Six Figures

Check out the New York Times' guess on what kindergarten teachers' salaries *should* be!

Not something we didn't already know, of course.

Clean, Keep, Toss

Clean, keep, toss.

Clean, keep, toss.

Clean, keep, toss... it's our family's pattern this week.

So many thanks to our friends, family, VFW volunteers and other angels who have come to our aid in numerous ways since the flood.

Up a Creek...

Let's play a game... a version of "I Spy."

Help me find a *paddle*.





See where I'm standing?  Remember that spot.  I spy... a chain link fence.  I spy... a lawn.  I spy, brown wood lattice "railing."  I spy Mrs. Sommerville!  Does anyone see a paddle?  No?  Let's check the next picture.

I spy... the chain link fence again.  And the yard.  Hmmm.... still no paddle.  

Next photo.

Wait a minute... no lawn, no fence, NO PADDLE.  Those are emergency vehicles!  I wonder why they're parked in front of the house...

Let's check the backyard again.... there MUST be a paddle back there:

********~Whoa~**********

No, that *can't* be the back yard from the first photo.... can it?

Uh... brown wood lattice "railing"...  check.  Lawn?  Chain link fence?

As it turns out, we don't have a paddle.  Nor a canoe, kayak, ark, or skiff.

We went from concrete, yard, and chain link fence to flood in fifteen minutes' time.

F-I-F-T-E-E-N minutes.

*****

We're safe.  Dear Husband is on his way home.  Our Army Family responded to our call (so many in under a half hour of the "event"), and helped us salvage what we could into the wee hours after the flood.  So many have come back for the past two days to help us move things, launder clothes.  A good Samaritan saved Dear Husband's truck during the flood itself (it was parked in the rear driveway, which is right next to our backyard, on the same ground level).  Friends, wives, soldiers, saved our wedding quilt, saved my wedding gown, saved so many of our keepsakes.  

Good thing I prepped my classroom early, huh?

*****

I will be "offline" regarding the blog for probably the next two weeks, packing, cleaning, drying, documenting, getting the family re-settled, and giving thanks that we only have small losses over which to complain, and not huge losses to mourn.

Peace and safety to you all.

*****

A passerby took this photo and just sent it to me- this is the view from the road, into our driveway and back yard.  Dear Husband's truck HAD been parked in front of the shed during the flood itself.  This photo shows the water RECEDING (you can see the chain link fence again).

Yep, it was a doozie.

No, that is NOT our beachball.

Repurposing for Your Classroom

Not everyone is crafty.  Not everyone is fond of power tools.  Not everyone believes he or she can find a creative bone, flair, or inspiration residing within.

That's why we share, my lovelies.

What would you say if I told you that this:


(photo by Erin Woodward)

... *used* to be an entertainment center?  Oh yes, the perfect play kitchen made from an outdated and no-longer-used cabinet.  Erin at Sutton Grace shared the how-to's here, but several of her friends made their own versions here and here.  Better Play Kitchens also shares some incredible photos!  Go look, be amazed, and then think twice about passing by that thrift store or garage sale "find."

Imagine what could happen over a weekend or two if family, friends, colleagues, and even students' parents and family members donated time, outdated furniture, woodworking skills, paint, and some ingenuity to benefit classrooms, day care centers, and preschools.  Use approved materials, maintain safety first, and find out what requirements, if any, your district/employer has for accepting donations.

*****

Bits and bobs, odds and ends.  Game pieces, parts of old games, toys, and restaurant prizes... find some uppercase and lowercase alphabet magnets (or make your own), and you can create your own ABC box (shared by Pink and Green Mama), perfect for vocabulary building and developing phonemic awareness (see the rest of Mama's blog post to see particular items she found for letters):


(photo by Marylea)

*****

Do you get your vitamin C from frozen juice concentrate?  Save those juice lids to make your own letter or number chips, magnets, or game pieces like the ones Kierste made for UCreate: ABC's in a Can:


(photo by Kierste at Brown Paper Packages)

*****
Please head over to Teacher Tom's site for more repurposing and creativity-creating ideas!

Summer Porch Garden

Dear Daughter and the Pre-Schooler wanted to plant some seeds and make things grow this summer.  As we're still renting and therefore can't dig up a garden plot in the back yard, a porch garden seemed to be the best solution.  The kids filled our floral pots up with rich soil, picked out some seeds from the store, and planted away.  We've had lettuce for most of the summer, but now the fun stuff is ready:  carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and some basil for pesto magic!

