Hmmm....Something to Think About!

Too often, especially in early childhood education, ideas are cycled around a general idea or area, and by the time they are used by most, the meaning behind them has been lost or simply diluted to the point that it is difficult to see the real "point" of the activity.

I'm guilty of this as well.  It's too easy and tempting to see an idea and repeat it without really questioning why we are doing the activity in the first place! 

Questioning the purpose behind the "cute" and "fun" activity is an important part of teaching!  Questioning why someone else is doing an activity with the children isn't an attack on them, at least not in my view.  And, to be quite honest, I often question because I LIKE the idea, I'm simply struggling with articulating why it should be done...or perhaps wondering if there is more to it that could be explored!

Questioning things is my way of learning more, of defining my beliefs more clearly and of challenging myself to think about things in a different way.  Perhaps I just teach in an environment where questioning why you are doing an activity is pretty common.  It may not be overt, but it is certainly under the surface of many interactions with other teachers, administrators and parents.

It is nearly impossible for me to plan activities or find activities that others have used or designed without questioning what the children will learn from the activity and what I would like the children to gain from this (short and/or long term). 

At one time, it was truly enough for a preschool teacher to say that an activity was simply "cute" or "fun" or "loved by the children" and this was enough to justify doing the activity.  Many more of us are teaching preschool in public school systems. 

This is simply nowhere near enough of an explanation for doing an activity!

When the children are using strips of colored paper and index cards with scissors (multiple kinds) my explanation is that one child is at the point of snipping with scissors so strips of paper gives him a way to see his progress (he can snip a piece and it falls off).  Another child is cutting across paper.  Index cards are stiffer offering more resistance and are less likely to fold over and collapse as he cuts across.  Another child is using adapted scissors in order to push down on a lever and snip since he doesn't yet have the muscle strength to use typical scissors. 

When the children are exploring sticks, twigs, acorns, pine cones and leaves in the sensory table and another teacher walks in and says "Should he really be playing with that?" I need to be able to articulate WHY I feel it is important that he does, indeed, play with that!  And, I also need to be able to point out that these same items are available outside all the time! 

When we're baking cookies and a child is manipulating cookie dough like play dough and another one is rolling the rolling pin across his head after rolling out the cookie dough, I need to be able to explain to those who work with me why it is NOT better to simply take the cookie dough and shape it for the child or take the rolling pin away from the child and do it for them!

When we are painting with q-tips or cotton balls or bath sponges and a parent stops to comment how "cute" the activity is, I simply comment that, yes, it is cute, and the children are working on fine motor skills while painting with q-tips, they are working to strengthen hand muscles and work those muscles needed for scissor snipping by using a clothespin to clip the cotton ball and paint and they are exploring the textures and variations of the bath sponges and experimenting with the types of prints these make.

Even with very open ended, child-initiated play, there can be a clear and defined reason for presenting certain materials.  Why would we open up every area in our outdoor classroom if we're pretty sure the children may not even explore the tree cookies?  Well, we want to make sure these are an OPTION for the children to explore!  If they are never available, how will we ever know if the children will explore them?  And one day they may surprise us by using these in a unique and wonderful way!

Perhaps where you teach, you ARE the administrator.  Perhaps you have the ability to do what you want, when you want!  I would still argue that you should question what the purpose is behind activities/ materials/decisions!  Go ahead!  Question yourself!  Question your colleagues!  Feel free to start a dialogue about things you feel strongly about!   

You just might find out something new about someone else!  You also may tap into an area someone knows more about than you do!  And you just may learn something new about yourself, your beliefs, and most importantly, you may grow as a teacher! 

When Turning "Process-Art" Into "Product" Makes Sense!

Almost everything is about the "process" in my classroom!  We paint and create with various materials, tools and textures and enjoy exploring the process of painting and creating.  We dance and explore the process of moving our bodies.  We sing and explore the process and power of our vocal range, pitch and tempo. 

Talk about a sensory experience!  The feel of the tree, the smell of the gingerbread baby ornaments, the lights, the colors...oh my.   We may need to take a little sensory break after this experience! :)  Just realized how messy this looks...well, honesty is the best policy I suppose!

But, for highly concrete-thinking children, it often makes more SENSE to see an actual product.  Besides, I'm pretty sure the parents of the children in my classroom have pasted their walls and refrigerators (hopefully not the trash cans) with white pieces of paper covered in a thick, gooey layer of red, orange or yellow paint.  They may need a bit of a break from these wonderful paintings!

