Classroom Observation: Food Education and Firefighter Role-Play
Preschool
January 29, 2018
Thank you to all the parents who took time from their busy schedules to join our classroom observation.
We hope it offered a glimpse of your children’s everyday life and learning at school.
In Jungle class (age 3), families observed both Japanese and English lessons.
The Japanese lesson focused on restaurant manners, including using a knife and fork and handling a napkin.
Food education included our planned exclusive French restaurant experience, so this preparation was especially relevant and interesting to the children.
We learned how to hold and use cutlery and two ways to place it: apart in an inverted V during the meal, and together like the number 11 when finished. Explaining that this helps restaurant staff understand made sense to Jungle children, who were increasingly able to consider other people’s perspectives.
At the end, children became restaurant staff and customers for role-play.
They used expressions such as, “Thank you for waiting,” and “Excuse me, may I have some water?”, enjoying learning through their roles.
The English lesson explored “Firefighter” through Job Training.
An earlier visit to the fire station had already sparked their interest in this work.
During role-play, they carried out different jobs while saying, “I can drive a fire truck!”, “I can chop down the door!”, “I can put out the fire!” and “I can save someone!”
Children waiting for their turns joined in as the fire, holding up their hands until the firefighters put it out.
Others encouraged the firefighters with “Be careful!” The whole class could participate in the learning.
A teacher could simply introduce firefighter vocabulary and phrases, but becoming firefighters and using the language themselves made it more memorable—and, most importantly, enjoyable.
Families saw only part of our lessons that day. Children are also growing in many ways during everyday school life, including their English and the consideration they show friends.
We will keep creating an environment that supports that growth.
We hope it offered a glimpse of your children’s everyday life and learning at school.
In Jungle class (age 3), families observed both Japanese and English lessons.
The Japanese lesson focused on restaurant manners, including using a knife and fork and handling a napkin.
Food education included our planned exclusive French restaurant experience, so this preparation was especially relevant and interesting to the children.
We learned how to hold and use cutlery and two ways to place it: apart in an inverted V during the meal, and together like the number 11 when finished. Explaining that this helps restaurant staff understand made sense to Jungle children, who were increasingly able to consider other people’s perspectives.
At the end, children became restaurant staff and customers for role-play.
They used expressions such as, “Thank you for waiting,” and “Excuse me, may I have some water?”, enjoying learning through their roles.
The English lesson explored “Firefighter” through Job Training.
An earlier visit to the fire station had already sparked their interest in this work.
During role-play, they carried out different jobs while saying, “I can drive a fire truck!”, “I can chop down the door!”, “I can put out the fire!” and “I can save someone!”
Children waiting for their turns joined in as the fire, holding up their hands until the firefighters put it out.
Others encouraged the firefighters with “Be careful!” The whole class could participate in the learning.
A teacher could simply introduce firefighter vocabulary and phrases, but becoming firefighters and using the language themselves made it more memorable—and, most importantly, enjoyable.
Families saw only part of our lessons that day. Children are also growing in many ways during everyday school life, including their English and the consideration they show friends.
We will keep creating an environment that supports that growth.
Author Profile
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Saeda Sueki-Au-Yeung - Head of Operations / Parent Support Coordinator (Japan)
Saeda studied education and disability sciences in Japan and experienced winning a US collegiate national championship while studying and playing football in America. She values each child's individuality and the opportunities that come from trying new things. Through school operations and parent support, she helps families and staff work as one team to support children's growth.