Wacky Wednesday!

What a wacky day it was! The kiddos dressed in some fun wacky clothes to celebrate Dr. Seuss's book Wacky Wednesday. Always fun to mix it up a little in the middle of the week! We also made some fun birds nests on our wacky day. I found some shredded brown paper at $ Tree and bought some malted milk ball robin's eggs. The teal construction paper is from Lakeshore. The kids put lots of glue down first to stick on the shredded paper. I love using Aleene's Tacky glue for projects! Then they glued the eggs to the paper. Last year I used yellow shredded paper, but I like the brown better.


One fun thing we did for wacky Wed. was switched up our schedule a little. They thought that was fun. Kindergarten students like the simplest things! ;)

Here's a March poem we've been learning this month.

March
"The March wind roars loudly,
Winter can't stay!
As sun warms the ground and branches sway.
Wind whispers this secret,
Springs not far away!"

We yell~ Winter can't stay and then we whisper springs not far away. Fun poem.

Enjoy the spring weather!

classroom

I don't know about other K teachers, but I've struggled some with classroom layout. This year, I moved into a new room. Last year my room had a curtain in it that divided the classroom into two parts and I was able to divide my students into two groups. This year we are all one big group! ;) I have figured out some ways to make it work, though!

At the beginning of the year, I still divided my 23 kids into two groups~ Cowboys and Ranchers. I always have them line up in two lines and they sat at different tables. We have a small library, so they go to two different library times too. I even started the year with my tables in two different areas of the room. I soon found that this wasn't the best idea. So, I moved the tables together. The only pics I have are some from a day that we spread out blankets and wore out p.j.s. ;)

Another important area is rug time. I have a large rug in front of my calendar. I found the rug at Hatch an early childhood company. It's really my favorite! I just love The Very Hungry Caterpillar! I also Love my calendar! I had a similar one when I taught first, but it had too many things for K kiddos. I found this one at Lakeshore and it has just enough. When I was in college, we did the Math Their Way calendar and this reminds me of that. We have a song for each month that I got from a book Count and Rhyme at Calendar Time. It teaches the kiddos how to spell each month through song. Really a must have!! I got it at an SDE conference through Crystal Books. It's by Donna VanderWeide. I've used SO many of her songs during calendar time! The other fun fact, they still sing them in 1st and use the months as spelling bonus words. Sing it you'll never forget it!! :)

My centers are spread out around the rug and on the other side of the room. I have two dramatic play centers, housekeeping and dress-up/puppets. At the beginning of the year, I only opened one at a time. Now they are both open. I have a writing center with a monthly journal, listening center with various books usually seasonal, blocks/legos/lincoln logs in the block center and we rotate what we use weekly, sand table/playdough, which we rotate use, table toys at work tables, reading center, and computer. I make a center page for the week in my lesson plans with what we'll be doing for that week. I make notes on the page so that I'll know how it worked from year to year. Sometimes things work and sometimes they don't.

As teachers we're always looking for new ideas that will work for us, so if you have any of your own, post it! ;)

It's starting to look like spring...

Our hall is beginning to look like spring! We did 3 leaf clovers in honor of St. Pat's Day and cupcake liner flowers with Easter grass. My K kids have been telling me all about the spring changes they are observing at home. Aren't we glad that the earth wakes up in spring?!

3 Leaf Clovers

We had a clover pattern that the kiddos traced on green cardstock.
They used the paint roller again to put on glitter green paint from Lakeshore. Love the glitter!! ;)

Cupcake Liner Flowers

I had to hunt for pastel liners! Finally found them in the wedding/party section at Walmart. I had a copy of the stems and leaves. Just glue the liners and Easter grass on. Last year I used paper grass, but found the slick grass at $ Tree. It worked too.

The picture of all the cute little sock feet is from Footloose and Fancy Free Friday! We had a lot of fun running around in our fun socks. ;) Just another nod to Dr. Seuss!


Happy spring!

Spring Cleaning

With Dr. Jean's help, I've found some great ways to organize papers and hang all my poems and songs!

To organize your pages and curriculum I do a days of the week drawer. My aide tears out the papers for the week and puts them in the drawer for the day we will do them. You can also put teaching tools in them. It is a great help, especially when you have a sub. ;)

Another sub idea, burn several daily songs on one c.d. Dr. Jean tells you to do that on her website. I have it marked sub c.d. and put it in my sub folder. That way they don't have to go through all my various c.d.s to find certain songs. This is also a good idea for each month. I started the year with an Aug./Sept. c.d. I had all the beginning of school songs together. You could do that with all your holiday and seasonal songs for the year. I have yet to do the spring songs, but plan on it this summer! ;)


If you are like me, you have LOTS of poems and songs on chart paper. Last year I had trouble finding a way to hang all these and organize them. Dr. Jean to the rescue again!! On her website she said to hang posters and charts from clothes hangers. I bought a large hook and I can hang all my charts for the month from it. After I'm done, I hang them in the closet with a wreath hanger. They stay nice and smooth and organized!!

I think I've mentioned my "clothes line" on the chalk board before, but here it is again. It's so great for drying pictures we've painted and other crafts. I found it at Lakeshore. I don't have tons of table top space for drying so this helps so much! It's also another good way to hang charts on the board for teaching.

I'm into saving space! When you have 22 K kids it's important! I found the wire curtain hanger on my memo board at IKEA. I use small clips to hang notes and updates for the parents outside my door. It's cute and useful!;)


Well, here are just a few of my organizational things! If you have any organizing ideas leave a comment!:)

Happy spring cleaning!!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

What a fun filled Seuss day! The kiddos really went all out in their fun outfits. We read some books had pink ink to drink and watched the Sneeches.

Pink Ink that the Yink drinks~ From One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

I didn't use the recipe from the Green Eggs and Ham cookbook, I made this one up myself! :)

1/2 Gallon of Bluebell Strawberry Ice Cream

Strawberry Syurp

2 liter Sprite or 7-Up

Blend ice cream and a little Sprite. Add Strawberry syurp as desired for pink color. Keep blending ice cream with Sprite. The more Sprite you add the thinner the drink will be.

Serve in a clear glass with a straw. I put umbrellas in for added fun! ;) My recipe served 22 kiddos.

It was VERY yummy. You could also just add Strawberry syurp to Sprite and stir for the same pink look.

Coming soon~ Footloose and Fancy Free Friday~ We'll wear crazy socks to honor The Foot Book and Fox in Socks.

Also, Wacky Wednesday... More info. on that soon! It's the month of Seuss!!