So, every once in a while, an idea for all these thick, gooey layers of paint papers pops into my head...and I run with it!  For several weeks now, the children have enjoyed using red paint on white paper...that's it....nothing else to it.  Simply red paint, white paper, various sized paint brushes and an easel!

Today, I cut all those large pieces of paper into smaller rectangles.  I also cut rectangles from red construction paper.  I stapled these in a brick pattern on our bulletin board to make a "fireplace".  I just had to add a rope light around it as well, as it simply wasn't bright enough already!

So, tomorrow, while we're sitting by the "fireplace" reading books (since it is the book area after all) we'll be able to talk about all the papers that THE CHILDREN painted to help make that fireplace!  

                                        

The idea of a "fireplace" will make sense to them, since this is often in stories involving the holidays.  It will hold some meaning to them and they will be interested in talking about it.  But, best of all, the children have also become an integral part of the creation of this "product".   And, because of this it holds more meaning and is more personalized.  So, even though I think it is important to embrace allowing the children to explore the process, sometimes it really does make sense to turn some of those process-art pieces into a product!

** Shared on the Rainbows Within Reach Happy Birthday Linkie :) **

Ever Have One of ThOsE Days?

Ever have one of those days?  You know the type of day I'm talking about!  The day that starts out deceivingly well...then quickly takes a nosedive! 

Yep, you couldn't see if on their faces.  You couldn't hear it in their voices.  You just didn't know that every single child in my classroom was silently planning to self destruct within fifteen minutes of entering the classroom today! 

So, here's how it started.  Our first little guy made his way off the bus with my associate and into the classroom.  I started the day like I do every day with him.  A verbal prompt to unzip his coat.  A picture prompt to unzip his coat.  And wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Then tears.  Lot's of tears.  Tears streaming, lip quivering.  How could you POSSIBLY expect me to unzip my coat?!  (yes, he is perfectly capable of unzipping his coat)  A few more minutes of waiting, crying, waiting...then, a small hand decides, finally, to unzip the darn coat!

Whew!  We climbed that obstacle, we're out of the woods, ready to get back on track and have a great day!  Oh, but wait, we've made it to the table.  We're eating our breakfast.  Another little one decides to turn around multiple times in her chair and ends up spilling her breakfast (not enough to warrant immediate clean-up though).  I remind her to "turn around and eat your breakfast".  Tears, lots of tears!  More tears!  I have now successfully, somehow, made two children cry in less than 15 minutes!

The crying subsides and we move on with our day.  A little guy walks past his friend to go to the carpet and reaches out and grabs the friend!  No, not in a gentle, let's play kind of way!  My guess is this little guy was upset that I had to charge my Mp3 player and the music was not playing.  Well, believe me, if there was any way I could have milked a few last bits of juice out of that rechargeable battery for the Mp3 player, I would have!!  Nope, it was dead.  And here we are with two children who have cried and a child who is trying to hurt his friend...and it's 8:35 in the morning. 

Yep, great way to start a Monday morning!  Let's hope tomorrow starts off a bit better!

(Just a note:  The two children who cried were clearly not feeling well today.  Of course, they had no temperature...so they stayed at school.  One of these children also was sent home sick last Friday!  The other child was yawning uncontrollably all afternoon and flopped on his cot the moment it was out!  We also had multiple other children with stuffed up noses, hyper sensitive to sounds and general tiredness.  Ugh!  I am tempted to come to work tomorrow in a full body Hazmat suit!)

"T" is for Transition Tips!

Can you believe it!? The Teach Preschool Facebook page hit 20,000 followers yesterday!  In honor of this momentous occasion Deborah challenged us to come up with the ABC's of Teaching Preschool!  If you would like to see the full list of posts head on over to Teach Preschool.  I'm focusing on my one teeny, tiny letter..."T"...

...Yup..."T" is for Transition Tips!  When you are an early childhood teacher teaching within an elementary school, transitions can be a bit tricky sometimes!  Occasionally you get a few looks from those neat and tidy 3rd grade teachers who have their children in nice neat lines!   Sometimes they just look at you with pity in their eyes!   

I try to respect the environment we share with the elementary school, while keeping in mind that it is not appropriate to expect young children to stay completely quiet or in a perfect line (or circle...or bunch) while transitioning!  Generally, moving as an entire group is left for those "have to" times within the hallway.  Otherwise, we move one or two at a time if we MUST transition from one area to another in a semi-orderly way!  Here are some of the tips I follow most when we are transitioning, both within the classroom and when leaving the room.

