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January 2012 - Posts
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The following post is from my first year teaching kindergarten… When I used to teach second grade, almost all of the kids came to me reading in some capacity. There were a few really low kids, who struggled and needed tons of extra help, but even they Read More...
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Today during Writing Workshop we continued working on our small moments stories. I worked with Derek who came in as a struggling learner… with no preschool and no school experience, he couldn’t even write his name… well wouldn’t you know it, he was one Read More...
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Unless you teach in Hawaii (and maybe some of you are lucky enough that you do!), chances are, some sort of inclement weather prevents your sprouts from going outside for recess from time to time… some of us have it all – rain, wind, snow, freezing temperatures, Read More...
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Recently, during my annual review, my administrator, after going over all of my academic goals and achievements, asked me, “What are you most proud of about your teaching?” Without even taking a second to think, I knew the answer… and it had nothing to Read More...
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This week we’re moving into learning about hibernation… while many animals hibernate, we’re focusing on bears because they’re so interesting. One of my favorite winter books is Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. Even children who have heard this story before Read More...
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A few years ago, when I taught second grade, I discovered an amazing piece of software called Stationery Studio by Fablevision. This writing software allows teachers to create customized writing paper by modifying the layout, lines, and design. You can Read More...
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It’s the title bout of the century. Which matters more, the end product or the journey taken to get to it? Over my teaching career, I’ve seen teachers fall squarely into both camps. When you work with the little ones, it’s even more of an issue… small Read More...
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Today during Writing Workshop, I worked with Sophia. She came in a struggling learner and has made slow progress. We’ve worried about her and have had her parents working with her on some of the concepts she’s had trouble with – with limited success. Read More...
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I don’t care what the Lego company thinks, my girls love Legos… the regular, normal, simple ones. Today, during Centers, a group of girls were having a blast building, as I sauntered over, I was drawn into their play. “Mr. ______, look at our school!” Read More...
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All week we’ve been learning about Martin Luther King. Jr. We’ve read so many books, I am continually amazed at the number of age appropriate books out there about his life and work for kindergarten. What has happened that is different this year, is, Read More...
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I have a new post about Martin Luther King Jr. in the works for the weekend, but I can’t help but share this old one from a few years ago. Each year, when we get ready to learn about Dr. King, I cherish the song we get to sing each day (often, numerous Read More...
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After sleeping until almost eight, I woke up to realize, the snow has finally come. Last year, we had so many snow days we were almost in school until July… not fun. I’m hopeful I’ll see a few weeks in June this year, but after trying to herd cats the Read More...
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Today, during centers, I called kids, as I often do, one at a time, to read with me. Mrs. D. taught me the beauty of one on one reading years ago. I love my one on one time with each child and you can’t beat the attention each child gets when you meet Read More...
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“I can’t wait to be a beautiful princess.” Dress Up is a wonderful place where anyone can be almost anything… those words, believe it or not, came from a little boy. We opened Dress Up this week and had a long talk about how playing pretend means that Read More...
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Yesterday, as happens most days, there was a missed pickup of a student who needed to go for special services. We were out at Reading Buddies and missed his pickup by minutes… so I walked him down while Mrs. D. read a story to the rest of the group. I Read More...
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Upon our return to school, the big topic of conversation has been Christmas gifts. Everyone wants to share their favorite gifts and who am I to argue with trying to extend the holiday season? In any event, today, after having everyone shared their favorites, Read More...
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Most of the country is under a deep freeze… I heard rumors that it was actually cold in Florida. Well, where I live, it’s bitter. We’re used to cold, but even for us, the recent sub-zero temperatures can be too much to handle. This morning, when I arrived Read More...
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The first day back after Holiday Break can be difficult… for me, waking up at five a.m. is the hardest… after over a week of sleeping in till eight, sometimes nine o’clock, five a.m. comes like a slap in the face. Even my poor dog, who gets to eat when Read More...
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Well, it’s the first day of a new year… I’ve been away for a bit, taking some time to rest, relax, and recuperate from December. I’ve been reading lots of ‘best of’ year end lists… best albums, songs, posts, you name it, I’ve read it. I didn’t do any Read More...
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