Elbow, knees, dreams

a blog about preschool, public schools, and what it's really like to be a teacher

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I know how to write the letter Q

Not too long ago, the letter of the week was Q. I introduced it, and then demonstrated how to write it on my big chart paper. First I wrote capital Q correctly, a few times, and then I showed how to write lowercase q. “Now I’m going to write it the wrong Read More...

hands

Today we went to the auditorium with the whole school for an assembly about Black History Month. The featured speaker was wonderful, but his words went over the heads of my small ones. Nonetheless, they were very patient and good, and they enjoyed the Read More...

a valentine’s day craft we are definitely going to try

I originally found this on Pinterest, from this blog . Isn’t that sweet? We will start Monday, if we have time. I suppose it has to be done in three steps — the pink heart handprint, then when that dries, the red heart handprint, and then when that dries, Read More...

an insult to preschool teachers (and working mothers) everywhere

I like the fashion blog She’s Still Got It , so I visit it at Cafe Mom fairly regularly. While there this morning, I stumbled upon this article: “ 6 Lies Parents Tell Themselves About Preschool ,” by Amy Reiter . Here’s what she had to say, prompted by Read More...

It’s all a blur

I finished the morning bone tired, hoarse, and barely able to remember what we had done. I went home to nap and was too tired to sleep . I do remember that there were beans, and glue. There was learning how to fold your legs (you wouldn’t think I’d have Read More...

you just try to do this job, you heartless morons

In the house corner, Deer wants the baby doll that another girl has. A teacher offers her the other, almost identical baby doll. Deer slaps the baby across the face. From across the room, my heart stops. It looks exactly like she is re-enacting violence Read More...

your bounciness wears me out, honey

I have a darling child in my class — let’s call him Roo, after the bouncy joey in the Winnie the Pooh books — who has suddenly become a joyful little tornado. He was never like this until about a month or two ago, and now he cannot stop moving. If he Read More...

from refugee camp to my classroom

We have a new student, a tiny girl. I’m in love with her already. I’ll call her “Starling” for the purposes of this blog. Starling was born in a refugee camp, and came to the States just last year, when she was three. She had never been in school before, Read More...

how I manipulate my preschoolers’ impressionable young minds

Me: …..And after story time, it will be time to go home. Various students: Yay!!! Me: Oh, really? I think it’s kind of sad. I miss you guys when you aren’t here. Various students: (silent, puzzling this over) Me: I love it when we are all here together. Read More...

Valentine’s Day has lasted two weeks in my room

Valentine’s Day has come and gone in my room, but it really was not a one day celebration. The last time I bought wine, I asked for two empty cardboard boxes with the wine bottle dividers still inside. Then my Americorps volunteer decorated them on the Read More...

lucky

I have been sick this week, and missed a few days of school. After being home Monday and Tuesday, I came back Wednesday to a class that was visibly relieved to have me back. Things are so routine-driven with me around, I imagine it could be a little bit Read More...

teaching with bronchitis

No, cough , I am not kidding. Cough . Could this fall have been any more filled with illness than it was?! Sinus infection, migraines, influenza, laryngitis, bronchitis…. Cough! It was Gingerbread Day today, and when I read the Gingerbread Man, the kids Read More...

new kids, old teacher

In the last two days I got three new kids. One of them was flagged as probably needing a referral for possible special ed services, another probably needs to be referred for speech services, and the third doesn’t speak any English, acts as if rules don’t Read More...

I think you’re wonderful

Today was a hectic day. In the middle of centers time, one of my girls walked up to me and put her arms around me. “I think you’re wonderful,” she whispered. It was like a bolt of sunshine in the middle of the day. I felt just like the words of the song, Read More...

Apple’s progress

Apple is the sweet baby of our class. She spoke no English at the beginning of the year, and was barely comprehensible in Spanish, either. She knew no colors or numbers or shapes or letters in either language. She said nothing, but just smiled a lot. Read More...
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