1. Use fun, easy to grab and cheap transition props!  A "magic star" is perfect for saying a quick "Bippity, Boppity, Boo...David may wash his hands too!"  As you say this you tap the magic star wand on the child's shoulder and that child may then go to the area you have named.  A bumblebee puppet works for "Hickety Pickety Bumblebee who can say their name for me." The child then says his/her name and transitions to the area you name.  When it's raining I pull out my ladybug umbrella and open it up.  Each child gets a turn to hold the umbrella while we sing "It's raining it's pouring, (David) was snoring, he went to bed, bumped his head and didn't get up until morning!"  After a child has a turn to hold the umbrella and we sing for the child, they go to wash their hands at the sink.
2. Purposefully weave in some of those memorized skills, such as learning colors, shapes letters or numbers.  Example:  Put colors/letters/names or shapes on the floor near the door.  Ask a child to stand on a particular color, shape, letter or name.  (Have extras available to show a child if they do not yet recognize the item. This way they can MATCH the item rather than finding it.)  
3. Use transition times for creative movement!  Use Popsicle sticks with an action picture on them.  Have each child pull a Popsicle stick out and then move to the next area in the action described.  Here are a few good ones:  "Crawl like a bug", "Fly like a bird", "Walk like an elephant", "Hop like a bunny".
4. Use songs!  Here's a quick song to sing when you see a child helping to clean up: "I see Daniela, I see Daniela, picking up blocks, picking up blocks...thank you Daniela, thank you Daniela for picking up blocks...picking up blocks!" (sung to Where is Thumbkin)  Another trick I've found that works wonderfully for very young children who are reluctant to put toys away and transition to something else is to say and wave "Bye, Bye" to the toys :)   
5. I always have jobs handy for children who have more difficulty transitioning: Carrying the outdoor backpack, hanging onto the clipboard or holding the key to the door can all keep a child busy enough and focused on the task enough to keep them from running off or managing to wander into a 4th grade classroom! :)  (Just keep a watchful eye on the key...wouldn't want to lose THAT!)

These are just a few of my favorite tips for transitions!  There are so many other ideas.  What are some of your favorite ideas?

 

The Funny Thing is...

You know, the funny thing about writing or reading a blog is that it really isn't the same as writing or reading a book or magazine article.  It's more like having a conversation with people you know, but haven't met in person yet.  You're just not quite sure who will stop in to have that conversation, until you start it!  And, of course, a conversation on the Internet can involve multiple people, with multiple viewpoints all at once! 

I think for teachers especially, this can be such a wonderful tool! 

Why?  Well, teachers often share quite a bit with their colleagues within their schools.  Unfortunately, these are the people who are probably dealing with some of the same struggles, working within the same framework and expectations and bogged down with the same challenges within the classroom!  After years of working together, these people tend to  recycle the same ideas over and over to each other, which makes innovation and change much more difficult!

In comparison, the Internet is continually changing.  People are moving in and out of various groups and discussions.  Unless you isolate yourself and only move within a small circle of ideas and discussions, it would be nearly impossible not to find at least some new viewpoints and ideas for the classroom!

And, because these people aren't always working within the same restrictions, the ideas may be something you never even considered!  So, whether you are involved in many discussions and share many ideas, or follow only a few discussions, I think conversations on the Internet about teaching and education in general can have a very positive effect for many teachers.

And, while you may not be able to implement all of the ideas you want...you will certainly never be short of ideas!

Relax, Breathe...Find Solutions!

I was watching a documentary the other day on PBS about young people traveling to various developing countries and attempting to work through some of the challenges of poverty using a business model.  Hmmm...interesting concept.  The documentary was very good.  What I took away from it most was a typed sign that hung near a person's desk space.  Here is what it said: 

Relax

Breathe

Find Solutions!

Immediately, I thought, I need that sign!  It definitely needs to hang in my classroom.  For anyone who has ever taught or worked with children with special needs (or adults, for that matter) most of our day focuses on finding solutions!

We find solutions for the child who wants to paint, but doesn't yet have the physical grip strength to hold a paintbrush.  We find solutions for the child who is overwhelmed by loud noises but wants to be right in the middle of all the action!  We find solutions for the child who is unable yet to communicate verbally with his/her peers but wants to greet his friends.  We find solutions for the child who is unable to stand, but longs to dance with his friends!   And, on and on!

