Groundhog Day Slides

Thanks to Mother Nature, today was a *snow day*!

I took advantage of the extra time to create some Google Slides for Groundhog Day. 

They include links to explanatory videos about groundhogs, shadows and Groundhog Day itself, as well as a story library and some song selections.  One of my ~favorites~ is this one!

 

The super-cute groundhog clipart is from Teaching in the Tongass.  Visit her TPT Store by tapping on her logo:

 

These slides and content are appropriate for pre-k, kindergarten, and first-grade students. You can grab a copy of the slides by clicking here.

December 2020: My Remote Teaching Reflection

On my first full weekday of winter break, I’ve decided to actually take a break. I’ve been a remote-learning kindergarten teacher (voluntarily) since the start of the school year and have been working through the new normal that has impacted my weekends and family time as significantly, if not more so, than the hours, weeks, months, and years that my master’s degree did. This reallocation of my time has broken years-long habits of enjoying hobbies, repeating patterns of morning, noon, afternoon, and evening rituals on autopilot, and of course, blogging. I need a brain-dump that only reflection can provide, so here… we… go. 

Despite assertions at the end of the last school year that I couldn’t predict the requirements my district would consider and eventually implement to accommodate remote learning opportunities for students and families this year, I’m glad I decided to take part in a summer workshop geared toward virtual/online learning that was recommended to me by a former administrator. Bitmoji Classrooms (which are just really, really busy Google Slides if you’d prefer a simple definition), equity in education, tech resources for devices, platforms, and newbies to it all, digital newsletters, podcasting, and my favorite tool since Pinterest, Wakelet boards, have all been resources I’ve utilized and content that I’ve shared with interested and receptive colleagues this semester. I have added more content to my boards and created new ones whenever I’ve stumbled across useful resources. Building a bank of awesome Linktree contributors has helped prevent me from having to create or recreate every digital activity or material, so that particular board has grown the most. 

Developing and settling into a new groove for planning, collaboration and instruction was a big shift, but one I haven’t had to do alone. Though initially dismayed at having been assigned to an additional remote-learning kindergarten position, my partner has demonstrated determination and has had the energy to put her all into her instruction, our synchronized adjustments each time we’ve gained a student (or six) due to quarantines from on-site classrooms, and frankly, collegiality. Having a co-worker who actually says “good morning” and shares some of the normal goings-on in her life on a daily basis and in turn, listens to some of mine, has helped to make this strange situation easier. She’s a finder and a sharer, an asker and a suggester. Kind people who rock reciprocity are cool. 

Despite my love of educational technology, I’ve always varied the tools I’ve put into my previous students’ hands and learning environment, so following a digital-tools-only mandate was never going to work for me. Suggestions for at-home materials such as math manipulatives have had to run the gamut from balls of Play-Doh, rocks from the neighborhood playground, Cheerios, and Barbie shoes. I’ve used my monthly copy-count only twice over the past four months to create bi-monthly work packets of pages that families shouldn’t have to print and that are beneficial to students. Students at home should be able to assemble thematic unit and holiday crafts just as their on-site peers do and are just as deserving of the magic of memories and keepsakes that are usually made within the confines of a school building. I don’t intend to ask for permission (again) or for forgiveness: providing students more, not less, continues to be the right thing to do. 

Before finding out that my job assignment would be as a remote kindergarten teacher at the beginning of the year, I already knew that new protocols and restrictions would be in place for me and my students. I tried to brainstorm ways to balance limitations with new opportunities, such as alternative greetings to hugs and high-fives, and opportunities for digital collaboration rather than physical partnerships at learning centers or my reading table. For remote learning, opportunities abound for students who are sitting on their couches, at the dining room table, on the floor in the basement, or at a makeshift desk tucked into an alcove in the hallway originally intended as a mud space, though a quick scan of some teacher groups on social media makes it abundantly clear that a lot of other teachers don’t feel the same way when it comes to having very little control over learning environments. While not making light of the issues of poverty, the lack of interest for some families in being the best guide on the side that their child could have, or issues with technology (equal access, availability, and general glitchiness), I have to say that I love that my Super Stars can come to each Zoom session with their favorite blanket, stuffed friend, and even a snack. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I have witnessed more awwwwww moments through my laptop camera and iPad screen this semester simply by looking up as I read a story. Multiple frames of five-year-olds hugging blankets and squeezing their stuffed bears, t-rexes, and frilly frou-frou unicorn/princess/octopus whatevers while sucking their thumbs and gazing intently at their iPad screen have stopped me mid-sentence on more than one occasion. And the learning spaces created or adapted for each of them? No one-size-fits-all table, no siree! From little offices or cubbies that resemble clubhouses or forts, to special placemats arranged in a breakfast nook or pillows crammed in a laundry basket underneath a tall table, my students have had a say in the structure of the areas where they have been tuning in. 

My own adjustments haven’t been all sunshine and rainbows... specifically, my own auditory processing issues. While most of my students hear me through their headphones, I hear EVERYONE’S background noises when students unmute themselves, and so do all of the classmates who are captive audiences during instruction. Dogs barking, doorbells ringing, parents loudly managing multiple learners, other teachers’ voices booming from devices used by older siblings in the same room who would rather not wear headphones, younger siblings screaming, spouses teleworking and shouting above everyone else in the next room just to be heard, it’s all excessively jarring and headache-producing. I hear it all at the same volume, which has nothing to do with a knob or setting on a sound mixing board that I can control. And for the only-once-so-far-please-let-it-not-happen-again “I don’t give a SH*T IF YOUR TEACHER CAN HEAR ME! THIS IS MY GOD-DA** HOUSE AND I’LL DO WHAT I WANT” event… well, yes, that one resulted in both a headache and a charley horse as I leaped from the reading table to the rolling cart that houses my laptop and extra camera/speaker in an attempt to “mute all.” My Super Star was mortified, his peers were confused, I was concerned and trying not to scream out in pain, and well, obviously Dad was stressed. Not every hour has been our finest and not every day’s successes have been the ones originally hoped for. 

