tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63751569451044751342024-03-12T19:54:11.244-07:00Good Morning, Miss Molly!"Walking backwards, upside down."Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-27573925180346287772014-01-17T10:37:00.001-08:002014-01-17T10:43:38.119-08:00The Environment I Create<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone asked me recently, "What makes the students in your classroom love school as much as they do?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thinking that was an easy question I gave a quick response, "The environment I create."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yes, but what kind of environment specifically is that?" she asked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My reply was mostly out of sorts, but it consisted of sharing how I treat them. I shared that I listened to their heart and ultimately paid attention to what they had to say. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />"Ah, so you treat them like people."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That conversation got my thinking and has been on my mind a lot while teaching. I've been observing my own teaching habits to determine what it is exactly that I do that makes my classroom environment a happy one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first, I've noticed, is I implement their ideas. Now that it is a new year, my students realized that we no longer have the "2013" date above the calendar. Truth be told, they noticed we don't have <i>any</i> year up there yet.<br /><br />"Why don't we have a 2014 card yet?" they asked.<br /><br />"Because I haven't had time to make a new one on my computer and print it."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Why don't you write it on one of those sentence strips you use?" one clever sprout mentioned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"That's a great idea," I said as I got up right then, walked over to my sentence strip box, wrote 2014 on a new one and stapled it up on the wall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realized I do this quite often. When my sprouts share with me an idea that comes to them regarding our class, I do my best to implement it right away. Even if it's off the lesson plan and changing what I had expected, I value the input they have to give. I believe that it is important to share that reciprocal respect. If I expect of them to listen to my ideas and implement them, I feel that it is only fair to listen to their ideas, no matter how small or insignificant they are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It could be as simple as changing the color of the paper used for an art project or singing a song someone had an idea for. Whatever it is, they feel important when they are contributing members of the classroom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll never forget the smile on his face when he saw I used <i>his</i> idea.<i> </i>With the biggest grin you'll ever see and the comment of "Teacher you liked my idea? That's because I have good ideas, huh!" I feel certain that contributes to his effort to feel good about school.</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-82904890696838971662012-01-12T15:14:00.001-08:002012-01-12T19:31:07.086-08:00Flattered.<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I feel incredibly blessed to be continually encouraged by my five year old Kindergarten students. I never knew I needed it, but the confidence they have in me puts a huge smile on my face.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Yesterday, while singing a song that I didn't know the hand motions to, I stopped in the middle of the song and pronounced, "I have an idea!" One dear friend seemingly shocked that I could come up with ideas on my own carefully questioned, "</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">You </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">have an </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">idea</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">!?" </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Assuring them I did, but that they would have to sit in their seats to find out, they cheered in awe, "Yay! Ms. Lawson has an idea! This is going to be so good! Hide your eyes everybody!" </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">And just as I turned around to put in the hand motions spelling DVD, all ten friends were hiding their eyes with giggles and excitement. It turned out that my idea was so good they actually wanted to keep singing every spelling song on the DVD. I couldn't help but them them sing a few extra. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Then again today, while preparing their science lesson in front of them, Jennifer smiled, looked up at me and said, "You're a genius Ms. Lawson." Caught off guard, all I could do was beam with joy and say thank you. With compliments like this all day, it's sure hard to stay humbled.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">While finally participating in the same activity which helped teach primary and secondary colors through hands-on discovery, Natalie said with so much love in her heart, "Ms. Lawson, this is a great center idea." Flattered again, I smiled and said, "I'm so glad you're having fun."</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-KIxDiEBfA8I4xuCtTzjUZZti4uDG1f_uu90KCYIt4dQR80ie9j6OqPeyoLmYenSYneODMdVvddlIZXgNxq2m5H-Cq6Ltot63lpK1AAqrogSQCvnufZXeGmRHsVZCgf5emNF0rtcpaA/s1600/IMG_5759.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-KIxDiEBfA8I4xuCtTzjUZZti4uDG1f_uu90KCYIt4dQR80ie9j6OqPeyoLmYenSYneODMdVvddlIZXgNxq2m5H-Cq6Ltot63lpK1AAqrogSQCvnufZXeGmRHsVZCgf5emNF0rtcpaA/s320/IMG_5759.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696891657528083458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">They pour into me as much as I do to them. Full of giving compliments to me all day long, I can only hope that this was led by my example. The positive environment we share together certainly makes learning fun and hearts happy. I am thankful everyday to be a part of it.</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-37328824187762650592012-01-10T10:30:00.000-08:002012-01-10T17:11:26.734-08:00Marriage.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-hwE6hSEIJh-RQ6OABjyN431Url3DDaxgujy___Oa1C_129pj8sNcI0M3h5gK0aT97odeQOoZqTtRIKZevzTaISoOtm1XUsam0CNJGhxTrLHy2fU7CiMpahCSr-1f2MuUZ_vSPBYCoc/s1600/2012-01-03_15-16-30_HDR.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 338px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-hwE6hSEIJh-RQ6OABjyN431Url3DDaxgujy___Oa1C_129pj8sNcI0M3h5gK0aT97odeQOoZqTtRIKZevzTaISoOtm1XUsam0CNJGhxTrLHy2fU7CiMpahCSr-1f2MuUZ_vSPBYCoc/s400/2012-01-03_15-16-30_HDR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696073810086966450" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >This morning during journal writing Emma asked me, "Ms. Lawson, how do you spell marry?" Now normally I am eager to help out right away with sounding out the blends so they can make an attempt on their own, however, instead of being drawn to the spelling of the word as usual, I was immediately drawn to the reason for the writing the word. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I walked over to her journal page, and this it what I saw. "Samuel and me. Samuel, i<3 u. I want ..." </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Deciding that I will help her with this word and then show her parents after class, I reminded her we are just friends in this class. She said, "I know. It's just pretend," and proceeded to sound out and write the word marry.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I feel it only fitting to mention this is the same girl who asked me last week, "You should get married and have babies. Then you can bring the baby to school and we can play with it for choice time!"</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />In the end, I am guilty of her writing such a story. While working for quite some time the day before she had only illustrated her story and written, "Samuel and me." Knowing that she was capable of quite a bit more I asked her to add details to her story so that the reader knows more about it. Consequently, the details turned into dreams about marriage.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Apparently she's not the only five year old planning their future:</span><br /><br /><iframe style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0rbMHLDY1pA" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-36496697776660400162012-01-08T17:33:00.000-08:002012-01-08T18:41:44.971-08:00Lockdown.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Friday, something happened during class that I do not believe many teachers can say they've experienced. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Being a teacher that embraces technology in the classroom, I always have my smartphone and laptop out within easy reach. This especially comes in handy w</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">hen inquisitive minds have a question that needs to be answered through exploration, or i</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">n other words "Google." While the students were out at recess, I noticed an urgent email come through addressed to all staff. In the e-mail I was made aware that a well known non-profit organization located within 1 mile of our school grounds was the target of an armed suspect on their campus. I was informed that the suspect was not yet apprehended and should use particular precaution for any unknown visitors.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Only ten minutes later, when my class had settled in and started our s</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">how and tell, the principal came in and asked discreetly to have a private word with me. She said that because of the nearness of the event and the unknown location of the suspect, we were being put on precautionary lockdown. Until further notice by updates through text, we were to go about our normal routine, only remaining in the classroom with the doors</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> locked and windows covered. Further, with three full size windows in my r</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">oom leading to the outside, someone would be coming in shortly to cover them for me with dark butcher paper. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">As the paper came in, the children's excitement and wonder was immediately drawn to the windows being covered. "What's that for?" they asked with curiosity. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">To my relief the staff member, who happens to be on the team of preschool teachers, was quick to respond with a clever answer. "Since it's winter you get to </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">pretend we're inside an igloo," she told them with enthusiasm. "And later, when your teacher says, you get to decorate the inside of the igloo by drawing on the paper!" </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"I can't wait!" they all cheered.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What could have otherwise been a frightening situation was turned into an exciting and ultimately peaceful experience. Only lasting 30 minutes before the suspect was arrested, we remained safe in our classroom and secure in our routine. To me, this</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> story remains a perfect example of how a fun and creative staff can turn a seemingly negative situation into a positive one.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo22AUZEVqtyQYHKaYNg9hbjtMCLapHGcqDmuKfFzKSP5hNlXO0oeEd4zVNqsKDaxc2IHGzgSsYK5iVDU60zsYU5CbkGq87wyl4r-y8n8UFlGQCnMWowyD8bdzj9OU3tT7f3uqgpQvZfc/s1600/Kids_Drawing_On_Butcher_Paper.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo22AUZEVqtyQYHKaYNg9hbjtMCLapHGcqDmuKfFzKSP5hNlXO0oeEd4zVNqsKDaxc2IHGzgSsYK5iVDU60zsYU5CbkGq87wyl4r-y8n8UFlGQCnMWowyD8bdzj9OU3tT7f3uqgpQvZfc/s400/Kids_Drawing_On_Butcher_Paper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695455657951527154" border="0" /></a>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-1457598849024918512012-01-05T10:26:00.000-08:002012-01-05T15:32:31.367-08:00Snow Bear.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bjbBXqhfwTust0Prfp06FFtFoyS6pGqUVGyyJVJ_JCarwuMpGiF6TrrrIAdtszLCphZEmqYC4oWZhsUT4nh8wPj_IKnvdijY7foESI-_1mFx00LVIw8Dg3z9DZeogPvp20bRKVady6s/s1600/snow+bear.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bjbBXqhfwTust0Prfp06FFtFoyS6pGqUVGyyJVJ_JCarwuMpGiF6TrrrIAdtszLCphZEmqYC4oWZhsUT4nh8wPj_IKnvdijY7foESI-_1mFx00LVIw8Dg3z9DZeogPvp20bRKVady6s/s320/snow+bear.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694245721415292466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">Today we read the book </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Bear-Soft---Touch-Books/dp/0439925339/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325788173&sr=1-2">Snow Bear</a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">. It's a fun touch and feel fuzzy book about a little bear who went out exploring after winter hibernation. Not listening to his mom by going too far he ended up losing his way. Naturally, the end of book discussion led to stories about getting lost.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">Making the connection that getting lost is not really a big kid thing to do, one girl said, "When I was younger, and didn't know better, I got lost in Target. But my mom found me and I was only three then." It's interesting to think that for a five year old, two years ago counts as "younger." You and I? Not so much. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">One inquisitive boy who always proclaims how well he uses his brain told us,"One time at the toy store my brothers left me even though I said stay right here."</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">Looking for more details I prodded, "Were you scared?"</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">"No, I was brave," he said proudly. "I followed their water footprints and found them!"</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">Quite impressed with this clever way of searching for his mom I exclaimed, "Wow, you certainly were being a detective!"</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">The last story was told by a girl who always seems to stretch to find a story applicable to share. "One time I was looking for my little brother and then I found him in my mom's room!" Relevant or not, she shared how she found meaning of the story by drawing from her own experiences; I was glad to hear whatever she had to offer.<br /><br />For this very reason, end of book discussions quite easily turns into my favorite part of each day. It becomes very apparent that simply reading the book loses much more of what we have to discover. Not only do we get to discover more about the book itself, but we also get the opportunity to learn more about each other. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">We see the book come alive with an even deeper meaning based on the context and application to each child. Their stories make reading time special and so much more meaningful.</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-34865299500210709422012-01-03T15:24:00.000-08:002012-01-10T19:30:13.475-08:00First Day Back.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDMWDd5mkOkVVEq108-SS1dlU4FjiCR4gUZmL0-XDA3JXK3_qo8ZSmPZS0e5KtGKVBxT3HH4bJys_TwVYibMY3mt_Ynb7jSbRcsgDQ4zwiLbvjQ_8VPl6p1wKIgS3Kl5-aiouzk0G17U/s1600/back-to-school---.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDMWDd5mkOkVVEq108-SS1dlU4FjiCR4gUZmL0-XDA3JXK3_qo8ZSmPZS0e5KtGKVBxT3HH4bJys_TwVYibMY3mt_Ynb7jSbRcsgDQ4zwiLbvjQ_8VPl6p1wKIgS3Kl5-aiouzk0G17U/s320/back-to-school---.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693563490517854994" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Today was like the first day of school all over again. I could barely sleep last night due to the anticipation I was feeling for today. It was evident that everyone was looking forward to seeing their friends and sharing all the special stories that happened to them over break. Being back in the routine of things brought security and peace all around. The excitement they each had, as I expected, filled the room with enough natural energy that I didn't feel the need to "create it" out of thin air. Although I was possibly expecting rowdiness, the energy instead brought such a sweet sense of friendship and happiness. I even witnessed friendship being strengthened with compliments and smiles. "You know what?" I overheard at work time, "When I first met you I thought you were cute." It was as if they too were remembering the first day of school all over again.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Waiting for the school whistle to blow, their bright eyes and darling smiles stared into the classroom. Knowing it wasn't time to let them in quite yet, I couldn't help but wave. And just as I was opening the door to finally let them in, I could feel my eyes tearing up. Not a usual expression of emotion for me, I shocked myself with what I was feeling -- overwhelmed with love for them and pure happiness to see them. After being welcomed warmly by all, with tons of hugs and even a surprise kiss on the cheek, I can honestly say I'm sure glad to be back. </span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-77764223464515328592012-01-01T20:14:00.000-08:002012-01-10T19:30:28.878-08:00Happy New Year.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xxds9wPA3VDWXF-fl7BUR3v8bj4ObJ1oD3tNSpU1E95H3ORxgAbLqQnYSqcOC2d3EFQQvpJZroSV-cUkjFiPxwBRDrW5rulEHH4pIrtUfCxT-TRbJ69bDtJNDpMsLweA-i0T1NlOK-g/s1600/Happy_New_Year_2012%255B3%255D.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 220px;" 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mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Today I was reminded that 2011 would be no more.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >"Happy New Year," my boyfriend said. "It's 2012."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >"I'm excited," I told him in honest thrill. "My kids will have more practice writing the number two!"