Over the summer my teammates and I purchased some plastic magazine holders from the dollar bin at Target...they were $2.00 each, but still a good deal for brightly colored, durable containers. We pretty much wiped out the inventory at all our local Targets to each get a class set, but I am really glad we did because they are working out great for a few reasons.
1. They hold our iPads, headphones, AppCrayons, and morning work folders. That's a lot of stuff for each kid, so the bins or "buckets" as we can them really help each kiddo keep track of his/her stuff. We also have all of those items numbered in the event that they get separated from their specific bucket (which does happen in my room sometimes because we share those items with the PM class).
2. Never before have my kiddos been so accountable for completing their unfinished work. I love it! In the past, if they were late to school or just spent too much time chatting instead of coloring, their unfinished morning work simply went in their cubby and home at the end of the week. There was no follow through for completing it and a lot of work was messy. Same for unfinished math pages--they just went home and were never completed if a child was not able to complete the work during the actual math lesson. Now, however, all of those pages stay in the bucket until they are completed. And, students have to have all of their work completed BEFORE they can get their iPad in the morning, so there's a good incentive for keeping up with morning work. I love how in the morning I see kids taking out things they did not finish and getting those things done before getting their iPads. Work is neater, it's going home completed, and kids are learning about the importance of finishing their work.
When I had two classes in the past, I just couldn't wrap my mind around having folders for morning work because it seemed like way too much to juggle for two groups of students. I wasn't sure about the storage and the organization and that prevented me from trying it out. This year, with only one group, I decided to try it out and I am really happy with how it's working. Students get their buckets off the shelf in the morning when they come in and keep them at their tables all day until it's time to put iPads away and put the buckets back in their "parking space" (assigned spots so they know where to put it which makes clean up a bit easier). Sometimes the tables can get a bit crowded when the buckets are out, especially table groups with five kids, but we put them on the floor if we need more table space and overall it's a great system.
Target doesn't have the buckets anymore because it was part of their end of summer inventory, but I am pretty sure a store like Really Good Stuff would have something similar. We have always had little mailboxes where kids put their work that is ready to go home, but I'm glad they now have a holding place for projects and things they are still working on.
apologies apologies
Well well well...haven't I been just a completely neglectful blogger recently. I don't think I have posted since the first or second week of school! yikes!
So here are some updates:
My class....is very very very very chatty. The first few weeks were great, but as they have gotten to know each other better and become friends with each other they have started talking up a storm which makes for a very frustrated teacher. I have made a conscious effort to make sure I am providing them times to talk within lessons but it just feels like they don't ever stop! I feel so thankful that I only have one class this year because I honestly don't think I could handle two! I am not sure if it's the fact that our numbers are higher this year or just the mix of kids I have but I feel like I must say "my turn to talk" about five hundred times a day!!!
My baby girl...SIX months old and just so darn cute! I love spending my afternoons with her and seeing her change and develop a personality. She is now rolling all over the place and trying to figure out how to crawl. She doesn't quite get how to do it but I just know it's going to happen any day now. She started eating solids and just loved food. She eyes everything I eat and wants in. She sits in her little highchair and when she gets food she is just over the moon. She has liked everything I've given her except avocado. Go figure...that's one of my favorites! I think she started cutting her first tooth today too!
My dissertation...is coming along slowly but surely. I partnered up with someone from my class so we can share our weekly goals with one another and keep each other on track. I have two afternoons a week when Baby Sneaker is at daycare until 3:00 so I can get some work done. I am currently finishing up my third round of interviews and transcribing so that I can start my data analysis phase. The work is so fascinating, but it's a lot on top of teaching, being a mama, and taking care of the house. I am hoping that the end is in sight, but I have no idea how long data analysis will take.
I hope to continue keeping this blog alive but I just don't have it in me to post frequently about all the stuff going on in my classroom. I will do my best though!
So here are some updates:
My class....is very very very very chatty. The first few weeks were great, but as they have gotten to know each other better and become friends with each other they have started talking up a storm which makes for a very frustrated teacher. I have made a conscious effort to make sure I am providing them times to talk within lessons but it just feels like they don't ever stop! I feel so thankful that I only have one class this year because I honestly don't think I could handle two! I am not sure if it's the fact that our numbers are higher this year or just the mix of kids I have but I feel like I must say "my turn to talk" about five hundred times a day!!!
My baby girl...SIX months old and just so darn cute! I love spending my afternoons with her and seeing her change and develop a personality. She is now rolling all over the place and trying to figure out how to crawl. She doesn't quite get how to do it but I just know it's going to happen any day now. She started eating solids and just loved food. She eyes everything I eat and wants in. She sits in her little highchair and when she gets food she is just over the moon. She has liked everything I've given her except avocado. Go figure...that's one of my favorites! I think she started cutting her first tooth today too!
