From Super Teacher to…..
Today was a really good day until….
Do you every have those days ? The day started really great. The children were all playing in centers. I introduced the IPAD to them. Orrin’s mom showed up from her morning walk with the perfect leaf for a project I had been wanting to do..so we started that. For the most part, our day was picture perfect. I was cleaning up the mess from our leaf project and I hear someone enter the door behind me.
DUM TA DUM DUM
It’s Mary Jo the health dept lady. You may not realize it but we are inspected just like restuarants are . Usually the kitchen is FAIRLY decent so it isn’t a problem. Just like normal today was fine too except she was a little chatty. We were talking about church and life . While this kitchen conversation was going on Randy was entertaining the kids with stories of Donney, Bird and Onion. It did go a little long. Finally I said ” Mary Jo, I am sorry but I have to get back with the kids . We have a few more things to do today. ” She replied ” No problem” and left. ( Relationships with the people that inspect you are important. No one is perfect and they all go by the book but sometimes if there is a question about something in a gray area, if you have a good relationship with that person it can blow in your favor. So… hence , I talk. 🙂
We had not had lunch or been outside. My plan today was to feed everyone at the same time so I could do some observations outside in gross motor. It didn’t happen. Sure, they went outside, but by the time we rushed to catch up from my kitchen chat all my plans were already pushed aside and we were to the survival stage. That is what a difference 15 – 20 minutes can make in our day. Yes, we play. Yes the materials are out for them to learn but I do have goals.
Ugh… So Super teacher ( I say that with a laugh. Beth called this morning to ask a question and I told her I was walking around observing and writing notes on the kids play – thats how we assess . She said ” of course you are super teacher.” So.. Super teacher changes to cranky teacher VERY fast. I hate when I let that happen. It is very easy to recognize . I end up saying ” No.. ” a lot. I say .. ” Please hurry or…” And I think my eye brows might jump up and down a little. 🙂 Anyway, we all survived and actually got a lot done today. Hopefully cranky teacher will regroup during nap time and enjoy the rest of the day with the kids.
So.. Im through whining. Ready to see some pictures of our day ?
First I will show you some centers we had out today on the table.
Lacing an acorn
The IPAD ! The kids really enjoyed it. I put an alphabet matching and number matching game on there that was fall themed. If they matched the correct letters it filled in the color and made a beautiful picture. It was a lot less maintenance than the lap top.
Transferring leaves with tongs from one basket to the other basket. Getting our fingers ready to grip pencils.
Sorting leaves by Color
More writing on laminated sheets with dry erase makers. The kids are loving this . Dollar tree has markers and boards and that would be the best $2 investment you could make in your child’s writing abilities right now.
Lining the leaves up in numerical order
Sensory tub ! Angie Dorrel Says ”
Sticky, slippery, gooey, heavy, bumpy…that’s what sensory experiences are made of. Learning and retention improve depending upon how many of our senses are engaged. Many of our favorite memories involve multiple senses. When thinking about my grandma, for example, I remember the smell of the flowers in her garden; I can see her wearing her favorite outfit; I remember how her gooseberry pie tasted; and even how the sofa felt.
Sensory activities provide children with another meaningful avenue for learning. Sensory tables or several tubs rotated regularly with wondrous sensory materials are worthwhile investments for hours of learning, exploring, and fun. Because children learn best by having “hands on” experiences with materials, sensory experiences are vital to young children’s learning.
Patterning ! This is still a hard concept for the three year olds but they can do things with this game on their own level. MATCHING !
One of the projects we did today I saw on PINTEREST. My name is Debbie and I am addicted to Pinterest. The good thing about pinterest. is it has broken my Facebook addiction ! 🙂 Today we did leaf stamping with a wonderful HUGE lead that Rhonda brought us after her walk.
I know….. you would NEVER let this mess happen. The thing is.. messes like this don’t bother me. ( Only little things like getting 20 minutes off schedule…. )
We also made these 3 D trees today. I thought they turned out quite cute.
And… at the end of the day, I can look at the pictures like the one below and realize that 20 minutes can’t ruin a whole day of fun and learning. To get over myself..