</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >"Wow, you're a teacher through and through," he said with a chuckle. "When the first thing you think of is your students, you know you couldn’t quit being a teacher even if you wanted to."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I suppose he's right. If you're not convinced that I'm a teacher based on my excitement over the new year because of a number change, I have a few other ways that might persuade you:<br /><br /></span><ul face="trebuchet ms" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;"><li>I can't walk through a store without finding some product that would be perfect for an art or science project.<br /><br /></li><li>I have to take the longest route possible through stores with an art isle just so I won't spend all my money on art supplies.<br /><br /></li><li>I can't walk through a bookstore without ending up in the children's section.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="mso-list:Ignore">I</span> don’t throw away anything before considering how I might be able to use it for something as simple as counting or sorting.<br /><br /></li><li>I always have to stop and look at (and nearly always buy) a new sheet or two of stickers every time I get the chance.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal;font-size:7pt;" > </span></span>I raid other people's houses for box-tops, recycled cans, or pop can tabs.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="mso-list:Ignore">I</span> have to literally force myself to deviate from stores like the Dollar Tree. I can spend way too much money there.<br /><br /></li><li>Walking past the dollar spot at Target I almost always purchase at least six things.<br /><br /></li></ul><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It's apparent that putting my students first both during </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">after school will always be a part of me. I'm not sure how I would function any other way.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Happy New Year!</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </p></div>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-43754123395209392822011-11-11T19:24:00.000-08:002012-01-10T19:33:18.423-08:0011.11.11<span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMOKXLAIejkzOvXcHTmSNBwR_fICUPMDLUgqs5U7qp5bg4ChyphenhyphenkqMVlkMt0AWQSLFALpa4EZHfe3gXvbBu-CNvY_2cM3ZOlq0pwkRiP7wDIlx-8UAJ6nLXVPdjjO480w09wlUOn2PMfjE/s1600/11.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMOKXLAIejkzOvXcHTmSNBwR_fICUPMDLUgqs5U7qp5bg4ChyphenhyphenkqMVlkMt0AWQSLFALpa4EZHfe3gXvbBu-CNvY_2cM3ZOlq0pwkRiP7wDIlx-8UAJ6nLXVPdjjO480w09wlUOn2PMfjE/s320/11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673961932705292978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Veterans Day, like all other holidays means no school. While most of the time I enjoy these holidays for</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> a chanc</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">e to recharge both physically and mentally, today I felt differently.<br /><br />As part of our routine each morning, my Ki</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">ndergartners write a new journal entry upon arrival. During this time, I remind them to write the date at the top of their page while they watch me write </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">the date</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">. On November 1st, the whole class was in complete awe as I wrote "11/1/11" on the board. "It's a pattern!" a few shouted. "It's all one's," shouted another. Seeing their observations, relation to something we've been learning in class, combined with the overall excitement in writing something as simple as a date, brought a joyous smile to my face. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Today's date 11/11/11 brought back memories of that day, and just thinking about what their reactions would have been--probably just as thrilling as it was on the first--truly made me wish I was with them today. I will be eager to share with them this once in a lifetime date on Monday.</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-75346691260700673792011-06-15T22:47:00.001-07:002011-06-15T22:51:23.586-07:00Self-concept.<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0DZ0Y6afiAaO6YZDjXdKyOsHJm0qDRnNEdSo55HCn6GAaeoVKVtYIp_FS4mHUrFVXtQKvHQvvhQv3WvdQu5Y-UevaDp5x4wbrJ5dsoRfvfSv_jW-0uygfc7Kac0kiJKCa8iM3i9QfGE/s1600/child-mirror.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0DZ0Y6afiAaO6YZDjXdKyOsHJm0qDRnNEdSo55HCn6GAaeoVKVtYIp_FS4mHUrFVXtQKvHQvvhQv3WvdQu5Y-UevaDp5x4wbrJ5dsoRfvfSv_jW-0uygfc7Kac0kiJKCa8iM3i9QfGE/s320/child-mirror.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618690362189987810" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >The year has finally come to a close. Last Friday, my Kindergartners and I joyfully looked back on all that we’ve accomplished. As they finalized their last journal entry, we put together a notebook which contained every entry since the beginning of school. This was an exciting moment for them. Observing the beginning of their journals, which typically consisted of random letters and included no structure, many of them were confused by what they had written. “What’s this say, Miss Molly?” they questioned.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">At this point, I was eager to point out their progress. It turned out to be an automatic confidence booster as they turned each page and saw the improvement they had made over the course of the year. Here I realized that portfolios are my biggest tool to supporting their self-esteem. At this age, they will not always recognize achievements on their own, and as they progress academically and even socially throughout a school year, it becomes my role as the educator to recognize individual accomplishments.</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />My feedback, evaluations, encouragement, communication, and overall environment that I establish will attribute to how students feel about their abilities. Before self-esteem can be built, students must be able to recognize their individual accomplishments and believe that personal success was because of their own actions. I recognize that having a positive self-concept is critical during the early years, knowing that how we view ourselves affects future ideas, feelings, decisions, actions, expectations, and general performance in life.<br /><br />Keeping a portfolio of their previous work proved to be a great way for me to show students exactly how far they’ve come and how much they’ve accomplished. Besides overwhelming positive reinforcement and constant encouragement, the portfolios I keep will help students gain confidence in their work. If keeping a portfolio is but one more thing I can do to boost their self-esteem, then I will accept the importance of my role in attributing to self-concept and do all I can to support it.</span></p>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-20567464369327594172011-01-05T17:18:00.000-08:002011-01-05T17:52:25.122-08:00Commotion In The Ocean.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Today we read the story </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Commotion-Ocean-Giles-Andreae/dp/1589250001">Commotion in the Ocean</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The book was filled with wonderful creatures near or in the ocean. The children were filled with excitement to learn about all the animals in rhyming thrill. The conversation that occurred next, however, was filled with more commotion than any of the oceans combined. The conversation came towards the end when we reached a page about penguins and polar bears.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xkX8fwZ5hsmVx1aVxEOUWII2iRnWEogLdF064NsNHb84ygj_Vu38naUKuZLy95etkOr2GMpS7Xh-WChn1T9pUCxisxb6ITU1U-c_nZkMSk6iokqh1-ax7eu2pI7OKGSnVXUvIOupSPk/s1600/IMG_20110105_113928-2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xkX8fwZ5hsmVx1aVxEOUWII2iRnWEogLdF064NsNHb84ygj_Vu38naUKuZLy95etkOr2GMpS7Xh-WChn1T9pUCxisxb6ITU1U-c_nZkMSk6iokqh1-ax7eu2pI7OKGSnVXUvIOupSPk/s320/IMG_20110105_113928-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558879848427259682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">With attentive eyes, they carefully examined the bright and colorful illustrations. What stood out to them was not falling penguins or cuddling bears, but rather a tiny black and lonely starfish. I could barely tell what it was and asked, "Are you sure it's a starfish?" They assured me it was because of his pointy stature. In case you don't see it, as I did not, here is a closer look.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkKUProvwA243A2RL2rDVzFOBMnFxLgNkXr3x6zD4dGDLgZ_fwrUM3CAzGC1SKO7peAInpG6JcesKodzdnEsibTYhBmLo3ROFqRm0RjTlR01L1b6TUnApSEJkgJ0P1ICVxwKzauZGBqE/s1600/IMG_20110105_113928-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkKUProvwA243A2RL2rDVzFOBMnFxLgNkXr3x6zD4dGDLgZ_fwrUM3CAzGC1SKO7peAInpG6JcesKodzdnEsibTYhBmLo3ROFqRm0RjTlR01L1b6TUnApSEJkgJ0P1ICVxwKzauZGBqE/s320/IMG_20110105_113928-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558880626335897746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now you see it? Off in the distance of the first picture? I was just as surprised as they were and asked, "Well, what's he doing way out there?!