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

WOW! Look At Us and What We Can Do!

 Working together we put together this puzzle!

 Look at the letters I can write!

 There is some neat stuff in this sensory table!

We find new things everyday....full of treasures!

 Sitting in the reading cube!

 Authur is awesome!

 These markers and boards are so much fun!

Together we can build some awesome structures!

Caution....Kindergarteners Hard at Work!

 Journal Writing

 More Journal Writing

 And Even More Journal Writing

 Wikki Sticks and Writing Sight Words

 Plate Self Portraits

 More Wikki Stick Letter Making

 Loving the Library

Computer is POPULAR!

The Gym!

We have expanded out center over the summer and have some awesome new additions.  One of them is being an indoor playspace, gross motor room, gym, or any other name you wish to call it!

Our fearless leader applied for a grant and got it enabling us to get some much needed equipment for our new space.  Here are my munchkins enjoying this new area...

Spooners, Bouncing"Romper Room" Stilts

Before you even ask....YES I did have to make sure everything was safe for the kids, so Ms. Robin tried all of these pieces before allowing the kids on them!  

Assessment Time....

It's that time of year where the assessments start. Last week we were busy learning expectations and a little about being friends.  This week after a few informal assessments I started my formal assessments.  Luckily for me a have a fairly bright class and they are all eager to learn.

I was doing an assessment checking on letter recognition, sounds, and seeing if they could name something that began with that letter.  I was one of my little munchkins and all I had to do is tell him one time, "what letter is this, do you know it's sound, can you name something that begins with that letter."  I get to the second letter and he just automatically did all three things...we just were zooming down the list and we get to the letter, "o" he tells me the letter and the sound.  He then starts really pondering a word...I could see his wheels churning away!  He then gets a major aha moment on his face and gleefully announces...."obstacle, obstacle begins with 'o'!"  I'm sitting there thinking where in the world did he come up with that one!

Need to play catch up....please forgive me, but I've been busy teaching!

Sorry for the next few posts all in one day....attempting to catch up on all the great things going on in kindergarten!

I have a room full of bucket fillers!

I couldn't be prouder of my munchkins!  What a fantastic four days we have had together....it flew by!

I pulled this book out of my bag today and read it to my munchkins...boy did they catch on fast!  We have been talking about making others feel good about themselves and about making ourselves feel good all week.  This book put it totally into prospective!  We make out buckets and put them in our cubbies.  I thought how can we utilize these in a way that they would get it?  I saw tons of ideas on other blogs and finally decided that we will talk at our afternoon meeting and each child will tell me one thing they did that filled someone else's bucket today.  I then wrote it and a piece of paper, dated it, and gave it to them to add to their bucket.  Hopefully by the end of the year we will have an overflowing bucket for each munchkin to take home and remember all the kind things they did for others throughout the year.

I'm hoping they continue to respond to this learning experiment!  So remember to go out and fill other's buckets and yours will get full as well!

Team Work!

I have six "expectations" of my munchkins.

1. We Celebrate Each Other's Success
2. We Create
3. We Are a Team
4. We Learn From our Mistakes
5. We Respect Each Other
6. We Try Our Best

So far so good!  I get all warm and fuzzy inside when I see them working towards meeting these "expectations."  Sometimes they don't even realize they are doing it!  They are doing great at working on our little Kindergarten Family.  

The things I have witnessed in the past few days has been amazing. They like one another, they care for one another, they work together, they are becoming little people!  I'm hoping that I'm setting down the foundation that they need to be able to function in the social world out there.  

The Best First Day Ever!

What a great day we had!  I was so impressed with all my little munchkins and so proud of each and every one of them!  I went in early and got some more organizing done...a work in progress is what it is...good things come to those who wait!  Here are some pictures of the room....

Meeting Area

Clip Chart and Class Expectations

Library Area

Supply Box

Happy Class of Munchkins

Like I said it was a great first day!  I'm looking forward to going back tomorrow!  

Am I Ready?

I think so!  My room is all chocolate on dots...new calendar...new alphabet...new job chart...new munchkins...new year...new room!  I still wish I had had more time to get things perfect...but that is not going to happen.  I have a great base and need to build on it.

I hope all my parents are going to hold up ok tomorrow...me, well, I just sent my own kids off to their dad's and this will be the first year that I'm not with them on their first day back to school!  My 10 year old and I were blubbering in each others arms as I said goodbye.  She is scared, but tries to be so brave.  All three are going into new schools not knowing what to expect.  As a parent we try to do what is best for your children and I have 3 very different children.  My 10 year old is me through and through...we are two peas in a pod.  We both like the same things and enjoy doing things together.  I hope all three of my children have a great first day in their new educational adventures...as a parent it is always hard seeing your child unsure of themselves, but I know they will all shine as they always do.Good luck to all my parents, munchkins, and to my own three lovebugs (Tyler, Halle, and Kayle)!

Good luck to all my parents, munchkins, and to my own three lovebugs (Tyler, Halle, and Kayle)!

Getting Ready!

I am all about polka dots this year.  I love CTP's dots on chocolate!  I made these tonight and can't wait to laminate them and get them in my room.  The small dots are for work stations and the bigger dots are to tally our days in school. These will go great with my calendar set from CTP that I bought for this year.