Have any of you grown classroom gardens before?  Indoors, outdoor?

Environmental Print

Students and their families are able to see their rooms and meet their teachers the afternoon before the first day of school.  I have some environmental print labels already up before their visit, but during the first week of school, I ask students what other labels they'd like to have hung up on our word wall and around the room.  In addition to their names, they usually ask for :  SMART Board, television, globe, floor, wall, alphabet, numbers, puzzles, journals, dress up, speaker, computers, plant, window, and of course, "Mrs. Sommerville."

What items or places do you label in your classroom or school?

*****

~  Don't know what to do with Duplo blocks your children have outgrown?  Perhaps you've found an inexpensive set at a yard sale and are wondering if they can be used for more than just fine motor manipulatives- check out Filth Wizardry's **AWESOME** repurposing idea utilizing Duplos and white stickers... brilliant!

~  How do your students use their schools supplies?  Do they have their own pencil boxes or are the crayons, scissors, glue and pencils put into shared tubs?  There can be some interesting debates over what's developmentally appropriate for young children: having ownership of their crayons, pencils, glue, and personal space (which as most kindergarten teachers know often results in I-have-these-and-you-don't verbal interactions during times when it would be more appropriate for students to be exploring and using curricular vocabulary, concepts, and teamwork) or learning how to share, respect, trade, and negotiate materials and tools without daily replays of my-pencil-is-cooler-than-your-pencil interrupting every activity.  Pros and cons: individual pencil boxes take up valuable space; communal tubs not only bank pencils, crayons and scissors, but germs as well.  Kiri8 over at Elbows, Knees and Dreams organizes her students' supplies communally but away from desks (I love the environmental print and cuing shapes!).

In my room, materials are shared in baskets left in the center of each table.  Some parents like to write their child's name on every single marker, pencil, eraser, etc., and occasionally our supplies must be used in the art room as well.  Sets of crayons (out of boxes) are put in our desk baskets with pencils and glue that parents have NOT labeled at the beginning of the year, share and share alike.  Their markers are put into individual zip-top plastic bags so they can be carried to and from art class or center activities in our rooms.  Watercolor sets, marker sets, and crayon sets used in art class are kept in tubs on our art cart.

As the year progresses, and our sharing manners are in place, I replenish the desk basket supplies with the pencils, erasers and glue that parents have labeled with names.  Children love it when their friends recognize their names, pass items around, and try to sort pencils so that all of the "M" names are in one basket, or all of the boys' names can be found on one side of the seating area.  Gloating and teasing, no.  Sorting, classifying, reading, and sharing, yes.

How do you organize your students' supplies?

*****
Want to pretty-up some pens for your writing center?  Lisa shares an easy and fun flower topped pen tutorial at Celebrate CREATIVITY in All its Forms...

Almost There...

I finished the curtains...


Took care of some environmental print:







... and even went a little dotty to match the bulletin board trimmers:











Almost there.

(Here's the link to my blog post about the basket tree that houses my puppets- unfortunately, the links I included in that post no longer work- but take a peek to get an idea of what to look for if you're still interested in tracking one down online.)

Prize Ribbon Gift Tags

... some aqua and Christmas red prize ribbon gift tags are drying in the window sill downstairs:



Christmas in July?  No, just Christmas-crafting.

The Army Wives' Deployment Truth, Plain and Simple

New military spouses (I'm really addressing wives here), someday, probably sooner than you hope, you're going to have to deal with the ins and outs of a deployment.  Scary stuff, morbidity, and t.v. schlock aside, know this:  you get to deal with everything while your husband is gone.  

Everything.

E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

Mortgage/rent.  Insurance.  Crank calls.  Allergies.  Flooding.  Fires.  Bills.  Drama-filled neighbors/friends/fellow spouses... injuries, flat tires, sports practice, home appliance failures, work, teen angst...  tornadoes, growth spurts, car accidents, pet injuries, check ups, phone solicitors, cancellations, midnight vomit fests, power outages, record snowfalls, snakes and mice.  Parent-teacher conferences, birthday parties, grocery shopping and vehicle maintenance, you get to do it all.

