Paris School second grades Mason Yee, (left) Reid LaBell, MacKenzie Fricke (second from left) and Chloey Menarek helped their teacher, Jenny Weis (center) with her master's degree presentation recently in front of an audience of 24 teachers.
Most second graders are probably pretty used to their teacher helping them with their school work.
But how many second graders get a chance to help their teacher with theirs?
That was the situation for Paris School second grade teacher Jenny Weis recently. Four of her students — Chloey Menarek, MacKenzie Fricke, Reid LaBell and Mason Yee — recently helped her make a presentation that culminated her master’s degree program.
Weis, throughout the school year, conducted research on the effect of making text connections on comprehension in her second graders. Upon completion of the research project, Chloey, MacKenzie, Reid and Mason helped Weiss present her research at Badger High School in front of 24 other teachers.
As part of the presentation, Chloey and MacKenzie dressed up as chefs and discussed text-to-self connections between two stories where the characters try baking a cake. Chloey and MacKenzie wrote their own scripts for the presentation and dressed up in costume according to characters in these stories, Weis said.
Reid and Mason brought books they wrote as part of the Writing Club at Paris School. The two boys discussed the text-to-self connections that inspired their stories.
“What I was very proud of was I had to say very little” to explain the research since the pupils demonstrated it so well, Weiss said.
Of the 24 teachers presenting that day, Weis said she was the only one to utilize students in person.
Weis had sought volunteers from the entire class, with the chosen four being the ones who were available. They consulted with their classmates on what to do so everyone was represented, Weiss said.
Did the four youngsters feel nervous on the big day?
“I was a little nervous,’ MacKenzie said.
Chloey had a little different take.
“I felt kind of nervous, but at the same time happy because my teacher learned so much,” Chloey said.
Said Reid: “It went really fast.”
But though they’re only in second gade, it appears there’s a chance the experience will stick with the four in a postive way if they ever are called upon to speak before a large group in a high pressure situation again.
“I wouldn’t be that nervous because I would know what it was like to be in front of so many people,” Chloey said.
