Moreland Hills Elementary School Visit #2

On Friday, Mrs. Newman thought it would be a good idea for me to come observe the classroom because it was Halloween.  She stressed how crazy the children get and how busy it is at the school but she wanted me to see "how it really was."  Before I even walked into my classroom, I could tell how wound up every kid was because later that day they would have a Halloween party and parade in the school.  By the time I got there, kids were already starting to put their costumes on and they were running wild across the classroom.  Mrs. Newman looked stressed and asked me to help dress the kids up in their costumes.  Next, the children were told to sit down in their seats quietly before the parade started.  They were then explained that they were to form a single file line and be very quiet or they were not allowed to walk.  Mrs. Newman told me that each year on Halloween, every class got to walk down the hallways and outside around the school building to show off their cool costumes which I thought was a fun way to get some energy out.  As we walked, the younger children looked in awe at the 2nd graders and complimented their costumes.  Parents were even allowed to line the hallways and take pictures of their child as they walked by which made the school even more packed than it already was!  Once we got outside, we saw all the other grades walking around and the students were allowed to briefly greet their other friends.  Then, we went back inside and prepared for the party at the end of the day.  The kids were told that there are three stations: the snack table, the craft table and the game area.  Mrs. Newman asked me if I could be in charge of the game area, which I was thrilled to help.  Some kids started snacking while some made little ghost figures out of tissues and lollipops while the others got paired up on the rug and prepared to mummify their partner.  Each child was given a roll of toilet paper and the goal was to make the best mummy out of the group and then they could change stations.  The children loved wrapping each other up and Mrs. Newman loved that they were busy.  Even though the entire classroom was hectic and the kids were rambunctious, it did not drive me away from my desire of being an early childhood teacher.  This experience showed me that some days, kids need a break to be a little crazy but it can be fun for the teacher too!