My dissertation...is coming along slowly but surely. I partnered up with someone from my class so we can share our weekly goals with one another and keep each other on track. I have two afternoons a week when Baby Sneaker is at daycare until 3:00 so I can get some work done. I am currently finishing up my third round of interviews and transcribing so that I can start my data analysis phase. The work is so fascinating, but it's a lot on top of teaching, being a mama, and taking care of the house. I am hoping that the end is in sight, but I have no idea how long data analysis will take.
I hope to continue keeping this blog alive but I just don't have it in me to post frequently about all the stuff going on in my classroom. I will do my best though!
love it
First and foremost I just have to say that I absolutely love working part-time. When my class left at 10:40, I was so relieved that for the first time, I didn't have to do the entire day over again with another group of kids. Yay! I loved being able to pick Baby Sneaker up around 12:30 and then go home and spend some time with her before her afternoon nap. I love that I have some time to get things done around the house while she sleeps and figure out what I am doing with the kiddos tomorrow. We are still getting new registrations, so I am pretty much planning to continue going over behavioral expectations for the next month--maybe by then I will have my "real" class.
I thought the first day went very well. There are some really stinkin' cute kiddos in my group and I think they are a bright bunch. It's tough at the beginning because there is so much to explain and we don't just dive in to all of the work. It's hard to really get a good sense of the kids from one day, yet I think it will be a fun year.
There definitely is not as much time as I thought there would be to get things done after they leave. Especially since I need to excuse myself and pump for about 20 minutes after the kiddos leave because I am still nursing. That eats up some time and I need to figure out something productive to do while I am in my tiny pumping room far away from my classroom. Since there is another teacher for the PM, there were still kids and families coming in around 11:50 and that is when I booked it out of there. I want to give the other teacher her space and I can't get much done anyway in the midst of another group's first day. I was hoping to stay until 12, but really my time is over at 11:50, so I left and headed home.
I saw a few kiddos from last year's class and some of the kiddos from my first year who are now 2nd graders. I love seeing those faces that are now more grown up, but still excited to see their Kindergarten teacher! One little guy asked where my baby was. Haha! I guess they assumed she would be joining me at school this year!
5 months later
I have not taught since March 23... five months later, it is the eve of the first day of school.
I am so curious to see what tomorrow will bring.
I am definitely feeling a bit rusty...a little too focused on my sweet Baby Sneaker and being a mama and a little fuzzy on my teachery self.
I'm getting a huge sense of relief that I only have one "first day" this year because I only have one class and my day will end at 11:50.
I am sure everything will fall back into place tomorrow.
I still haven't decided what to wear!
Stay tuned for a recap tomorrow afternoon!
I am predicting 2-3 criers.
Fingers crossed for a vomit free day!
note to self
Even though it's exciting to get my classroom all set up, which includes putting books and games out on the shelves instead of keeping them stored away in cabinets, tonight I made a few mental notes to remember next year when our Kindergarten supply drop night comes around.
do not leave out your bells-it annoys you when kids/their siblings ring them repeatedly while you try to remain calm and collected while meeting parents
do not put books on the shelves because it annoys you when kids/their siblings take said books off the shelves and leave them elsewhere in the room
do not leave your teacher pointer out on any surface that a child can reach because it annoys you when they pick it up and start playing with it
do not expect parents to keep their children under control because, even though they probably aren't allowed to at home, it seems that running around your classroom and touching everything is acceptable
do not expect parents to clean up after their children who take things off shelves, drop books on the floor, or move things from their proper spots, or pull things down from the walls
::sigh::
I like it so much better when all the parents leave and I can teach the kids what I expect of them in my classroom.
That being said, I have some cuties and I am pretty sure I will have several criers on the first day. There is one boy in particular that I know is going to keep me laughing all year. He was too funny tonight and told me he can't make it on the first day...
do not leave out your bells-it annoys you when kids/their siblings ring them repeatedly while you try to remain calm and collected while meeting parents
do not put books on the shelves because it annoys you when kids/their siblings take said books off the shelves and leave them elsewhere in the room
do not leave your teacher pointer out on any surface that a child can reach because it annoys you when they pick it up and start playing with it
do not expect parents to keep their children under control because, even though they probably aren't allowed to at home, it seems that running around your classroom and touching everything is acceptable
do not expect parents to clean up after their children who take things off shelves, drop books on the floor, or move things from their proper spots, or pull things down from the walls
::sigh::
I like it so much better when all the parents leave and I can teach the kids what I expect of them in my classroom.