So, yes, many times I think we simply need to..."Relax....Breathe....and work on Finding a Solution!" 

Changes are never easy!

Changes are never easy.  Lately, I've been so busy working on paperwork and IEP's that the changes that are about to happen at our school really haven't sunk in yet!  Changes are never easy; especially when these changes are happening because of budgets that are created at a much higher level and are completely out of the control of anyone within our immediate area!   Changes are never easy. 

I've tried to keep looking at the positive in all this.  Although we will have teachers moving from preschool to teach kindergarten; we aren't truly "losing" anyone.  We will still be able to provide wonderful services for the children in our preschool program.  We continue to function as an early learning program...we just may look a bit different...with fewer classrooms and programs, but still a good core group of programs.  Changes are never easy. 

I'm all for learning new things!  Sometimes shaking things up is a good thing!  We'll have the opportunity to work with new wonderful people!  Although, of course, we will miss those wonderful people who are moving on to new adventures.  Changes are never easy.  

I have the month of July off...the entire month!  I'm very excited and completely ready to have a month off, but these changes will be taking place WHILE I'm off!  I'm pretty sure I'm going to come back in August and hardly recognize the place!  OK, that may be taking it a bit far!  Changes are never easy.   

So, while changes are never easy...sometimes they really do open up wonderful new learning opportunities!   I'm excited to see what these changes bring...

Stickers...Simply Essential to the Morning!

Today I came back to work after a week break*...a week break that I spent sniffling, coughing,  taking medicine and sitting at the computer with a box of Kleenex beside me.  A stay at home sick break.  It always takes me a few days to get back into the swing of things after a break; so I knew today would  be no different.  I figured it may be a bit more jarring than usual, given the fact that I spent most of last week laying on the couch or sitting at the computer!

aaannndd...I was correct! 

Here was my first big mistake:  You see, I couldn't find the stickers...the stickers we use every morning at calendar time.  Those same stickers we put on each child's right hand before we sing the "Hello Song".  The VERY same stickers that help us distinguish our right hand from our left.  The PRECISE stickers that help us remember to shake our friend's hand with our right hand.  The incredibly STICKY stickers that often immediately get removed and stuck on the carpet!  Never mind that they often end up on the carpet...apparently, we are simply not allowed to sing the "hello song" without firmly securing one round sticker to the back of our right hand!

I reached behind me for my basket of supplies...I found a few extra carpet squares, I found a few rubber duckies, I found a Lego.  No matter how much I searched, I couldn't find the stickers.   Great...  We can be flexible today!  I tried to keep my voice upbeat!  Sure we could be flexible!  It's a great skill to practice!  Why not practice it today?!

As I turned on the music and said "It's OK, we will still sing our hello song" I realized I may have been wrong.  Flexible was definitely NOT the word of the day in my room today!  I was met with hands covering a face and tears streaming down from one child and a flop to the floor and a swift kick to my leg from the child nearest me.  Great way to start my morning.

Good thing we found the stickers soon after this disaster!  Tomorrow will be better!  It has to be better; we will be starting it with STICKERS! 

(*Because of our "year-round" schedule, we often have small scheduled breaks throughout the year.)

Church of the Sand People!

There's a little guy in Bumblebee Boulevard classroom who says he knows exactly what he wants to be when he grows up.  He's going to be a priest!  Yep, you heard right.  He's five years old, and wants to be a priest.  Here's the truth...I would bet money on the fact that he will do just that!  (OK, OK...maybe betting money on this isn't the best move!  I do believe him, though!)  More power to him.  He knows what his calling is!

Now, when we received new materials for our outdoor area, we also received some long plastic tubes with connectors to add to the loose materials area.  Never mind that these are plastic!  Apparently, someone missed the boat on the whole NATURAL part of this. :)  That's OK, the kids love them anyway!

This little guy knew from the start EXACTLY what he was going to do with these.  He built a VERY tall cross...balanced it carefully while walking to the sand pit...placed the bottom of it down into the sand to keep it steady and stood very still while holding it up.  (He had to stand on the bench to hold it steady!)

According to him, this was now the "Church of the Sand People"  :)  When a caterpillar walked along the sand it became the "Church of the caterpillars"!   Every once in a while he looked down lovingly on his small flock of children in the sand pit and smiled at them.   They continued with digging and building and raking the sand; never asking him what he was doing!  He didn't seem to mind; he was just proud of his newly formed congregation!

