Over the past eight weeks, the PYP 1 students have made huge leaps in their development. I have made genuine connections with many of the students and it’s sad to have it end so soon. One of the most rewarding experiences was this week, when one of the students who didn’t speak at the beginning of the year and rarely socialized began greeting me by name and interacting more during recess.
My key takeaway from this week is in the lunch room where the students have been gaining more independence. The layout has been changed so they are sitting in tables similar to the older students, with a self-serve clean up centre in the middle of the room. Instead of leaving their trays, students are expected to sort their garbage, cutlery, cup, and tray into the appropriate places and then serve their own fruit. It is amazing to see how quickly they caught on. We guided the first few students through the process and the others noticed what was happening and followed suit. Throughout this experience, I have been continuously impressed with the level of independence of the students. I am told that they do the Montessori program in nursery (ages four months to 2 years). I wonder how lunch time is set up in that division.