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The answers were all very logical and Kindergartner-like.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Walking."</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Playing."</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Maybe he needs alone time."</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Sometimes I need alone time."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Well I hope he's not too lonely," I replied.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A moment of silence occurred before this enthusiastic soul shouted, "He's gonna jump!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Oh no! Why would he jump?!" I asked in shock that a Kindergartner would say something so terrifying.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"To see his family in the ocean," he assured me.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Yeah, alone time is over," another chimed in.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Clearly, it was my mistake for assuming worse. The innocence and logic of a five year old will never cease to fascinate me. </span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-25820923451902161292011-01-04T17:31:00.001-08:002011-01-04T18:19:18.464-08:00The Money Machine.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsO6be0Yf37ROBxHjWnHEu1NPq5eLW_xKJnPstfaxDzeHpaUBE0oW6pujubuhZssZSnoIo00D-bYzNBF50YwdFVXb7AyOVVQBqW9_5rdPhX_VCZLwWk9aLTJDc0gbauuVwHKZpRzew-M/s1600/money-tree.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsO6be0Yf37ROBxHjWnHEu1NPq5eLW_xKJnPstfaxDzeHpaUBE0oW6pujubuhZssZSnoIo00D-bYzNBF50YwdFVXb7AyOVVQBqW9_5rdPhX_VCZLwWk9aLTJDc0gbauuVwHKZpRzew-M/s320/money-tree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558514822381473090" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Today we learned about money. To approach the topic of money, we did an overview of the names, values, and purpose of money. Doing the typical Kindergarten thing we sang a lot of cool songs about money. We even clarified a lot of key questions like "Is there a jail on the back of a penny. " I wanted to remind them that money doesn't just grow on trees, so we talked about where it comes from. I mentioned the special machines that make the money. That's where the first question arose.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"What's a machine?"</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />To be simple I said, "A machine is something that is made to do a specific job for you, like a computer or washing machine." I didn't get too specific with the electrical portion of it.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />I went on to describe how it's not something we can own and only specific people (the government) can use this machine. That's where the final question arose.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />"What's the government?"</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />And that's where I stopped. You can only guess why. Hopefully I haven't created a terrible image of the government, but somehow I think they'll end up discovering that on their own.</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-21090761057670428262011-01-03T12:15:00.000-08:002011-01-05T16:15:10.029-08:00If you give Miss Molly a break...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloPivISNmsEc6-JvqQ6-6Ukr7g0JvRnl5CzX4H_v0nhFb7zaAJAdQW1tC72Z3OKC0JYtzNOGZb0W7vrztK6u87RrP6S4-JmkcxKVKdM9W6KqUEuDyh-SP9gR2CEb0dhkfXnWP_df7uU4/s1600/aba0476l.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558063521969225586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloPivISNmsEc6-JvqQ6-6Ukr7g0JvRnl5CzX4H_v0nhFb7zaAJAdQW1tC72Z3OKC0JYtzNOGZb0W7vrztK6u87RrP6S4-JmkcxKVKdM9W6KqUEuDyh-SP9gR2CEb0dhkfXnWP_df7uU4/s320/aba0476l.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you give Miss Molly a break from teaching, she will dearly miss the children. She will be eager to get back to school and will happily return at the end of her break.<br /><br />Returning to school will remind her about how special the children are. So, she will discover as much as she can from them to help them better their growth.<br /><br />Their blossoming personalities will remind her about how really entertaining they can be. And she will further embark on the journey of sharing their joyous laughs, giggles, smiles, while learning and taking on new experiences together.<br /><br />She will invest so much time into teaching everything she can to these very energetic children, that she will become exhausted through all her triumphant efforts. She will mark her calendar for her next break and press on with patience, love, and perseverance.<br /><br />Working hard will cause the time to pass and her break will finally come. Yet everyone knows, once you give Miss Molly a break, she will miss her Kindergartners dearly and will be excited to return recharged!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is just a little something I wrote to describe my feelings about teaching and a break every now and then. It has the flow of one of my favorite Kindergarten stories, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie."<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> </span></span>And to sum it all up, teaching is:<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> Exhausting? </span>Absolutely. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Worth it?</span> Totally.</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-8721082060548024582010-10-14T20:55:00.000-07:002010-10-16T14:42:28.600-07:00Praise vs. Encouragement<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AJHqBsbw-dKYG8spB2lvrhFH-3ukXSVld_IqULmlHFKxcWkw2s1iKAFrsV8AMoB1c7MHNhggaKmkTmwsph9-fUAgv-6xi_Z_Bs3VexLFw459onN3r51HCq9GCuy2zEA43Gynpf6VKIU/s1600/YouCanDoIt.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AJHqBsbw-dKYG8spB2lvrhFH-3ukXSVld_IqULmlHFKxcWkw2s1iKAFrsV8AMoB1c7MHNhggaKmkTmwsph9-fUAgv-6xi_Z_Bs3VexLFw459onN3r51HCq9GCuy2zEA43Gynpf6VKIU/s320/YouCanDoIt.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528118961736414658" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">When praise is given repeatedly, a child may learn to expect and rely on it. It also causes misinterpretation of your intent. Your child may begin to assume that your praise means approval, and likewise, the absence of praise means disapproval. It can lead to discouragement and fear to fail, whereas using encouragement can lead to acceptance of natural imperfections. To replace praise with encouragement, use phrases that put the emphasis on the child’s feelings and get rid of phrases that would indicate a personal opinion. Using a phrase such as, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“You should be proud of yourself,”</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> instead of “I am proud ofyou,” shows lack of judgment, yet is still found supportive and encouraging.<br /><br />It is natural for a child to experience the “I can do it” feeling and is something that should be encouraged. A parent’s natural tendency when a child does something pleasing is to say, “Good job,” however this actually shows judgment. It ultimately limits the child’s ability to be proud of his or her own work. It shows an assessment of what the child does and an opinion that you were pleased. The more praise occurs, the more the child will look for ways to please you. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">They will then come to you for approval, and will fail to be satisfied with what they do for his or her own sake. Replacing praise words with encouraging phrases such as </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“You did it,”</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> will promote a healthy sense of accomplishment.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><br />Over-praising can lead to neglect in personal gain. Eventually, a child will not appreciate a task as much and leave an activity they could otherwise have benefited from. Their filter can quickly become doing it for someone else’s satisfaction rather than their own. Knowing this, we see that the greatest benefit comes from personal satisfaction and not the satisfaction of others. When assisting in tasks, try making observations such as, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“You made a tall tree,</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">” instead of saying “I like your picture.” A child will still feel loved and supported through their own learning without feeling the need to hear a good opinion.</span></span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-51239282750473076652010-10-05T14:23:00.000-07:002010-10-05T14:43:54.400-07:00Forever.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdPaGKU0WcB1NayiD8p857fyRzchphdckvMiYODfvuOMt0yM_I0fHOPYG7wbKFLvg2Upry9Zttr9zlvnFLhRfJPtpqqglaxQvj0j0aAQfI-Dqf32Ou7K10iXWFiYcw85Lp_wZiA-111c/s1600/6a00e55111563088340134878117d1970c-320wi.