Later, his teacher noticed him struggling with the "cross" on his back.  He wanted to know how to nail it to himself.   Yikes!  Masking tape on skin...only masking tape in preschool!  But still...how can you keep a young child from his calling!?

Lifelong Learning...Planning for Music Time!

As I sat down to write yesterday, I realized that I hadn't written about the in-service the teachers had with Miss Carol!  That in-service was what really motivated me to dive in and spend the time and money to transfer all of my school Cd's to one device!

There were several things that I learned from the in-service.  Of course, I already really knew many of these things; but a refresher course and a reminder is always handy!  Here are the main things that stuck with me:

1. Children's music needs to be sung slower than most adult music.  Now, of course, I knew this.  But, how often do we, as adults, become bored and frustrated with the never ending repeated verses and sloooooow as molasses songs for children?!  Well, children really do process language slower than adults.  And for children who are just learning language or who simply process language much slower than their same-age peers; this is even more important!  I will continue to use music that is more easy to listen to for times such as lunch or centers.  If we want the children to listen, understand and attempt to sing, we really need to have music that is much slower.
2. Carol stressed planning a SPECIFIC music time during the day!  Now, I've never done this.  I do use music throughout the school day and basically use music for every area including math, social skills, language, literacy, fine motor and gross motor!  But now I have a specific time slot for music.  The idea behind creating a specific music time makes sense to me.  We do need to convey the idea that music is important in it's own right! 
3. Planning!  Actually using a planning sheet to prepare for music time.  To be quite honest, I've never done this even remotely!  Music has been an addition and a teaching tool, but I've never sat down and written out a lesson plan for a music time.  Well, now I have! 

I chose 3 very simple action songs to start with for the music time.  So, with our new planning sheet, song play-list ready to go and a time set aside specifically for music, we're on our way! 

Windchimes and Tree Stumps!

Well, wouldn't you be shocked if I was blogging today about the cloning machine I invented over the last week!  Well, don't hold your breath, no luck with this just yet, but we've been exploring a few interesting things. 

Last week, my husband was kind enough to help me bring in some tree stumps for the children to sit on for our outdoor learning area (as the start of a large group area).  The children have had a huge amount of fun simply sitting and talking to their friends on these, playing musical instruments while sitting on them and, for one child, pretending to be an "owl!"  

(These are horribly boring photos- sorry- I'll try to get some photos of all of the materials we use while outside next time- still working on that cloning machine...remember :)

After our second day with the tree stumps, one of the children in Bumblebee Boulevard commented to his teacher, "We really like those things that we can sit on...you know, the things that someone made so they look like trees..." 

Umm...children, they are TREE stumps...they WERE trees!  Apparently, we will need to explore these items in a bit more detail so the children realize that these are actually trees that were cut down.  (After a storm brought the whole tree down, by the way!)

We've also worked on adding a very small and movable art station with a small easel, (and soon some clay and natural objects).  We've also begun adding to our music area, with handheld musical instruments and wind chimes.  All of these are items that can be stored in a shed when not in use since we do have an issue with things disappearing while school is not in session. 

To attach the wind chimes and easily remove them, I simply hooked together a zip-tie to form a loop.  I then attached several small plastic links, attached the wind chime and hung it on the side of our "tree house".  To remove it, we simply open up the link and put the whole thing away in the shed. 

We're still working on finding a shelf to slide in the shed for our loose materials; but until then, we've had a blast introducing the new items to our outdoor area!

Project Work Workshop

Yesterday another teacher and I attended a workshop on project work in our area.  Imagine my surprise when another teacher brought over someone who apparently knew me from this blog :)  Here was my reaction: "Are you sure you're talking about MY blog!"  Well, after the initial shock that, yes, indeed, it was my blog she was talking about, we had a great day learning more about project work.  Dianne operates a home daycare in our area and has some outdoor learning/nature classroom ideas of her own!  Hopefully, we will hear more about Dianne's outdoor transformation as well! 

Back to the workshop:  We were able to hear from Lillian Katz and Judy Helm on project work, children's learning and documenting children's work.  We viewed projects that other classrooms had done and were able to break off into groups in order to focus at a more in-depth level on specific issues.  We also had an opportunity to view the Children's Campus classrooms and see some of the projects they were involved in with the children.  If you would like to learn more about project work, click on the link; you will be able to follow a project from start to finish!

