The First Week in the Caterpillar Class
This first week with my new kiddos has been great! It is a small bunch, which is good because our room is rather small. As is true for every year, we have spent the first week learning routines and each other. Friendships are already blossoming and most of the kids have cuddled up to me at least once. That is quite honestly one of the best parts of teaching preschool! The young ones show so much affection, they want to sit on your lap, give you bear hugs, and hold your hand.
As a teacher you have to be able to act like a fool, admit your mistakes, and be fun. That has happened to me all week! The kids laughed at me when we did the Tooty-ta dance and they were very confused when I messed up the play dough. In trying to make play-dough from a different recipe than I normally use I learned why I use my recipe. It was a huge mess! But regardless the kids enjoyed playing in the sticky blue goo that we ended up making. The clean-up was another story. We did learn that in Science things don't always turn out the way you expect. I did make some good play-dough at home and brought it in for them. That was just as much fun and far less messy.
To help decorate our classroom, the kiddos painted strips to become our bulletin board borders. Using multiple colors and techniques, each child made a beautiful piece of art for the room. At "Back to School Night" the parents wrote messages to their children on the strips. This was a great way to make a school-to-home connection. And now the kiddos can look up and see a special note from their parents and know that they are loved and safe.
And, because we are the Caterpillar class, we did some caterpillar patterning. Using pattern cards and colored pom-poms, the kids matched the colors and extended the patterns. When they were done, they sorted the pom-poms by color into a cupcake pan. I was able to see who can sit long enough to do this activity, who can sort, and who can pattern. When we revisit this activity I will have the children use tweezers to pick-up the pom-poms and have them create their own patterns.
As a teacher you have to be able to act like a fool, admit your mistakes, and be fun. That has happened to me all week! The kids laughed at me when we did the Tooty-ta dance and they were very confused when I messed up the play dough. In trying to make play-dough from a different recipe than I normally use I learned why I use my recipe. It was a huge mess! But regardless the kids enjoyed playing in the sticky blue goo that we ended up making. The clean-up was another story. We did learn that in Science things don't always turn out the way you expect. I did make some good play-dough at home and brought it in for them. That was just as much fun and far less messy.
To help decorate our classroom, the kiddos painted strips to become our bulletin board borders. Using multiple colors and techniques, each child made a beautiful piece of art for the room. At "Back to School Night" the parents wrote messages to their children on the strips. This was a great way to make a school-to-home connection. And now the kiddos can look up and see a special note from their parents and know that they are loved and safe.
And, because we are the Caterpillar class, we did some caterpillar patterning. Using pattern cards and colored pom-poms, the kids matched the colors and extended the patterns. When they were done, they sorted the pom-poms by color into a cupcake pan. I was able to see who can sit long enough to do this activity, who can sort, and who can pattern. When we revisit this activity I will have the children use tweezers to pick-up the pom-poms and have them create their own patterns.
Getting Ready to Start the Year
This whole week has been dedicated to getting the classroom ready for my students. Starting in a new position, at a new school, with a new teaching partner, in a brand new classroom, means a great deal of work! After having the whole summer basically unscheduled, I am very tired on this Friday! However, the room is coming together and planning is well underway.
Yesterday, my students came to visit the classroom. I was so excited to meet them and I have already learned some very important things about them. They are great at cleaning up! Two of my boys prided themselves on cleaning up the activities they played with during their visit. "I like to clean up the whole room," one of them told me. That is awesome!! I wonder if he can come to my house and teach my six-year-old that skill. I learned that one little girl "will give me lots of energy" and that she loves to build and create. One of my new friends is venturing into his first experience in a classroom. He is very excited about the tool bench and fixing things. He especially loved the sander!
These kids were only in my room for 45 minutes and they all seem very comfortable. This shows me that all our handwork on the room has made it an inviting place that children want to play and learn in.
Last night it was the parents' turn. They came for the "Meet the Teacher Night." This was a chance for my co-teacher and I to introduce ourselves and give a little overview of the classroom. We are lucky to have a very small class this year and two teachers. This allows us to give each student the attention he/she deserves. It looks like we have a great group of parents who are very supportive of their children's early education.
I am so looking forward to next Tuesday!
Yesterday, my students came to visit the classroom. I was so excited to meet them and I have already learned some very important things about them. They are great at cleaning up! Two of my boys prided themselves on cleaning up the activities they played with during their visit. "I like to clean up the whole room," one of them told me. That is awesome!! I wonder if he can come to my house and teach my six-year-old that skill. I learned that one little girl "will give me lots of energy" and that she loves to build and create. One of my new friends is venturing into his first experience in a classroom. He is very excited about the tool bench and fixing things. He especially loved the sander!
These kids were only in my room for 45 minutes and they all seem very comfortable. This shows me that all our handwork on the room has made it an inviting place that children want to play and learn in.
Last night it was the parents' turn. They came for the "Meet the Teacher Night." This was a chance for my co-teacher and I to introduce ourselves and give a little overview of the classroom. We are lucky to have a very small class this year and two teachers. This allows us to give each student the attention he/she deserves. It looks like we have a great group of parents who are very supportive of their children's early education.
I am so looking forward to next Tuesday!