That being said, I have some cuties and I am pretty sure I will have several criers on the first day. There is one boy in particular that I know is going to keep me laughing all year. He was too funny tonight and told me he can't make it on the first day...
speaking up
There have been a few times recently when I have had to force myself to speak up about something even though I felt pretty nervous/uncomfortable doing so. I don't want to go into specifics because even though I try to keep my "true identity" somewhat low profile on this blog, I know that it's always possible for people I know to come across it and I would never want to write about something personal and then have someone involved come across it and get upset. I don't even intend to use my blog as a place to complain or talk about people I work with, so I will continue to process that stuff in a different way rather than writing about it here.
But even without sharing the details of how/why/when I felt the need to speak up, I think just that small piece is worth talking about. I really really really dislike confrontation and I would consider myself someone who would rather bend or sacrifice to my own detriment rather than offend someone or come off as rude/mean. Maybe it's because I am so sensitive myself, but I just really have a hard time with the thought of pissing someone off or being thought of as argumentative. I want to be liked. I want to be easy going. I want to get along with everyone.
But I am coming to realize that speaking up, not necessarily defending myself, but just stating how I am actually feeling rather than burying that in order to "go with the flow" is really important. Yet, it is one of the most difficult things for me. It reminds me of when I was younger and I had a certain friend that would always say "I don't care." If I asked what she wanted to eat, the answer was I don't care. If I asked what she wanted to drink, the answer was I don't care. If I asked what she wanted to do, the answer was I don't care....Of course you care! Why wouldn't you care. Having an opinion is not a bad thing and sometime I think I forget that. I let my opinions take a backseat to those of others just so I don't rock the boat. I feel like I would rather bend to someone else's preference rather than cause a fight or confrontation. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around speaking up in a way that doesn't come across as rude or overly stubborn.
So in these few instances recently where I finally spoke up, it really required getting up the nerve. I literally rehearsed what I thought I would say because I wanted to make sure I came across as casual and not demanding. I wanted to keep it light and didn't want to create situations where relationships would become awkward. Yet, for all my worrying, speaking up ended up being okay. I was able to express what I wanted/what I needed and neither of the people on the other end were offended or had a problem with what I said. I still think this is a skill that I truly need to work on. I don't know if it is a confidence issue or something else, but for me, speaking up requires a lot of guts and preparation.
Hopefully, with practice, I will find it easier to express my opinions regardless of how it is received on the other end. I think realizing that you can't be liked by everyone and you can't always please everyone is a lesson that I am continuing to learn. Truly, all those cupcake birthday incidents last year were the catalyst to be able to stand my ground on something....
But even without sharing the details of how/why/when I felt the need to speak up, I think just that small piece is worth talking about. I really really really dislike confrontation and I would consider myself someone who would rather bend or sacrifice to my own detriment rather than offend someone or come off as rude/mean. Maybe it's because I am so sensitive myself, but I just really have a hard time with the thought of pissing someone off or being thought of as argumentative. I want to be liked. I want to be easy going. I want to get along with everyone.
But I am coming to realize that speaking up, not necessarily defending myself, but just stating how I am actually feeling rather than burying that in order to "go with the flow" is really important. Yet, it is one of the most difficult things for me. It reminds me of when I was younger and I had a certain friend that would always say "I don't care." If I asked what she wanted to eat, the answer was I don't care. If I asked what she wanted to drink, the answer was I don't care. If I asked what she wanted to do, the answer was I don't care....Of course you care! Why wouldn't you care. Having an opinion is not a bad thing and sometime I think I forget that. I let my opinions take a backseat to those of others just so I don't rock the boat. I feel like I would rather bend to someone else's preference rather than cause a fight or confrontation. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around speaking up in a way that doesn't come across as rude or overly stubborn.
So in these few instances recently where I finally spoke up, it really required getting up the nerve. I literally rehearsed what I thought I would say because I wanted to make sure I came across as casual and not demanding. I wanted to keep it light and didn't want to create situations where relationships would become awkward. Yet, for all my worrying, speaking up ended up being okay. I was able to express what I wanted/what I needed and neither of the people on the other end were offended or had a problem with what I said. I still think this is a skill that I truly need to work on. I don't know if it is a confidence issue or something else, but for me, speaking up requires a lot of guts and preparation.
Hopefully, with practice, I will find it easier to express my opinions regardless of how it is received on the other end. I think realizing that you can't be liked by everyone and you can't always please everyone is a lesson that I am continuing to learn. Truly, all those cupcake birthday incidents last year were the catalyst to be able to stand my ground on something....
How do you go about letting someone know when you want something to change?
Are you comfortable with confrontation?
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