Seuss-O-Rama

Kindergarten is so much fun.

Dr. Seuss‘ birthday is today and my class celebrated all week.

My favorite activity, thanks to Pinterest, was the a-DOR-able Thing One and Thing Two’s that grace our classroom windows:

We culminated our week of Seuss-O-Rama festivities with some yummy snacks.:

Cat in the Hat hats, made by a classroom parent, and “Green Eggs and Ham“.

What?

What’s that you say?

That’s not really green eggs and ham?

You see, Mrs. Teacher (that’s me) doesn’t do eggs.

She doesn’t taste them,

smell them.

Cook them,

TOUCH them.

So her trusty parapro, Mrs. Do-Everything-Including-Make-Anything-That-Needs-To-Be-Made,

researched and came up with the white chocolate, green M&M, and pretzel substitute.

And anything that has to do with chocolate is a winner in Mrs. Teacher’s book.

Back to School

Image from onecharmingparty.com

As I prepare my own children for their first days of school, I prepare myself for the new year as well.

Will I like my class?

How will I get to know each student?

Will I be able to challenge each one?

Will they like me?

But the most important question for myself is this:

Will I be able to instill a love of learning in my students?

You see, preschool is a springboard into the major grades.  If I can’t foster a love of learning, then I haven’t done my job.  Are the ABCs and 123s important?  Of course.  But these little ones are like the seeds planted in the ground.  They must be cultivated and bathed in sunshine.  My sunshine.

That’s why I high five them, tell them they are fabulous, and encourage them to do more.

That’s why I really get into reading aloud to my students.  They need to know how fun reading can be.  Even though these little ones are barely reading themselves, I want them to be excited to hear the stories I read.

Teaching is a challenge, but I was meant to do it.

My prayer is that my love for learning and children shows to my students and their parents.

Related articles

• Matt Damon’s Speech to Teachers’ Rally (oldschoolteach.wordpress.com)
• Man Damon Takes Part In The “Save Our Schools” March (socialitelife.com)
• Damon protests with teachers in Washington (hollywood.com)

Money Man

We are learning about money in my 4K class.

I introduced the penny yesterday during circle time.

Me: Boys and girls, this is a penny.  A penny is a coin that is worth 1 cent.  It has two sides.  On one side, there is a man’s head.  Do you think you know who the man is?

(I fully expected crickets to chirp)

Little boy: MICHAEL JACKSON!!!

Me: ummm…no….

It’s Over.

The fat lady is singing.

Maternity leave is over.

The perk:

Frick, Frack and Frog will ALL be with me at school for the remainder of the year.

The crappy side:

We (me) still aren’t sleeping.

But that’s something two toothpicks for the eyes and a travel size mug of Gloria Jean’s Hazelnut coffee from my Keurig can easily fix.

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s back to work I go!

Retro…Again

I busted out the record player again at school this week.

The children were stunned.  AGAIN.

“What’s that Mrs. (insert my last name HERE)?”

“A what?!?”

This post from last year sums it all up….

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October 8, 2008

What do you say when your four year old students ask you what this is:

And then tell you this:

is the biggest CD/DVD they have EVER seen.

Do you:

A.  Laugh and tell them all about how you used a “record player” to play your Strawberry Shortcake record back in the day?

B.  Tell them they need to get with it…this is new technology?

C.  Consider yourself old and be done with it?

Yes, my friends, I TOTALLY busted out the record player and played “9-1-1″ for the kids from the Community Helpers album the school had.

Now, who had more fun?

Open House 2009

As a teacher, I always have mixed emotions about Open House.

There’s excitement for the new year…

fear of the unexpected…

and the feeling of being overwhelmed by the responsibility of molding young minds.

I’ll be “looping” for the first time ever–teaching most of the students who were in my 3K class last year in 4K this year.  There’s something to be said for knowing your students’ strengths and weaknesses before the year even starts.

But there is also a bittersweet feeling this year.  My sweet babies, who not so long ago had adorable rolls on their chunky legs,

are now both enrolled in the school where I teach, 5 days a week.

*sigh*

Frack, 3K

Frick, 4K

Go Girl!

Teachers went back today and the first day of school is Monday.

Thank God…

…a schedule is in our future.

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I went to the doctor today and the baby looks great.

Mommy’s feeling the heartburn (still)…

…and asked the doctor for a prescription for ice cream.

He laughed.

I said I was serious.

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BP and and I went into hysterics today

when THIS arrived at my door as part of a giveaway I won…

(thanks Anti-Supermom!  The box was awesome!!)

…you better believe I am gonna try it.

Yikes!

Frick was playing in a dollhouse during summer school this past week.

Usually, he makes the people dive out of windows, throw furniture around, or just create general chaos in the little miniature world.

I glanced at him the other day while he played.

The house was pristine.  Furniture was in all the right places.

The Daddy was in the bed.

The Mommy was sitting at the kitchen table with the kids.

I couldn’t resist.

Mommy: Frick, what’s the Daddy doing?

Frick: Oh.  He’s sleeping in.

Mommy: What is the Mommy doing?

Frick: Well someone needs to feed the kids!

That story almost rivals this one from the school year:

Two students were playing at the dollhouse during center time.

There was a “mommy” and a “daddy”.

One of the students said,

“Let’s go take a shower.”

Friday Fragments

 

 

A few months ago, I entertained the children with a record player.

This week, I pulled out the cassette player.

It’s been a long time since I used one of those dinosaurs.

Rewinding the tape is quite a lengthy process.

We waited.

And waited.

And waited.

*crickets chirping*

And then a little boy student piped up and said,

“Is it EVER going to play, Mrs. Teacher?“

These kids have never seen a cassette tape before.  They were the same ones who thought the record was a giant CD.  That’s what I am there for…to educate them on the classics.

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My fellow early childhood teachers will appreciate this:

 

Lately I have been assigning the boys ‘centers’ in which to play. This is what happens when you bring your work home.

 

Actually, it is the only thing maintaining my sanity these days.

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Click this to see about our recent Honeymoon Suite Nightmare.

 

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Click here to see about my aging process.

 

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For more Friday Fragments, go visit Mrs.4444.

 

Friday Fragments

 

I still have not picked out costumes for the boys.

No dinero = no store bought costumes

I was thinking Bob the Builder (already have the tool set, hard hat, etc.)

and/or

black eyed peas (paint black eye, P on white T-shirt).

 Ideas???

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Yesterday, I checked on the boys about an hour after I put them down for their naps.  

Frick was still awake.

Frack was naked and still awake.  

It took me a moment to figure this out.  Hiding my smile, I asked him why he was naked.

“I pee.”

Smile faded.

“You peed?”

“Uh huh.”

“WHERE?!”

“Ober der!” (as he points to the corner of the room)

Nice.

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I received this email from a student’s parent:

(printed with permission, of course!)

*names have been changed, again.

 

I was helping Fred* play on the computer today – NickJr.com.  A picture of Dora came up and he said “Dora Saves the Ice Princess”.

That is what it said under the picture.  

I said “How did you know it said that?”

 He said “Because I am smart”.

 I said “Yes you are.  Who made you smart?”  

He always says “Jesus” when we ask him this.

 Today he says

“Mrs. (insert my last name here)!!

 

That, my friends, is the very reason I teach.

 

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Go visit Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin’ Time for more

Friday Fragments!