I teach preschool in a Head Start classroom. Our class day runs from 8:30 until 12:30 five days a week. As many preschool teachers would agree, it is tough to fit in all of the curriculum needs into the school day. Planning the daily schedule to include all the necessary components takes time and consideration.
Our school day includes:
8:30-8:45 Arrival
8:45-8:55 Wash Hands & Morning Meeting
8:55-9:25 Breakfast
9:25-9:35 Clean Up & Brush Teeth
9:35-10:15 Outside
10:15-11:15 Free Choice/Centers
11:15-11:30 Clean Up & Wash Hands
11:30-11:45 Circle/Large Group
11:45-12:15 Lunch
12:15-12:30 Clean Up & Manipulatives or Music and Movement
12:30 Departure
At the beginning of the school year, our schedule looked very different. We have several children in our class that have difficulty with transitions, so we took a close look at the schedule and cut out any that we could. This leaves large blocks of mostly unstructured time in our day with lots of goals still to work toward.
This forces us to be very mindful of creating "teachable moments" in order to reach our teaching goals. Where we used to have a story time so the children had direct exposure to being read to daily, we now read to children in small groups during free choice time.
Head Start has taken on a new initiative called "I Am Moving, I Am Learning" which focuses on increased physical activity and an increased awareness of nutrition. One of our teaching goals is to have 30 minutes of structured physical activity every day (60 minutes is recommended but given that our program is a 1/2 day program, it's unrealistic that we'll be able to reach that goal). Because of the challenges we have with transitions, we will need to meet this goal in creative and spontaneous ways. We already incorporate music and movement at least once or twice a week after lunch. This meets 1/2 of our goal for those days.
We are always trying to figure out ways to incorporate our Literacy, Math, Science, and other goals. We are selective when choosing which activities to do, preferring activities that are rich in multiple areas of cognition with the intent of covering several of our teaching goals in one activity. Children need the opportunity to repeat activities, to hear stories over and over, and to be able to explore materials used in activities on their own. This requires intense consideration when planning your activities. Visit www.creativepreschoolcurriculum.com for some cognitively rich activities to try with your children.
As preschool teachers, we all face similar challenges, but we each have unique experiences and approach our challenges in different ways. Utilize the ideas of fellow teachers so that you spend less time planning (reinventing the wheel) and more time working toward your teaching goals. Make learning fun and exciting and keep those children's minds and bodies in motion!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Shake and Shiver
This is a song that my 8 year old daughter is writing:
I was on a river when suddenly, suddenly
I fell into a river.
Ohohohoh, so I climbed out.
Now I am all wet, all weeet.
I started to shake and shiver, shake and shiver.
Now all I can do is go inside, go inside,
But I can't go inside because the door is locked.
So all I can do is go next door,
But I can't because they don't like wetness in their house.
So all I can do now is to shake and shiver
So I might get the flu or a cold or maybe frostbite
And it is winter
So all I can do is to shake and shiver!
By Madison
I was on a river when suddenly, suddenly
I fell into a river.
Ohohohoh, so I climbed out.
Now I am all wet, all weeet.
I started to shake and shiver, shake and shiver.
Now all I can do is go inside, go inside,
But I can't go inside because the door is locked.
So all I can do is go next door,
But I can't because they don't like wetness in their house.
So all I can do now is to shake and shiver
So I might get the flu or a cold or maybe frostbite
And it is winter
So all I can do is to shake and shiver!
By Madison
Monday, March 23, 2009
Out of the Mouthes of Babes
Children can say the most amusing things. Sometimes what they say can be frustrating, amusing, or just downright hysterical! Most of the time, children have no idea what it is about what they say that adults find so funny. That in and of itself is often the cause of some laughter as children will continue to repeat the things that adults laugh at in an attempt to figure out just what we find so funny.