I've always struggled to do anything close to a true project with my current classroom.  We have so many unique learning styles, challenges and very limited language.  This isn't to say that we aren't learning!  We certainly are.  We just have more difficulty expanding on and verbalizing our learning.  My classroom also tends to have different challenges going on at the same time!  While one child needs to explore by actively engaging in many different sensory experiences; another child struggles with sensory experiences and needs gradual exposure to items.

Even so, I keep thinking that there are parts of project work that I can utilize within the classroom.  It would be nice to be able to tie together learning in a way that is more meaningful and interesting to the children.  Unfortunately, there is rarely something that is of interest to ALL the children!   I will have to keep this in the back of my mind for now, and experiment with how this could work in my classroom.   

Whether I'm able to utilize this in my own classroom for now or not, this was a beneficial workshop.  Hopefully, at some point, I will be able to figure out a way to take pieces of this to use in my own classroom!

Shower Caps at the Sensory Table?!

I just finished reading Teacher Tom's post on "hair painting" and it reminded me of two children I had in my classroom!  Generally, the children in my classroom will occasionally go home with paint or sand in their hair.  But because we tend to have a few sensory challenges, many of the children don't explore these mediums as often or as intensely as some children will.

Some, though, LOVE to fully play in sand or paint EVERY nook and cranny of paper or a box!  I had a little girl in my room several years ago who absolutely LOVED sand in the sensory table!  She would explore sand longer than any other activity we introduced! 

Unfortunately, she also wore her hair in very tight braids, and her mom was NOT thrilled when she began coming home with sand in her hair every afternoon.  Well, we couldn't just ban her from the sensory table!  I also could see mom's point...this was not easy to remove from her hair without removing every single tiny braid! 

It took me a bit of brainstorming to figure out how to handle the situation.  But, eventually I hit on the idea of having her wear a shower cap while playing at the sensory table!  Wouldn't you know it, this little girl was perfectly fine with this solution!  She continued to enjoy exploring sand each and every day, and she didn't go home with sand in her hair!  (and she looked pretty darn cute with a different colored shower cap on each center time)

The second child LOVED painting!  She loved painting so much that she went home with purple, green, blue or red hair nearly every day!  This child's parents thought this was creative, wonderful and expressive!  Her mom would come in each afternoon and ask what color her hair was that day!  She knew that the paint would wash right out in the bath and was thrilled that her daughter was expressing her creativity!  (this child's hair was very light in color and the paint would come right out with simply water)

Two completely different parenting views...but each valid.  Of course, I encourage parents not to send children to preschool in their best clothes!  I warn them that their child WILL get messy.  I remind them that THIS is what preschool is for...to explore and learn through action!  Then there are times I have to remind myself that I can use all that energy to come up with a solution that will allow for all to be happy with the outcome.  The solutions that allow for the child to continue exploring are always going to win out in my book!

"Oooooo....the 'Magic' Teacher!"

A little guy came to visit our room from the larger classroom today while we were singing the rainbow color song.  As we sang, I pretended to "pour" the color out towards me, replaced it with the fruit and encouraged the children to look into the pot to see what was there.

This little guy looked at me with huge eyes and said..."HOW DID YOU DO THAT!?"  :)  Each time I quickly replaced the color with the fruit; he was shocked to find something new in the pot!

I talked to his teacher later, who said that he came back to the room and told her, "You know that teacher in that other room...she's magic!" 

Apparently, my powers only work in the preschool classroom.  I've tried to make dinner this way several times before, but it just doesn't seem to work!

Man on the Move!

I have a little guy in my room who is a "man on the move!" We all know these children!  He's a bundle of energy, constantly in motion, constantly seeking deep pressure. He enjoys running at people and objects and slamming his body into them. He doesn't often simply hold an adults hand; he hangs from their arm. He LOVES rough and tumble play and initiates this by smiling and tumbling onto a lap, or by kicking, wiggling and hitting when he is unable to run into things. 

Originally, I thought of creating a "crash pad" area in the gym, with a bean bag chair or a large cushion (large dog beds found at a discount store work well for this) to slam into. He seems to get more excited the more he slams though, so I didn't want to have a child so wound up he couldn't calm himself down!

So, rather than spending our time in the gym with a child running at me and slamming into me as hard as he could (don't think my body can take it much longer!), I hooked up the therapy swing. 

Ahhhh...the power of swinging! At first, he laughed and wiggled his body. But, soon he started to relax and slow down. This little guy spent about 15 min. in the therapy swing. We had to stop when we started noticing his eyelids drooping!  We wanted a relaxed child, not a sleeping child!