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdPaGKU0WcB1NayiD8p857fyRzchphdckvMiYODfvuOMt0yM_I0fHOPYG7wbKFLvg2Upry9Zttr9zlvnFLhRfJPtpqqglaxQvj0j0aAQfI-Dqf32Ou7K10iXWFiYcw85Lp_wZiA-111c/s320/6a00e55111563088340134878117d1970c-320wi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524680791769069858" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Today we worked more on patterning. This is something that we have been practicing since the start of school, and the kids are starting to get very creative with their patterns. To test their skills, I had the students come up with a pattern of their own and produce it by connecting some colored linking cubes. I mostly had the AB pattern portrayed with these cubes, as it seems to be a favorite, but I got some interesting ones, too, like Katie's for example.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She decided to go all out with her pattern and make it go on forever. Her pattern went something like ABLKASJGKJELKJASJFKLDJSG - no repetition, just a really long line of colors. Being the teacher I am, I had to say something.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"Katie, that's not </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">really</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> pattern if you don't repeat it," I corrected.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Without any thought she boldly announced, "But YOU said a pattern could go on forever!"</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I suppose my lesson about patterns repeating themselves "</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">over and over and over and over and over</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">" again really stuck with her. Not quite what I meant, but at least she's listening!</span></div></div>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-21847009329216643442010-09-17T14:53:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:19:29.642-07:00The Discovery of Tape.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ymk40qo4ZjDvfuREPUZlSyY-9oGXhZcd-8Ov2bjRcugwyRHbKMY-Zu0baC5FKx2MukTZTUJQnAb_2x5sR5GbBr0CHrfW6B0GQqGnJRhcuo9az7LQ5TM1hUgFEtoX4MsjUYMBHWLH2_s/s1600/3m-masking-tape.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 167px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518010490002721122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ymk40qo4ZjDvfuREPUZlSyY-9oGXhZcd-8Ov2bjRcugwyRHbKMY-Zu0baC5FKx2MukTZTUJQnAb_2x5sR5GbBr0CHrfW6B0GQqGnJRhcuo9az7LQ5TM1hUgFEtoX4MsjUYMBHWLH2_s/s200/3m-masking-tape.gif" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Today, one of my dear sprouts learned about the wonderful ways of tape. I'm sure he has always been knowledgeable with how sticky and interesting this stuff can be, but today he learned something new: <em>The more you stick it, the less it sticks.<br /><br /></em>I am simply amazed with how these little discoveries are made. Through play and exploration we can discover all about our world and the things in it. These discoveries are especially popular in Kindergarten, and can be made with abstract concepts and objects. Even tape.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">The discovery of tape started Monday morning when Kevin decided his name plate needed to be adjusted approximately three inches over on his desk. On Tuesday, another adjustment needed to be made, only this time, the other direction. Wednesday rolled around, and a new discovery was made: <em>Every time I touch my desk plate, it moves.</em> I'm sure his thoughts went something like, <em>That's crooked now. I can fix that!</em> As an adult, we are all familiar with the way tape works. So you can only guess what his many adjustments was doing to this fascinating product. By Thursday, curiosity combined with the lack of quality adjustments led to this "name plate" becoming a "name tag." You guessed it, right on the chest. With a sweet reminder from Miss Molly and additional effort to make it stick, the name plate went back on the desk.<br /><br />Finally, today, when nearly all hope was gone that this name plate would ever stick on the desk, Kevin pulled out his last big idea. <em>Maybe... it will stick better on face!</em> And just like that I watched the little name plate (with barely any "stick") fall from his face... repeatedly.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I intervened. "Kevin, please bring me your name plate." </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">As he walked over and placed it into my hands, his eyes showed nothing but commitment to the fact that he did nothing out of the ordinary. He boldy pronounced, "It wouldn't stick!"</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">With this discover made, nothing more needed to be said.</span></div>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-43710065782252861042010-09-08T13:38:00.000-07:002010-09-08T21:02:15.330-07:00Tangent.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I can always count on my kindergartners to keep me in line. Today, I went off on a tangent. Yes, a tangent. You know those things where you completely stray from your original purpose in conversation and dive into something completely off topic? Trying to place it more under the "teachable moment" category, that was me today. It went something like this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pDn5FwOaErnqVE1GKQF9T3o1yepeuHT4bmHtyKU9NowCcWoaLEsFza9qTM_x0fsZenhqSvfFZbWA-Cuk1W5sIovUgikdFT6U6S2sUFl2riEcE95i5s6sDEOrFnGfUAqSDk5PGYrVL2w/s1600/talking_his_way_out_of_it_409205.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 219px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 191px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514656229533257586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pDn5FwOaErnqVE1GKQF9T3o1yepeuHT4bmHtyKU9NowCcWoaLEsFza9qTM_x0fsZenhqSvfFZbWA-Cuk1W5sIovUgikdFT6U6S2sUFl2riEcE95i5s6sDEOrFnGfUAqSDk5PGYrVL2w/s320/talking_his_way_out_of_it_409205.jpg" /></a>"A, B, C, D, E, F.... What comes next?" I asked. "Yes, G! This is the letter G. The letter G makes two sounds. Can you say /g/ /j/?"<br /><br />The class gladly repeated "/g/ /j/."<br /><br />At this time, I recognized that the second sound came out more of a "dgsh" from one of the boys. I gave this young Russian student some additional assistance. I had not planned on talking about the various languages spoken at home, but when recognizing that the Russian sounds he was speaking at home was mixing with our English sounds, I found it the perfect opportunity to bring up the subject of the diversity in our class. This is where the tangent began.<br /><br />"How many of you speak a different language at home?" I asked.<br /><br />Nearly all the hands were raised. This took a minute to clarify that we <em>all</em> speak English, but that some of us speak <em>another</em> language. I found it very exciting that our class varies in different languages such as Cantonese, Russian, and Korean, but apparently I'm the only one. After a couple minutes of setting each student apart and excitedly sharing about each language, I was abruptly interrupted by Daniel with a "You've got to be kidding me" look.</span> <div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Can we get back to the ABC's now!?" he shouted.<br /><br />With a smile I replied, "Of course," and we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">continued</span>, "A, B, C, D, E, F, G....." If he hadn't have stopped me then, I'm not sure we ever would have finished. These little "reminders" are in my class every year. I'm actually quite thankful for them, because honestly, I don't know what I'd do without them.<br /></span></div></div>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-49726188250230013382010-09-07T17:08:00.000-07:002011-06-15T18:54:01.066-07:00I love my job.<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gbrQ5nyk2mhwyWqnCs9OcOoT6UWr59eUqQJJ88elxxkuzSU2oar6qazvf0hS_KtiV3yzECGbTGGNH6Bz7xMwZ2nBhxIHvpmUYcDxShynb8uOS1Iri8ql214p7wKAOeX3R2zj5-ROocU/s1600/kindergarten.213170906.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; float: left; height: 132px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514330474926923362" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gbrQ5nyk2mhwyWqnCs9OcOoT6UWr59eUqQJJ88elxxkuzSU2oar6qazvf0hS_KtiV3yzECGbTGGNH6Bz7xMwZ2nBhxIHvpmUYcDxShynb8uOS1Iri8ql214p7wKAOeX3R2zj5-ROocU/s200/kindergarten.213170906.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:100%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span">As if the title didn't say it any more clear, it's true - I love teaching Kindergarten. You see, what I love best about my job is the power that I have. No, I didn't become a teacher because I get gratification from telling five-year-olds what to do all day. In fact, that can get a bit annoying. The power I have doesn't come from force, but from a sincere desire to influence an individual's life. As a teacher, I have the power to motivate. I have the power to inspire. I have the power to encourage. I have the power to comfort. But most of all, I have the power to make a difference. Everything I do and everything I say has to be intentional. Without intent, my power is useless.