Today I sent G to the "thinking spot." Something amazing happened! She sat and thought! I think back to the first days of school when she hit, yelled, spit and rolled on the floor. Today she got in trouble on the playground, but when we talked she knew what she'd done wrong! She had to sit out for 5 minutes during play time, but she sat without screaming. I don't think I've every been so proud of a child in "time away!"
This event makes me so happy I'm going to move up with this class. I teach in a current full day alternate day program, but next fall we'll be all day, every day. G is in my Young 5's section and I've been campaigning to have her and my whole class loop up with me. Yes I'll have to add a few more students, but the ones I know will be able to set the pace for our 7 or 8 new ones. I hope since G and I have a relationship we can start strong next year and make even more progress.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Hey? Where'd it go?
Dang. I'm forever misplacing things in my cluttered kindergarten classroom!(Ahem, also at home on the kitchen counter and bedroom dresser...ok, I misplace things pretty much everywhere! But on a brand new blog? What did I do wrong? Yesterday's post is gone...and while I liked what I wrote, it wasn't earth shattering.
I guess it is a good thing I took the plunge and started a couple of days early.
I guess it is a good thing I took the plunge and started a couple of days early.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Giving this a try
I expect my students to write each time we have writing workshop so I'll see what this feels like.
I just spent several hours of my Saturday afternoon in my classroom so that I can be gone on Monday. I need to see a specialist and his office hours don't work with a teacher's day. The hardest part of the plans is trying to describe to a substitute what writing looks like in kindergarten.
I usually leave a short "story" I've written for the mini lesson, and then explain what I expect. Last year I was out for a day, and I'd left wonderful (or so I thought) plans. The parent volunteers who came in told me the next day he instructed the children to write a paragraph! No, he didn't use the mini lesson, the story and picture I'd drawn or the turn and share piece. He just said, "go and write a paragraph." The mom's said the kids just sat and looked worried. I sure hope that guy isn't available!!
My appointment isn't until later in the day, so I'm toying with the idea of going in and pulling students to do some assessments. for a couple of hours in the morning. We have conferences the last week of March and I'm starting to panic!
I just spent several hours of my Saturday afternoon in my classroom so that I can be gone on Monday. I need to see a specialist and his office hours don't work with a teacher's day. The hardest part of the plans is trying to describe to a substitute what writing looks like in kindergarten.
I usually leave a short "story" I've written for the mini lesson, and then explain what I expect. Last year I was out for a day, and I'd left wonderful (or so I thought) plans. The parent volunteers who came in told me the next day he instructed the children to write a paragraph! No, he didn't use the mini lesson, the story and picture I'd drawn or the turn and share piece. He just said, "go and write a paragraph." The mom's said the kids just sat and looked worried. I sure hope that guy isn't available!!
My appointment isn't until later in the day, so I'm toying with the idea of going in and pulling students to do some assessments. for a couple of hours in the morning. We have conferences the last week of March and I'm starting to panic!
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