I miss working in a room full of kindergarteners and their artwork. Not enough to request a return to teaching in-person, though. The same goes for all of the eavesdroppings I used to be able to do every day as Super Stars worked through their daily activities, learning centers, recesses, snack, and instruction within earshot. I miss it but still end up on the receiving end of some kindergarten and parent funnies via Zoom. Teaching remotely while limiting all of our exposure to COVID remains a reasonable trade-off for me. 

I continue to change two of my bulletin boards and some of my classroom décor monthly, even though my Super Stars are likely to never see it all in person. Not putting up bulletin board displays was a line I couldn’t cross. Goodness, I even hang up the results of my own directed drawing activities that my students and I work through during daily writing. Twenty-five years of teaching will do that, I guess. Our classroom can’t just look the part for students, it must feel the part to me. 

 

As curriculum publishers scramble to produce quality digital content and a huge gap continues to exist between teachers who find the use of tech devices and resources intuitive and those who feel it beyond their capabilities, I appreciate not only those teachers who share the content they’ve created (either freely or at cost), but those who collaborate in order to customize the resources that will benefit their students. I don’t have to recreate the wheel when it comes to putting Google Slides activities at the fingertips of my students, and I’m thankful that I know how to create my own content as well. But finding resources and putting them into the queue takes a lot of time, time that would have usually been spent in years past preparing materials with a grade level partner, mentoring a first-year teacher, or helping a colleague restructure her learning center organization during prep. Many teachers trying to make the leap from their file cabinets to their touchscreens are experiencing true stress right now, as are their colleagues who find themselves stretched so thin that they have very little left to give to their teammates, especially as they try to keep something of themselves in reserve so that they can make it home with enough energy to make dinner, clean house, and help their own children work through projects and lessons. Teachers in 2020 are finding it near impossible to do “just one more thing” even if heavy loads in years past were made lighter by many hands. There’s a lot not getting done that needs to be done, and there's really no point in priortizing the fascade that we're making everything as "normal" as possible. Sometimes we must dive into the deep end instead of continuing to dip our toes into the kiddie pool, no matter how frightening it may be.  And sometimes, we have to do it alone.  Bless anyone who has done their part to be the waterwings, buoys and lifeguards in education.

My mind will return to school-mode a few days before I return to the classroom as it must if I’m to create graphic organizers such as a weekly plan, choice boards and instructional slides, organize materials and schedule activities in Google Classroom, and frankly, iron clothes for the first academic week of 2021. But until then I am hoping to enjoy winter break with my family and get some much-needed sleep, which is also my wish for anyone reading this post. 

Happy holidays to you. Stay safe, healthy, and hopeful.

Bulletin Board: Together is Our Favorite Place to Be

I'm one of my district's two remote learning kindergarten teachers, and moved from a classroom I've occupied for twelve years into a new space that amazingly, has been an ideal fit for my materials, curriculum, and virtual learning plans.  While the bulletin board displays within the space will be easy to reference during live Zoom instruction and photograph for close-ups that can be added to Google Slides or elsewhere, this year my own students won't be navigating the school's hallways or displaying their artwork and creative constructions. I anticipate that I'll experience a serious case of withdrawals.

Despite my own students learning from home, the on-site classrooms of my colleagues are nearly ready for the arrival of eager, masked children.  These kids will be passing by my door as they begin and end their instructional days, and I want them to see something cheerful.

This is likely the last year that I'll use my "scribble kids," because frankly, they're more wrinkled than I am, but seeing them has cheered up my days and lowered my stress levels, and I hope they have the same effect on those who pass by them every morning and afternoon.

Whether on-site or remote, together is our favorite place to be.

I've Said it Before, and I'll Say it Again

Reading David Kohn's "Let the Kids Learn Through Play" this morning, my child advocate's voice asserted itself loudly in my head, greatly surprising me since I'm facing the last week of kindergarten, a time when many teachers are near collapse from exhaustion and the wide range of emotions washing over them.  Instead of grumbling incoherently, the voice roared "I've said it before and I'll say it again:"

What I really wish new-to-service teachers, ivory-tower administrators and bubble-boy/girl politicians understood is this: play does not equal "unproductive and non-beneficial fluff time."  Rolling over, crawling, standing upright, balancing, walking, running, climbing, and babbling are ALL challenging to the child beginning to develop his or her skills.  So too are sharing, negotiating, coming to understand cause and effect, developing patience, and learning to use new tools safely and efficiently, such as pencils, scissors, squeeze glue, buttons on a keyboard, or the fragile skin of technology and books.  Don't forget to add broadening language and building stamina to the mix as well, especially because a child's typical work day is full of new tasks, deadlines, social mores, and transitions requiring copious amounts of sustained attention and interaction.  Yes, the "school day" IS a work day schedule that young children are introduced to when they start kindergarten, and it's not an easy or immediate adjustment to make.  I've always found it ironic that many administrators will tell you that kindergartners "don't need naps" by the end of the school year, though we all know plenty of adults who require rest and down time throughout the day.

