Moving

Today was the last day for a little girl in our class today; she and her family are moving 2 hours away. She didn't want to leave, and we didn't want to lose her. It was a melancholy touch to a spectacular Fun Friday. We had a blast in the new Dress-up Center, rocked out to new songs, played and imagined in Free Centers, but every so often this little girl would walk up and hug me, or hug a friend, trying to make a memory. So at the end of the day, inspired by another teacher blog, I took one of our reading buddies (stuffed animals) and passed it around on the carpet. I explained that we were going to fill it with hugs to give to our friend who is moving away; when she misses us, she can hug the animal and feel our hugs. My students were delighted, and told the bunny "I miss you" and gave it huge squeezes. When we presented it to our departing friend, she squeezed it tight and smiled. We dismissed with lots of hugs and goodbyes, but oddly enough, not tears. It makes me sad that these little hearts have learned to say goodbye so early in life. But then, that's life. Hellos and goodbyes and all the good times in between.

Permanent

I was welcomed back today with hugs and huge grins. My little darlings were excited that I was back, and were full of questions, the most frequent one being"Where did you go?" Now in most kindergarten classrooms this would be the norm, but for our class this was a victory.

Until today, the day after every absence I had taken since starting at the end of October (three days), I was met with "You came back!" or "We have a new teacher!" A heartbreaking reminder of how my kids started the year; with instability, a different teacher on any given day. Even when I was formally hired and we talked about and celebrated that I was the teacher for the rest of the year, they didn't quite grasp it. It took them two weeks of constant reminding that I wasn't a substitute anymore, I was the teacher. And yet, they were always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Until today. Today my kids expected me to be there. Today, I became permanent.

PINK!

y students are obsessed with the color pink, both boys and girls. It is quite a wonder to behold, really.

Morning coloring:

"You can use violet red to make pink."

When we got new journals:

"LOOK! They're PINK!"

During snack time:

"Can I have the pink one?"

Anytime a color vote is taken, pink is the clear winner. Our kindergarten T-shirts...you guessed it, pink.

And of course, our favorite book...PINKALICIOUS.

Ahh, the joys of kindergarten!

Kinder Conference

I love Kindergarten conference! The sights, the sounds, the shopping!

Joking aside, I DO enjoy going to professional development (although, I wish they wouldn't have them at the beginning of the week!). I am always on the lookout for more effective ways to teach my kids, to help my little ones reach their full potential. My goals this year were to learn more about integrating writing, finding out more about the role of play in the classroom, and finding a center system that works for my class. All three goals were met to some degree; my least fulfilled one was the one about play. The presenter in the RTI workshop I was in referenced an article about play in the classroom (here it is). It seemed that the majority, if not everyone, agreed with the thesis of the report. But we all have standards to meet, tests to pass, and administrators and legislators to appease, leaving most early childhood educators in a very difficult position.

I would love to know more on this topic, and perhaps how other educators integrate play into their classrooms. For now, my Fun Fridays will suffice.

BTW if you have not checked out Jack Hartmann and his great songs for learning, you really should!

http://www.jackhartmann.com/

Christmas in February

I set out new toys for Free Centers today, some from my kit and others from school storage. You would have thought my kids died and went to heaven. I had girls foaming at the mouth to play with the Polly Pockets, and my boys were absolutely enthralled with the Motorworks set. Everyone was gaga for our new cash register, play money, and grocery cart full of housekeeping toys. I'm thrilled that my students are getting to enjoy some of the "classic elements" of a kindergarten class. I'm looking forward to seeing them with the Dress Up center.

Best part of the day: Mr. "I-just-can't- do-it" tied his shoes ON HIS OWN! A much needed victory for this kid, and an awesome example of the little miracles I get to see everyday.

Rhyming

I have started doing a "pass" to line up again. Today's pass was rhyming words. The majority of responses were house/mouse, sun/fun, fox/box. I had one darling try extra hard do do something different.

"Car/rar"

"Good thinking! But I don't think rar is a word."

"Yes it is. It's what dinosuars say!"

LOL. I love my job!

Callbacks

I'm tired and I wanted to get my first "real" post done. So here it is.

Callbacks are my primary method of getting attention in our class. I introduced the few I knew at the beginning of the year, and the repertoire has expanded exponentially. I thought I'd share a few.
(For those who don't know- callbacks are a call and response yell/action/chant)

Kindergarten...ROCKS!
Oklahoma...OK!
And a hush fell over the crowd...SHHHH!!!
If you're listening and you know it, clap your hands....clap, clap

And my favorite:

Peanuuuuttt, Peanut Butter!....JELLY!

Introduction

So I have been on a "teacher blog" kick lately, and I decided to try it.

The basics:

I am a 2nd year kindergarten teacher. Last year, I had the honor of teaching at an inner city, Title I school. My kids were amazing; my co-workers...not-so-much. So I left, and was blessed to get a teaching position at a wonderful school. My faculty, staff, and students are the best!