As supportive as your FRG might be, you're still going to have to handle these things without anyone holding your hand, and without sobbing your eyes out on social networking sites or over the phone to your already worried and stressed out soldier.

You're not just stronger and more capable than you know, you're stronger and more capable than you want to be, and that's the real kicker, isn't it?  

Ask for help when you need it, but give it the ol' college try on your own first.  Help others, but don't coddle anyone, and don't insist on being babied yourself.  You're a soldier too now, so suck it up and do a good job.  It might not always be fun, and it certainly won't be easy, but you and your spouse signed up for this, and now you get to deliver.  

Have a good cry when the kids are asleep (blame it on a chick-flick if you like), set your boundaries, make your schedule, and let others know you're going to stick to them.  You're not going to make everyone happy, though some of them might accuse you of slacking- some might even gossip or try to lay a guilt trip on you.  The "coping skills" that they've chosen not only for themselves but insist upon inflicting upon others don't have to be yours.

Don't cave.  Do right by your children, do right by your spouse, do right by yourself.  If you must lean on someone occasionally, choose someone reliable, discreet, calm, with a great sense of humor.  Don't compete, don't parade, don't gloat, don't whine.

Endure.  Make good decisions.  Love your husband.  Respect yourself and others.  

You'll get through this.

*****

... and another personal suggestion?

Get a good mouser:

(Dear Daughter caught the uninvited visitor in the plasticware after Anni-Cat was done playing with the little furball.  Just another day down in our own family's deployment adventure!)

Teacher Tip: Pushpins are Your Friends!

When you're ready to prepare your bulletin boards, step---away---from---the---stapler!




You've set up your students' desks, centers, and other interactive learning areas first, so now it's time to display posters, pocket charts, photos, a word wall, artful inspiration, learning objectives, a schedule, and math and literacy tools.  To save time throughout the year, commit specific display areas for year 'round focus.  The staple board above our sink and painting area is always for my students' artwork, while the board above my math center always features posters, work done by students, graphic organizers and other examples of math concepts.  Our circle/story time area features our calendar, days of the week, seasons, weather chart, and literacy unit props, along with often-used words on our word wall and vocabulary the students like to use in their daily writing and reading written on sentence strips.

Additional student work can be hung on the cabinet doors above the students' cubbies and out in our hallway for others to enjoy.

Last year, a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom coconut tree greeted students on our art wall during the first two weeks of school:

This year, my students will see an introduction to our first curricular themes, colors and shapes:

I love how the plain white border looks like ric-rac around the black and white checked trim, and the dotted punch-out letters add just the right *POP* to the display!

To place the prints and letters, I use clear push pins so I can reposition them as necessary:



Push pins allow you to move and tweak your displays with only one hole punched through your artwork/lettering.  Once you have everything in place (and if your bulletin board materials are going to stay in place for a while), go back and staple each item, and remove the pins.  If you change your artwork/learning tools weekly, you may want to use pins on their own- just make sure students can't reach them- pokey things can be quite intriguing and dangerous!

(To remove staples without ripping your students' work, your trimmers or posters, use a staple remover like this, instead of the old claw/chomper looking doohickie.  WalMart and other office supply businesses sell both types, but the wand staple remover doesn't do nearly as much damage as the "jaws" remover.)

I'll share more photos as my room continues to come together!

Teacher Gear Available...

... at Target (these were in the $1 bins):










Target also has star-tipped wooden pointers, crafty stuff (pipe cleaners, pom poms, wiggle eyes), pencil sets, weather charts, and teacher's planning books- they won't be there long!

Here's what I found at Michaels:

Some of these bins are like the ones I use in my students' cubbies. At $4 each, using coupons would be a good way to go.  WalMart does sell plain white baskets that are a bit more affordable, but they can be tough to clean when students write or color on them.

Read Across America happens in March, but librarians and teachers may like to keep the Cat in the Hat up year 'round...

Ah, an item that fits the bill as both helpful and humorous!

I'd still suggest that you register online with Michaels so they can email you coupons (print off multiple copies of them and have your family join you for big or multiple purchases) or track down coupons in your Sunday paper.  Most craft stores honor competitor's coupons as well, so register online for Joann's and Hobby Lobby, then print, clip, and save!