Because advocates for developmentally appropriate practice are regarded as old softies, our pedagogy is assumed to be lacking in "rigor," "challenge," and even "standards," likely because we insist on giving our students plastic knives at the play doh center instead of surgical grade scalpels.  Well-intentioned (and usually inexperienced) colleagues and administrators bound by asinine funding equations run roughshod over our suggestions, protests, and advice when we dare to express what is obvious to us: young children aren't committing a crime, lacking gumption, failing to perform, or offensive because they're not behaving like short third and fourth graders during their preschool and kindergarten years.  Even worse: teachers who don't appreciate or even like all of the incredible things that four, five and six year olds are, take positions where they inflict their distaste, judgement, and severe lack of knowledge regarding child development upon our youngest learners. These adults are easy to recognize: they're the ones complaining in the lounge or staff meetings about how "these little kids just don't get it" or "they just can't DO anything," while those much better suited to the grade and students are expressing how the academic expectations or assessments aren't appropriate matches for the children we teach.  Guess which group of teachers is regularly criticized for their point of view?  

The development that naturally occurs through play, exploration, partnership, and emotional bonding is not an affliction or unnecessary detour from all things curricular: it's an essential prerequisite for further growth.  Children must, with very few exceptions, roll over before they crawl, crawl before they walk, and become acquainted with and develop many more skills that are necessary in order to build a firm foundation upon which their ABC's, 123's, empathy, and life's passions will stand and grow.  These stages of skill acquisition occur on a continuum: you don't hopscotch over a few squares to get to the end faster, or interpret the wobbly or full face-plant landing as proof that a child needs ankle braces, ski poles, smaller squares, larger squares, or a stunt double in order to be successful within the  grading period allotted.  Time, practice, and encouragement, not developmentally inappropriate demands and deadlines, are the initial supports most children need as they continue their journey as brave, capable human beings through play and partnership.

Ring-Bling

...became a thing.



My Super Star bounded into the classroom today exclaiming "Mrs. Sommerville!  Mrs. Sommerville!  We match, we MATCH!"

Nail polish: check.

Ring-bling: check.

It's not all literacy and math concepts.  Often it's that feeling of joy when you identify with, match, and belong.

"Think left and think right and think low and think high..."

... oh the things you can think up if only you try!


Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!





I'm dressed as a Star Bellied Sneech today for our Read Across America activities (oversized yellow tee with green marabou trim, a single green star  heat-n-bonded to the front), and was able to make it through last night's baking adventure without taste testing too many samples of to-die-for blueberry muffins.  I'm partnered for "lounge duty" so treats and daily lounge clean up duties are on the agenda each day this week.  



(The Stars were **thrilled** with our guest reader, after all, she was accessorized with a sparkly tiara, sash and pretty dress!)


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Nummies I'm making for lounge treats:


peanut butter cookies  (I add a cup of honey roasted peanuts to the dough before baking)
pretzel/Rolo/pecan nummies (four bags of Rolos fills two large baking sheets)
blueberry muffins
oatmeal raisin spice cookies


Fruit (strawberries and grapes) and a large box of snack sized chips will bring the sweet-factor down a few notches... b-a-l-a-n-c-e.


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This year my daily schedule has been greatly impacted by the students and families I have as well as by Dear Husband's deployment: I have to work through every possible minute while at school each day since I can't stay late nor can I come in and work on the weekends like I did when Parent Number Two was here with Dear Daughter and the Pre-Schooler.


With third quarter quickly coming to a close, it's time for my students and I to plow through our mountain of common assessments so that the kindergarten team has additional “data, data, and more data” from which to interpret and divine daily teaching modifications and score our kindergarten report cards.  Maybe it's the hectic schedule, or maybe my preference for strictly observing developmentally appropriate practice holds more weight with me than does the public policy of turning kindergarten into the new first grade... but I'm .... tired.  Physically tired, mentally tired... and I can't help but notice that kindergarten is now rarely the joyful learning environment it used to be.  Labels, scores, diagnosis, data, interventions and concern dominate my conversations with colleagues and parents, pushing topics such as personality, quirks, apprehensions, interests, and daily a-ha moments, inquiries and silliness to the back burner.


Who my Super Stars are matters just as much, if not more so, than the tasks that they can perform.  Drill and kill doesn't appeal to me, nor does expecting every child to perform every task on my timeline instead of their own.  Who should enter stage right at this point but Doug Noon, sharing links that are a must-read for me and any other early childhood/kindergarten teachers who question the current state of educational "reform."


I still believe I'm a good teacher in spite of NCLB, not because of it.


Yep, tired.


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"As you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow: do a lot of spitting out the hot air, and be careful what you swallow."
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It seems my favorite Dr. Seuss quote changes from year to year which is appropriate since 1) he had so many good ones and 2) life is always changing.  Professionally:


"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.  Some come from ahead and some come from behind.  But I've bought a big bat.  I'm all ready you see.  Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"

...and personally (Dear Husband should be back this weekend for his two week R&R):

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."

 

What This Teacher Thinks About Early Starts to Kindergarten

Reminders before you read: 1) I've been a kindergarten teacher for fourteen years. 2) I'm a mommy and have been there.

And a tip: You'll probably want to bookmark this one and read it in sections, taking a breather between each one. It's not quite a rant, but there are a few "Hello, McFlyyyyyy" moments that might raise the blood pressure a bit.

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It's been my experience that parents rarely thoroughly weigh the *many* pros and cons behind sending their child to kindergarten early (ages four or young-ish five). At most, they'll pick their own top three of each, several of which may not be the most applicable to their child as he or she attempts to motor through our kindergarten experience. No matter the cons, parents will usually push for an early start.

"Well, he is immature, but it's kindergarten."

