Have you ever wondered how in the world you are supposed to teach ALL of those required standards in a single year?? I know I have!! (Like… every single year that I’ve taught!!) They keep giving teachers more and more to standards teach, and it seems like they also keep
The first day of school in early childhood can be challenging! I’ve heard it described so many different ways, but the most accurate description is herding cats. It’s like herding cats. All. Day. Long. As soon as you get two of them where they need to be, three more bounce
Dry erase markers and whiteboards have become standard tools in almost every elementary classroom. And, I love them just as much as everyone else does! But, if you’re like me, you’ve had some problems with them that just make you crazy! The good ones cost too much. The cheap ones
One of my very favorite things to do with young kiddos is STEM challenges! It is so much fun to give them some materials, set a goal, and sit back and watch them go to work! They are usually natural problem solvers, and they have no problem thinking outside of
Little ones are naturally curious about writing. They’ve seen adults do it since the day they were born, and it’s only natural that they try to copy what they see us doing! They may be drawing pictures, they may be pretending to write by making random marks on the page,
We are getting closer and closer to the end of the year!! I want to share one more activity that we did during our plants unit! At the beginning of our plants unit, we spent some time exploring seeds from some different fruits and vegetables. Well, we were actually exploring the
In our first plants experiment, we wanted to find out what type of seed would grow the fastest. You can read all about it here: Our Plants Experiments: Part 1 But this experiment was all about the sun! I’m sure by now that you’ve seen how to grow lima bean
Only 18 days until summer!!! The weather is finally getting hot here, so I have to admit that I’ve DEFINITELY got summer fever!! But… for 18 more days, I’ve got a classroom full of 4-year-olds who are still expecting me to show up and be amazing every day!! So,
The Question of the Day is a great routine to establish in your classroom! Some of the benefits include: Your kiddos get a daily opportunity to make a choice and express their opinions. The questions are great conversation starters and help you create opportunities for oral language development. You have
Our second week of Dr. Seuss was all about “The Cat in the Hat!” And, while this is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books, my kiddos this year didn’t love it. So, I followed their lead, and altered my plans a little as the week went on. They had
This 5-step planning framework is the backbone of Circle Time Made Simple™ and will change the way you look at your circle time! Learn how I plan and manage my circle time so that I get my students engaged and KEEP them that way!
