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A few years ago, clean up time was starting to bug me. It was getting harder to get the kids to finish cleaning their stuff to come sit down. I thought about using some clean up song on a kids’ music cd, but decided that would be too irritating to listen
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This has been, as I’ve mentioned, a slightly more difficult start to the school year than I’ve had in recent years. However, it feels like it’s about me rather than the kids. This class is very sweet, with no major behavior problems, unlike last year.
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I am in pajamas as I type this, and while I am exhausted, it’s more of a good/content tired than a frantic/despairing tired. The room was, after all, ready in time, and it looked great. A few colleagues, including one I hadn’t seen since May, came by
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My good friend and former special ed teacher Ali was the one who turned me on to Pete the Cat. I got the first two books from the library and my class went bananas. The best part was putting the songs on iTunes for free, and singing along. I’ve found
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One day last week I sent my class to the local library for story time, along with a sub provided by the Princess, my assistant, my Americorps volunteer, and our special ed teacher. I stayed behind to meet the kids I will have in the fall, who came with
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One morning, not long ago, one of my brightest little boys made my day. His bus arrives early, so every morning he peeks in through the window on our door, sometimes jumping up and down with excitement. If he sees one of us moving around the room, getting
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Yesterday during morning meeting I commented on how well the kids have done with learning the alphabet. “That was your job this year, and you did it!” Then a very serious boy raised his hand and said, “did we do all that stuff up there?” “What stuff,
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We made the heart handprints, and they turned out wonderfully. We started making them on Monday, but even the ones we did Tuesday dried quickly enough to be able to write down the children’s quotes for their mothers, and send them home that day. I used
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He has two new books coming out! Listen to My Trumpet! will be released next week, on February 7. The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? will be available on April 3. I’m doing my happy dance!
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It is a classic winter day here, with ice and snow and cold. However, I felt some signs of spring within me — I did a major spring cleaning of the classroom, with the help of my Americorps volunteer. Visual clutter raises my blood pressure. My classroom
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Yesterday we celebrated Gingerbread Day in our classroom, and the children were delighted. We read three versions of the classic story (over two days), and then we decorated gingerbread men with squiggly white frosting. (One girl said, “this is my mom”
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Almost every day, I have been sitting in the block corner at centers time with my little blocks-challenged friend. (On the days when I haven’t been there with him, my special ed teacher has been.) And each day, he has learned a little bit more. Let’s
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During morning meeting today, the phone rang, and it was for me. My Americorps volunteer took over with the class, while I talked to a woman from a non-profit organization. I applied for a grant there earlier in the fall, for bus money and outdoor clothing
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I haven’t named any of my students so far this year, with the exception of Little One with her large personality, so it is high time. I will start telling tales about this year’s class, and will name them all after colors. When I arrived this morning,
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Thanksgiving weekend is over, and tomorrow I throw myself back into the dramatic, lively, noisy world of preschool. I haven’t done my lesson plan yet, so I have to go in early. If I arm myself with a big cup of coffee, I will be fine. Here are some things
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