"She doesn't separate easily from me at all, but you and I can force her into doing it."

"I'm not worried about how he'll be in high school. I know people say boys take longer to mature, but I don't think it'll be a problem. This is just kindergarten, right?"

"How will she learn to be at school if I don't get her into kindergarten now?"

"How will he pass all the state standardized tests if he's not used to school? Kids need to start sooner now in order to have more practice with sitting in desks, taking tests, etc."

"Well, we thought we'd just start him in kindergarten and see, you know, if you think he should be here, but we're pretty sure he's ready."

"He did great with his babysitter last year and the two other kids she had, so he's going to be just fine in a classroom setting."

"He's only having problems because you're not challenging him enough- when he's bored he rolls all over the floor, hits other kids, and screams at the top of his voice. You obviously don't have good classroom management skills."

My personal favorite: "Kindergarten is free after you buy school supplies. Day care costs hundreds of dollars every month."

The comments and rationale make me cringe because though I acknowledge parents as being experts on their children at home and in preschool/social situations, I'm the expert on what happens in our kindergarten classroom. Regardless of the warm fuzzy feelings toward their own childhood kindergarten memories about which parents wax nostalgic or the hopes and dreams for their singular child's start to school, our classroom is a shared space, not merely the background scenery for one student's future memories.

I'm paid to encourage multiple children to think, explore, and take chances, and I'm paid to meet their very individualized learning needs as they pertain to their public school experience. I'm paid to deliver age-appropriate content and curriculum using best teaching practices while meeting state standards. I'm paid to enrich, supplement, guide, intervene, and advocate on my students' behalf during their allotted time with me in our classroom setting.

I'm not a Sunday School teacher, so I'm not responsible for accurately quoting scripture, leading choral renditions of hymns or producing the annual Christmas manger play. I'm not my students' one-on-one weekend babysitter, entertaining each child's every whim, changing their diapers, and putting them to bed before I raid their parents' fridge looking for cold pizza. I'm not the parent who has to "go all-Walmart" on my Super Stars in botched attempts to modify their public behavior despite the fact that several students each year start kindergarten expecting that they ONLY have to follow directions, respect others and follow rules if adults yell. I'm not a sixth grade teacher, nor an eighth grade teacher, nor a high school drama coach, all very specialized grades and content areas. Early childhood education is my expertise and I know when a child is ready, and when s/he is not.

*****

Parenting is a rewarding, emotional, and stressful job. So is teaching. Emotionality can unfortunately create tension between a child's biggest advocates. Parents and teachers have to work hard on both sides to efficiently, accurately and politely communicate to interpret the intentions behind decisions that are made regarding children and their education. Reflecting on my own teaching experience, parents have regularly made assumptions about what I think, many of them incorrect:

~If I suggest a child isn't ready for kindergarten, most parents immediately go on the defense: I either don't like their child, can't do my job (and therefore why would a parent want ME as their child's teacher) or I'm criticizing the parents' choice to start their child early. I'm just a big ol' meanie and think parents are stupid. It couldn't possibly be that I want the best kindergarten experience for EVERY child, even the one who isn't ready yet, could it?

I'm happy to be a kindergarten teacher, I'm happy to be your child's kindergarten teacher, but I will be his/her best teacher and s/he will have the most beneficial kindergarten experience when it's the right time and/or the correct amount of time. "Your child isn't ready for kindergarten" can mean your child isn't ready *this year* or a full-day program isn't the most appropriate for your child at this time. Please bring him or her back next year (or enroll in a half-day or extended-day program if offered), because we'll be waiting!

~Some parents think I'm playing the superiority card when I'm "just" a kindergarten teacher. Whatever grade I teach, I'm employed. My employment means I can put food on my own children's plates, clothes on their backs, and keep a roof over their heads. My husband and I both work outside of the home to provide for our family. Job security and my professional reputation matter to me, so there is no reason for me to purposely jerk parents around or disrespect their children's right to a free and public QUALITY education.

~Parents expect that, while it is my job to meet individual needs, when push comes to shove (sometimes literally in our class!) I must only advocate for their child's interests as they have been able to do for four or five years prior to the start of school. It's not possible- I advocate for at LEAST sixteen students' multiple needs each and every year, and like it or not, the safety and educational requirements of the students who are ready for kindergarten outweigh the behavioral issues demonstrated by a child who has been inappropriately placed in school too early.

~No, I don't think parents are clever or smarter than the system when they leave the state to enroll their underaged and markedly immature child in kindergarten somewhere else with more lenient (and in my opinion, developmentally inappropriate) kindergarten age requirements, returning to our district after a month knowing that we offer reciprocity and therefore "have" to admit him/her as a student. Parents that have gone out of their way to "win" more social and academic difficulties for their child along with affecting the kindergarten experience of his/her of-age peers for not only kindergarten, but every grade and social situation that follows, have made a decision that I personally and professionally do not find admirable.

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Closing thoughts:

~ Though it may appear that I'm promoting a once-size (one age) fits-all kindergarten mandate, I'm not. The diverse social and economic backgrounds of parents, children, families, neighborhoods and schools scream out for customized yet developmentally appropriate guidelines to structure pre-school and kindergarten programs throughout our nation. I've taught half-day, extended-day, and full-day programs. Unfortunately, not all are offered to meet the varying needs and readiness of kindergarten aged students thanks to the standardized NCLB model. Until options are made available, schools are going to have to commit to either 1) their testing data and funding or 2) the actual needs of their students, and modify their enrollment-age-requirements accordingly. It's important that parents advocate for whichever choice they believe is most beneficial.