Every parent or teacher can think back to things the children in their care have said and remember some key phrases. My children are 11 and 8 and I can still hear each of them ask for an "ungerbar" for snack. For those of you who don't speak their language, that's a granola bar. My 3 year old neice is always looking for the "morote", otherwise known as the remote. These little snippets help to remind us our children still have a lot to learn.
In my preschool classroom, we are doing a study on Flight (you can find the activities we're using at www.creativepreschoolcurriculum.com/Flight.html). Our class consists of 17 3-5 year old children. We have only just begun our study, but the children are already amazing me with some of the vocabulary they're using. One 3 year old told his mom that "a pilot and a copilot fly planes" and that "airplanes don't have a steering wheel, they have control yokes". One of our 4 year olds picked up the term fuselage from a video we were watching. This wasn't one of the words we had intended to teach them, but it seemed to attract his attention, so we started discussing it.
We don't always enjoy the words that come out of the mouths of children. One of the most memorable milestones is when a child first learns to put sounds together to form a word. We are so amazed and excited over their ability to speak, but before long we begin to realize that we can't always control what they choose to say. They may pick up words or phrases from parents, siblings, schoolmates, or out in public.
Whether or not you enjoy what they're saying, continue to get those children talking! Language development is significantly related to children's future success in school. One book that I found particularly helpful was How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber.
Remember that time flies, this too shall pass, and they're only little once! Cherish every memory, even the ones you think you'd rather forget. Life is short, enjoy all the little moments!
Every parent or teacher can think back to things the children in their care have said and remember some key phrases. My children are 11 and 8 and I can still hear each of them ask for an "ungerbar" for snack. For those of you who don't speak their language, that's a granola bar. My 3 year old neice is always looking for the "morote", otherwise known as the remote. These little snippets help to remind us our children still have a lot to learn.
In my preschool classroom, we are doing a study on Flight (you can find the activities we're using at www.creativepreschoolcurriculum.com/Flight.html). Our class consists of 17 3-5 year old children. We have only just begun our study, but the children are already amazing me with some of the vocabulary they're using. One 3 year old told his mom that "a pilot and a copilot fly planes" and that "airplanes don't have a steering wheel, they have control yokes". One of our 4 year olds picked up the term fuselage from a video we were watching. This wasn't one of the words we had intended to teach them, but it seemed to attract his attention, so we started discussing it.
We don't always enjoy the words that come out of the mouths of children. One of the most memorable milestones is when a child first learns to put sounds together to form a word. We are so amazed and excited over their ability to speak, but before long we begin to realize that we can't always control what they choose to say. They may pick up words or phrases from parents, siblings, schoolmates, or out in public.
Whether or not you enjoy what they're saying, continue to get those children talking! Language development is significantly related to children's future success in school. One book that I found particularly helpful was How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber.
Remember that time flies, this too shall pass, and they're only little once! Cherish every memory, even the ones you think you'd rather forget. Life is short, enjoy all the little moments!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Effective Classroom Management
Effective classroom management takes some planning, but is well worth the effort involved. With a well thought out classroom design, schedule, list of rules, and predictable consequences there will be more time for teaching since you will spend less time dealing with challenging behaviors.
Have a plan before the children even step into the classroom. The arrangement of furniture and materials can go a long way to reduce challenging behavior. If the materials you provide are interesting, displayed in an inviting way and are easy to find the children can easily become engaged with them. The placement of furniture is equally important. Clearly defined areas or centers allow children to be more selective, focused and thoughtful about their play and will reduce the chance that children will simply “float” from activity to activity.
Each center should have an appropriate variety of materials, but not so many as to be overwhelming. Materials can easily and frequently be rotated to provide something new for the children to explore. All of the materials and their place on the shelves should be labeled both in writing and with a picture. This will allow the children to easily put the materials away when they are finished. For more ideas on how to arrange each center and what materials to provide, please check out the article about centers.
