Another year gone and a new one on the way

Well most of you have finished up the 18*19 school year.  I've spent many years sleeping most of the two days after school got out.  I tried hard to put away as much of the room as possible while the kiddos were there without it looking like "we are done" before that last day. No matter how I planned it seemed like I was still spent by that last day.

Many of my teacher friends are making moves this summer to new locations as the district is re-purposing the building we were in the past 6-7 years.  Change is hard and much work. Now is the time to do some fun things for yourselves.  Plan that trip, paint that bedroom, go to the wine and paint gathering, hike, sleep in, you know what you need.  Give yourself permission to do self care.

After you feel refreshed, start to look forward to your new journey.  It may be with a new batch of sweet faces, or a new school, or even a new district.  Change is hard, but it is also the one thing that is constant in life.  Plan those first weeks of school so that there are no "teacher nightmares" when school is about to start.  The first weeks of school are for setting the stage for the rest of the year.

If you spend the first weeks of school building relationships with your students and their families, you will have a smoother year.  These weeks are for introducing and teaching routines, kindness, and procedures so that all your kiddos know what to do and what to expect...they also become co-teachers in teaching new students these things when that new student arrives.

Over the summer, I will try to cover some of those things and share some thoughts on parts of starting a new year. 

Do you have anything special you'd like me to cover?  Any ideas we can all explore?   We could start a Google Group to chat about ideas.  Let me know what you are thinking.  Let me know what fun stuff you are doing to feed your spirit.

Wishing you well,
Teacher Debbie

A little of this, a little of that = loads of fun!

A quote for today and everyday:



















Some songs you may not know:


The Grape Jelly Cure-

Ants in my Pants Dance-

A Laurie Berkner, Bumblebee-

Good music is a blessing to us all.  Make a class favorite playlist or a family favorites list.  Make some fun props to go with the songs.  Remember that some songs are movements songs, some songs are quiet-time songs, and some songs are in between.  Think about having a family sing-along to end your preschool year.  It is a nice thing to have class favorites no matter your grade level, so good sing-alongs are for any age really.

How do you send home your student work samples that you've collected over the school year?  Share in the comments so that we can all gain new ideas.  I made paper poster names (Printshop) and glued them to a full sized paper grocery bag.  Everything slid in well and was ready to send home at the end of the year. 

So now, a little of this, and a little of that--

In the classroom or in the home it is good to bring out creativity in young children.  Start to gather "Stuff" to  play with and create with for your children to play with and explore.  (Shhh! Adults like this too.)

"Stuff"---

• buttons
• fabric
• nuts and bolts
• covered wire
• scrap paper
• old magazines
• waxed paper
• foil
• Paints, watercolors, tempera, liquid watercolors
• paint brushes
• paint sponges
• cotton balls
• cereal boxes
• tape
• glue
• staples and a stapler
• rubber bands
• the list is endless

Let the creativity begin and continue.  There is no right way to make something.  There is just an idea.  Will this work? Can you make a trap for flies?  Can you make a bracelet?  Can you make a garage for you car?  The possibilities are endless.

Play dough is fun for all ages.  I suggest the non-cook Kool Aid recipe.

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 packages of unsweetened Kool Aid (provides colors and smell)

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Add:

4 TBS vegetable oil

1 - 2 cups boiled water (The amount needed seems to vary on batch...start with a cup and add water until you stir and get a dough like texture.)

Store in an airtight container.

You may add a 1 tsp of Alum if you have some.  You may add some glitter to the dry ingredients. A little sparkle may bring new interest.  Addition fun--add buttons to the new play dough see what happens, hide plastic gems, small rocks, make a batch to put seeds in to see what happens.

As this 18-19 year come to a close make a list of all the new things your child(ren) can do that in August of last year they couldn't do?  Can s/he ask for turn?  Can s/he hold a pencil?  Write his or her name?  I'll be the list is long and there is much to celebrate.  

Progress has been made a little here, a little there, take time to notice and celebrate!

Wishing you well,

Teacher Debbie

PS.  Water play, water play, water play!