~The push for testing and "school accountability" has caused kindergarten to resemble the "new first grade," when in fact, kindergarten should be kindergarten. If we *must* test kindergarten students and they *must* show measurable growth in reading and math, then only allow children experienced enough, socialized enough and skilled enough to perform those tasks on the required assessments into school OR develop and utilize developmentally appropriate assessments that accurately provide data to guide best teaching. My latest pet peeve is an example of what doesn't work:

Watching five year olds single-clicking both buttons on a PC mouse and bombing their computerized assessments because they have had a single-click MAC at home (or no computer access at all) their entire life prior to kindergarten. What does that assessment really measure, a student's ability to read and recognize numbers, problem solve and comprehend, or the ability to maneuver a piece of equipment with his/her hand while simultaneously attempting to visually track graphics on the computer screen?

Dumping performance anxiety on top of children who have the tendency to still wet their pants and cry isn't the best way to make those kids eager, willing or able to jump through future hoops of school requirements.

~ If you agree that five year olds are in fact, NOT seven year olds, then back out of our classrooms, and let us get on with lacing shapes, tracing letters in pudding, playing house, listening to fantastic stories, sharing, cutting, gluing, building towers, playing letter and number "games," swinging from monkey bars, eating snack, singing "Shake My Sillies Out" and napping. We'll color, paint, pretend, negotiate, take turns, interpret, and share too. Give us time and an emotionally and physically safe place to grow and become accustomed to the shared experience that is school.

~ Stop encouraging parents to hurry their children through their childhood. It's criminal.

*****

You know my mind. If you're interested in an opposing viewpoint, check out The Downside of Redshirting.

Follow Up to "Off Day"

Here's a follow up blog post responding to comments:

Anon, ChiTown and Lori, you'll be glad to know I got a good night's sleep wearing those plaid flannel jammies last night! :) Thanks for your comments and commiseration. Anon, this is the second year ever that I've been teaching in a non-Title 1 school (twelve years teaching in Title 1 schools prior to that) and I have to say I was a bit relieved (yet still disappointed) when I realized that parents sitting in the middle to upper middle socioeconomic strata also had difficulties when it came to deciding when to send their children to kindergarten.

I've seen some awesome preschool programs, daycare centers, and Head Start instruction in the Title 1 districts in which I've taught prior, their existence necessitated by very specific needs: affordable child care, immersion into an English or bi-lingual environment for non-English speaking children, exposure to developmentally appropriate materials, literature, and socialization, and of course, school preparation. Unfortunately, not all preschool programs provide what children need, and to put it bluntly, neither do their parents. Most kindergarten teachers acknowledge this.

State legislators do not. School district officers rarely are able to be strong and accurate early childhood education advocates. Board policies and "best teaching practices" are aligned with state standards, they're NOT aligned with what four and five year olds can and should be faced with, which I believe is why even in my non-Title 1 teaching school, more and more remediation and "interventions" are having to be utilized with first, second, and third graders.

What would happen if those young, and especially TOO YOUNG kindergartners were kept out of kindergarten (and provided a quality preschool experience) for that extra year? If the boys were able to run off their energy, kick, jump and tackle for a bit longer, and girls were allowed to play princess, draw beautiful pictures, and sing karaoke in the bathroom to their heart's content? I acknowledge it's my ideal "dream kindergarten" scenario that isn't happening in many or most states and won't as long as our nation continues to buy the hype and sales pitch hook, line, and sinker: Your children only learn in school, and guess what, there are lots of nations out there who are creating superhumans to steal your child's future job! Quick, enroll now! Test now! Push, push, push, and make sure to hold those SCHOOLS accountable for everything!

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I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

An Off Day

As teachers, we all occasionally have *that* kind of day: the students are a bit off, the schedule is a bit off, our teaching is a bit off, and our resulting mood is, not surprisingly, *off* as well.

I'll be the first to admit that on my "off" days, I indulge in regular sessions of therapeutic cookie-baking, or eat far too many peanut M-n-M's and drink unnecessarily large servings of foo-foo coffee, thankfully affordable crutches er, "treats." Mrs. Stouffer or Ronald McDonald cooks dinner on those days while the Julia Child in me is down for the count. I ignore the phone, make sure the "No Solicitors, Please" sign is still firmly posted to my front door, draw the curtains, and climb into jammies early.

It's the plaid flannel set today folks.

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The thought struck me as colleagues and I discussed how young so many of our students seem to be this year, that so many classroom management difficulties would be solved by states and school districts implementing a no-loopholes policy regarding the minimum age of entry for students. Admittedly, I've had students who are academically ready for kindergarten as older four year olds or very young five year olds, but very few have been socially and behaviorally ready when their parents have chosen to push their enrollment.

It's week four of school, and we haven't gotten into a smooth rhythm or predictable routine because I'm still having to intervene and halt instruction due to less-mature students' lack of restraint, follow through, and social problem solving abilities. Granted, kindergarten is the perfect place to develop and fine tune those skills, but with students who start kindergarten at a more developmentally appropriate age, that tweaking and fine tuning is more manageable. Why? Because older students are better able to focus for longer periods of time, are more tuned in to the fact that they share their environment with people other than their family, and have had more practice (hopefully) solving problems with words, self management, and calmly seeking out the help of others.