 

(**Apologies if the photos are oversized/sideways.  Photobucket is taking HOURS to post the photos I've adjusted and tweaked.  Check back later for the pics to look as they should.**)

A Reader Request

I recently received the following:

Good Morning! 

I am a daily reader of your blog.  As a first year teacher I haven't found the time to start a blog (or a good niche to write about) however reading my blogfeed is my daily unwind when I get home from a busy day in the classroom.  You have given me so wonderful tips on how to organize and run my classroom.  

 I have a favor to ask....I am a teacher at a non profit private school for children with special needs, AchieveKids.  We are currently trying to win a Dell Technology Grant that would get our school 20,000 dollars worth of technology. We are a non profit school, so this would help us immensely.  I can't even imagine the neat learning opportunities that would open up for my students.  The way our school wins the grant is through a contest.  We need as many people as possible to "Like" our school video, found here .  I am sure you are bombarded by requests from readers to post things to support their cause or to prompt it, however if you had the time to either prompt it on your blog or even just personally click on it and support it that would be amazing.  Each person can vote once a day until July 14th. 

Thank you!

        -Sadie
*****

I enjoyed visiting Dell's Connect Your Classroom site!  Schools vie for this particular technology grant, and I encourage you to watch each of their video submissions.  You will have to register (quick and painless) before you're able to vote.

I have to say, my favorites are the videos featuring spontaneous and sincere requests for consideration made by students themselves.

Best of luck to Achieve Kids!

(photo found at Flickr via spelec.anton)

Practicing What I Preach

The custodial staff finished cleaning my room, and the technology department was ready for me to decide where I wanted my new computer center, so, earlier than planned, I returned to my classroom:









In my post about classroom themes and decor, I suggested that teachers arrange their room furniture BEFORE hanging up paper, posters, and learning tools, something I still do even though this is my third year in this particular classroom.  Center locations have to be tweaked and adjusted this year due to the new computers: instead of laptops, my students will have keyboards and monitors that fill up two center tables instead of one; the computers must be located at an appropriate network point; like my other centers, I don't want my view of the computers blocked by any displays or tall furniture when I'm working at my own desk or reading table; and the computers must be away from both our sinks and water fountain.


I first set up my students' desks and chairs near the SMART Board, one of their favorite learning tools:







Then I situated the large bookshelves as dividers between centers, making sure they didn't create blind spots:

I'm able to keep my calendar/story time center in the same corner as last year:

With the big furniture in place, and as our wonderful technology staff started setting up my computers (the center will be to the right of our circle/storytime area), I decided to set up the bulletin boards that won't be damaged by sunlight over the last month of summer vacation:

Later this month I'll return to the classroom to finish my word wall, math display, center tags, locker/cubbie tags, and of course, open up fresh boxes of crayons.  My classroom plants will brighten up corners, and I'll need to pull workbook pages and fine tune my lesson plan templates, wash and re-hang curtains, and set out learning materials and tools for my next group of Super Stars- so much to do!

(First curricular theme: COLORS)

Giveaway Winner!

Thank you so much for leaving such great comments, adding me to your blog readers, and saying "hi" via Twitter, Blogger, and Facebook!  Extending my professional learning community past my own classroom's walls is what I enjoy most about blogging, especially with kindred spirits who "get" why we share teacher humor, voice our opinions, help one another, and advocate for children.

The winner of the geometric foam pattern blocks is...

LINDSAY!

Lindsay said...

I just found this blog through google. I just got a job as a Kindergarten teacher! I'm super excited!! :) I can't wait to read more from this upcoming year when I'm teaching as well.

I've already emailed you, so make sure you send me your mailing address and I'll get the blocks in the mail a.s.a.p.!

 

Mark My Words...

... in four to six years, you're going to have Bellas, Edwards, Jacobs, Alices, Emmets, Rosalies, and Jaspers in your classroom.

I'd bet money on it.

The last big wave of movie names that hit my classroom occurred in 1994 and 1995, five-ish years after The Little Mermaid came out in theaters.  I cannot *tell you* how many Ariels and Erics my kindergarten colleagues and I had to sort through and keep straight.  Yes, I even taught a Sebastian and a Tritan.

No lie.



*****
Tomorrow I'll be drawing the winner for the bag of foam geometric pattern blocks!  Leave a comment at that post only to be entered for a chance to win!