Elf on the Shelf: Yeah, I joined the craze too.

Every individual I cross and mention "Elf on the Shelf" usually ends in either two ways: 1) "What the hell is that?" or 2) "Oh.  You got one too."
Both responses are legit.

For those of you who don't know, 'Elf on the Shelf' is the latest kid-craze on Christmas traditions.  You can find the kit in a Chapters or Indigo and it includes a book and well, an elf!  A doll-like elf.  The story behind it is that this elf is sent by Santa himself to report on the child's behaviour.  Every night when they go to bed, the elf is flying back up to the North Pole to tell the "boss" how they were that day.  Then, in the morning, the elf is in a new spot and it ends up becoming a game in finding him.  There's rules too.  First one, "please don't touch".  This means the kids are unable to touch him as if they do, he could lose his magic that allows him to travel to the North Pole and report to Santa.  Second rule: he cannot speak (well played, don't you think?).  This is because it's the laws of Santa.  I've expanded into saying that Santa is full of secrets about the North Pole, the reindeer, and elves.  If the elf talks too much, he may let out a secret..and then get into trouble by Santa. 

So, after seeing so many pins on Pinterest, I bought one.  Yep.  That's right.  Pinterest inspired me to pay for this doll.  And I did it.. for the preschoolers. 

Duh.

Luckily it's the month of December and Canada Post is delivering parcels on Sundays because that's when mine arrived.  Funny enough, we had my family over and I ended up reading the story to my cousins and grandmother.. who look quite interested and in tune to say the least! 

I was very excited Monday morning of introducing our elf friend to the preschoolers.  Needless to say, some preschoolers have been challenging in terms of convincing them the elf is REAL and not just a puppet or doll.  In order to change their  minds, my T.A and I have been taking turns moving him around when no one is looking.  Then the whispers of "TOLD YOU HE WAS REAL" and "HE'S MAGICAL!!" started up.  One kid still thinks he's not real, but believes Santa is coming into the classroom instead and is the one moving him around.  Hmm.

The three year olds got introduced to him today and they love it.  They are obviously less suspicious and hate to say it, easier to fool.  My husband asked me if I feel guilty lying to the kids about him.  Honestly? 

NO!  This is so so so FUNNNNN!

I've got so many ideas on how to get the kids going!  Tomorrow we're decorating the Christmas tree and guess who's going to be waiting for them up top!?

Another requirement for this elf is naming him, so I left it up to the kids to decide what the name was going to be.  The four year olds each had to tell me a name, wrote it down on a piece of paper and put it in a "construction worker's" hat.  The morning class settled for "Prince", afternoon class got "Super Elf" (that one.. I kinda sorta fixed.. the original was Heart.......).  Today, the 3 year olds had their chance.  Well the morning class just had to "tell me".. and it ended up that we're sticking with just "Elf", but the afternoon class actually thought about it and decided on "Eddie".  Cute!

See!  Even three year olds can be pretty creative:)

When you want to cry, I want to cry too.

I needed to write a new post this time because I was on the brink tears when I experienced what I saw today from a sad four year old.  Already feeling blue myself and on the verge of needing a good cry, my heart broke for what I shared with a child.  This week has been really bad for having students away sick with either bad colds and/or flus, so my little friend I'm about to talk about, makes me sure she's on the brink of getting either one of the two as well. 

When she got dropped off this morning at preschool, she really seemed to struggle in letting go of her father's hand.  Something you never, ever see from her.  Even on her first day of preschool with us, she ran into the classroom.  So for her to not want her father to leave, meant something was up.  Anyways, after some convincing from him, she slowly let go and walked into the classroom.  Not paying much attention, I followed her in and started to prepare for circle time.  Well, as I was grabbing my keys to lock the front door, I looked into our reading corner and this is what I found:

Back in September, we had made a family photo album for each class and have kept them in our reading corner.  So, our little friend was making good use of ours today as you can see.  But at first, I thought she was just "looking" at it, like what most kids do.  That's why I took the picture!  To prove that these photo albums really do work!  But, this wasn't the case.  After I took the picture, I noticed something was not right.  I stopped right away and just stood there, watching her.  And within that second, she looked up and tears were streaming down here face.  I walked over to her, got down at her level, and just hugged her.  By that point, I had my own tears welling up as I just felt so sad for her and wanted to cry with her too.  She told me she missed her mom and dad and wanted to hug them. 

Bring out the tissues!

After a good cry and a good hug, our little friend managed to get through her class after that.  Lots of times, I'm reminded why I do what I do for a living.  But today?  Well, the fact that when I was ready to cry with her just because, well, once again realized that I knew I was in the right job.

When the teacher gets sick

Since I have been working with young children, I always averaged two major sicknesses per school year.  It's guarnteed it will be a major cold each time as well.  And usually, I'm able to stick it out.  Take enough meds, get plenty of sleep, and keep the vitmans coming.  However, this time the strategy and assumption fell through. 

Needless to say, although I ended up taking a day off work, it really doesn't make things better for the teacher.  The amount of prep that needs to be done, the final post-its on notes already written out twice because the first one didn't look neat enough, and of course, the aprehension of 'will the kids be good?'. Only once, I got a bad report back and needless to say, the next time I was away, that class was on their best behaviour after that.  But needless to say, it's alot harder to "call in sick" then the average person in their job.  My husband still struggles to comprehend that it isn't as easy for me to call in than it is for him.  All he has to do is call.. no wait.. EMAIL his boss, and it's done.  I wish.  And I'm sure so does everyone else in the early childhood industry.  Especially for those who have dayhomes.. how do you do it?!

After returning for one day and the next two being the weekend, by Monday I felt like a million dollars.  And the kids seemed to have noticed it too.  The older ones said I wasn't boring anymore and I didn't look like I needed a nap.  The younger ones, who were the ones that experienced their teacher being away, asked why I got sick when I saw them again.  I told them because I got some bad germs in my body.  But what I was really thinking was, "because of all of you and your snotty noses!". 

And we all know, it's the honest truth.

My favourite.

Now that Halloween is over..What do we learn about next?

I know for myself as a preschool teacher, I am so glad Halloween is over.  Don't get me wrong - I love planning the fun Halloween activities and games.  And of course, seeing all the preschoolers excited and dressed up. 

HOWEVER, it can be just as exhausting from start to finish.  So, when Friday approached and the clock struck 4:00pm, I was out of there with a huge sigh, while locking the classroom doors. 

Now that Halloween is over and November is here, planning for such a "bleh" month, can be challenging!  Alot of professionals struggle on themes because not too much happens in terms of holidays and any special holidays that are coming up - well, don't really happen till December. 