Younger children, especially boys, resort to highly efficient communication styles when interacting with others: it's faster to push, yell, or grab toys away. Why "use your words" or "take turns" when punching a playmate sends the message loud and clear that you're the boss, you want that toy, and you want it now? With state standards, national assessments and the expected/required mastery of skills on the forefront, why are states and districts purposely setting themselves (and their students) up to fail by hurrying younger and younger children through the system, forcing developmentally inappropriate disciplinary practices and tones to be established and used, and creating resentment of teachers and schools by the very children (and their parents) into whom we are supposed to be inspiring a lifelong love of learning? If little Johnny or Jane has toileting problems, can't keep his/her hands off of other students, yells "I gotta PEE" at every inopportune moment, can't or won't transition between activities, actively interrupts the learning of others, sleeps through instruction, or demands an inordinate amount of the teacher's attention (successfully taking time away from a majority of the other students and lowering the teaching time that is supposed to be alloted to actual instruction of the curriculum), then guess what? Little Johnny or Jane isn't ready for kindergarten and shouldn't be there.

I know kindergarten is cheaper than day care. I know a child's social inexperience can get on a parent's or babysitter's last nerve. I know some states enjoy promoting the Keeping-Up-With-the-Joneses game amongst the middle and upper-middle classes. And I know that parents' egos, insecurities, fear for future opportunity, and even sincere desire to do what is "best" for their child can cause them to mistakenly push their children instead of holding them close and nurturing them for a bit longer. Parental guidance is effective and essential, and in my opinion shouldn't be so easily abdicated by mothers and fathers, eagerly supported by districts all-too-eager to help them cut the apron strings long before they should be severed.

Kindergarten will still be there next year. Your child will be better prepared to handle the mandated rigors of today's kindergarten curriculum and subsequent school expectations when s/he can wait for a turn, is willing to regulate voice volume, feels comfortable attempting new tasks without needing or wanting constant adult approval (teachers have to be shared, after all), and feels more inclined to behave safely and with a sympathetic/empathetic demeanor.

Simply put, it's not my job to teach your child to not throw tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants: that's your job. It's not my job to spend most of my day acting as a human shield between your child, who likes to throw scissors, and all of her seatmates who are trying to cut, color, and glue their "Ss" page. It's not okay for your child to yell and hoot every day during Brain Break while other students sleep for four weeks straight, and there is no appropriate consequence, bribe, or threat that I should have to use for a year to help your child "learn" how to be considerate of others: that's YOUR job.

Test-lovers and school-data-gurus, catch a clue and and do it quickly: not much essential growth and mastery can take place when a majority of the year is spent trying to reign in children from their natural dispositions, forcing their developmentally appropriate round bodies through the square holes better suited for older students. We don't let children drive until a certain age, we don't let them vote or drink until a certain age. What's so wrong with allowing them to BE exactly their age in the most appropriate location possible? Kindergarten isn't that place for four year olds, and like it or not, it's not that place for some five year olds either.

Potty Words!

Are you new to teaching kindergarten? If so, I'm going to let you in on a little secret:

Along with words like "developmentally appropriate practice," "curriculum," "intrinsic motivation," "snack time" and "recess," you will more than likely be using the words pee and poop.



Sure, you'll reference "number one" and "number two," and you might even try the fancier sounding "urinate" or "b.m." You might ask your students to indicate their need to go to the bathroom by raising fingers, or just try to teach them to say "May I use the bathroom/restroom please?"

But one day, mark my words, you will end up having to use the simplest and most highly descriptive of words to communicate with one, several, or all of your students, because not all of them will understand the more polite references.

Without further ado, repeat after me:

"Why did you decide to pee all over the floor?"

"When you leave poop on the seat, no one else can use the toilet."

"No sweetheart, poop is not paint."

Consider yourself warned.

*****


Do you have a student who is scared of self-flushing toilets? Have him/her use a post-it-note to cover the sensor! S/he can use the commode, wipe, get up, pull up underwear and pants, step away and THEN remove the post-it-note so the toilet will flush. No more worrying about the potty sucking you down the drain!

*****


Make sure families know they can keep a spare set of clean underwear, pants and socks at school for their child. I ask families to put the clothes in a gallon-sized Ziploc baggie with the child's name written on it. If an accident occurs, my student can quickly change into the dry outfit, and the wet clothes can be zipped closed and sent home in the baggie.

*****

Sneakie Peekie

It's *almost* done- done enough that I can enjoy the rest of my summer break with Dear Husband and Family before he deploys~

Like last year, I opted for the visual weight of the dark blue paper for my bulletin boards, put up some eye-catching coconut trees inspired by Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, arranged my centers and desks for maximum efficiency, safety, flow and fun, and even set out crayons, scissors, beginning of the year stories, and some stuffed storytime companions.

Here's the view from my desk and reading table (we're looking across the students' desks to the math board- counting coconuts 1-10- and the word wall, which is bare except for uppercase and lowercase letters):







...here's the view from the front door, looking toward the back of my room where "circle" and story time occur:



Next to the word wall toward "circle" area is our first language/literacy display board, and it's all about colors:



Some special story time friends:



...and our calendar, weather chart, and months and days:



Here's the art center, just waiting for some terrific artwork to keep the coconut tree company:



Books ready to to be enjoyed:



...and crayons and scissors (glue and pencils will be supplied by students in a few weeks)!



Super Stars, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, I'm So Glad You're in MY Room!

My Kindergartners' Truths: February

My kindergartners' truths:

Stickers are cool.

Everything looks beautiful if colored "like a rainbow."

Getting caught playing around in the bathroom has *nothing* to do with that word the teacher keeps telling us about: acoustics. Nope, the teacher is just magic. Really!

Fairies live in our classroom. The Untie-the-Shoe Fairy, the Hiccup Fairy, and the Desk Fairy are only a few of our regular visitors.

