Opening up centers on the first day of school

On the first day of school — my least favorite of the year, but that’s a different story — my centers are all closed. The house corner gets roped off with a sign that says “Closed” even before the open house, so the children Read More...

Thoughts about backpacks

People are starting to think about going back to school, and buying school supplies….And backpacks are one of the most important things that you buy for your kid. So here are some thoughts on backpacks from a teacher: Don’t buy those backpacks Read More...

Organizing school supplies

I once worked at a school where every teacher had a plastic shoebox for each student to keep their school supplies in, and it was clear I was expected to do that, too. So I went out and paid for twenty-four plastic shoeboxes, and then tried to find room Read More...

The Little Things, part 3

When I taught preschool at a daycare center, during my first official year of teaching, I had a big classroom with a large area where we could sit on the floor for circle time, in an actual circle. Now, many years later, I am teaching preschool in a public Read More...

The little things, part 2

Perhaps because I really started out teaching in daycare, before I taught kindergarten at that inner-city school, I still obey the rules about licensing and ratios and proper supervision. I never want to have my students out of my sight, because if something Read More...