But for me at the preschool, November is always one of the busiest months through the whole school year.  It and January are my two months that I choose to do a "random" monthly theme.  Meaning, I choose an area of learning (or theme) that we haven't done before.  The past two years and Novembers, I did community helpers.  But just like kids getting bored with the seeing the same toys and same books, I too get bored, but with the themes.  If it starts to become too predictable on what "we will learn about", then you know it's time to do something different.  Granted, you can't have this approach with certain months such as October - Fall, Thanksgiving, Black and Orange, Halloween or May - Spring, Mother's Day, Bugs, Gardening.  They're just unavoidable.  But when you have months where nothing obvious is happening around you such as holidays, then you have to jump onto those opportunities to explore and learn things you haven't done before!

So, this November, we're focusing on literacy.. or as I have decided to call it "Fun with Books!".  The theme is pretty self-explanatory but in a nutshell it will be ranging from types of books that make us feel, move, and think to our favourite nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and characters.  The older kids will also learn how to find a title and author, gain the understanding of reading left to right, and top it all off, we will be doing a trip to the local library.  There, the preschoolers will get a tour, sign up for a library card if they don't already have one, and participate in a story hour with a librarian.  With the youngers guys, they have a story teller coming in with puppets and all sorts of cool stuff.  I'm pretty excited for it myself. 

I do have to admit, Pinterest has been my lifesaver on literacy-based activities.  This week we will be having an Eric Carle day and there are so much fun things we'll be doing just on that alone including learning to paint like Eric Carle pictures!  In a later post, I'll be sure to post some examples on what we created. 

Eric Carle - Author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar

November is also a busy month as it is also the time that I do developmental report cards on the preschoolers as well.  All 60 of them.  Sure, it's alot of work, but it really gives me an idea as to where each of the preschoolers are at in terms of development.  Areas assessed include physical (fine and gross motor), social, emotional, language, cognition, and level of independence.  That begins tomorrow and I am nowhere near being ready for it.  (Along with some other things for work but no surprise there.  Seems like there's never enough time in a day for an early childhood educator when it comes to planning).  Prep usually includes flashcards, setting up a quiet area for the assessment to take place, locating specific toys that will be used to assess, set up of each child's file, etc. etc. etc.  The list can go on. 

But it's all part of the job.  If the kids are happy.. and the parents are happy.. well, then I guess I'm pretty happy too.  Even if it means losing sleep and drinking two to three cups a coffee throughout the day.

 

For the record, I'll drink two a day, once and awhile.  And that's usually because my first one is cold by the time I can get to it.  Always little people before big people!

Play versus Academic Preschool

To many parents searching for the perfect preschool, it can become quite complicated and confusing as there are so many great programs out there.  However, through many conversations with parents who come to the school looking for information on the place, the common question is: "Are you play-based or academic-based?".  It's a valid question and even though I shouldn't feel this way, but occassionaly I almost feel awkward saying "play-based" when I know the parents are looking for the other.  On the other hand, I'm proud to say it at the same time because its through play that all of that learning happens.  Some just don't realize it. 

When I do my orientation nights before the school year begins, I always go into detail about the fun we have through play, with the intent that something is learned.  Whether its building towns in the block centre.. but using measuring tapes or, creating menus for house centre because some of the kids went to a resturant on the weekend.. there is always learning happening.  Sure, we do academic learning as well such as through our small group time sessions.  There, the students learn the basic of early literacy and language development like phonics, recognition, and print.  We also explore mathematic concepts such as shapes and numeracy.  We concentrate on fine motor IMMENSELY as it makes every activity so much easier to approach with confidence.  But at the end of it all, it doesn't take them 30 to 45 minutes of sitting and pencil writing, head-down approach.  Fun still happens.  Socializing still happens.  A balance of independence and dependence holds a healthy balance between student and teacher. 

Although I have never been a part of an academic-based preschool, it wouldn't be fair to make assumptions.  I'm sure they can be just as rewarding.  My personal philosophy as an early years educator has always been learning through play and along the career-path, I have always worked in agencies that also believed the same.  Year after year, I see the development a child gains under the teaching of learning through play and I have yet to proven wrong, that play isn't a bad thing. 

On top of that.. they're kids!  Why shouldn't they be playing?!  How else are they going to experience childhood!?

Anyways, I'm sharing an article that I found quite enjoyable and satisfied with its findings.  To the point, where I will be posting it at the preschool for parents to have a look at it.  If you've already given this blog less than five minutes to read, just add another three.  I promise you won't be dissappointed!

Flashcards or Finger Paints by Melissa Taylor

http://imaginationsoup.net/2012/01/flash-cards-or-finger-paints-should-academics-or-play-the-goal-of-preschool/

I like to make up stuff!

Today, our Autistic student's program supervisor came in for the afternoon to observe.  This included watching every form of learning and interaction he has within the classroom environment for the duration of class.  It happened to be that because we were closed on Monday due to the Thanksgiving holiday, I had decided we would do our catch-up time of back to back sessions of music classes and small group times.  My Teacher's Aide conducts the 30 minute music classes and I do the small group times which includes focusing on the 'academic side' of preschool learning. 

This week, the students are learning about the letter "B".  Small group time typically looks something like this:

• Begin by singing the "ABCs" song
• Recap what letter was learned last week, its sound, things that start with that letter, and then asking the students to tell me how would I write both a upper and lowercase "Aa"
• Introduce new letter with letter card and picture
• Introduce its sound and do several times of "B sounds like buh buh buh"
• Introduce real objects that start with the "buh" sound and repeat three times and reciting as a group
• Items are then taken away and children are asked to recall what objects started with "B" and making sure they are doing the sound of it i.e. "buh-buh-boat"
• Introduce printing the upper and lower case by showing on a dry erase board, reciting "Big line, bump, bump"
• Provide children with clipboards, paper with uppercase Bs' and lowercase bs' three times and crayon
• As I write my letters on the board, they follow along with their crayon and clipboard by tracing the Bs' on the paper
• Do a recap of printing the letter followed by sound and objects of Bb
• Introduce worksheet with letter of the week that involves tracing and colouring a picture related to the letter (this week was a bear with a ball)

I'm not following any program or curriculum whatsoever as the preschool itself is community-based, non-profit.  So realistically, you have to work with what you have.  I did this setup last year and doing it a second time as it appears to be working (the magic word).  Parents have told me that the interest in printing has grown because of what they are learning and that's all they want to do at home..!  Yippee!