After this activity, he walked down the hall holding an adults hand without hanging or pulling, he came into the classroom calmly and washed his hands. He was able to sit to listen to a 5 minute book and a quick song without kicking, hitting or rolling on the floor. He spent 10 min. painting with us. He then came over and danced with us, without slamming into people or hanging from adults.

When you find something that works for a child, it can be very powerful and have an immediate result! 15 minutes in the therapy swing helped him stay calm enough to enjoy participating for the next half hour in activities.

NOTE:  For more resources on sensory processing disorder and/or sensory diets see the bottom of this previous post.

Success!

Well, picture day was as much of a success as anyone could expect!  We managed to see true smiles from every single child in my classroom!  We threw a koosh ball, played musical instruments, gave kisses with a puppet, made silly noises, silly faces, said "ready, set, go" and ran around the camera area and came back to 'catch' that smile and basically made complete fools of ourselves!   

How DO you make an experience such as picture day at preschool meaningful to a child who is three or four years old?  Well, in our case, we make complete fools of ourselves and allow the children to giggle and laugh at us!  Hopefully, all our silliness today will be noticeable on the actual photos when they are printed!  (They did look awful darn cute on the preview screen!)

Here are my tips for making picture day as stress free for the children and adults as possible:

1. Bring props...lots and lots of the most loved props in the classroom (we packed a small backpack with small items from the classroom).
2. Look at things from the child's point of view.  That large screen or great big lights may not scare you, you know what the purpose is.  It probably will worry the little ones.  Explain what things are and what they are used for if you know the children will understand the concepts.  If not, simply try to make the experience quick and painless!  Allow the children to touch as much as is allowed.  Give them time to warm up to the room and equipment.  If the children need to wait, try to make sure they have a hand of someone they know, in order to feel safe. 
3. It's never a failure to say, "We'll come back later when it's a little quieter in here!"
4. Insist that someone the child KNOWS will help the child.  ONLY if the child seems comfortable with the photographers should you allow them to assist the child.  (It's stressful enough, the child doesn't need new people combing their hair, adjusting their shirt or "kissing" them with stuffed animals!  The people who know the children should do these things.  Of course, if the child is smiling and seems comfortable, take advantage of the extra assistance!)
5. Bring a great BIG bag of patience!  You'll need it!
6. Take what you can get.  Don't expect the child to sit there for multiple attempts at a picture unless they are happy and having fun! 
7. Finally, join forces with the photographer.  If at least ONE photographer seems sensitive to the fact that a child may do better in a different position (in his or her wheelchair, or sitting rather than standing) or with things done in a bit of a different way, talk to that person about how things may work better for the child.  Then make adjustments immediately! 

Picture Day...Or the Fine Art of Juggling Sharp Objects!

Tomorrow is picture day.  Now, I know parents want a great picture of their child...I know!  But, I must tell you about picture day from my point of view! 

Managing a group of children who are not big fans of changes in schedules, bright lights, loud noises, large objects, new people; and then requiring that the child sit down, look at a person they don't know, smile and, of course, do all of this without WIGGLING...is like herding a group of cats into a room full of dogs.  Needless to say, it's not always easy!  

Well, of course, everything will be just fine!  The children will adjust.  The adults will make it through the day.  The photography equipment will be just fine.  The photographers will live to make it through another picture day at another school!  And, we will see smiles...a minimal amount of wiggling and (hopefully) clean clothes and combed hair from the children!  

But, I always have a million things going through my mind before we head down to a loud, large, echoing cafeteria for picture day.  ..."Got to grab the puppet, so we can catch a smile as the puppet gives kisses.  Don't forget the maracas or other musical instrument so we are happily listening to the music and 'forgeting' that we are uncomfortable with the loud noise and bright lights.  And, remember to sing with the child who will almost always smile as he is joining in the singing." 

"Oh, and, wait, make sure no one spills any breakfast on their clothes!   And, yes, we will need to avoid the long lines.  We will need to time this just right.  We will need to check the photos as they are being done.  We will need to make sure the photographer doesn't try to hurry through.   We may need to remind the photographer that it may take 1,2,3 or many more takes before we get a picture with a smile!   We will need to strategically position all adults to make sure no one tries to take off or tries to dismantle any equipment!"  (children or ADULT trying to escape...ALL will be stopped!)

Whew...I'm exhausted just THINKING about tomorrow.   Good thing I have all next week off.  I may need a whole week to recover from picture day! 

Have You Ever...