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The school year has begun and I have already found ways to use the power to create excitement in even the simplest of tasks, like counting to three. I experienced so much fulfillment while asking my new sprouts to count to three on the third day of school. Easy? Of course. But I can assure you, with as much expression and enthusiasm that I used, counting to three is proven to be quite the accomplishment. If you were in my class, even <i>you</i> would feel special for doing it. :) For added thrill, we even counted backwards - <i>three, two, one</i>. They walked away from our Daily Doodle Bug with bright shining smiles. Let's just say it was a BIG deal, and they felt proud.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I can't help but look at these five-year-olds and sometimes six-year-olds and see nothing but potential. When I look at them I don't see all in which they do not know (for at the beginning of the year that seems like an abundance) Instead, I look at them and see all that they <i>can</i> learn, all that their curious minds <i>want</i> to learn, and finally, all that I know they <i>will</i> learn. It seems like a big task to teach a child who can barely write their name how to write entire sentences in nine months, and even more so to teach a child who can barely identify alphabet letters how to read. I wait in anticipation. The accomplishment of this task is only a portion of the joy that I get out of teaching. The other portion of joy comes through the entire journey of the school year -- a journey that I am looking forward to sharing with a whole new crop of tender sprouts.</span></span><span style="border-collapse: collapse;font-size:100%;" class="Apple-style-span" > <p><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></p></span></div>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-78458988494172374532010-07-30T13:04:00.000-07:002012-06-13T20:56:27.252-07:00Fractions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguexLLJIHCNdhqlXYgssJYmcASoOMxV5zFMbbaj-17bWda2UhmMyHt8nKKpvwZVxqR1EfO4xhPSJ4yk2lv6iV68GQL5BkHr5DGRMkXDyDd5wSYwrEfqxni1ubIW7DbgwtWI1Bw69Rrp5g/s1600/Fractions.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 142px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499804599388632162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguexLLJIHCNdhqlXYgssJYmcASoOMxV5zFMbbaj-17bWda2UhmMyHt8nKKpvwZVxqR1EfO4xhPSJ4yk2lv6iV68GQL5BkHr5DGRMkXDyDd5wSYwrEfqxni1ubIW7DbgwtWI1Bw69Rrp5g/s200/Fractions.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Today I had the pleasure of taking part in a sweet breakthrough moment of a to-be fourth grader whom I've been tutoring over the summer. He's a bright student, although he does process things a bit differently. Things like word probems are really challenging. For the past four weeks I've really gotten to know the brilliance of his mind. </span><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">During our last tutoring session on Tuesday, I discovered how difficult fractions were for him. The worksheet I gave him had pictures clearly drawn out with segmented and shaded boxes. This stumped him. What number was he supposed to write on the top? Which one on the bottom? Do you count the white ones or the dark ones? He wrote down a variety of interesting answers and explained unique ways as to how he got the answers. After showing him a few different ways of looking at it, he came to the point of faking understanding. We moved on. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /> </div></span><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></div></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I was a bit perplexed after that session and was trying to wrap my mind around how difficult this was for him. Something as simple as "two of the shaded three boxes equals 2/3" did not make sense to him. How was he seeing it that I wasn't? More so, I wanted to figure out how I could show him in a way that would make sense to him. Nothing brilliant coming to me, I let it be.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Days later, while driving, a time where all my greatest ideas seem to come to me, I remembered something about this boy that might help him understand fractions. He is musically talented and severely more so than most. "Talented" would be an understatement, considering this boy is a phenomenal drummer and has been since he was three. So I came up with a way to portray fractions to his musical oriented mind.<br /><br />During our session today I asked him to get his hands ready. Not knowing what I was talking about he looked at me confused. I told him, "We are going to drum." His eyes lit up, and I could tell he was trying to figure out what fractions had to do with drumming. Taking our two thirds example, I told him to make a continuous base beat with one hand that emphasized every <em>three</em>.<br /><br />He begin to tap out, "one, two, three... one, two, three... one, two, three..." on his right hand.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Once he had that I then told him, "Now we are going to make our <em>left</em> hand only tap out <em>two</em> of every three beats." He looked at me, smiled, and started. Before long, he was tapping out his fractions on his hands with the sweetest smile and brightest eyes a boy can give.<br /><br />Coming to the moment of truth I asked him, "What fraction of the time is your left hand hitting the table." I nearly held my breath in hopes of him answering this most likely confusing question. Without much delay I heard, "two-thirds" come from his lips. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"And what fraction is your <em>right</em> hand doing the work?" I threw in just for fun.<br /><br />"Three......(pause) no... ONE."<br /><br />In that moment, I don't think either of us could have been much happier.</span></div></div>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-40621681196121677712010-04-08T18:39:00.000-07:002010-04-12T16:55:03.801-07:00Brain Vacation.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Daily, after recess or P.E., which both generally come mid-class, it is time for a much needed R&R. I turn out the lights, have my bursting buds rest their heads on their desks, while listening to soft music playing, and sipping on a bit of water to rehydrate their little bodies. It's both the perfect and worst time to do so. They are all wound up from their most recent exercise, and the last thing they want to do is "rest." However, it is for this very reason why it becomes entirely important for them to settle down.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our rest time isn't always considered a likable activity. They want to be viewed as "big" and in their minds big kids certainly don't nap. I try to find ways to make it enjoyable, or at least bearable, so they aren't reminded of their younger siblings during an afternoon nap. Reminding them that even Miss Molly takes naps sometimes helps, but sharing that daily gets old quick. When doing some reading I discovered some teachers who call this rest time a "Brain Vacation." Seeing this, I was immediately inspired and eager to try it out.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"OK everybody, it's time for Brain Vacation! You're brains get to rest, and don't have to do any amount of thinking if you don't want them to!" I said in excitement.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It was a lighter way of saying "put your heads down," so they all greeted the new phrase with pleasure. After one enjoyable minute of quiet, one busy thinker just had to break the silence with a pressing question.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Miss Molly? Are our brains leaving our heads?" he asked inquisitively.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I may have said it before, but Kindergartners have this unique way of taking everything they hear literally. Their minds wrap around the precise details of each word you say, and lack the necessary skills to interpret it differently. Knowing this, I try to filter everything I say through the suspected literal translations I figure will occur. However, there are times like these in which particular phrases slip by that need further explaining. In these cases, including our brain vacation moment, I am happy to oblige and make every effort to explain as carefully as I can so the phrase may be continued to be used.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now it's your turn to think about it -- Brain Vacation. Odd word combination, right? Naturally, when he heard this phrase, he imagined his brain literally jumping out of his head and running away to catch some vacation time. I wanted to ask him how his brain would leave his head in the first place, where would he go, or how would he even get there. <em>Would he climb out the mouth? Would he go to the beach? Would he grow legs and hop on a bus to get there?