Blog/Give Away

Go check out a great give away by the 3 AM Teacher...awesome blog!http://the3amteacher.blogspot.com/2012/04/super-size-me-in-good-way-best-ever.html

Back to School...

...after vacation can be rough. This is my favorite time of the year because it's when all my little munchkins take off! I'm buckled in and ready to watch them soar!

Social/Emotional Skills....

It's been a while since I last blogged...too long!  So much has been going on in my life that I had to put something on hold and sadly my blog suffered...I was doing so well!

Live seems to have slowed back down to a comfortable pace and so I can continue on blogging about the  days growing and learning with my little munchkins.  What does give me a laugh is the fact that my last post was about the germies and here I lie...victim of the tummy bug!

This year I have noticed a big need for more social/emotional skills needing to be taught in my class this year.  I've noticed over the past years it seems tougher and tougher....these skills need to be taught and understood.

Some things we are working on are:

• Empathy -- How hard is it to say you are sorry or to make sure someone is ok if they are sad/hurt/crying?  We need to have empathy for others.
• Respect -- Respecting others property, feelings, and bodies.  It's not ok to hit someone, but why? How would you like it if you were the one getting hit?  I try to turn things around so they understand what they are doing and see if they were on the other end.  It works sometimes, but sometimes I feel like I'm talking and no one is listening

The company I work for is awesome and they have developed (based on many plans out there) a plan to help teach all the kids in our centers how to be functioning social beings.  There are four main "ways" that the children are expected to live by: they are kind, they are safe, they try their best, and they play to learn.  Basically I have always taught these to my students and I now love the added resources out there for me to help teach these skills to my class.  

I'm constantly looking for good children's literature and any teaching tools.  I blog stalk looking for things!  

I hope that my 10 munchkins leave me this year feeling confident in themselves and all that they are capable of doing and becoming.  I hope they are successful socially and emotionally...I want them to solve problems on their own the right way!

Being a teacher is hard work, but work that leaves me fulfilled as a person!

Robin

Germies...

We usually do a great job of avoiding the germs when they enter our building, but they seem to have found us this year already!  I thought we had dodged the bullet until my friends started dropping 1...2...3!  Hoping that the germs are finished in our room for a while and that they have left the building.

Reading Buddies!

I must tell you that I am totally blown away at what this year's munchkins are capable of doing! We started reading groups the second week of school (yes, you read that correctly....second week)!  My munchkins are loving learning to read and they are all doing beyond awesome.  We celebrate on Fridays by going to the toddler classrooms and impressing our little friends with our newly acquired reading skills.  My little munchkins look forward to out Friday ritual!

Keep it up!

Amazing!

Everyday my little munchkins amaze me!  This years crew is just so ready to learn and they are all ready! The things we are doing are things I usually don't start until January!  My mind is spinning with all the possibilities that are ahead for this class.  They love, love, love to do work and want more and more of it.  They truly care for one another and when one is upset or hurt they all come running to offer a hug.  This is why I became a teacher to work with children as amazing as these!

I love this song and it speaks words!

http://youtu.be/My5Wl_n3Slg

A Moment in the Life of a Kindergartener....

 Exploring Base Ten Blocks

 Matching Links and Number Cards

 Magnetic Pattern Blocks

 Sensory Table Fun

Playdough