Anyways, so once the program supervisor had witnessed this, I was really interested to hear what she had to say in terms of something is wrong with what I'm doing or what can be altered, etc.  She asked me what program I was following and I simply replied with a "none" and a giggle because I almost felt a little embarrassed to admit it (why, I don't know, but I just did).  So she replies with a "Oh, okay" and explains that the break down is very appropriate for our special friend is very interested in the fact that it does not originate from a hand writing program. 

With that said however, if any of you reading this find the above worth tweaking, let me know. I would love to hear new ideas!

Teaching kids to print is very challenging especially if the fine motor skills aren't fully developed or be where they should be.  More so, using a program that does, can be extremely costly especially ones like Hand Writing with No Tears.  But, I guess this is a simple case of just making the most of the materials you have. 


Which leads to my next point..but closing thought..

As a preschool teacher myself or anyone working with the Early Years people, man, you definately learn how to make the most of what you have.  Those little plastic cups make look like just that to you, but for someone who works with kids, those cups are a great pot for glue or paint!  Next time you're in your classroom, look around.  Observe all of the things in the room and note how many of them are reused yogurt containers, empty juice bottles, muffin tins, or paper towel rolls.  What are you using them for now?  Or better yet, what are the kids using them for now?

Twas the Night before Friday..

As I sit here waiting for a load of laundry to go into the dryer and also wait on sugar cookie dough to chill, I figured this would be a good opportunity to do some blogging.  I'm sure cleaning my house should actually be what I'm doing this very moment, but somehow.. That just doesn't make sense to me right now.

Hello October!

I'm not sure about you, but my goodness am I glad September is over.  What a rough month it has been on the preschool front and never, have I seen and experienced so much crying!  Like I have said several times in the past, I get that transitioning into a large group setting can be intimidating.  I really do.  But, should children still be experiencing anxiety at this point?  When do you have that conversation with parents pertaining to the topic of their child's possiblity that they just may not be ready yet?

I've turned to many professionals on this front and have tried various methods to help both the child and parents.  Bringing in a stuffed animal, have family pictures in the classroom, working on "mom staying" plans..  Even professionals holding 25 years and more, couldn't give me anymore advice than what I already know. 

And the odd thing out of all of the tears and screaming, is that this is happening to at least one child per class, everyday.  Granted, those that are experiencing it are definately new to any large group of children environment.  I even asked one of them today, why they were crying and if they saw anyone else around them doing it too.  The answer was, "No.. and..I don't know why I'm crying."  After he said that, he stopped and went to play in a centre.

I don't get it.  I'm sure you don't either.

Thanksgiving and the Gobble Gobble!

This year we only focused on Thanksgiving for one week; first learning about why we should be thankful and then moving onto feasts and the popular bird, the turkey.  Discussing with three and four year olds what it means to be thankful, can be challenging.  So in order to help, I decided we would create a "Thankful Tree" in the classroom. The students were asked to think of a time when they said thank you, who they said it to, and why they said "Thank you".  Then, an adult scripted it on a cutout of a fall coloured leaf and the child decorated it.  Afterwards, their leaf was placed on our Thankful Tree in our book corner.  Offically, we have over 70 leaves on our tree and the answers are outstanding!  Who knew a three year old would be thankful for all the suppers they get to eat?  Or who knew a four year old would say they're thankful for the times they get to snuggle with their Mom or Dad?

I haven't taken a picture of it, but I'll be sure to and post it next time.

Once that was conquered, we then moved onto feasts and the turkey. 

The four year old classes made their lists of what OUR Thanksgiving dinner at preschool would consist of (Mac and Cheese, Hamburgers, and sliced cucumbers were a must from both classes).  We also made turkeys with construction paper and feathers and tomorrow we`re making Turkey Hats.  We have also learned a Thanksgiving poem that they absoluately love to act out called I'm A Little Turkey. 

(to the tune of I'm a little teapot)

I'm a little turkey, (students put hands on their hips and move from side to side)
Waddling in through town!
Here are my feathers (turn around and shake your bum!)
Orange, Red, and Brown
I will run and hide if I hear you say:  (slowly raise hands and cover your face)
It will soon be Thanksgiving Day! (slowly rub hands on stomach in a circular motion)

We parade around the classroom like a bunch of turkeys at circle time and they go nuts!  It is so funny to watch as they really are a bunch of turkeys to begin with!

Anyways, all this talk about being thankful leads me to ending this post by telling my fellow readers what I am thankful for this year.  This year, I am thankful for my wonderful husband and the family we have started (this meaning our dog Hudson.. THAT IS ALL!), our families, friends..the home we have.. and I am also thankful for the wonderful families I am in contact with everyday as they have created some amazing little people that I learn so much from. 

I am also thankful for all of you who are reading this very sentence!  I cannot BELIEVE how many people are actually following this and find comfort in this blog at times!  Thank you!

Take a second and think about what you are thankful for.  And of course, enjoy your turkey in some great feasting pants too.. I know I will be.

It happened.

I definately shouldn't have mentioned that little FYI on the last post.  Although it doesn't pertain to that child directly, it instead resulted in absolute chaos Tuesday morning.  Scenario:

• 1 parent stating their child is anxious in large groups therefore she (the mother) is staying for the class.  May I add, she didn't ask.  She told.  When told she can stay about half way and then go, the response back was "We'll see".  This parent is also a child psychologist.
• 2 children crying for over 40minutes.  This resulted in being sent home.
• 1 parent indirectly blaming me as to why their child 'freaks out' everytime they come here and insisting "SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED" over and over again.  This same child ended up crying throughout the whole class, even though the nanny stayed.  And even though she stayed, she didn't make him join in any aspect of the routine.  What was the point of her being there then?  Your guess is as good as mine.
• 1 child cried as his mother tells him "So, Mommy is not allowed to stay at preschool" and bursting into tears.  30 seconds later - his mother tells me he's crying because he's had a cold and he's not over it.  She took him within five minutes of being at the school.
• 1 child JUST diagnosed with Autism.  I don't need to say anymore.
• Circle time consisting of crying from three more children because they saw the other two. 
• Any opportunity for lining up, resulted in several domino effects.
• Snot, boogers, snot, boogers, snot, snot, snot, boogers.
• Me - losing my marbles.
• My teacher assistant - also losing her marbles
• Our parent volunteer that day - deep breathing and big swags of coffee for the first hour.

This class is back tomorrow morning.  Two hours have never felt so long.  I doubt tomorrow is going to be any better.  Sigh.

Week two: full steam ahead!

With staggered entry done as well as the first full week of all students attending together in their classes, I feel it can only get better from here in terms of work itself.  After several emotional breakdowns from both the students and their parents (and my own by Tuesday night), it really can only get better.. Right?