</em> I decided that after my initial explanation, further questions were better left alone, as it was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">interrupting</span> valuable quiet time. Afterall, we all know that brains are exceedingly smart, but somehow I don't think even the most powerful of brains would be capable of completing such an extraordinary task.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459372794963778690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNYvlbrXuwIe5RQ50Rew23mhFJnTEeKWQtx2uGdqsVk6d3fMLWGGznSkco8G7HcKoI7aaZqwy9aDZ5lhnxGN4x2uheOc9RiDr-B4Z-lIQIg1n9W3rdmSPJxFe4R4kHcLeZQ7dVr7qBwI/s320/My_Brain_On_Vacation_by_Jo1day.jpg" /></span></div>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-27780081845856104872010-03-26T19:01:00.000-07:002010-03-26T19:29:13.434-07:00Just Like Me.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If I didn't know it by now, I'm always being watched. I quickly discover what kind of teacher I am when I see my little ones mimic me. I see the direct influence of how I act as a teacher, when I allow them to play the role themselves. This opportunity comes when they read a book to the class, lead calendar time, or present their show and tell. They know how to play "teacher" so well, in fact, it tends to sound just like me.<br /><br />I noticed it twice today with two different children. One dear friend led circle time. Towards the end, as the recess teacher came in, all the sprouts jumped up and ran to the door. Without any hesitation she quickly shouted, "Come sit back down, I didn't dismiss you yet!" She then waited until the entire class showed her their perfect and quiet listening before she dismissed them one at a time. It was sweet to see that although she was never coached on this, she knew exactly how to be the teacher.<br /><br />The second occurrence was when another friend was presenting her show and tell. Before she began she did not say a word. She stood there, staring at her class mates, and held her presentation behind her back. After waiting a bit she finally spoke up, "I'm waiting for you to show me five ways to listen." <em>That's my girl!</em> She demanded their attention, as she rightfully should, and again waited until the whole class was quiet before she began.<br /><br />As their teacher I have a power influence over their lives. They are watching my every move and I am happy to set a good example. This particular technique is used by me on a daily basis. And now, as they watch me wait for them, they in turn wait for their friends. I couldn't think of an easier way to teach them the valuable lesson of respect.</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-20885988205950440762010-03-23T13:39:00.001-07:002010-03-23T14:34:33.916-07:00Go Team!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3F4Mx5YtwH5UW749iDhK_DPrmK9y_H-qxM1nS0zpMUgrfha3wQTzic2CfuHxcOl6_uE4b29818OacRvzeSKw_yt5B8amoQK9ISFk0Psq8XDlWSfQZi68q0885KJI4zvtWX-1TMZuOiE/s1600-h/114446615686.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 232px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 211px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451945596197205554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3F4Mx5YtwH5UW749iDhK_DPrmK9y_H-qxM1nS0zpMUgrfha3wQTzic2CfuHxcOl6_uE4b29818OacRvzeSKw_yt5B8amoQK9ISFk0Psq8XDlWSfQZi68q0885KJI4zvtWX-1TMZuOiE/s320/114446615686.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Had I realized how well our class meetings or "team time" would go, I would have done the activity much sooner. I am so very thankful for that hour I had to kill in the bookstore a few weeks back. It was here that I happened to find a book about "Positive Discipline: Developing Mutual Respect, Cooperation, and Responsibility in your classroom, " -- an eye catching title to me, knowing that respect and cooperation in my classroom was something my Kindergartners desperately needed.<br /><br />The difference made in the past month since we've implemented these meetings has been outstanding. At first the opportunity to share feelings were usually sad ones. They expressed how somebody hurt their feelings earlier in the day. It wasn't said to bash on their friend, but for the rest of us to gain an understanding of how our actions affect others. We came up with a solution for a better tomorrow, and left the day happy that our feelings were heard.<br /></span><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Today seemed to mark two special occasions of classroom cooperation. The first was exhibited during clean up time. I said, like always, "Can we make it in two songs today?" All together they shouted, "No we can do it in ONE!" And sure enough, they cleaned up faster than they have have before simply because they worked as a team. The second occured during the<em> feelings</em> portion of Team Time. This is the time where my friends can talk about any feeling they want. Two students who have never shared a happy feeling before, raised their hands and said, "I have a feeling." We expected their feeling to be sad, but as they began to speak they both started with "I'm happy because..." That alone put a smile on all of our faces. It seems as if our whole classroom is getting turned upside down with pure cooperation and uplifting feedback to each other.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There is now a shared effort to always be on the look out for each other. Every student knows that together we are a team and therefore they act on it. Every team-mate knows that they are valued and their feelings are heard. They feel safe enough to tell others how they feel, and the other team-mates are more than happy listen and help give a solution. Responsibility is a word they both know and follow. They are becoming problem solvers and self-thinkers. They are willing to accept responsibility for their actions because they know how it affects others. They understand the importance of how compliments make us feel good, and are eager for their daily opportunity to put a smile on somebody else's face by giving one. Most importantly, we now leave every day in smiles, as we get our stickers, put our hands in the circle, and shout one big "GO TEAM!"</span></div>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-24126154032246001312010-03-20T15:31:00.001-07:002010-03-23T12:17:14.430-07:00Thomas the Tank Engine.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5g0LU_scDn9cfx_CMQ_N6xceOGWLyHG0yZ02xXPO6ZFmfn9Fef4Hx1GmUQLRJCub93bpwrmxQCNx6nrsyoSyqnO2SFoSYMXJiAe1GTCqjLqh9nTrYUrA0Lidkv5onSqxmY_pl2aUBJnY/s1600-h/IMG_4454.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450857881776983634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5g0LU_scDn9cfx_CMQ_N6xceOGWLyHG0yZ02xXPO6ZFmfn9Fef4Hx1GmUQLRJCub93bpwrmxQCNx6nrsyoSyqnO2SFoSYMXJiAe1GTCqjLqh9nTrYUrA0Lidkv5onSqxmY_pl2aUBJnY/s320/IMG_4454.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our Thomas the Tank Engine toy set is quite popular during choice time. The most valued pieces happen to be Thomas the train himself. Luckily, there are two. It makes sharing easier. Yesterday I became the honorary member of this center. I was invited to not only play with them, but I was also given the other Thomas. Now this is quite the honor, as the Thomas trains are in high demand and always in use. Usually when I am invited to visit this center, I am only given Harold the Helicopter or Sir Topham Hatt to play with.<br /><br />I was excited to get to play with a train for once, and drove the train at the top of the hill. My fun didn't last for long as my attention quickly became needed elsewhere. At this point, I left my Thomas unattended.<br /><br />It wasn't but moments later I heard my dear friend with whom I was playing with shout, "Miss Molly! Get your Thomas under control!"<br /><br />I was then informed that my Thomas had rolled down the bridge and had an accident with hers. I gained control of my Thomas once again and asked if I could then snap a picture. When finished, I showed the picture to another friend who asked to see it. "Thomas takes good pictures," he delightfully told me.<br /><br />"Why's that?" I asked.<br /><br />"Because he doesn't blink at all!"<br /><br />I came to realize how delighted I am to have so many little lessons shared with me on a daily basis. Whether it's details about train accidents or how to be perfectly photogenic for the camera, my sprouts know quite a bit. It is a blessing to be a part of this wonderful experience and contribute myself to their bursting growth and development. </span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-70162509640983649302010-03-17T17:56:00.001-07:002010-03-18T11:35:37.339-07:00Birthday Bug.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynA1oU13AFK8Tmu1BLBrd9jOMP0BodRlSqpaoyYlKhFWZAZ17nl5FsnoGOa0FAbeepYo24CP7dc-Oc8o7c32hUF346m56WAbiwtaLANqpp1JImZmBDuVBKyOKTZdhIHSlLybu9guclS8/s1600-h/Birthday-Bug-13_5x10.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 224px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449779333008357090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynA1oU13AFK8Tmu1BLBrd9jOMP0BodRlSqpaoyYlKhFWZAZ17nl5FsnoGOa0FAbeepYo24CP7dc-Oc8o7c32hUF346m56WAbiwtaLANqpp1JImZmBDuVBKyOKTZdhIHSlLybu9guclS8/s320/Birthday-Bug-13_5x10.