You Are Enough!

As we all go back or get ready to go back to school, I want to share something that has been on my mind for a while.

All of us know that celebrity teacher we wish we were.  They are awesome!  They inspire!

They teach!  They share!  I can't wait to see what is happening in their rooms!

I want to be them!

But I'm not...not even close.  I lose my patience.  I get tired.  I sometimes want "that kid" to be absent. (Not this year, parents!  All my cuties are perfect!)  I don't get everything done.  I give in and have free iPad time.  I take the easy way out, sometimes.  My class is not Pinterest or Facebook or Instagram worthy.

And it gets me down...

I need to remember that what we see on social media is only a fraction of what happens in those classrooms.  I mean come on...the 3 ps (puke, pee, and poop) happen.  Kids melt down.  They have days and days of inside recess.  

School happens!

My classroom is real life...good and bad.  When you walk in my room (you'll probably hear us before you see us!) you'll see the lava lamp going, kids going everywhere, me looking for my glasses, and a mess everywhere!  You'll hear Pandora playing KidsBop, kids talking LOUD, maybe someone crying or getting mad.  You'll smell our oil diffuser (Cheer Up Buttercup is my favorite) and maybe stinky feet because we don't always wear shoes.  Some of our centers are really cute, some are made at the last minute with paper plates because I had an idea ( saw it that day on Facebook.)  That's the way it is.  Some days I feel like Mary Poppins and others, Cruella Deville.

But, whoever I am that day,  its okay.  Whoever YOU are each day is okay.  When I graduated I received a Bachelor of Arts degree.  It bothers me sometimes that new teachers get a Bachelors of Science degree, now.  Teaching is an art...ugly, messy, smelly.  But the final product, our students is BEAUTIFUL. ( Or is it are beautiful? Ugg.)

Go out there and get real!

Happy Teaching!

               Holly

Flexible Seating the Vintage Way

I have read lots of posts about flexible seating

and always thought it wasn't for me. 

 *I'm too old.  If I get down there, I'll never get up.

*The kids will argue over where they sit.

*It will be too distracting.  No one will get anything done.

But, I'm going for it!

(I like my "nest." Ignore the pile of junk in the hall.)

 Things are changing.  I can't run my classroom the way I did 30 years ago, 10 years ago, or even, the way I did 2 years ago.  I've always tried to give my Ks the best classroom experience they can have.  Some things I've tried have been awesome, and some have crashed in flames!  That's okay.  We are all learning, changing beings, even a vintage teacher.

Here's a tour of our room!

This is the Dress-up center. I absolutely refuse to get rid of creative play centers!  We do Groups every day.  Check out the hat rack I found at Hobby Lobby for $7!  Inside the closet are lots of options for dress-up.  Most of them came from Goodwill. The wheel on the board is our Groups Wheel.  I have 8 groups.  The kids rotate through the groups, going to one per day.  We spend 30 minutes at Groups.  If, for some reason, we don't have Groups,  I will hear about it!  They LOVE Groups!  I see the small table being an option for working Ks.

This the the Blocks Area.  Ks can choose to do their work here.  It's back in a corner, so I see the Ks who need quiet to gravitate to this spot. I'm not sure what's going on the bulletin board, yet.

 This is the Sensory Table.  We're using it as a stand-up table, too.  Under the table, I have a basket of little quilts I made so the Ks can use those as a work spot.

I made some throw pillows.  The beanbags need some help!  I've got to add more stuffing.  I quilt, so I'll use leftover scraps of batting to fill them.  I'm okay with the Ks moving these pillows or beanbags around the room.  We are going to work on returning things to where they belong, so we can find what we need.

Isn't this rug amazing?  Thank you Donors Choose!  We have been funded for a rug and a MacBook.

Under the table, I have crates of clipboards, whiteboards, and chalkboards. 

This is where my co-teacher will be.  I have to admit, I can't give up my desk.  Maybe one day, but not now.  (Notice the donuts on her table!  Tee hee!)

