Wait...I thought I was the teacher!

So every weekend I make my plans for the next week. Which presentations I want to show which children, who needs to practice sandpaper letters or counting, etc. Last week I introduced J, who is almost 3 years old to the number rods. He's really excited about numbers and unlike most children that age actually understands the idea of counting, rather than just reciting the numbers in order.

Unfortunately just counting the rods wasn't exciting enough to engage him for too long, and even though he could easily identify the number cards that went with them he just wasn't in to counting the rods and labeling them with the cards. So I decided that this week I would do a fetching activity with him. To do this I would show him one of the number cards and have him bring me the rod that went with it. I already knew that he loved to move and match things that went together so it seemed perfect for him.

So I wrote it on my sheet and figured I would wait for a not so busy time when I could work with him one on one. Unfortunately I had another student this morning who just wouldn't settle in, and of course 2 or 3 others with various little problems that needed my help. Meanwhile J was wandering around, slightly bored and messing a bit with things on the shelves. I suggested that he take the number rods out and count them, figuring I might be able to join in a bit later and if not at least he would have some practice with them.

Well that didn't go so well. He got out a mat fine and most of the shorter rods. Then as he began taking the larger ones off the shelf (the biggest, 10, is a meter long) and playing a bit where he would let them swing down to the ground with a satisfying thunk. And of course he decides to do this when I'm completely occupied and stuck helping another student. And of course one of the older children comes over to inform me what he's doing. Yes, yes I see, I have eyes, I know who's causing trouble.

So I told J to use both hands, and had M (who came over to tell me what he was doing) to help show him how to hold the rods properly. So she trooped over, and immediately got upset about how he had messed them up on the shelf. "No, that' doesn't go there." She told him repeatedly, re-arranging them back in order. J seemed a bit interested and first, then kind of lost interest as she simply did it herself when he couldn't (or wouldn't?) put them back in order.

Then she had the best idea and caught his attention. "J, let's do fetching!" Wait a second, that was my idea! Before I know she has the numbers out on a mat and all the rods are on a separate mat and she's telling him to go and get her 1. And he's not quite running back and forth and she's helping him count the rods when he messes up and carefully places the numbers as they go all the way from 1 to 10. And I finish up helping my other student and just go to my stool and just watch for a bit. Finally I take out my clipboard, look at the lesson plan and write next to the number rod fetching for J, M did with him instead.

One less presentation to worry about this week!