As a professional, you can only stay positive and optimistic because both children and adults are depending on YOU for a positive experience at preschool.  Personally, however, in order to stay positive and optimistic for a positive outcome, that may involve a glass of wine or two at the end of the day.. And maybe even the whole bottle by Friday night.  But trust me, if you have parents relying on you, then you must be saying something right, as this is when they are most vulnerable.  And, if you are getting those kids to laugh and play and smile, then hell, you have definately done something right.

I also started to new things with my older classes this year which so far seem to be successful.  One in particular, is geared towards building empathy and I've decided to call it "Feelings Friday".  Every Friday, my older students are introduced to a 'social development' element - feelings, peer pressure, decision-making, bullying, peer relationships, etc.  This week was about "Let's Talk it Out" and discovering alot of problems that occur between friends at preschool is because of having to share.  By providing a real-life situation using real student names, we 'talked out' the problem adn realized how important sharing really is.  One class even reflected onto how talking problems out with their siblings would be better and more sharing would happen (YES!)!  The conversation was great and you could see the wheels turning in their little heads.  Satisfactory?  Oh, I think so!

Needless to say, although it was somewhat the week of Hell, it was also the week of new beginnings and already, new achievements.

So, my fellow preschool teachers - good luck on this upcoming week.  Not only are you starting to get to know them and their families now, but they are about you as well!  And don't worry, you're not the only part-time wine drinker out there.  I'm also part-time beer drinker as well ;)

FYI..

On a side note, I'm sure some of you have wondered since a posting or two ago, about the student who I was..needless to say, having some difficulty with and scared for the upcoming school year.  Well, after a week, nothing really to report!  Granted, they are like you're average two and a half year old - little sharing, little patience, little attention span.  But overall, the behaviours have been quite settle and amen to that. 


..And knowing my luck and stating all of the above, I have probably jinxed it..!

There's always ONE.

As the preschool staggered entry week is coming to an end, up until this morning, I was striking gold in terms of 'great' kids.  'Great' meaning well-behaved, positively following through in the class routine, settling into the new environment, getting along with their peers.  This morning, that delighfulness came to an end.  And in a nutshell.. I've met my match.

Profule of the kid: climber, pusher, non-listener, non-disciplined, does not take 'no' as an answer, unwilling to share, loud, disruptive, holds an attention span of two seconds (seriously, I wouldn't exaggerate).. and comes from a family of three older siblings who are the exact same way.  However, I taught the second youngest, and they definately weren't as difficult as the younger sib. 

Of the seven years using the phrase with children "look at my nose" in order to get to them to look at me when I'm talking to them, I got told "I DON'T FEEL LIKE LOOKING AT YOUR NOSE."

Oh yeah.....  That happened.

Even after a conversation with the child's parent, the response on reporting the type of behaviours that occured, was "Do what you need to do; I'll agree to any consequence you give her!"..


Last time I checked, my job descripton didn't include 'parenting'. 

Let's move onto year #3

Between now and the last time I posted on preschool teacher stories, both personally and professionally, alot happened.  To make a long story short, year #2 end quite well and approvingly fast enough for me.  By the end of June, I was thoroughly exhausted as so many events happen (parties, Graduations, more parties).  You really do get burnt out quicker than you think.  And when it hits you, you then realize why you get two months off during the year. 

Now that it's September again, here I am.  Ready to report to my fellow readers - all about year number three!  More importantly, not only will my entries pertain to the little people and the teaching moments I will remember for life, but also new developments on an opportunity I onced mentioned about joining.

First Days
This week for many preschools is the start of the school year and will typically mean "Staggered Entry" week.  Classes are split up into smaller groups during class time and scheduled to come only once during this specific week.  A parent asked me today what's the point of it; one word: transition.  As it may a child who is returning to preschool, may not find this difficult it at all.  But believe it or not, even returners can get shy and unsure about why they're back and being left behind after two whole months of 24/7 constant care under their mother's eye.  For the Newbie, so those who are just starting their preschool/educational journey, this is a very important week to have happen.  Firstly, it's a new environment FULL of NEW people, NEW surroundings, and NEW rules.  I can only imagine what their (the kid) thought process is like: What do you mean I have to share?, What is SHARE?!, Why do I have to listen?  WHY ON EARTH IS MY MOTHER LEAVING?!  With so much to adapt too, starting in small groups is the best way to conquer the fears as they get to know their teachers, less intimidated by their new peers, and.. they can relax.

The transition week is also good for the parents too, although I swear September is definately one of those months that they really appreciate you.  For returning parents, it sets in a good routine again.  Hell, I'm glad to be back at work because its giving me routine again.  For the Newbies', they become introduced to a new routine that can be benefical for themselves and not just their children.  A break from the family can lead to positive things - more 'calm and collected', tackling errands child-free, taking care of the self whether it's hitting the gym or even taking a nap.  By embracing such opportunities and using them to the advantage, Mom starts to feel better about life in general and it creates a rippling effect.

And crying..?  Yes, it happens to everyone, including Moms' and Dads'.  I highly recommend the Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.  I have read it for three years straight now on the first day of school as it reflects exactly on how a child may feel about going to school for the first time.  A young raccoon sharing his fears about school to his mother, and his mother responding with a sweet solution with a teary-choked up ending.  This book came out in 2003 and has branched into a small series on other topics such as bullying and death.  Check it out.

 

 

 

Accreditation

So last time I wrote here, I mentioned the situation between preschools and accreditation - a specialized funding program the Government of Alberta has created for daycares, out of school care, and day homes.  I had also mentioned that a Calgary Preschool Teacher's Association I became a part of, was looking for people to advocate and lobby the idea that preschools should be entitled to accred. as well. 

 

Since then, not only have I signed on with a group of Preschool-based professionals but are now in the midsts of creating templates, mission statements for our group, and our chair is making waves with names that are must to have us get started on this journey.  Our next group meeting isn't till the end of the month.  But how quick that all came together! I don't expect miracles to happen within the next six months because there is just no way of it.  However, I do plan on working towards the expectation and the ability to say, "Preschools and their teachers receive accreditation too."

 

 



Taking a profession into a new level

It blows my mind on how the world of early childhood professions work in terms of survival.  A lack of recognition, awareness, respect, funding, etc, etc, etc.  But somehow, people like myself and former coworkers of mine, continue to stay in it anyway because we love what we do. 

As much as I know my view can change over time, I plan on being in this profession till retirement.  My end goal is to become a licensing officer or better yet if I ever win the lottery, either my own childcare facility or preschool.  I've done the conversation already with our licensing officer in the 'what does it take to become one of you' in order to know how this plan will happen: experience, experience, experience. 