Have you ever found yourself searching through storage boxes, cabinets, drawers and shelves...KNOWING you have an item you need to use for the week!  Knowing it is tucked neatly away SOMEWHERE! 

I recently spent at least half an hour tearing apart my office in search of ONE small item.  I can see this item in my head.  I can picture it in one of the storage boxes in my office.  I KNOW it is in there somewhere!  I JUST CAN'T FIND IT!

All my boxes are sorted and labeled...it SHOULD be in one of those darn boxes!  Sadly, I still can't find it.  Now, I know I can substitute.  It isn't the end of the world.  But, I KNOW it's there!  Somewhere!   I even checked in boxes and drawers that it SHOULDN'T be in.  No luck. 

On my quest for this one elusive object I did find about twenty OTHER things that I can use in the next several weeks!  I guess I was just taking the "scenic route" to find all these other wonderful items!  I'm sure I'll find the item I was looking for when I least expect it...while I'm searching for something else!  And, of course, I'll have to make sure I find a use for it then...because, I sure the heck am not going to have all this searching go to waste!

Plants in the Classroom

I've always loved the IDEA of plants in the classroom.  However, I'm not always the best about caring for live plants, we have a huge list of plants that CAN'T be in the classroom and I do sometimes have children in my classroom who may decide to throw a plant at your head!  I also have children in my classroom who are unable to defend themselves from a plant thrown at their head!  When I found this deal though, I couldn't pass it up, and decided to really weigh the benefits and risks!  (I originally posted about this deal on facebook.)

One of the small plants by our sign in/parent area!

I do love how Sherry and Donna at Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning use plants, both real and artificial, in the classroom.  Not only do they add to the atmosphere, but the children incorporate them into many different dramatic play schemes! 

A large plant by our book/'piano' area!

We have a few risks, though, that come with any item that can be picked up and thrown.  However, we have LOTS of other items that also could be thrown...and, of course, we don't remove those from the room!  After really thinking about it, it just didn't make sense NOT to try this.  We just may need to provide a little bit more supervision until the children are used to the fact that the plants are part of the room!  (and truly, the plants are artificial and are not very heavy...plastic pots don't have a lot of weight behind them!)

A large plant behind the childrens' computer.

The deal at Walgreens on these artificial plants was the tipping point!  It was decided!  I could handle this!  I decided to start with artificial plants, basically because I am not known to remember to WATER plants on a regular basis!  I found these artificial plants for $4.00 (for large) and $2.00 (for small) at Walgreens in my area!  These were normally $20.00 and $10.00!  (of course, I wouldn't have actually paid THAT much for them :)

A large plant in the dramatic play area.

When I get an idea in my head, I tend to go a bit overboard!  That would be how we ended up with 5 large artificial plants and 3 small plants in the classroom!  Just look though!  They really do warm up the room quite a bit!  Now, to find one real plant to have in the room....I know I can remember to water just one plant!

Hmmm...would a community garden work?

As you may have realized by now, this blog is really every single idea that pops into my head about school!  So, here's another one!  Enjoy the photos of center time while I brainstorm ways to keep any new addition to our outdoor learning area safe. 
                           
The area in which we are located was probably originally developed as a way to house the workers from the nearby factories which, for many, are no longer in existence.  The neighborhood surrounding the school is a working class area.  The houses tend to be very small and many families are struggling.  When we created a small garden, the children rarely were able to harvest the vegetables, as the neighbors would come over and help themselves to the produce!    

Rocking Out on the key board!

We have also had problems with vandalism of the current outdoor learning area and previously on our playground.  People have climbed the fence to enter, destroyed things inside and have left graffiti and trash.  Needless to say, we are a bit cautious about any new addition to our outdoors!


So, here's where my idea comes in. As soon as possible, I'm going to talk to our principal about the idea of starting a Community Garden, rather than a preschool garden. We certainly have the space if the district is willing to allow us to use it (still up in the air about this). We are housed within a small elementary school. So, not only would our children learn about where their food comes from, but the elementary classes could help with this as well. 

If we could drum up enough support from the neighborhood, and get enough people on board, we really could have a rather large community garden!  If the community surrounding the school as well as the older elementary children who live in the neighborhood around the school, felt that this belonged to them as well, I'm hoping they would help keep an eye out for any vandalism while we couldn't!


So, I've emptied the contents of my brain onto the blog now!  Ideas are still rummaging around in there somewhere!  I'll let you know what happens with this one!