Teacher Talk Tuesday

Well, I know it has been a while....and man, have I been busy!  There have been weddings, parties, mulitiple familiy visitors, and a brand new year in a brand new grade level! Having said all of this, I don't know if I can give much adivice since am no longer at First Grade I have only taught kindergarten 2 days but here goes....

 1.  Sing or chant everything!  A first day kindergartener's attention span is about 30 seconds long and I have learned quickly that 99% of them will actually look at you if you randomly start to sing or chant at them! Can you believe that!
2.   Try to remember that most of them haven't been taught to control their impulsive behavior and most likely haven't been in such a structured enviroment before.  (They are not all stinkers or honerey little toots like some might believe.)  It is our job as teachers to actually teach them crazy things, like self-control.)
3.  I totally agree with Abby from
when she discussed the value of team work.  There is nothing better than feeling like you are welcomed, valued, and supported by your team.  Remember, We all have the same goal! To teach our smarties to the best of our ability, and take them as far as we can to prepare them for the next year.
4.  Last for now, because I can hardly stay awake:) I just read a chapter from The Energy Bus that said "You are the driver to your own bus!"  When you are feeling stressed, bogged down, negative, or just plain numb from life, just remember you are the driver, and you decide what direction to take your life, on a Negative Nancy route, or a positive one.  This is an interesting thought considering I have been overloaded so much that I am searching for the next restaurant with a happy hour, or a happy meal that serves "happy" pills as a choice. 

NEW Traffic Light

    Ok, so I have told y'all that this is my first year teaching kinder and I have been trying to decide what to do on discipline.  Well, my brain has pretty much been fried since I have spent 85% of my summer AT the school trying to get moved, cleaned up, and organized.  Since my brain cells aren't working up to par, I decided to just go with the basic traffic light system my coworkers use. 

    That left me with finding one.  I thought about making one with wood and paint and clothes pins, but that involves buying supplies and working.  Then, I thought I could find a poster of one at the teacher store.  Of course, they were sold out.  So I looked into the pocket chart one and I would have had to order it, because they were sold out of it too.  That would have left me $30 dollars out-of-pocket, which was just too much considering I have spent so much already on paint and new class bulletin decor. 

    This left me with one option...rummage through my sewing supplies.  Of course, God was on my side last night, because I had EXACTLY the right amout of Red, Yellow, and Green felt and iron-on letters (which I randomly had left over from a "paper doll" craft for Jersey).  I made this last night and have to say, I am pretty excited about it!!! 

  I am going to take pics of the kiddos on the first day, cut out, laminate, and then glue velcro to the back.  I might even use teacher badge sleeves to put the pics in that way I can reuse them if a new student comes in or one moves out!  I am super pumped.

Yeah! Construction and paint!

Well, I am so greatful for all the hard work that my husband has done.  He painted my classroom AND put that loft back together!  Ouch.  At one point we were both holding up the top layer trying to raise it above the posts and of course my puny muscles gave out on me and I stood there with "wet noodle" arms while my husband lifted the whole thing by himself. 

That is Jersey, my 4 year old, testing it out.  I am so excited because I set up my listening center on the bottom layer of the loft and used an awesome shelf to display my "listen to reading" stories.  Yeah.

My husband, Wes, also picked out the paint colors. I LOVE them.  You can't really see the brighter green accent strip behind the loft but it is so cute. 

This is my "island" or where I project things.  I will have my "carpet time" where the kids are facing my beautiful green wall.  I can't wait to organize my wall with a new calendar and daily reviews.

Of course, a little Tangled for my 3 and 4 year old girls while I work. 

Lost Sleep, Wasted

Do you ever find your self up at 3a.m. thinking about school?  Planning, organizing, and aranging things in your mind.  MAN, I have spent hours of sleep time this summer thinking about this move to Kindergarten.  I have been so excited to start over in new room with new furniture added to my collection!  I even had an amazing parent last year build me a reading loft.   
This week was it. I had the maintenence office schedule to turn the air on for me (since San Angelo has averaged over 100 degrees regularly). Today was the BIG day! My husband already painted  my room and I have finally found what might work for my new layout. But, I have been eagerly waiting on my husband to set my loft back up.  I feel like I am at a stand still because it isn't up yet. I have been eagerly anticipating today and of all things I got a stomach bug today!  I haven't been sick in months and of all the days, it has to be the day my husband promised to help me set up my loft.  Of course since I am feeling yucky my husband has taken the opportunity to avoid going up to my classroom, yet again.  Now I am sitting at home bummed out, trying not to get sick.  Therefore, I will most likely lose more sleep tonight thinking about what to do next!

My Apron!

Ok I just finished sewing this apron to help me keep all those pens and stickers and all things I am constantly losing!  I have been know to wear silly aprons and artist smocks just so I can have some pockets on hand.  Now I can "be prepared" in style.

Colors, Colors, Colors!?!

OK, I am having a serious dilemma.  I need to decide on what color I want to paint my classroom.  I was thinking a peachy/coral color not TOO dark but not super light/pastel looking.  I am coming from a room that had a dark/subtle blue on two walls.  And a fuchsia pink girls restroom.  Any suggestions? 

My newest addiction!!!

Wow.  I just stumbled uppon pinterest.com and I have been introduced into a whole new world of resourses and ideas.  Pinterest is so awesome.  You can basically Pin (like bookmarking) just about anything you find on the internet and it all goes to one place!  I have Boards that organize all the things I want to pin like for the classroom.  For example any cool ideas or neat things I have found for the classroom are in my Classroom Board.  I can go to my boards and look back on all the cool things I have found, just click on the picture, and I am at that site again with out having to write down, bookmark, or remember the website.  You should totally try it if you haven't heard of it yet!  http://pinterest.com/

   I pinned this and more.

Get Ready Kindergarten, here I come!

        Well, this summer has been a whirl wind of emotion! Moving classrooms and furninture, trying to learn new curriculum and letting go of my first grade things.  I am leaving three wonderful coworkers in the first grade and I am starting a new adventure moving down the hall to teach kindergarten.  It is all so crazy how things have changed.  I will dearly miss the teachers who left my new grade level, but I am super excited to get to work with my new co-hearts.   I am as nervous about the first day as I was three years ago when I started teaching for the very first time!  I can't wait to share what is happing here at Bowie Elementary!

Mrs. Wyatt