Trapezoid tables...a love-hate relationship.  

My co-teacher took the legs off these tables to make them low for the kids.  They can sit on the floor or use a pillow.  

(You will not see me at one of these! haha)

Our triangle table needs an extra ball box or two.  I'm not giving up chairs completely.  I don't believe that true flexible seating means taking away all of the chairs.  Some students choose a chair. And, I may be old school, but there are times when I want a child to sit in a chair.

I love this arrangement of tables.  This is where I see myself working with small groups or setting up an art or science project.  I especially like the way the front table is lower.  I don't know why, I just do.

We'll see what happens...

I picture happy little children merrily taking their clipboards or iPads to a spot and peacefully doing their work.  I picture polite children sharing the pillows, carpets, balls.  I picture sweet children, carefully returning books, and tools to their proper spots.  

Hey, it could happen!

                                                   Holly

Have you ever been smacked in the face?????

I mean, really hit hard, and hugged tight all at the same time?

This happened to me this week.  I attended Digipalooza 2016 at

Scottsburg Middle School this week.  I saw several great presenters that I'll blog about at another time.  

But,

an absolutely life changing moment (lots of them,) was when 

Pernille Ripp spoke.  The earth stopped spinning, all was absolutely silent as her words smacked me right in the face!  went straight to my heart.  She spoke about how we must be advocates for our students.  

Why

am I doing some of the things I do in my class, when I know deep down in my heart that they may not be the best things for my kids or for me?

For example, my clip chart for behavior...

My kids love to be a Rock Star!  And some of them were Rock Stars 235 times, and some were

0 times.....

I could tell you each morning as I greeted my gang, who was going to be a Rock Star and who was going to need to Get It Together.

Moving that little clothespin didn't change their behavior.

Moving that little clothespin didn't enhance their learning.

It gave me power!  Power over them as to how they felt about themselves.  Let's face it - some of my gang would never have Rock Star behavior! Just getting to school was a big accomplishment!

And some of my Rock Stars weren't stars, at all.  Following the rules was easy for them - it was just who they were.

And we all know that one little gal who will go home on tell where everyone landed on the chart! (She's a Rock Star, of course.)

And I love my Rock Stars and my Get It Togethers and 

I want them all to feel success!

I am also considering how I do reading in my class.  I feel so much pressure to get all my Ks reading by the end of the year, and not JUST reading, but being fluent and fast and getting to that "magic level!"  What?? I know in my heart that this is not developmentally appropriate for all my kids.  I know this does not foster a love of reading and learning for the joy of it.  It's a competition!  I am the least athletic person you will ever meet.  I say over and over that I don't like competition.  Yet, here I am, Queen of my Classroom, setting up all my cuties, but one, to feeling less than!  So, I'm rethinking prizes for AR points and passed sight word lists.  I'm not sure how I'm going to do it, yet (honesty, people!) but I am determined to 

celebrate all learning!

 One of the things Pernille Ripp shared about spoke volumes to me!  Why do we think it's okay to publish student achievement without their permission.  I would never publish in a newsletter, whole class email, Facebook page, etc. a list of kids with IEPS and how they did!  Why is it okay to treat our Honor Roll kids without  the same courtesy?  Learning is private - not public.  

Even as we learn in a community, real learning takes place in ourselves...it's our understanding, our connections, our thoughts.

So, no more newsletter lists of which student passed which sight word list, or had the most AR points, etc.  Yes, we'll celebrate achievements, but in a private email or note and in our classroom community.  Again, this is a work in progress.

If you ever get the chance to hear Pernille Ripp speak, GO!  She speaks the words that are in the heart of so many educators of any grade level.  

pernillesripp.com

I've been a teacher for a long, long time.  Many of the things Pernille 

Ripp shared I have felt for a long time.  Many of the things used to be common practice.  Education is a pendulum...it swings back and forth.  Many new ideas are just old ideas with a new name. (I could have been a millionaire if I'd just labeled some of the things I've been doing for 30 years!)

