Thankful

I am thankful I get to work with a wonderful staff and the sweetest 5 year-olds.  To be truthful some are already 6...they would want to be sure I told you that.

I wanted them to be sure they knew they were loved...both by me and by their parents.  When their parents came to conferences last week I had them write something nice about their child on a turkey feather.  We are reading a few each day and adding them to our turkey out in the hall (there was not a bulletin board in the classroom big enough to hold all the feathers).  We have been doing this right after lunch and it is quickly becoming the favorite part of their day.  I wish I could capture the look in their eyes when they are the ones being talked about.

Students who feel good about themselves are going to learn better...easier...and more completely.


I am thankful I have discovered this bloggy world of great, kind, and generous friends.  Friends that make me a better teacher.  They have rekindled my excitement and offered me fun new ideas.  For that reason I am linking up with Hadar at Miss Kindergarten to share a couple of teaching tips.

First....the best thing I pinned this summer.  Scrap Baskets!  I found them here, actually I am no longer sure where I found them.  I can't seem to find the pin.  If you are the one who made the really cute scrap baskets let me know....I want to give you credit!.  Mine are not nearly as cute...but they work!!  I put the baskets on the tables whenever we are doing a cut and paste project.  Kids stay at their seats (no more running back and forth to the garbage can) and cleanup is much quicker (and more complete).  Now I don't even have to remember to grab them, they remind me whenever we start our project or learning page.

 Second...the best thing I accidentally did.  I didn't have the space for a pocket chart and I wanted to use ducks with 5 Little Ducks (you know take them away, count, take another away), so what's a girl to do??  I put a strip of velcro on the front of my bookcase!!  Perfect!! I don't know if you can see it, but the black velcro is as wide as my top board (which is kind-of thick) I now have a spot for any of my retelling, counting, little phonic and rhyming activities.  I did not expect it to become one of my student's favorite activities during free choice time.

Third...one good idea taken a step further.  My kiddos like the retelling with velcro so much that when I saw this idea at Making Learning Fun, I knew I needed to make it my own.  Putting velcro on paint sticks makes a great portable retelling "stage".  Home Depot gave me all the paint sticks I wanted, so I grabbed some big ones for the classroom and little ones to send home.