Inside the Classroom: Amanda Thompson - Schluter Elementary
Inside the Classroom: Amanda Thompson - Schluter Elementary
Inside the Classroom is a series that visits Northwest ISD campuses throughout the year and highlights the magical moments that happen between teachers and students each and every day across the entire 234 square miles of NISD.
They say not to count your eggs before they hatch, but when your teacher asks you to count your eggs, you listen!
Amanda Thompson and her pre-kindergarten students at Schluter Elementary were doing exactly that when we visited for the latest Inside the Classroom. With the help of the book “Ten Eggs in a Nest” and their own nests full of eggs, the Spurs were integrating their recent unit on birds into that day’s math lesson.
However, before they got their own nests, students each got their own “shaker egg” to help them get their wiggles out! Ms. Thompson and pre-kindergarten paraprofessional Lisa Keets passed out the eggs, then students danced around the room shaking their eggs to the rhythm of the music.
Next, the students sat in a circle as Ms. Keets and Lyndsey Brown gave a nest and cup of 10 eggs to each student. Ms. Thompson read “Ten Eggs in a Nest” and paused after each page to have students follow along and add eggs to their nests.
As they continued the book, students added to their nests and counted their eggs one-by-one. At times, Ms. Thompson would stop to introduce more math into the lesson, writing addition problems on the whiteboard.
After their nests were full, Ms. Thompson facilitated discussion with higher-level thinking questions such as “are there more blue eggs or white eggs?” Some students used their “eagle eyes” to answer that question!
After finishing with their nests, it was time for students to freely choose where and how they would learn next. Various learning centers were set up around the room, and they were all bird themed to tie into the current unit.
Centers in pre-kindergarten are important because they provide structured, hands-on opportunities for children to explore different concepts through play. These areas encourage independence, cooperation, and decision-making, helping students develop essential skills in a fun and interactive environment.
Students sorted birds from non-birds, created bird crafts, listened to books, learned to draw birds and much more. No matter if they were constructing habitats or writing about birds they drew, Ms. Thompson’s students were full of smiles as they learned and played simultaneously.
These four- and five-year-olds have spent this school year preparing for the academic journey that lies ahead of them, and as they get ready to leave their Pre-K nest, it’s teachers like Ms. Thompson that have ensured they are ready to spread their wings.
Check back regularly all year as we continue to visit students and teachers throughout Northwest ISD and offer a rarely seen look Inside the Classroom.