Down the Rabbit Hole

So I was in Barnes and Noble today as as usual I went for the education books and started browsing...

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 16:56:24 -0400

So I was in Barnes and Noble today as as usual I went for the education books and started browsing there. The books there are interesting and some of them I have read and there are some that I would rather remember to take out of the library, but I am forever disappointing that there are none for me. The books seem to be aimed at teachers of higher grades like middle school and high school. I just want an inspiring story about teaching preschool and maybe just maaaaaaaaaaybe teaching somewhere where the students are mostly ELL while the teacher only speaks English. According to the bf, this is a very specific want and I may just have to team up with people and write it myself.

Anyone know of any books that deal with teaching preschool? or Headstart?

thelonestarteacher: positivelypersistentteach: aauw: INFOGRAP...

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:15:07 -0400

thelonestarteacher:

positivelypersistentteach:

aauw:

INFOGRAPHIC: How Universal Preschool Is an Economic Boon to Working Mothers

But also, please focus on the fact that preschool is NOT the same as day care. I run into a lot of parents who think it is when I am trying to discuss their child’s behavior or progress in school. Sometimes they don’t care because it’s “just daycare.” Ummm no. I am responsible for your child’s learning, and I need you to be an active participant.

Amen, sister! Shockingly, some parents have the same attitude towards kindergarten. Kinder isn’t required in Texas, so many parents feel it is the year for their child to play all day while being babysat for free.

I work at a place where not only the parents but the teachers sometimes treat it as free daycare and don’t seem to care about the benefits of it. I really wish they would spend more time reading and observing the benefits rather than complaining or constantly being at “appointments”.

ugggggh

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:03:15 -0500

So today was a day. After waking up three times last night(once from the heat being too high and causing some anxiety and twice from bad dreams) I dragged myself into work. Without coffee. Because I decided to be on a path to health. After three hours of filing, I went into the classroom and there, my kids started draaaaaaaagging themselves in. They all seemed to feel that it was Monday and were unfocused, slow, and walking like zombies. One of the last ones in came in screaming and fighting, apparently because he had busted his lip open at home and didnt want to be stared at. Screamed “mommyyyyyyyyyyyy” over and over for an hour. AN HOUR. I sat on the floor for an hour rubbing his back and talking at him about anything I could think of to talk about while my zombies had lunch, cleaned up, and had circle time with my TA. Finally he calmed down, and I decided to scrap the plans for the day and take out every calm sensory activity I could think of. I filled the water table with warm water and soap, I put out playdough, puzzles, shaving cream, and paint. I put on soft slow music and it was actually successful. The kids were quiet and content, my monster was pacified, and we were able to have a good story time later on. I definitely learned my lesson though and will be stopping for coffee tomorrow.

Why Preschool Isn't Enough

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 23:19:38 -0500

Why Preschool Isn't Enough:

infoneer-pulse:

At a Georgia preschool last week, President Obama sat in a tiny wooden chair and played a science game with a group of four-year-olds. He held up a magnifying glass and peered playfully at the little boy next to him. For a second it looked as if he was trying to figure him out.

It is an apt metaphor of where our country stands on education these days. Obama’s preschool plan builds on a decade’s fascination with studies on brain growth. We recognize the importance of children’s early years in setting the foundation for social-emotional intelligence and strong academic skills. Yet instead of bringing early learning to more children, we remain frozen with our magnifying glasses.

» via The Atlantic

Sharing doesn't feel very caring....

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:09:04 -0500

So, I am reaching out for advice. When I walked into my new job in August, the teacher who is sharing a room with me said “this is how the room is set up” and that has been the tone for the whole year so far. I have a drawer and a bulletin board. I was given a cabinet but she likes to throw things in it. As in junk or things that should be out in the centers but she has taken out for one reason or another. We do not plan the same topics of studies so I make sure anything I use that’s theme specific can be taken out before my pm class starts and then put away at the end of the day. She has taken it upon herself to decorate the room in her theme this month. So my kids are distracted and asking what everything is. She comes in and reminds everyone that everything is hers (“don’t lean on that shelf that’s mine” “don’t play with that toy like that its mine”) and when I do leave anything out it winds up in her closet which she has a child lock on, seemingly as a warning to keep out.

It’s my first year as a preschool teacher and I’m finding it very hard to share the room and make sure that some of me is in it and it feels like my students classroom in the afternoons. Any advice or stories from people who have had to share rooms? I’m not really looking to cross this woman so I’m pretty determined to just stick it out for the year and try not to go back next year. But I could use a good story or something to help with the miserable feeling I get when I think about it….

ameliated: im-not-your-average-teenager: eternalseptember: Oth...

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:28:21 -0500

ameliated:

im-not-your-average-teenager:

eternalseptember:

Other Half

I love this so much

The Origin of Love. Beautifully illustrated.

Go ahead. Guess what I do for life.

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:24:41 -0500

Go ahead. Guess what I do for life.

Thanks to that I am writing on here again. Also thanks to that I...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:17:48 -0500

Thanks to that I am writing on here again. Also thanks to that I am almost two months ahead in my planning :) I am working on an around the world unit that I am pretty happy with because I have had the time to research it. Its not that easy to find quality activities for the kids without them having to do with food or being questionnable. I am really really happy with the amount of resources I have found for Africa though, I have a child whose family is from that continent so I wanted to make sure to give that some special attention.I have also been walking in the snow so its nice to be physically active again!

Feeling alone.....

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:28:20 -0500

So people have had that student that makes you so crazy you start rethinking everything right? The behavior kid who you cannot find enough resources for? The one who needs something that you feel like you just aren’t able to give because you aren’t sure what it is? maybe?? I could use some stories right about now…

Watch Me Teach Watch Me Learn: Opinion?

