Hey everyone, as you may have heard the recent sequester will impact many government programs and their funding.  My program is getting a cut, but it looks like no positions will be cut from instructional staff at this point. However, other parts of our staff may be.

Each year Pre-K teachers get a modest classroom supply fund.  This is not much different than the grade level funds that are often used to purchase take home folders, construction paper, notebooks, etc. except that we each individually decide what to spend it on.  This year, I spent mine on art supplies, stuff needed for science and math activities (not reusable), and some books.  I am guessing that our classroom funds will be very small next year, as they have gotten smaller every year.

As you know, Pre-K kids play hard and at the beginning of the year are still learning a lot of social skills and rules.  So books get ripped and toys break.  And, I am sometimes able to replace them through classroom funds or my own, and sometimes I am not.

This year’s class has loved every minute, but there’s things from free choice centers that need to be replaced.  Also, this year, I put a lot more focus into using rotating centers for all academic centers.   While I do have a number of books that need to be replaced or that are still on my dream classroom wish list. I want to focus on stacking up on materials for literacy, science, math, and social studies.  

If you have the funds this month or are a billionaire  I’d appreciate it if you could take a look at my wish list (linked above).  I partner with another teacher to plan a lot of things and we share materials so you would be helping out two classes.

I totally understand that money is tight for many, but all the reblogs in the world are appreciated.

The last three days of school before break are early release days.

I’m really excited because it is team planning mandatory.  We NEVER did this last year and it bugged me since I was new to Prek.  I wanted to steal  borrow the best ideas, which is one of the best things to do as a teacher no matter how long you’ve been teaching.  Even if you don’t use it this year, you might want it another.

Since in PreK we do the same books and follow the same curriculum maps for Literacy, Language, and Math —- but Social Studies, Science, the Arts, and Physical Development we’re on our own besides the Prek Galileo program which we use to an assessment tool but it also tells us what our students are “ready for now.”   Since each class might not be ready for the same things, we might not be teaching the same concepts every week.

We decided to divide up these subjects and have each teacher present ideas and lessons for their section.

I AM SO EXCITED TO DO THIS.   I have been reworking our Science Curriculum to fit the needs of my students (its a Pre-K through 2nd grade curriculum which is just way too difficult for most of our students). Last week we did mixtures, and as soon as the rest of the kit comes we’ll be doing solutions.

I also plan on giving suggested book titles, a copy of some journal articles I found on science in the Pre-k classroom from the NAEYC journal Young Children.  I also want to share some ideas for science centers and some websites to use for whole group or individual computers.   I might even make a Prezi (all depends on what kind of time I am able to carve out).  

I wish we had more days when we could do this throughout the year.  I am both excited to present AND to hear their ideas on other subjects.

(via Two Things in Common: Teacher Tips on a Snow Day)
This blog post on Two Things in Common has some awesome ideas (like making your own teacher stationary from Vista print) but this one was my favorite by far.  I have a spare drawer in my filing cabinet too. 

(via Two Things in Common: Teacher Tips on a Snow Day)

This blog post on Two Things in Common has some awesome ideas (like making your own teacher stationary from Vista print) but this one was my favorite by far.  I have a spare drawer in my filing cabinet too. 

My pre-kers have nap time at school.  Except none of them ever want to take naps and do everything they can to stay awake.  I always tell them, “You’re going to miss the days you could take naps.  I would give anything to take a nap right now!  So take a nap for me!”

My pre-kers have nap time at school.  Except none of them ever want to take naps and do everything they can to stay awake.  I always tell them, “You’re going to miss the days you could take naps.  I would give anything to take a nap right now!  So take a nap for me!”

Sending students in the emotional state to a new location gives them the underlying message that they are capable of handling their situation on their own.”—

Love and Logic, pg 41.