Play-dough is awesome. So are boogers. And scabs.

Teachers forget waaaaayyyy too many things- proof? They always ask "which color is this? What is this number? What sound does this letter make?"

Teachers don't just love apples. Chocolate and coffee- total faves.

Glitter makes everything an incredible piece of art.

CRAYON sharpeners? *The* *coolest* *invention* EVER.

Shaking our sillies out= serious business.

Moms and Dads love our handwriting papers, but we'd rather build cool rocket ships out of blocks, checkers, paper, old shoe boxes, ANYTHING!

Markers are preferable to colored pencils. Colored pencils are preferable to regular pencils. Either the shortest pencil or the tallest pencil are preferable to the medium sized pencils in our desk caddies.

*****

The list goes on and on...

And I *love* the list.

*****

...of course, if they start being quiet in the bathroom, all Stealth-mode... how will I know when they're playing around?

My Week

It's been one of those weeks that crawls at a snail's pace until it's over at which point it seems to have flown by~



My weekend wrap-up:

Work: Hearts, hearts, and more hearts! Hearts for art, hearts for valentine cards, and my Super Stars and I *~heart~* the fact that it warmed up more than enough to have several days of outdoor recess. (Dear family and friends in Alaska...it's February and my kiddos were out playing at 68 degrees...)

I'm going to ask for a SMART Board. Just more proof that my educational practices, philosophy and interests continue to evolve and change even after thirteen years of teaching. Another year down without feeling burnt out. Yay!

It's that magic time of year when changes are happening to my students~ handwriting is becoming more fluid, reading aloud is more expressive, writing is chosen freely instead of begrudgingly endured. Personalities are changing too- bossiness is no longer working for some, followers are becoming leaders, new students are settling in, my Stars are sneaking peeks into the first grade classrooms as we walk by them in the hallway. It's exciting, though not fun for all.

Home: Potty training the pre-schooler. He's been resistant since August (oh joy~) but it's all starting to click into place now. Met with the speech/language teacher who has screened him at day care and she agrees he could use some help with both articulation and language development.

Freshman daughter has started her second semester classes and is taking more of an interest in her appearance. Sigh. It's probably *that* time. Wonder what the boy's name is? He'd better have a killer spike since volleyball still seems to be on her summer agenda.

Eldest son graduates from high school in May. He's taller than me and has promised he won't go and see the new Star Trek movie until I'm back in Alaska with him. Yes Boy, I'm holding you to it. Glad you have a coffee habit like I do- we'll have fun hanging out in Barnes and Noble with our lattes.

Dear Husband will be deploying in late summer or early autumn. We've done this once, and we'll do it again. Hopefully we won't be tripping on his body armor in the house for months beforehand like last time.

Personal: My doctor's appointment went well! I'm not diabetic, my cholesterol, thyroid, and blood pressure are perfect (not near perfect, PERFECT), which means I'm off to do a sleep study sometime soon to see what all of my lethargy is about. Methinks four years of rotten sleep *might* have something to do with it all.

I've sold some banners, had requests for others, and am really going to need to organize my system for sorting, packaging and mailing soon. Fine by me~ anything to feed my need for pretty paper and new paper crafts!

I won a giveaway~ once the light is *just right*, I'll photograph the treasures that Traci sent! They are full of valentine goodness and inspiration...

Carnival of Education: Virtual Inaugural Balls Edition at Teacher in a Strange Land

This week's Carnival of Education is hosted as a Virtual (online) Inaugural Ball by Teacher in a Strange Land, Nancy Flanagan.

She was kind enough to include my post "An Incredible Inauguration."

Many thanks Nancy- there's nothing quite like listening to the thoughts, questions and ideas of kindergarten students!

An Incredible Inauguration

Incredible because of its historical significance, incredible because of the joy, sincerity, and even the minor flubs, and incredible because I watched it with my Super Stars.

Story time, handwriting, learning centers, snack, music and movement, and then, President-Elect Obama's Inauguration.

What first got my Stars' attention was seeing children, two very pretty young ladies, joining all of the "grown ups" on the inaugural dais. "Mrs. Sommerville, those are President Obama's daughters, right? The ones that get to live in the White House?"

"Yes."

Watching other "important people" be greeted on the dais, another student asked "Mrs. Sommerville, where is Obama? Is he last? That's not very fair."

"Teacher, who is he making a promise to again?" "He's promising us that he'll do a good job, protect us, and help us help ourselves and others." "Does he promise everybody, or just the grown ups?" "Everybody honey, all of us."

None of my Stars recognized the lyrics sung by Aretha Franklin, though thanks to our wonderful music teacher, they quickly recognized a violin, cello, clarinet, and piano as "Air and Simple Gifts" was performed.



"Why was the music quiet and slow at first Mrs. Sommerville? It got happy after a while, but why did it start slow?"

"Did they play that music for President Obama or for everyone?" "Everyone." "Wow, that's a lot of people!"

My students were seated for most of the event, except for two key moments when the audience was asked to "Please stand" as the vice-presidential and presidential oaths took place. Without prompting from me, all nineteen of my Super Stars stood quietly, their attention riveted to the television screen.

So of course I cried.

After President Obama's speech, we went to lunch.

Chicken nuggets.

It was a good day.

2008 Reflection

Couldn't resist.