Furniture placement can go a long way toward minimizing conflicts and challenging behaviors. Use shelves, cubbies, tables and other furniture to clearly define centers. When considering furniture placement, think about traffic patterns, flooring, lighting, outlets, and the amount of space needed for each center. Be open to rearranging the furniture once the children have been in the classroom and you have seen the way they behave in the environment. Be aware of possible “fast lanes” where the children may be inclined to run through the room. Designing the traffic pattern so that children must maneuver around furniture will force them to slow down.
It is important for the children to know what is expected of them. Clearly defined rules guide the children into making the right choices. Predictable consequences for unacceptable behavior create consistency all of the children in your class. They will be able to predict what the outcome of their behavior will be. Being consistent with consequences is the key to minimizing unacceptable behaviors. As often as possible, ignore irritating or frustrating behaviors. Limit reacting only to behaviors that are dangerous or cannot otherwise be ignored. Many children will repeat behaviors simply to get attention, even if that attention is negative, so it’s vital to limit the negative attention to behaviors that simply cannot be ignored.
The best way to create an environment of cooperation is by “catching children being good”. Constantly and consistently recognizing appropriate behaviors encourages children to repeat the behaviors you would like to see more of. Concentrate on two or three behaviors that you would really like to see more of (cleaning up a center when they’re done and walking safely through the classroom, for example) and make a show of rewarding children doing those things with praise and possibly even a tangible incentive such as a sticker.
When encountering challenging behaviors another thing to take a look at is the schedule. Take some time to ask yourself these questions: Is there too much structured time? Is there too much time where the children must decide on their own what to do? Is there a balance of active and quiet activities? Are the children expected to wait for long periods of time?
Many of us overlook transitions when we are planning our schedules and activities. Transitions are often a time when challenging behaviors erupt because children may not be ready to change activities, they may not know what they should do, or they may simply be bored because they are waiting for the rest of the class. Use a fun song to alert the children that it's time to transition, instead of yelling to them. Try "The More We Get Together" or another familiar song. It will take several days for the children to recognize this as the signal for a transition, but eventually, once the children hear the first few words, they will join you in alerting the rest of the class that it's time to move on.
Try to limit the amount of time the children need to wait, but in a large group waiting is inevitable, so make fun of it! Have something easily accessible for the children to do while waiting. For example, use permanent marker to write letters on unifix cubes to spell each child's name. Have these names stored in a bucket near the large group area so that when the children are waiting for everyone to arrive they can practice building their names. When waiting in line, play simon says, sing a silly song or create a clapping pattern that you repeat each time you're waiting. Here is one example of a song that can be sung while waiting:
I'm so bored that I could cry,
Why am I waiting?
Why, why, why?
I need something fun to do,
Kiss the dog or eat a shoe!
Something better happen fast!
I'm so bored I may not last!
Use transition times to create patience, but it is appropriate to admit that waiting can be boring and frustrating, especially when you're waiting for children who are being uncooperative. If the children have something silly they can do to express this, you will be less likely to encounter challenging behaviors.
Consider these questions when you are planning for tranistions: Are you allowing adequate time for transitions? Are you planning activities for transition times? Are you giving sufficient warning that a transition is about to take place and telling them what will be expected of them? Are there too many transitions in your day? Which transitions could you eliminate?
By thoughtfully planning out your schedule, room design, rules and consequence/reward system, you will be significantly cutting back on the amount of challenging behaviors you must deal with each day. You must remain flexible. When something is not working the way you'd like, look at the reasons behind it and consider making a change. Making changes during the school year typically presents some obstacles, but it is well worth the effort to have a smoothly functioning classroom full of engaged learners.
Have a plan before the children even step into the classroom. The arrangement of furniture and materials can go a long way to reduce challenging behavior. If the materials you provide are interesting, displayed in an inviting way and are easy to find the children can easily become engaged with them. The placement of furniture is equally important. Clearly defined areas or centers allow children to be more selective, focused and thoughtful about their play and will reduce the chance that children will simply “float” from activity to activity.