Do you agree or disagree? -PPT

  1. sofitheteacup said: Tentatively disagree, as an elementary teacher. Think a lot of the suggestions/strategies in the book are not developmentally appropriate for my level or maybe for my specific kids. I don’t think they’d make that connection.
Responding to sofitheteacup - 
I don’t think that the kid needs be able to think “Oh my teacher thinks I can handle this on my own.”  In pre-k, we have safe spots.  I send my students there when they are upset or acting out.  I let them determine how long they stay; they are welcome to join us when they feel like they can be respectful / follow the rules.  One of the developmental milestones I’m require to keep track of is whether or not a child is able to self-soothe.  Giving them the opportunity and space away from the group is important.
When a child is misbehaving to an extreme, I talk to them when they come out and ask if they know what they did wrong, and what they can do in those situations.  Usually (not always), the child is able to do so after being given some time to calm down.  I think that this skill would only improve as the child got older — being able to calm down, think about what they did and the consequences of their actions.
Today in things I’d do with my class if there was more time in the year.
By Ordinarylifemagic.com via Melissa Taylor on Pinterest

Today in things I’d do with my class if there was more time in the year.

By Ordinarylifemagic.com via Melissa Taylor on Pinterest

Proud moment.

We take our Pre-k students to Kindergarten for a lesson once a day this week (2-3 kids per class).   It helps make the idea of Kindergarten less scary to them because they get to see what it is like and meet some of the teachers.  Several of my little ones have recently declared that they are NOT leaving me and are going to stay Pre-k students.  So, it has been wonderful to see their happy faces when I pick them up and they tell me they LOVE Kindergarten.

Today, one of the K teachers pulled me aside and said you have some real smart ones.  Yesterday, one of your students sounded out a word that one of my students was stuck on, and today in whole group another one sounded out a word!  On Teacher Dare Day when we were asked what is something we wish someone would notice — I wished that someone would notice that some of my Pre-k students are reading.  I have 5 that can sound out words and are learning sight words, and one of those students can also sound out words with blends in them.

This week has made me feel like, “They are ready.”   Being a part of the team (parents, teachers, and students) that has helped lay the foundation for their education experience — and then seeing how far they’ve come and knowing that they will be okay is a great reward.

If I move up grade levels, the thing I will be happiest about is

fewer ant and spider bites.

For Prek, we have to supervise our kids on the playground.  Upper grades have assistants cover recess.  Our playgrounds are all sand, and I get so many bug bites.  I’m more allergic to them than my co-workers, and they just drive me nuts.

I really like how this teacher sets up writing from the very beginning of the school year.  It seems to work well too, because she describes how her students’ writing develops over the year.  I definitely want to save this in case I end up in prek again next year.

I want to save this idea for next year if I am still in prek.

Headstart ordered all of our classes magnifying glasses (set of 8, I believe).  My kids have been anxious to use them, but we don’t have much in the classroom to use them on.   This gives me a few ideas of where to begin.

Some pretty good ideas for free centers here!

This is the very, very beginning,” an administration official said on background, noting that no one is authorized to provide official comment at this stage. “This is about laying out a framework and laying out a charge.”

The first several years of a child’s life are considered the most important for brain development and should ensure greater success in later grades, officials said.

When he was D.C. Council chairman, Mr. Gray pushed legislation in 2008 that expanded the city’s educational offerings to 3- and 4-year-olds, coinciding with a national trend to serve students before they reach kindergarten. The pre-K offerings became popular and were cited as part of the reason why some parents from neighboring states sneak their children into D.C. schools without paying tuition.

Mr. Gray focused on early childhood in recent public remarks about education, a priority of his administration alongside jobs and economic development, fiscal stability and public safety.

“I don’t have any reservation in saying at this stage that the District of Columbia is an absolute leader in early-childhood education,” Mr. Graysaid at a Nov. 16 briefing in the Hillcrest neighborhood of Ward 7. “We are the only city in America, to my knowledge, that has a universal pre-kindergarten program.”

He also signaled that the city would be shifting its focus toward infants and toddlers with a rollout of announcements in coming weeks.

I’m curious how they fund this, what standards are used, and how the teacher pay compares to other teachers in the area.

(via Ziploc Quilt Math Game | Preschool | Kindergarten | Pre-K Pages)