Thank you, Pernille, for giving permission for those thoughts and beliefs to be not just okay, but important and doable!

But, one thing that should never change is a teacher's passion for her students!

When that happens, I'll know it's time to wave good-bye.

                                                               Holly

Survival: Kindergarten Christmas Edition

For new and vintage teachers

It's that time of year we look forward to and dread.  

Christmas in Kindergarten!

I've done this for a few years and I've survived to tell about it.  Here are some tips to make the next few weeks manageable and, hopefully, just a little bit fun!

 Try to maintain your regular schedule.

As hard as it may be, try to stick to your regular daily schedule.  Kindergartners thrive on consistency and a clear knowledge of "what's going to happen next."  All during December I maintain our classroom schedule as best I can.  We start with morning work and then go on to Daily Literacy, Math, Groups, etc.  If we have a special craft or activity, I build it into the schedule.  For example, making an ornament craft to hang in the room was a math station because it focused on making a pattern.  

Let it go.

There are always things that will happen during this month that you can't prevent and, even some you don't expect.  Just like the Christmas Concert.  Our school still does this.  I used to worry about how the kids would act, about if they knew their songs, etc.  Now, I don't let it stress me.  No matter what words they sing, along with their impromptu choreography, and how much they show off during the concert, it doesn't matter.  Their families think it's the cutest thing ever!  Go with it!  Smile lovingly at your kids, and if the parents look at you, just shrug your shoulders.  Oh, those silly kids! Chuckle, chuckle.

Give yourself a break.

Hey, you're excited, too!  I mean you have a looong vacation coming up soon.  You can sleep.  You can go to the bathroom when ever you want!!!!  I'm not saying completely let things go, but if a set of papers doesn't get graded that day, or a planned activity doesn't go exactly as planned, give yourself a pat on the back anyway!  Your kids aren't going to go home talking about the super duper worksheet on beginning sounds they did, but they might go home singing that silly song you made up on the spot to get their attention.

Share the joy.

It's always a good idea to reward positive behavior twice as often as to point out poor behavior. (I am preaching to myself!!!  I don't do this as often as I wish I did. True confession!) During this crazy month, I challenge you and MYSELF to reward 3 times as many positive behaviors as point out poor behaviors.  All Ks want attention, and they don't care how they get it!  Let's show our kids the best way to get attention.  Lots of my kids have an Elf on the Shelf at home.  I don't want to detract from that, so the last 10 days before vacation, Noel comes.  

She arrives in a box straight from the North Pole with special pencils for us to use.  She challenges us to make them last until vacation.  Noel works like Elf on the Shelf.  I try to do some of the same things every year, just because it makes me happy.  One day we'll walk in to a trail of cookie crumbs to the snack box.  One day she will be teaching the other stuffed animals in our room.  Noel is a big part of showing my Ks what is acceptable and what isn't.

Use the power of the Claus!

Okay, I admit it!  I use the power of Santa Claus to keep things from completely going off the Polar Express rails!  Don't judge!   Yes, I do tell my kids I have a direct line to Santa.  Just a few weeks ago, I got a message from a parent from a few years ago who told me their child wanted to call Santa.  When the parent said she didn't have the number, Little Miss said to call me!  Mrs. Sweany has Santa's number!

One of my favorite things to do every year is to have Santa call my class.  I change my husband's photo and name on my phone to Santa.  He calls at a prearranged time from the floor at the factory where he works so it will sound like Santa's shop.  I write down a few names, so he can "call out" certain kids to ask if they've been good at school.  You should see their eyes when they hear Santa!  They just know they can hear the elves working on their toys!  Love it!!!!

Here's to you, K teachers!  Have a wonderful couple of weeks!  Enjoy your kids.  Christmas really is more special through the eyes of a child.

Bless you, every one!

Pumpkin Ramps and a Giveaway

Two blog posts in one week!  Boom!

