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