Parent conferences can be nerve-wracking. It’s intimidating to sit down with a parent and go over how a child is doing in your class. I think all teachers feel a little bit of insecurity at the thought of sitting face-to-face with another adult to talk about a child, because it feels like a reflection on…
One of THE most important parts of back to school time is teaching rules and expectations in your room. If you think about it, Kindergarten teachers have it the hardest in this area. You have a whole host of students who have never experienced ‘school’ before. Now, you may have a subset of students who…
If you’re anything like me, you need to recharge after a tough year. We teachers faced every curveball imaginable. Some of you may have ended the year without ever meeting your students in person. Others were in the classroom all year long, but had to navigate many restrictions in the classroom. No matter how you…
It’s almost summer time! Who doesn’t love summer break? It’s a time for all of us to relax, recharge, and get ready for what the next year may hold. For students, we know that summer is especially sweet. They get to take a break from all of the responsibilities their lives hold, and just be…
What is Fine Motor Practice? Fine motor skills involve the use of small muscles in the hand. Tasks such as gripping and writing with a pencil, cutting with scissors, button a jacket, etc. incorporate a student’s fine motor skills. Unlike gross motor skills, such as crawling, running, and jumping, fine motor skills may not develop…
It’s officially Spring time! I love the Spring. I’ve shared this before, but Spring in Kindergarten is magic. It’s so fun to see how many lightbulbs have officially clicked for kids this time of year. You can really see student growth and achievement taking off, and there is nothing better. One of the classic activities…
As teachers, we know how important it is that our students read every day. When they are in our classrooms, we have control over their reading. We teach small groups, level texts, and more. But, the school day is not solely devoted to reading instruction. There are many more subjects to teach each day! So,…
One of the biggest gifts we can give our students in Kindergarten, is to help them understand the basic structure of any story before they leave us. Every fiction story is going to have a beginning, middle, and an end! Being able to identify these in stories will help students grow in skills such as…
Is anyone else just completely blown away that March is already here?? This school year has been the wildest ride, and the fact that we’re already headed into Spring feels unbelievable…but also like it took a very long time to get here. Anyone else feeling that??March is a wonderful time to review academic skills, while…
I think the hardest part of distance learning has been letting go of not seeing the “sweet spot” of Kindergarten unfold. March, April, May is when the magic happens. Those are the months where the pieces come together. It amazes me every year. To come in so little and grow so much before they become…
We officially got the news that school buildings are closed for the remainder of the school year. I knew it was coming. I know it is the safest way. However, I never thought on March 13th when I hugged my kiddos and said, “See you soonish…” that it wouldn’t be until next school year. Such…
We heard on a Friday at 1 P.M. that our school was closing for a few weeks. I was at lunch with my teammates. When I picked up my students from recess, my mind was racing… What do they need?! Do I tell them?! How do I tell them?! It was hard to process all…
We always hear the importance of building a strong school and home connection, but how do you do that when your students are five and six and passing information along feels like the telephone game?! Your simple announcement of bring your stuffed animal to school tomorrow has turned into, we are going to the zoo…
I love using picture books in my classroom to discuss important topics and I have been a long time fan of the author Maria Dismondy and the picture books she has written to demonstrate kindness, standing up for others, and friendship. I was thrilled when I was asked to be apart of her latest Virtual…
When you hear that phrase in your classroom does it make you twitch a little bit? I know I used to. The classroom rhythm is such a tricky beat to stay on top of because as you start a classroom activity everyone is engaged and working, you might even take a step back and look…
The month of May has begun! Cue all the emotions and on your mark, get set, GO! Fill your planner with as many events and activities as it can hold. The month of May (and June) is such a fun loving, anxiety ridden time for both students and teachers. Not to mention, the month of…
The end of the school year is approaching at a rapid rate and I wanted to spend a few minutes talking about student gifts. I don’t know about you, but I love to give a little something to my sweet kiddos to celebrate the end of Kindergarten, but I also don’t have tons of time…
Alright, let’s chat! The end of the year can be such a stressful time. I feel like once I come back from spring break my mind starts going faster than it already does as I try to schedule, organize, and figure out how to get everything done by the end of the year. In fact as I’m…
Literacy Centers in Kindergarten is such an important time of the day. It allows your kiddos the time to independently work on reading and writing skills and you the time to meet with your guided reading groups. I don’t know about you, but small group time is my favorite time. With that being said,…
Hi Friends, and thank you for stopping by. I’ve been contemplating all week about writing a post about resolutions so I was excited to see that my friends Jessica from Tech & Teachability and Kristi from Pelicans and Pipsqueaks were hosting a fun linky on this very topic. Call me crazy, or maybe you can…
Good Morning, and Happy Monday blogger friends! For the past few weeks my class has been busy learning about beginning, middle, end and sequencing events. One how to writing activity we did last week that was engaging and a lot of fun was how to build a snowman. Last year we had a lot of snow…
The dynamic duo is back and it feels so good. When my sweet friend Jayme from TeachTalkInspire asked if I would be interested in doing a New Year’s Resolution link up with her I jumped at the chance. I have neglected my poor sweet blog and I hope to change that in the new year….
Happy Friday! I’m particularly excited for this Friday because not only is it my favorite linky day with Doodle Bugs Teaching, but it’s the last Friday before Winter Break!!!This teacher as I’m sure all the fantastic teachers out there needs a rest. I need to recharge my batteries and have some serious Netflix and couch time….
Happy Friday! This has been a jam packed week and I am excited to be linking up with one of my favorite weekly linkys Doodle Bug Teaching for my Five for Friday. Lets get this show on the road… I couldn’t let the week go by without doing one of my favorite Thanksgiving projects. We read…