We had another great  day of STEM!  I am totally loving this. And, if you have read my previous blog posts, you know that STEM is new to me.

We built ramps for pumpkins.

First we brainstormed ways to build a ramp and tested them as a class.  We sketched our test ramps on chart paper.  Then, I set the timer for 10 minutes and everyone designed ramps on paper.  I love how they really put thought into how to draw the blocks.

Next, we were off to the auditorium to put our designs to the test!

We worked by table.  I really like my kids to practice teamwork.  Sometimes, this is the hardest part of the activity!

We got another 10 minutes to perfect our ramp.

After our test time, we had 5 minutes to build our actual ramp.  Only one group couldn't seem to agree.  Then, it was time to roll those pumpkins!

My very limber co-teacher measured the distance each pumpkin rolled.  Our winning pumpkin ramp building team won the little pumpkins by rolling their pumpkin 86 inches!

Now for the Giveaway!

Do you follow my TPT store?

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Vintage-Kindergarten

 This is my latest product!  I am super excited to use it next week!

 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Centers-for-Turkey-Time-2190814

I had to test it out Friday on some cutie pie models!  It was a success!  They wanted to do these activities instead of Groups!  And they were at dollhouse!  That's a BIGGIE!

Here are some photos of the 4 centers - 2 math and 2 literacy.

 Spin and write.  I used our favorite markers and sight words.  For some of my other kids, I will use their name or letters.

Feather a turkey. Use the feathers to make simple CVC words.  For some of my kids, we will use just beginning sounds.

Roll and color.  Look at these fantastic jumbo double dice!  I found them at Amazon!

 I should own stock in Amazon!

 Make a turkey - Put the feathers in numerical order on the turkey.

 Would you like to win this center set?  Please follow my TPT store and leave your email in the comment section of this blog.  On Monday,  I'll have my gang choose the winner and I'll email  it to you!

                                 Maybe we can't all be stars -
                                                                  But we can all shine!                                                                                                              

                                                                                       Holly

Is it really November?

Is it just me or is this school year flying by?  

Stop!  Right now!

Think about your kids on the very first day of school.  Give yourself a pat on the back for how far YOU'VE brought them!  You did this!  You are AMAZING!

Now that we're all feeling good, let me show you something we added to our room this week!

I love using my sensory bin for some extra holiday fun.  The kids had a blast digging in the corn to find matching upper and lowercase turkeys.  We did beginning sounds, too!

Oh, by the way, we shucked the corn, too!  Yeah, we live in a farming community!

Next week I can change it up.  This product also has real and nonsense words, sight words, and numbers!

Click on this link to find it in my TPT store!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-and-Literacy-Games-for-Thanksgiving-2185605

I love this so much that I'm going to make one for Christmas, too.  If you follow my store, I'm sending a sneak peek freebie to you!

Please leave a comment and let me know how you use your sensory box.

Maybe we can't all be stars - 

 But we can all shine!

Holly

It's ALIVE!!!!!

We had such a great time on Science Friday this week!  We brought gummy worms back to life!!!! (Insert evil laugh!)

Check out these pictures!

First, we drew our predictions.

Then we mixed our secret ingredient (baking soda) in water and added the worms.  We let them soak for about 15 minutes.

While our worms were soaking in their bath, we filled clear cups with 

Re-activator Potion (vinegar.)

We carefully took the worms from their bath and placed them in the clear cups.

At first, all we saw were bubbles - not much movement (except in a few exceptions!)

We watched and watched and watched!  Finally, I decided to "help" them along a bit.  I went around and added a bit more of the bath liquid to each clear cup, making sure to get some of the baking soda.

The class went wild!  The liquid bubbled up and over the top.  The worms danced and danced!  Sorry. I didn't get a good picture of this. I was too busy saving the iPads we were using to take pictures!

Maybe we can't all be stars, but we can all shine!  Happy Teaching!Holly