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:12:39 -0500

Watch Me Teach Watch Me Learn: Opinion? :

watchmeteachwatchmelearn:

watchmeteachwatchmelearn:

I got marked down on my midterm for using pet names in the classroom. I personally see no problem with this since I’m working with 3-5 year old children. It really offended me to be getting marked off for this. Am I the only one that sees no problem with it?

I…

I know at my center we arent supposed to use pet or nicknames with the kids because they are at an age where they have to know their names. At that age part of their evaluations are how much personal information they can give you including their first and last name. So its discouraged to call them by another name. I personally dont like it because I think they can learn their names at the same time that they are occasionally called by something else that they are comfortable with and individualizes them (i had two kids with the same name so I used the nickname one of them was called at home) BUT that is the policy.

updation

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 23:40:45 -0500

Hooray good day today!

- the kids were well behaved, we got to go outside today and they are really starting to seem to enjoy having a book every day.

- my little angry friend was a bit more controllable today which is always nice. Keeping him separated from the kid he feeds off and another one that has become his partner in crime seemed to work out well. Also, he was waiting for another teacher to come visit him as a treat and I told him if he wasn’t going to listen, when she knocked on the door I was going to say “nope go away don’t come in here you have to leave” and that seemed to keep him thinking before acting a little bit.

-had the most boring, glorious Friday night ever. Washing the bedding, washing my hair, and straightening it. That is all I did. I am seriously happy about that.

-informed my mother that my boyfriend and I are looking at apartments. She is disappointed. She told me she liked having us here and that she needs some time to absorb it. I think that’s kinda sweet.

-in not that great news, I get to work on DRR’s which is kind of like a preschool report card. I photocopied the back so I could make a draft for each student over the weekend and then just rewrite onto the official. woop woop.

so even though I have been teaching for over a month, and Friday was a really great day….I...

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 23:12:52 -0400

so even though I have been teaching for over a month, and Friday was a really great day….I have this weird anxiety about being in the class with my students tomorrow. Blame it on Sandy.

So its okay, right?

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:42:00 -0400

That I had a day off due to the storm, and then I went in today just to do paperwork and stuff(no kiddos today), but I still don’t want to go in tomorrow at all?

Does anyone else sometimes question their decision to teach? I feel like I should feel more at home and sure. But, sometimes I like it and sometimes I think that maybe I made a mistake. Blah :(

updating

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:30:51 -0400

Because I haven’t in a bit. Because when I am tired and not feeling well..things get lazy.

Yesterday was such a bad day that I asked my supervisor if I could take a half day today. I would come in for my class but I took the morning(my usual office time) off.

I love half days. I went to breakfast with my boyfriend and we walked through the woods. I want to do that all the time.

But that needed to end and I had to go to work so that I could go through the terrifying act of being observed. By someone from the children’s mental hospital. Because each class has to go through two ECCRS evaluations. I talked so much before going into my classroom out of sheer nervousness. BUT the evaluation, which took three hours, apparently went well. My supervisor came in afterwards to say that the women said we were wonderful. PHEW. I still have to go through a phone call with her on Monday to fill in any blanks that she had but there are a few things that I know went well or not so well.

Not so well:

1. I don’t use the job chart. Ever. I haven’t been ready, so while it is posted, there are no children in the spaces next to the jobs and it basically gets ignored by everyone in my afternoon class.

2. While I do go over the schedule with the students and I do use the wording on the rules chart that we were given I did not actually refer to these things at all as visual aids. oops.

3. There was a transition time where the students were supposed to look at books on the rug and my TA was cleaning tables while I was on bathroom duty meaning no one was on the rug with the kids. oops again.

Well:

1. We have a class pet, a fish named Mario that the kids draw about for a science thing. I think that was a good thing.

2. Reading time went so well, we went over what the rest of the day looked like and reviews what we had done so far this week pertaining to our theme. Then we did a very interactive reading and a numbered list of things we learned on the dry erase board. This was especially good because a. the students were able to follow my “quiet hands” rule for answering questions and because b. when I wrote their responses they repeated all the words after me.

3. about 40 minutes into center time, when the woman prepared to leave one of my students ran up with a paper and said to me “its like book!” to which I got really excited and pointed out the ways that yes her drawing was just like the book we read (a nonfiction book about cats, she had included important cat features in her drawing)

So glad my first evaluation is over and I can just worry about the pile of paperwork I need to do for my supervisor!

#7, #8

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 10:31:42 -0400

Walked the dog before work yesterday and today. Because I live in New England I was crunching through leaves in a coat yesterday and sloshing through wet in a cardigan today.

Moose! This was the second animal art project that the minis...

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 10:30:54 -0400

Moose! This was the second animal art project that the minis made. They traced their shoe and cut it out for the head then traced and cutout their hands for the antlers. Then googly eyes were placed and voila! Moose!

Thanks to this tired face I did another morning walk. Kinda...

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:24:55 -0400

Thanks to this tired face I did another morning walk. Kinda proud of myself. Kinda love not feeling like a slug. #6

#5

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:28:03 -0400

Early morning dog walking, its making me be ready for work on time :)

#3 & #4

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:23:23 -0400

Last week was a slacker week but this week im hopingto get on track!

Last night I went walking for two hours around the city with my boyfriend

And

This morning I actually woke up early to go for a fast walk with the dog.

Trying to stay on track!

What my preschoolers made today :) I kinda like this animal...

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:22:07 -0400

What my preschoolers made today :) I kinda like this animal unit. We talked about what we knew about elephants, read a book, and made these!