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I knew that today would be different, and the energy flowing in our classroom today couldn't have agreed more with that statement. Not only was it St. Patrick's Day, but it was also one of our classmate's birthdays. The latter event was clearly the most prominent. The excitement to his birthday has been building up for weeks. I assume it started when mom started making preparations for his first big boy sleepover party. Since then, every morning he would greet me, his classmates, and their parents with the exact number of days till his birthday. Many more times throughout the day he would repeatedly share this not so new information. This then caused all his friends to run home and tell their parents again, as if they hadn't already heard. That <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">series of</span> events has been on repeat for at least three weeks, so I knew today had to be big.<br /><br />Enjoying the silence in my classroom moments before the first jumping bean arrived, I heard a faint but clear voice proclaiming, "Today's my birthday!" coming from outside. I quickly got up ready to eagerly greet him at the door, and as I opened I made sure I was the first one to speak, "Guess what?!" I quickly asked him hoping to throw him off from his ongoing birthday excitement. I didn't trick him. "It's my birthday!" he shouted back. Maybe I acted a little too excited with the initial welcome, but I couldn't hold it in. I was happy because I knew he was.<br /><br />The birthday bug hit the whole class today as it seemed to be on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">everybody's</span> mind. My class didn't seem to care all that much about St. Patrick's Day. When asking questions like, "Why is today special?" all they could answer is "Daniel's birthday!" This question happened to be sandwiched between a lesson about St. Patrick's Day, but that didn't matter to them. Journal entries were about him, St. Patrick writing turned into writing about him, and he ended up getting "compliments" from over half the class. Today was his day. Can't wait till Friday, as that birthday bug will be staying around for another friend's birthday.</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-88861343277404552222010-03-16T21:35:00.000-07:002010-03-18T11:45:26.298-07:00My Un-Birthday.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My bursting buds always have the best ways of making me feel special. They know I love them, and in return I get the best love back. Their giving hearts are exploding with all the creative ways they come up with to show me they care. Here are a few that have brought recent smiles to my face.<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgRgRXhHSmsMfNpHTy6rAqLrmO2A2rnv3RX6TkXJCZc5yYWp_oizm9PbpupvYcZcN6AbofCSRZT1EHhreJQHtMnBLviZAVrnwVFNx9pBmVV3oPFsqmsZfrpNCtowX0zpdoVpjCe0kdvQ/s1600-h/IMG_4401.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 230px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 151px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449470963904398258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgRgRXhHSmsMfNpHTy6rAqLrmO2A2rnv3RX6TkXJCZc5yYWp_oizm9PbpupvYcZcN6AbofCSRZT1EHhreJQHtMnBLviZAVrnwVFNx9pBmVV3oPFsqmsZfrpNCtowX0zpdoVpjCe0kdvQ/s200/IMG_4401.JPG" /></a><br />1. This was one of the many pictures I received from a water color paint center. After one friend mentioned that his picture was for Miss Molly, a domino effect quickly took place. One after another were voices proudly proclaiming that their special picture was just for Miss Molly. It didn't take long before it seemed like a contest to see who could make the most just for me.<br /><br />"Thank you for all the lovely pictures. It's not even my birthday but I sure feel like it is," I shared with them.<br /><br />"Well this is your birthday present. I'm just giving it to you early," a friend replied.<br /><br />Birthday or not, I'll take a birthday present any day.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Iy0GdVhPMYoPIsCotaMkyRvRLKzzGlDLdkgq3dmIxwi2vhTlYMymPK7tLmnmq6q02NgXDRdGsCyRrZI8S_qdh5FYIWZqoRe-N2EzJohubkvdulxyB1XjzJLywGbWZ-57XAfgiLgL774/s1600-h/IMG_4478.JPG"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449467330551570930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Iy0GdVhPMYoPIsCotaMkyRvRLKzzGlDLdkgq3dmIxwi2vhTlYMymPK7tLmnmq6q02NgXDRdGsCyRrZI8S_qdh5FYIWZqoRe-N2EzJohubkvdulxyB1XjzJLywGbWZ-57XAfgiLgL774/s200/IMG_4478.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> 2. Every day my sweet buds are given a choice to give, get, or pass on a compliment. They mostly always give, and on the days they need a little extra love we are all glad to give it.<br /><br />Yesterday I was surprised when a friend spoke the name of who she was directing her compliment towards - Miss Molly. I'm always at their level and a part of the circle, but who would have figured a compliment would be given just for me? I now fully understand the importance of receiving one little compliment every day.<br /><br />3. I happened to be working at my desk with a student when a morning journal entry was dropped off in my box. I quickly looked it over, acknowledged her with a "thank you," and got back to what I was doing. After a minute of her still standing there, I looked back up at her and said, "Is there something else you needed."<br /><br />"I need to read it to you. This one is important," she replied.<br /><br />The journal entry read, "Miss Molly and I love each other and hug each other," with the following illustration:</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449468740736990690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabiro0hPeu1NTgu9TZRC3JDo6_MqICUtNtQB1KBh6iXTXnqr0IhrtGgqzfrIdd1v7mJQCoh88gR8zyE19Y_gLKi6VCVoXpH5CciMgVJVKZYfGtt5LzNzQGlwKPTj35QNqotf5Fq010Vc/s200/IMG_4484.JPG" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I had to respond to this. I gave her a big hug and told her how it made me feel special.<br /><br />Once again a bold leader has inspired the rest of the class in the gifts to Miss Molly. " I was gonna write about that too ya know," another added maybe feeling a little left out. Tomorrow I think I might just get more. After all, it is my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">un</span>-birthday.</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375156945104475134.post-42590918770328038492010-03-11T16:53:00.000-08:002010-03-11T22:39:57.755-08:00Routine.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7n8HUnCYTbd2jdG7T8nTmNOJN9VNkDP-M4YyyX9-AeWU12GbO1wiKy_4wK_cfKdbAuH6FwdBMY1cmTMA2lfD7LuJ48DRIj6uORWcuqTLz6uPGzQ1yR6SyvKelGGgjXjt4nWaqBQVD2E/s1600-h/routine_400x400.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 225px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447628265231752002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7n8HUnCYTbd2jdG7T8nTmNOJN9VNkDP-M4YyyX9-AeWU12GbO1wiKy_4wK_cfKdbAuH6FwdBMY1cmTMA2lfD7LuJ48DRIj6uORWcuqTLz6uPGzQ1yR6SyvKelGGgjXjt4nWaqBQVD2E/s320/routine_400x400.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Routine is an incredibly important aspect of any early childhood classroom. Children thrive off of the security they feel when clear and consistent schedules are implemented. Knowing what comes next allows them to feel safe and in control of their environment. It helps them to focus on their current activity, finish it efficiently, and prepare for what they know will come next. In the larger picture, it allows those previously thought of as "rough" transitions carry on a whole new a steady flow that puts the whole class at ease.<br /><br />For my Kindergartners, they know what comes next. So much that sometimes it feels like they're going on throughout their day ahead of me. We have those catch up moments where I'll have to bring to their attention, "Yes, you're right that's next, but not yet." This concept only proves their strong need for independence and their ability to flourish from it.<br /><br />There are days when our schedule doesn't quite go as planned. I'm not talking about straying from lesson plans, but the daily routines that never change, like our <em>welcome song</em>. Today I got so busy trying to complete all the items on our morning agenda before the music teacher arrived, that I completely forgot to sing our welcome song. We went on with music class and the rest of our morning as scheduled, but those little tikes certainly didn't forget to sing the welcome song. I thought for a moment we could easily have a day without it, until I remembered the disaster it created last time. It threw off the entire pace of the day.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />It's amazing what difference the lack of a one minute song made, so for their comfort (and my own sanity) I was sure to accomplish singing it as soon as they reminded me. It's a good thing to remember just how important routine is to these five-year-olds. I most likely wont be forgetting our welcome song anytime soon, but if I do, I can always count on my sprouts to remind me. :)</span>Miss Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423137791600914274noreply@blogger.com0