Heidi

You all have heard of Heidi, right? As in Heidi's Songs? LOVE her. This year I purchased two more of her sight word song CD's so that we now have a song to accompany almost every sight word we cover throughout the year. I LOVE how the kids take to the songs and sing them when it's time for writing. I am by NO MEANS musical myself, but that's one of the benefits of teaching Kindergarten--they don't judge!

So last night I got an email advertising Heidi's new CD with Classroom Management Songs.

::swoon::

Just by reading the titles of the songs, I am already in love with this CD and plan to order it as soon as I finish this post.

Check out these gems...

Music titles include:
1: Back Pack Boogie
2: Follow the Rules
3: When the Bell Rings, Freeze!
4: The Tattling Song
5: No Interrupting
6: Outside Voices, Inside Voices
7: Please and Thank You
8: Is It a Question or a Story?
9: Cover Your Mouth
10: Blow Your Nose
11: The Potty Dance
12: Potty, Potty, Flush, Flush
13: Right Hand, Left Hand
14: Red, White. and Blue
15: The Days of the Week
16: Months of the Year
17: Criss Cross. Applesauce
18: The Tracing Song
19: The Cutting Song
20: The Glue Song
21: Snap That Cap
22: Just Try Your Best
23: The Smarty Pants Dance
24: Line Up
25: I Love My Lunchbox
26: Bonus Track: We Don’t Fight!


I just love the title of Track #8..."Is it a question or a story"...HAHAHAHA. That cracks me up. How many times does a Kinder kiddo raise his/her hand and tell you they have a question...then they roll into this detailed account of seeing a squirrel at their grandmother's house or something....I envision some *kind* redirection with that little ditty next year.  

But seriously, when I read through the song titles, I can just tell that I will use many of them next year (provided I am teaching Kindergarten).  When the Bell Rings, Freeze! Yes please! For some reason, if it's said in a song, it is remembered, so I am all over that one!

Speaking of next year, I just found out that we will no longer be using Fast Track Phonics next year.... I am SO sad about this and a bit annoyed too. Apparently our contract with the company is up so in order to continue using their products we need to renew with additional training which is expensive and with ensuing budget cuts we can't afford it. So, I am not sure what we will be using, but apparently we have to let go of FT. My team LOVES that program, so there may be some secret "unofficial" program usage. It is such a great program and the kids are so successful with it. It sucks that money stands in the way of our students getting educated with a great program that works!

In other news I have an official date for my dissertation proposal defense. June 8th is the big day! I am beyond excited for this presentation/defense and cannot wait to do it. My power point presentation is pretty much ready and so basically at this point I have to submit my paper to the committee two weeks prior to the defense (this Friday) and then they have a chance to read it before my presentation. Then I present a summary of the paper to them and they ask me questions about my intended research and if they like what I say, I pass!