Each center should have an appropriate variety of materials, but not so many as to be overwhelming. Materials can easily and frequently be rotated to provide something new for the children to explore. All of the materials and their place on the shelves should be labeled both in writing and with a picture. This will allow the children to easily put the materials away when they are finished. For more ideas on how to arrange each center and what materials to provide, please check out the article about centers.
Furniture placement can go a long way toward minimizing conflicts and challenging behaviors. Use shelves, cubbies, tables and other furniture to clearly define centers. When considering furniture placement, think about traffic patterns, flooring, lighting, outlets, and the amount of space needed for each center. Be open to rearranging the furniture once the children have been in the classroom and you have seen the way they behave in the environment. Be aware of possible “fast lanes” where the children may be inclined to run through the room. Designing the traffic pattern so that children must maneuver around furniture will force them to slow down.
It is important for the children to know what is expected of them. Clearly defined rules guide the children into making the right choices. Predictable consequences for unacceptable behavior create consistency all of the children in your class. They will be able to predict what the outcome of their behavior will be. Being consistent with consequences is the key to minimizing unacceptable behaviors. As often as possible, ignore irritating or frustrating behaviors. Limit reacting only to behaviors that are dangerous or cannot otherwise be ignored. Many children will repeat behaviors simply to get attention, even if that attention is negative, so it’s vital to limit the negative attention to behaviors that simply cannot be ignored.
The best way to create an environment of cooperation is by “catching children being good”. Constantly and consistently recognizing appropriate behaviors encourages children to repeat the behaviors you would like to see more of. Concentrate on two or three behaviors that you would really like to see more of (cleaning up a center when they’re done and walking safely through the classroom, for example) and make a show of rewarding children doing those things with praise and possibly even a tangible incentive such as a sticker.
When encountering challenging behaviors another thing to take a look at is the schedule. Take some time to ask yourself these questions: Is there too much structured time? Is there too much time where the children must decide on their own what to do? Is there a balance of active and quiet activities? Are the children expected to wait for long periods of time?
Many of us overlook transitions when we are planning our schedules and activities. Transitions are often a time when challenging behaviors erupt because children may not be ready to change activities, they may not know what they should do, or they may simply be bored because they are waiting for the rest of the class. Use a fun song to alert the children that it's time to transition, instead of yelling to them. Try "The More We Get Together" or another familiar song. It will take several days for the children to recognize this as the signal for a transition, but eventually, once the children hear the first few words, they will join you in alerting the rest of the class that it's time to move on.
Try to limit the amount of time the children need to wait, but in a large group waiting is inevitable, so make fun of it! Have something easily accessible for the children to do while waiting. For example, use permanent marker to write letters on unifix cubes to spell each child's name. Have these names stored in a bucket near the large group area so that when the children are waiting for everyone to arrive they can practice building their names. When waiting in line, play simon says, sing a silly song or create a clapping pattern that you repeat each time you're waiting. Here is one example of a song that can be sung while waiting:
I'm so bored that I could cry,
Why am I waiting?
Why, why, why?
I need something fun to do,
Kiss the dog or eat a shoe!
Something better happen fast!
I'm so bored I may not last!
Use transition times to create patience, but it is appropriate to admit that waiting can be boring and frustrating, especially when you're waiting for children who are being uncooperative. If the children have something silly they can do to express this, you will be less likely to encounter challenging behaviors.
Consider these questions when you are planning for tranistions: Are you allowing adequate time for transitions? Are you planning activities for transition times? Are you giving sufficient warning that a transition is about to take place and telling them what will be expected of them? Are there too many transitions in your day? Which transitions could you eliminate?
By thoughtfully planning out your schedule, room design, rules and consequence/reward system, you will be significantly cutting back on the amount of challenging behaviors you must deal with each day. You must remain flexible. When something is not working the way you'd like, look at the reasons behind it and consider making a change. Making changes during the school year typically presents some obstacles, but it is well worth the effort to have a smoothly functioning classroom full of engaged learners.
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