didn't speak English. By the end of the Montessori though the other two children started to talk to me and all in all I enjoyed it. I had a very hand-on day, but a very enjoyable one aswell. Already looking forward to next week!
Yesterday i had my first day of work experience in Happy Days Playschool, Montassori and Afterschool care. I was very excited to start but also a little nervous! I soon realised though that there was nothing to be nervous about. The staff were very kind and helpful and the kids were excellent. I was put in the montassori room with Lynda and Rachel to help them out for the day, the children here are ages 3-4 and they are boys and girls. They all came in at about half 9 bright eyed and ready for a day of playing. They all were very surprised to see a new face but quickly warmed up to me. One of the girls was so excited to see me that she ran back out the door to tell her day there was a new teacher today. The main objectives of the montassori is to texh the children to do things for themselves and to be more independant. They played with learning toys for about an hour and i was also learning as i went. I was trying to remember their names and to play different games with them. I read them stories and did pictures with them. They all wanted me to see their creations and for me to sit beside them. two or three of the boys especially took a shine to me that they were pulling me hands to try and get me to play with them or to show me their buliding creations. after there playing we did some painting with them. i had to make sure they all had paint shirts on them before they began painting. when each of them were finished i had to show them where to leave the paintings to dry. when the tables and chairs were nearly all painted pink, red and blue it was wash up time before lunch. i washed the paint mats and tables while the teachers washed the children (luckily it was wash off paint!) the teacher rang the bell for them to sit down for luch while i put all their lunch bags out in a line. i had to help some of the children with their luches and to clean up after them. beofr they go home they have alittle sing song time. whiel they were in the corner with one of the teacher i was sweeping up the room and putting it back in order. i had huge goodbyes from the children and sayuing ill see you next week! as it was my first day the manager said i could have a half day and start the full day of work next week. this was very kind of her and i thanked her and went home. i thoroughly enjoyed my first day of work experience and im looking forward to the coming weeks!
