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April 2012 - Posts
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Oh shapes. We’ve been really trying to master our shape identification, especially the harder ones – Rhombus, Trapezoid, and Hexagon. Most kids get the good old Circle, Triangle, Square, Oval, and Rectangle, but the other three are just plain hard. In Read More...
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Last week I received the Luna camera from Learning Resources. I wasn’t sure to make of this document camera… it is billed as easy enough for anyone to use – even children. Coming off of Spring Break, I let it sit in the box for most of the week. Finally Read More...
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One of the things I love about teaching is that anything can be a teachable moment… opportunities arise all the time and sometimes the unplanned ones are the more powerful. Today, after Will read the Morning Message – he asked for a challenge. This has Read More...
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Oh the life of a kindergarten teacher. The randomness with which life flies at you is sometimes unbelievable. Here are three events (all starting with the letter L) that happened to me today. Lava lamp – Henry walked in and came over to tell me he had Read More...
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Today was the first day back for my sprouts after a whopping twelve days (Spring Break and screening) off. You never really know what to expect after any amount of time off, so I just try to be prepared and pray for the best. Of course we had a lovely Read More...
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Well, here’s the thing about kindergarten screening… you do the same thing ALL DAY LONG. In my case, for two days. Now I understand this is a necessary evil, but I became a kindergarten teacher so I wouldn’t have to do the same thing all day long… it Read More...
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Tomorrow I go back after Spring Break… I won’t be seeing any of my sprouts though. This year, my district has extended our kindergartners break by two days so we can screen our new friends for the fall. What does that mean for me? I get to hang out with Read More...
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Kevin is one little boy from my first year I don’t see much. This year he’s in second grade and I’m quite friendly with his teacher. We chat about him and I’m always amazed at how far he’s come. I saw him in the hallway last week and he asked if I’d come Read More...
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When I started teaching kindergarten, I was amazed at how affectionate my sprouts were. Some more than others, but it was rare to find a child who didn’t want to hug me at least some of the time. As that first year progressed and we learned more, the Read More...
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This is the THIRD giveaway of the amazing, wonderful, dare I say it, brilliant, series of Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn series of books. If you missed the first two giveaways, here is another chance to score one of two amazing books. As noted in the Read More...
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Each year I’m amazed how many kids in my class love Star Wars. As a child, my brother and I were totally ensconced in the Star Wars universe and I have to admit, even as an adult, I still watch the movies and have more than a few t-shirts with R2D2 on Read More...
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Oh, Henry. He’s always keeping me on my toes and lately, like just in the last couple of weeks, he’s really starting to mature. He’s sitting still for stories and not getting into trouble out at recess. It’s a wonderful transition to witness. This morning, Read More...
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Today, during snack time, I went to my desk to get a drink and when I looked at my computer screen, I saw an email from Mrs. T. She’s one of the amazing first grade teachers down the hall from me. Normally I don’t have time to read email during the day, Read More...
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Today was Brian, my little charmer’s last day before our Spring Break next week. His family is leaving a few days early and he’s been pretty excited about the trip. Now Brian can be a little challenging… When I first found out he’d be out the last two Read More...
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This is our last week before Spring Break… it’s never easy when vacation looms, but this week is extra hard for me… two of my favorite ladies are going to be heading out for maternity leave. I know, I know, bringing babies into the world is serious business, Read More...
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This year, I found an amazing new book for Earth Day (4/22/12). Most of the books I use for Earth Day are non-fiction and those are wonderful, but it’s nice to have some fiction stories to add to the mix. Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland is the sweetest Read More...
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Yesterday afternoon, with the full moon in full effect, I read my class Scaredy Squirrel. That’s just how brave I am. For the uninitiated, Scaredy Squirrel is a little guy who is afraid of the unknown… so petrified in fact that he staying in his nut tree Read More...
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Today, after reading No More Yawning, a story about a little girl who refuses to goto bed, we all shared some of our bedtime rituals for falling asleep. Here’s some of what was shared: “I just close my eyes and fall asleep!” “My body just goes to sleep.” Read More...
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Today, Mrs. D. and I were chatting about the many, many, MANY jobs we have as kindergarten teachers. We had a little fun and brainstormed a list: Parent – Like it or not, we spend more time with some of our kids than their parents do. We give more hugs, Read More...
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Last week I bumped into David, a little guy from last year, in the hallway. He was excited to see me and asked if I might pop by to hear some of his first grade writing. Well, after coordinating a good time with his teacher, today I came for my visit. Read More...
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Last weekend, a friend of mine (not a teacher), commented to me, “You know, everyone remembers their kindergarten teacher.” Naturally, that got us talking about ours and me reflecting on my own kindergarten experience. I’m not someone who remembers every Read More...
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Today, when I dropped my class off at the gym, the P.E. teacher was still busy setting up for the activity. I stood with my class for a few moments, reminding them to do their best listening so they could enjoy class. As I began to make my move for the Read More...
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For anyone working in a public school, you’ve most likely at least heard of the Common Core by now. A national list of ‘standards’ for K-12 education the Core is defined as follows: The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding Read More...
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