Since the age of 18, I have been consistently working with children and primarily in a childcare setting.  I've worked at a parent resource centre and now in my second year of Preschool.  And since being in Preschool, very early I learned the lack of attention these pre-kindergarten institutions get from the Government.  Surprise surprise..welcome to every other social service department of society's world.  But the most concernting aspect about it, is how much the government has excluded Preschools' and their staff.  The magic word here in Alberta of this exclusion is: accreditation.

In a nutshell, it provides extra funding in the recognition of childcare facilities going above and beyond the standard expectations.  It's more geared towards multiculturalism, fun program planning, and my favourite, recognizing post-secondary education in E.C.Es'..through increased wages.  The Government set specific rates according to the levels (1-3; three being the highest paid) as it sets your title in the field such as a childcare supervisor, and the pay rate is added onto what you receive from your employer.  This can ultimately be a $10,000 difference.  So the dissappointing factor?  Daycares, dayhomes, and out-of-school care facilities qualify for this.  Not preschools.  Why?  Because when accreditation first arrived, not very many preschooler staff knew what this meant and lost out on a quick, only-asking-once, invitation.  And may I add, this was yeaaaarrrssss ago.  First it began with daycare and the other two followed because there was the consistent "what about us?!?!". 

When I started at the Preschool, I decided solely that if it ever became available again, I would fight for it.  I kept checking websites, discussions, anything - anything that would would have 'accreditation' and 'Preschools' in the same sentence.  Well folks, it's happened..but not in the opportunity I thought it would be in.
I'm currently part of the SAPTA - Southern Alberta Preschool Teachers Association and about once a month they send out a monthly newsletter.  Thank goodness I didn't delete this one right away as my opportunity to get political for Preschool is here!  The head director of the association is looking for people who are willing to advocate for accreditation and to attend meetings, events, etc.  I know it's volunteering and I know I can get turned down because of my age and/or experience.  But, why not send out an interest?  And what an experience if I can help build something so great for our province!? 

Wish me luck on this new journey - I'm excited for it!  What have you been most excited about in your career these days?

Catch-Up Alert!

Yikes!  It's been almost a month since I last posted.  It's not like I forgot either; it's more a "I don't have time for LIFE" situation that seems to be reoccuring.  Even though I should be highlighting debate paper articles, I find this way more satisfying.

So, I've decided this post is going to be more of a resource of ideas because quite frankly, there's too many bad stories I could share right now, than good. 

On to the ideas!

Food Weeks

I decided after Valentine's day themes and a whole two weeks remaining in the month, I wanted to do a quick, easy, fun theme.  Because many of them out there can be quite extensive, I thought about things the students had shown real interest in - cooking, baking, eating food they made.  With that in mind, I did a week of nutrition and then the second week, making it all about cooking.  Yes, even the three year olds followed this program plan. 

I ended up buying this activity from Education Station:

It's all magnetic but it allows kids to make a "healthy" meal whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  I wasn't sure how engaged the kids would be.  It seemed more appropriate for the older classes as the young ones felt feathery boas and rockstar sunglasses were more entertaining (..hmmm...).  Either way, great teaching tool, very durable, and simply fun.

For cooking, the three day program followed a meal plan. 
Monday: Pancakes
Wednesday: Salsa
Friday: Pizza

The two day program did very similar except we didn't do salsa-making.  All of it was super easy to do as many people tend to think the automatic "Ohmygod! You are braaaaveeee...".  To be honest, I don't think alot of those people cook with their kids at home because I strongly believe in it being a trust and "mess" issue.  One: alot of adults don't trust their kids because they automatically think 2: mess, mess, MESS. 

But, because in my classroom I believe in respect and trust, I'm even willing to put a hot griddle down on the table for a three year old to see their pancake bubble and flip over because both of us know, they're not going to touch something that's going to hurt if they do.  I'm willing to let a four year old help me cut with a large knife because we know they have never touched a big knife before because it's a grown-ups' job - but I'm letting them try and be successful with it.  Simply, give them the opportunity with optimism and postivity - and you've offically planted the seed of a life skill being acquired.

P.S The salsa recipe we used, I'll post next time.  It's really great tasting and I don't think I will ever buy salsa again!

Galaxies

March is such a random month for planning.  You can try to talk about the lion/lamb weather connection.  You can try wearing green and explain a little man myth.  Then what?  You end up being only half way through the month and you end up getting frustrated, think you wasted time on things they really have no concept of, and wished you avoided it all together.  Well fellow ECEs', I have been there, done that, and never returning.  I decided to avoid it altogether and do a full month of space.  Best.  Decision.  Ever. 

The weeks have been based on spaceship building, flying through the stars, creating solar systems (next week!!), and the teacher feeling good about the month of March for a nice change. 

Today, the older groups learned about what the word "galaxy" means, different types, what they look it, and ended it with some watercolour painting of galaxies themselves.  This became very easy to teach with the use of showing real photographs and explaining the differences by using terms like shape, design, or neither.

You would think they would remember "spiral" galaxies by far.  Nope.  Instead, they say "Elliptical" and "Irregular" galaxies. 

Puff-Paint..as Ice Cream?

This blog is more about an idea that I came up with and became really excited on how well it turned out.  So, for any of you E.C.Es' out there get stuck on not knowing what to do with the kidlets - this may help!  I wish had taken a picture of it all, but if you've done Puff Painting before, than you get the just.  If not, it's shaving cream and food colouring.

So, this week we started a "Food" unit and after learning about the four food groups, today the three year olds got specific - learning about flavour and aromas.  Because they're three, the concept had to appeal to them from a "I love sugary treats!" standpoint.. rather than the four year olds who are more "it's a sugary treat.. but probably bad for you" standpoint.  At circle time, I decided to make a tray of various flavours and aromas - bread, lemons, grapefruit, red onion, and of course, popcorn.  After discussing which ones everyone enjoyed more/less, I continued the experience with an introductary to some Puff Painting. 

(Now before I continue, I do have to say this - I literally came up with this concept 7:30am this morning.  I had no idea what I was going to do, how to carry out the learning theme of today.  So, for a quick idea, prayers to the sky that we had what I needed for it, and an ounce of optimism - I lucked out.)
With the paint, I figured doing ice cream on cones would be best as ice cream itself can be very flavourful and depending on the flavour, it may hold a strong smell such as mint or chocolate.  Now, typically to do Puff Paint, you use shaving cream and whatever food colouring colour.  You mix the two, and viola.  The result is fun..the experience is fun; I have yet to come across a kid who hates the idea.  Anyways, because it was going to be ice cream and I didn't want to do the standard mixture, I decided to do some experimenting.  To make vanilla ice cream, I used Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding mix and a couple drops of yellow food colouring; No Name Instant Chocolate Pudding for chocolate ice cream (turned brown all on it's own!), and mint ice cream using green food colouring and peppermint extract.  They all smelled amazing and exactly how you would expect them to if it was ice cream!