*****

2008 has been busy, educational, enlightening, germ-filled, history-making... all around a memorable year. While IM'ing with Alice yesterday afternoon, I shared that while I'm not an advocate for adding more hours to the day, I am feeling a bit frustrated that I'm missing out on doing all of the things I'd like to be enjoying. Prioritize, organize, sort, toss, de-clutter, sacrifice...they all work in emergency situations, and I've found them helpful during times in my life when I've felt overwhelmed, without direction, treading water. Shake it up, clean it out, start fresh- all those things many people resolve to do at least once a year. But spending time with my family, teaching kindergartners, crafting, reading, blogging, exploring, keeping up on letter writing/correspondence and enjoying "down time" are all important to me. While I don't ever put aside family or my job, I absolutely feel loss when I push one or more of the other pleasures to the side for a weekend, a month, or a semester. I'm not falling behind, I'm just not getting to do what I want to do. It's my selfishness coming out- or many things simply do matter to me.

*****

Thoughts floating around in my mind for the next year:

~ Listening to political pundits and spin doctors diagnose, mis-diagnose, blow smoke, and generally keep the American public on some terrifying rollercoaster ride once our new President takes office is not something to which I'm looking forward. As an individual, he didn't get us into this mess folks, he's been hired to help get us out of it. And it won't be easy, and it won't be fun, and it won't be quick, so:



(find other colors of this poster at sfgirlbybay's ETSY shop)

~ NCLB continues to have me worried, especially when state/formal assessments for pre-schoolers and beginning kindergartners are being considered, adopted, and inflicted upon young children. It's not that we as teachers don't assess- we do, constantly. I've shared what I'm noticing and what I check for when I meet my students for the first time, and I assess students daily using academic and social/behavioral rubrics throughout the school year. I assess in order to know what each child's strengths, needs, and prior schema are in order to adjust my teaching style so that I can provide an effective and enjoyable kindergarten experience for each of my Stars. I do NOT rate them on a scale from 1-10, with the goal of having each and every student a perfectly matched 10 by the end of the year. One child's handwriting may still appear wobbly while another's is almost freakishly calligraphic. Several students may be comprehending literacy materials several grades above their level, while many classmates will still be building their sounding out and sight word recognition skills in preparation for their future light bulb moment in the first grade.

NCLB doesn't help the varied needs of our diverse student populations- it looks to punish diversity itself. We are not clones, biologically, emotionally, physically, socio-economically or mentally, yet we are all capable of accomplishing in our lives. Forcing students to learn how to pass a single test (because if they do, then gee, that means we've solved society's ills, made everyone equal, and can finally compete in the world market, right?) robs them of the time they need to learn what may be their most important life skill of all: how to find the information they need. Go ahead and teach the basics. Add a bunch extra too, and encourage students to ask questions and to go out and experience the world. Keep them interested- and teach them how to find the answers to what they want and need to know. Guide them as they continue to think, learn and explore for themselves, no matter how much it frightens marketing gurus, religious zealots, and other predators.*

* (Yes, I group them together. If it bothers you, never fear: I'm just a kindergarten teacher.)

~ Dear Husband is likely to deploy for the second time in three years. We've bought December 2009's Christmas cards, and have already signed them and tucked them away. Pre-deployment preparations start early...really early. We'll begin stockpiling flat rate mailing boxes soon too. Hooah!

~ Is anyone willing to share not-so-obvious yet completely-necessary tips with this beginning gardener? Remember, I'm in Oz, have a yard that enjoys a lot of sun during the summer, and like many families enduring our nation's financial fiasco, want to grow our own veggies to see us through. We also have roaming deer in these parts- my guess is they too, will try to enjoy our (hopeful) bounty. Ideas?

~ The movie wasn't as good as the book, which has me a bit worried that seeing any future film installment made of the Twilight series will also be disappointing (come on make up specialists, the vampires are supposed to look ethereally beautiful, not cakey and plastered), but I read all four this year (Dear Daughter is finishing the third and hopes to finish the fourth before the end of January), and enjoyed them enough to hop on the marketing bandwagon to purchase a Twilight pendant. No, no, no, not from Hot Topic or some other teeny-bopper mall shop... I found mine on eBay, and followed the seller's link over to her ETSY shop: OliviaMoon.



The front...



...and back:



Photography, books, jewelry, exploring, typography, crafting, teaching, ranting, family, friends, blogging, kindergarten fun... so many things to carry over into 2009! Goodbye 2008, hello NEW YEAR!

Eskimos in Oz

No, Eskimos are not indigenous to Oz (though Arapeho, Kansa, Comanche, Kiowa, Osage and Pawnee are, with many other Native Americans moved to the area in compliance with treaties, with still others forcibly relocated to the heartland), but since my students were curious about my cultural heritage as we learned about family, traditions and celebrations in November and December, I thought they'd enjoy making their own Eskimo characters for a January hallway display: "We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way, walking in a winter wonderland..."



My students learned about parkas, mukluks, mittens, and fur ruffs, then colored their own characters, decorating the parka's qupaks (fancy trim or embellishments), and gluing cotton balls around the coat hood. I left the trees up from December's display as background, and added white streamer runs of "snow" upon which the Eskimos could play:







Aarigaa! Good job, Super Stars!

*****

January Classroom Decor

I kept the winter trees from December up as "background" for the bulletin boards, as well as the snowy tree borders. Oversized tissue paper snowflakes keep the snowmen and decorated paper mittens my students made before winter break company, and add to the winter feel:



(The start of our winter word wall in the calendar/story time area)



(Calendar)



(Snowmen on the math wall- our math units for this month include Numbers 1-12, pairs, and counting past 50, so appropriate math poems, number words, and match up pair games will be utilized...)





(Decorated paper mittens and snowy trees hang above students' desks...)



(A cheery winter flag...)

Here's who'll greet us every day this month:



*****

Check back tomorrow for my hallway bulletin board!