I think the best part of this is that over time, the "chocolate" actually looked like mousse.. and had some kids convinced they were painting with ice cream itself!  And to the point of "I'm going to lick the brush of chocolate, Ms. Jenn!"
This is probably not meaning much as I'm sure a gazillion people have done this already.. getting specific with 'ice cream flavours'.  But I feel it ended up as a great experience/resource to share with fellow field members..  Considering it didn't come from a standard Mailbox resource book.





..And, I am definately glad I got my Dad's gene of creativity.

Officals and Valentine's Day showers!

Once again, I had a week of frustration - wait no, irritation.  BUT, at the same time.. I got smothered by love all at the same time.  An interesting balance.

Irritation..
Like any licensed childcare program, twice a year a licensing officer will make a couple of inspections.  One announced, one unannouced.  I'm on very good terms with our officer so when she visits, there really is never a problem.  Yesterday, she came for our annouced.  I stayed at work late the day before - making sure everything was ready "appearence-wise", I took paperwork home so everything was completed, and we spent our lunch "setting up".  Never to say we are never ever any of those things.  We are.  I just like to go the extra step to continue having that good reputation. 

So, she arrives on time and after some small chit-chat, she begins her inspection.  Right away its the paperwork aspect and eventually followed by observations.  After about an hour, it's time to go over everything and how the visit went overall.  When to make a long story short, everything is great EXCEPT we get to non compliances for the stupidest mistakes and I'm furious.  I won't go into detail on what exactly they were, but both were out of my hands and I think because they were things that should  be expected to be cared for by others, it wasn't.  I know it doesn't reflect me personally or the classroom, but I still feel responsible and still feel irriated.  They are stupid, stupid, silly mistakes that should have never been mistakes to begin with and end as 'non-compliances'. 

Both issues are being dealt with now.  But after this experience, it made me think about to a situation a former boss of mine was in a few years ago.  At a daycare I use to work at, it was a similar scene: licensing visit, on good terms, everything looked great and was great, anndddd we get two non compliances for staff not signing themselves in and some other small issue that I can't recall right now.  After she (the licensing officer) left, our boss wasn't mad but irriatated to the grill because they were mistakes that should have never happened.  She kept saying how irritating it was to mess up on something so minor and no one seemed to understand why she was feeling the way she was.  To us, it didn't feel like it was a huge deal.  When really, it was as it reflected on who took more pride in their workplace and placed immense amount of hours into prepartion and losing it all in a matter of 30 seconds.  Years later and being in the same predictament, I know exactly why she felt the way she did. 

MAN!

You really do need to check and do everything yourself nowadays.  Some of you may say it's a bad attitude to have, but when you get stuck in the same boat, you'll know what I'm talking about.

"Will you be my Valentine Ms. Jenn?"
Of course (and moving on to a more positive story) I have to mention Valentine's Day this week.  As much as I like to complain how commercialized V-Day is, I love it.  I love how it shines light on something that can go unnoticed for months on end.  From a teacher's perspective, it's also one of the most fun educational experiences to plan for.  For example, my preschoolers discussed the concept of love and shared who and why we love who we do.  I told them if they couldn't figure out why they loved someone, that it was okay to say, "just because".  A handful used that answer and all genuinely meant it.  Hell, I love certain people and can't even give you a reason why.  I just do.  So, if feel that way, I'm sure a four year old does too.  We also learned about the point of Valentine giving and why some people do it.  Also, during these special days, I like to throw out the title of the holiday/special day and ask what they think of first when they hear it.  So, that was done with Valentine's Day and wow, the response was mind-blowing.  Hearts, baking Valentine cookies, cinnamon, pink and red stuffies, were just some of the answers.

And of course, each class had a V-Day party where they brought Valentines and treats for their friends.

My Valentine "mailbag"

By the end of each class, I was showered with Spiderman, My Little Pony, Cars, Tinkerbell, Disney Princesses, and Curious George valentines and even though they will be just recycled, the appreciation of getting the "Teacher" card is there.  But some Valentine gifts truly stood out for me in addition to the Hershey kisses and Lindt red-foiled hearts.  The ones that do get mention, were homemade - the best kind of gift anyone could receive, young and old.  I whole-heartedly love them because not only did they remind me as to why I do my job, but also how much I feel appreciated.

Which one gets first place?  This one:

How super sweet is this?  The student who gave one to me and my assistant worked on this with his mom.  It was simply gluing on scraps of tissue paper and putting on a glaze to hold it all together.  Mom vouched that he did 95% of the work which is amazing for this kind of final product.  What a great idea this would be for a Mother's Day craft?!  Here's a closer look of the tissue paper:

I've decided this is going to be my "preschool" vase at work.  As spring comes around (eventually), I know this will be housing lots of dandelions :)

Runner Up: The Ultimate Homemade Valentine!

"Happy Heart Day".. Love, love, love.

The next one is amazing.  The concep,t and as I was told by the three year old, that this is a tin full of love.  Inside, he put a 'Happy Feet' valentine.  Underneath that, he had his Mom write down reasons "why he likes Ms. Jenn" on a heart.  The final heart is a note of appreciation from his parents. 

<3!!

We even had a student (age three) give us (my assistant and I), each a bouquet of flowers with the same statement "You're wonderful!". 

After all these years of working with children, I have never been so spoiled on Valentine's Day.  They really knew how to warm their preschool teacher's heart this year.  And to be honest, I am by no-means bragging.  I hope your Valentine's Day was just as memorable and full of love!  Now, I know there are those of you out there who bash the day, complain how commericialized it is, and it's an excuse for girls to demand romance from their boyfriends.  But, don't tell me this story didn't melt your heart and make you appreciate this "commercial" holiday from a kidlet perspective as you know that when they tell you "I love you", they mean it.  And you do too. 

P.S These were the roses MY forever Valentine gave me.  I figured he was worth mentioning ;)

 

Classroom Pets: Yay or Nay?

As long as I can remember as a student myself, it seemed about every other grade there was a class pet.  Granted, this usually reflected the primary grades but I think there was a hamster of some sort around grade six even.  As a professional now, class pets are great to have, especially with those youngsters who need some kind of comfort from someone pertaining to the animal kingdom.  They're awesome teaching tools - they help with learning to be responsible and being responsible for another living thing.  Attending to their needs..such as feeding, giving attention, mainting a healthy environment.  It also teaches those life lessons of life and death.  Teaching them that yes, everything that lives, must eventually die and even though it may hurt, you don't forget about that particular thing or someone because of the positive moments you learned because of them.  Alot of people may see this however, as a con to classroom pets.  Dealing with the death itself can be traumatic for some students as they have built huge attachments with the animal.  But really, who doesn't ever deal with death and as teachers, we need to make the most of those learning experiences.  To help guide them, to help support them, and yes, you may even need to be there when they need a shoulder a cry on because they don't understand why they won't be seeing their best friend anymore.

Another con is the maintence of an animal.  Regardless of what species and/or breed, they need more than just attention in order to survive.  Food can be costly (and remembering to do it), cleaning out a tank or cage can be time consuming, and if they get sick - well, let`s be honest, vets are not cheap.  We know that just with our own personal knowledge of petcare, its responsibilities are huge.  Overall, it becomes a major commitment that may sometimes be more than you imagined.  You're then stuck with animal that became more work than you expected and you feel bad giving it away because the students got attached.  This I know, because my sister ended up taking in a guinea pig from a daycare centre I worked out.  The poor thing was too stressed out from the kids, it was either watch him slowly die because of loud noises or let him survive another year or so in solitude majority of the time.

And let's not forget about long-weekends, holidays, and summer closures.  You will be either bringing it home with you OR sending it with a student's family praying to the skies that it comes back alive and well.

I've heard of some preschools have classpets and they're dogs or cats. I'd love to know how that works..because what if there's students who have allergies? Doesn't that differ parents away from the school itself knowing their child can't attend because of animal? 

So, where do I stand in all of this?  Well, I strongly believe in having a classroom pet but I play one major factor in that decision before doing anything - what I can tolerate rather than get and hate the animal initally based on what it is.  Call me mean, but at the end of the day, if I'm the one looking after it, I'm going to be deciding what I'm willing to take care of.  And what do I care for currently?  Fish.  Not the gross goldfish who die within two weeks and never seem to stop pooping.  Just simple tetras and a small catfish.  And how successful has it been?  Extremely successful. 

They not only get fed twice a day because it's a "special helpers' duty to feed them, but they're great to help those kids who have a hard time saying goodbye to Mom and Dad and gets them easily distracted.  They've also witnessed the odd fish once and awhile die and be removed, but there's no tears.  It's a simple 'maybe he was old' or 'maybe he was sick' and that's it.  We've even had a student buy new decor for the fish, just because she wanted to.  They know they can't tap on the glass, they also know they will never get to pet them.  But one major factor that keeps fish as a favourite, the children enjoy their company and can bring them to a level of a calm.  Commonly, you will see a student walk over and just rest their head on the ledge facing the tank and watch the fish swim.  It works well as the fish are located in our reading centre which is where most kids will go if they want some quiet or alone time.  At the end of the day, not only am I happy with who our class pets are, but the students are as well.

Now, tell  me to get a hamster because they're more fun, and I will tell you to go to Hell.  That also goes for gerbals, rabbits, mice, snakes, lizzards, birds, and any other animal.  None of those are personal favourites when it comes to animals, so let alone of having it in the classroom is not going to be possible or ever happen.  And really, if you work with kids, think about the class pets you had to take care of.  Was it something you knew you can handle when it came to looking after it?  Because if you start asking people, that's exactly what happens.  Let's be honest: no one is going to go out and get an animal for the classroom even though they can't stand the thing.  It's just not realistic.  Unless your coworker plans on taking over in a situation like that, it's only because they can tolerate it. 
Just think of your own pets: if you can't stand birds, your first choice in which pet you're going to bring home will NOT be a bird. 
     
As I conclude this, here's some food for thought: if you've never had to take care of animal, do you think you're missing out?  Throughout my entire life, I have always had a pet.  It's almost like a neccessity.  Now that my husband and I are settled in our new house, I'm really hoping one day that we'll get a dog.  He's never really had a pet of his own, so he's not feeling like he's missing something as I feel I am.  One of the factors is because he doesn't want to deal with the 'final goodbye' as he knows how heart wrenching it was for me when my cat past away a few years ago.  He saw how badly it hurt and gosh, as I write this I'm remembering and the eyes whelling up.  But, are we able to apply that to our lives in general and every individual we care and love?  No, we can't.  I love my husband and he loves me.  But we both know one day, our times will come.  However, that didn't stop us from dating, being engaged, and then married.  We would then be missing out if we didn't make the inital commitment.  With an animal, sure it brings just as many hardships as it does for happiness.  But if no one felt they were missing out on loving another creature, even if it's in a classroom, then no one would have a pet. 

So, why do you have a pet?  Why do you have one in your classroom?  Is it because your promoting love?  Love for others?  Love for other creatures, especially animals?  Because heaven knows, there's not enough for our animal friends and if you are, I think that's an awesome quality hold..and teach.

Planet Earth: Teaching Tool

Now my second year at the school, I try to keep my teachings and curriculum diversified.  Of course, there's similar themes at similar times of the year, but how I present them to the students, I like to change up.  With this particular topic I'm about to bring up - this method I haven't changed because it's one of the easiest, most enjoyed teaching tool to use.  It's called Planet Earth.  That BBC series?  Yeah, that one.

Naturally, January is about "Winter" at the preschool.  Weekly themes included weather, winter animals and climates you can find them in, and of course, winter activities/holidays.  This past week the older groups were exploring winter animals; those living in Northern Canada (Monday), Arctic/North Pole (Wednesday), and Antarctica/South Pole (Friday).  Not only do they know the differences between north and south poles, but they can tell you what a Tundra is, what animals can be found there and yes, Caribou may look like Santa's reindeer - but they're just cousins.

When it comes to topics like these, I love bringing in library books that give REAL pictures, REAL facts, and a REAL perspective on the world around them.  After spending lots of time reading thick books filled with winter images of the coldest places on Earth, as a finishing touch, I brought in the DVD series 'Planet Earth'.  Best.  Teaching.  Tool.  Ever. 

Not only is this series amazing to watch to begin with, but it's a great opportunity for kids to see what the habitats of wild animals are, outside of a zoo or aquarium.  It's simple in terms of images they show, the sequences are easy to follow at a 4 year old's capacity, and the reward in the end is the endless amount of conversation and open-ended questions it initiates within themselves. 

In the series, there is segment on "Ice Worlds".  It shows both Poles and also shines light on what global warming is doing.  Sure, it shows the odd pair of birds including penguins courting or a wolf going in for the kill on a vulnerable bably muskox calf, but the exposure on the situation is so minimal.  And really, the kids get what's about to happen in those lifecycle situations.  And they realize not everything has to be cartoon in order to be good.  Suddenly, their attention span because longer over a "real" movie over any Disney or Dreamworks. At the end of the day, the kids have put what they've learned in the classroom to a real life experience and the brains start to expand a little extra.  They ask those questions they never thought about before because they suddenly become curious on what they're now observing! 

"What will happen to the polar bears if there's no more ice?", "I think Emperor penguins are stronger than Chinstrap penguins.", "I wish there were more Beluga whales..", "So, Humpbacks go to warmer ocean waters when it's Winter in the Antarctica?".  These were from four year olds. 


And you the teacher, become their best resources for answers.

PERSONAL JINX!

That's right.  All my glory and gloat of how the first week back was wonderful and it could do nothing but continue onward - failed as of Monday morning on the hour of 9am.  Failed me miserably this week.  Maybe the minus one million temperatures is playing a role in this too; but Hell.  They are driving me nuts.  The level of engery and volume is surreal.  This emotional rollercoaster a few of them seem to be experiencing is also unreal.  Is it fair to ask if children can actually be bitchy; mine seem to be.. and I want to know if this is a fair acqusation..

I can't even get a solid 15 seconds of silence when they're doing YOGA.  From ANY of the four classes may I add.

Tomorrow is Thursday.  Then Friday.  Then solitude..for two days. 

Post-post:  I was looking for a good 'google' photo to explain how this week has been going, like usual.  Today, I typed in the keyword temper tantrum and somehow  my misery burst into chuckles.

This is about the time when they tell  you you`re no longer friends.
 Oh, and they don`t love you anymore.
 Oh, and you`re not fun. 
Oh, oh!  ANNDDDD you`re mean.

Haha. And for my favourite pose of all time that has been led to me being told they can`t hear me because they`re suddenly `sleeping`:

My professional and personal favourite!

Smooth Transitions, Winter Clothing is the Devil

Smooth Transitions:
Last year, after a two week holiday break, I found it almost took me a month to get my classes back into shape in terms of following classroom rules and the environment itself.  It was as if they have never been involved in any kind of social group setting of children their own age and the idea of sharing was equivalent to finding out that Mondays really do suck.  Eventually, I was able to get that resolved and by February, things were back to normal again.  This year, it's been completely different and I am really trying to figure out why and how this happened.

Not only has every single child, including those really young ones, matured - but they've gone to a new level of following directions, they listen, get along with one another, and they actually want to hear what I have to say during their "learning lesson" at circle time.  For instance, my three day groups were learning about winter weather this week and yesterday I was teaching them about dangerous conditions.  This included sleet, ice storms, cold temperatures/windchills, blizzards, and avalanches.  I used one of my favourite teaching tools to do this which is printing off 'real' images of each aspect worth discussing and show them to the kids.  As we go through each picture, we talk about them.  That's it.  I say my thing, they ask questions, and we talk about those answers.  FYI: The concept and discussion on avalanches, was intense.  No one interrupted during those conversations - no one.  Only times were when they asked those open-end questions.  Awesome! (As a teacher, these are the best learning moments you can accomplish.)

"Whoa..." was the usual response.  This was one of the photos I used to explain what an avalanche was.  Not only was it determined that it looks unsafe, but that picture was decided and deemed as a Rocky Mountain picture.  More specifically, "it's somewhere on the way to Vancouver". 
..Sure!

Don't get me wrong - I love how this week went.  In fact, I don't want to dwell or brag about it too much in case it jinx's it.  But at the same time, I find it so odd as I'm not typically use to it.  Even all those years working in childcare, it was always anticipated that the first couple weeks were going to be and were tough.  This was the week I was suppose to be hating every second of and instead, I loved it!
Fingers crossed, this smooth transition continues onward.

Winter Clothing is the Devil
If you work with children, whether it's in a school, preschool, daycare, out-of-school care, drop in, Hell - even if you have kids of your own, you know the agony of putting on winter clothing before going outside can be a nightmare.  Especially in group settings, you have to at least expect a 15-20 minute process of putting on outdoor winter clothing because of the number children you have to help get on their bulky snowpants, find missing hats at the bottom of their backpacks, or locate the mate of the $40.00 mittens they decided to bring or else you're going to hear it from the parent at pick-up time.  By the time it's all said and done, you have children piling on top of one another because their learning what it's like to be a sumo wrestler, the ultimate whine of "I'm too hotttttttttt!", and the ones who sit on the floor up against either a piece of furniture or wall, zoned out because the comfyness of the snowsuit has mellowed them out.  Oh, and you haven't even put your stuff on yet.  Awesome again.

Here's some tricks I've learned:
1) Getting in patient can lead to independence: Independence is key with the smallest assembly of getting ready for outside.  Making them wait their turn in line for help actually ends up them tired of waiting and attempting to do it themselves.  Eventually, they get how to put on their own things and the next thing you know, they're only coming to you to do the zipping of the zipper.  I tend to let this happen with the ones especially who I know I can do it.  It's frustrating at the beginning for them - putting things on backwards, getting twisted up, or stuck - but they get it. And your 'getting ready' time has literally been cut down.

2) Upside Down Jacket Trick:  Again, this reflect independence, but it works perfect after a couple of attempts.  It's about laying the jacket down on the floor (has to be upside down but upright and you stand behind it - make sense?), put the arms in, and flip over the head.  BAM!  You're coat's on!

Do this wrong, and this is what you get.  Expect to see this at least four times.  Guarnteed.

3) Backpacks hide EVERYTHING..according to the kids anyway:  They easily say "I don't have snowpants" and start putting everything else on to realize by the time everything is on, there was snowpants at the bottom of their backpack after all.  Sigh.  Key and repeated statement to make BEFORE they all start getting ready:  "CHECK YOUR BACKPACKS. IT'S ALL IN THERE!" 

4) Dots in boots:  I just learned this one really helps and is brilliant.  In each child's boot, you place a dot side to side, so they learn which foot goes in which boot.  They have make sure before they put them on that their dots in their boots are side by side.  When they are, then they know their feet will be going in the right boot.  Don't tell me you enjoy hearing 20 voices asking the same question: "Is this the right foot?".

5)  Lost and Found box is your saviour:  Need I say more? 


Stay warm this week, everyone.  It's suppose to be a cold one!

Semester Two

Christmas break is over.  Two weeks off from daily contact with three, four, and five year olds, is over.  Sleeping in till 10 o'clock every morning - also over.  Work-related stress being non-existent, over..
Six more months till summer vacation..countdown begins.
Hello, 6:30am wake up call.  I hate you.
Hello, 10:00pm bedtimes.  I also hate you.

Temper tantrums, repetition of "it's tidy-up time!", and singing the "Seven Days" song.. I really didn't miss you.


However..Preschoolers..



I missed you!