SDE Pre-K Conference!!!

I had the best time at the SDE Pre-K Conference.  I was incredibly humbled to be able to present alongside some amazing, and incredibly famous teachers!

 

One of whom I have admired for years!!

 

Yes, Kim Adsit!

 

I have sat in on so many of her sessions and I never get tired of her enthusiasm for helping other teachers.  She is so inspiring!

 

 

Since many of you weren't there to hear my session, I thought I might share with you some of my slides and briefly mention what I discussed... 

 

Drum roll please...

 

Interactive Notebooks for Little Learners with me!

 

During my session I mentioned that Interactive Notebooks/Journals can be used a variety of ways with a variety of ages.  In my opinion they can be used from age 2-college age.  However, they are used very differently at each age range.  Here is my definition of an interactive journal for ages 2-7.

 



Then, I discussed some reasons why you should be using them in your classroom!

 



 

Then, we discussed how to get started!

 

 

I also gave a couple Management Tips.  These will look different in every classroom and at every age.  You know your kiddos and you know what they can and cannot handle!

 

 

I highly recommend checking out Lucky Little Learner's series on Interactive Notebooks.  She has some great ideas on how to manage interactive notebooks.

 

 

Even though I was incredibly nervous about presenting at SDE, I highly recommend it.  I felt like I was able to mark off a huge item from my bucket list!!!  Not sure if I will ever get this opportunity again, but I am very thankful for it.  I also hope some of my 51 attendees took something away from my session.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Contact Paper Heart Craft

I've mentioned before that I am working on being more crafty with my daughter.. Well, here is something super easy and cute you can try without spending much money or any at all.

This is seriously the cutest and easiest craft to make with ages 2-6.  I say such a wide range because if the paper is pre-cut for a toddler it's easy to do, but older ages can tear or cut the paper themselves.

Start by cutting out a heart.  I just used the old school method of folding it in half, but you can use a die-cut or even a cricut if you have one.

Cut out the contact paper to match the shape and place it on the construction paper.  Stick it back on the other side so it won't stick to anything yet.

Cut little squares of tissue paper.

Stick it on a window if you are able and let your little one go to town!

She had so much fun picking out each individual piece of paper. *Grin

So focused...

Daisy was very confused by this.

I thought it turned out so pretty!  She kept saying, "I finish." haha

Have fun making this with your students or your own children.  I love watching Sara explore. I plan to do more of these throughout the year with different shapes.  It's perfect for fine motor practice!

Find a friend to tie your shoe...

Picture this....

You're walking down the hall, and one of your students trips and goes flying across the floor.  It causes a huge disruption and everyone starts laughing or talking.  Your somewhat quiet line is now in an uproar.

Or

You have that 1 student who seems to be the real life Junie B or Clementine character playing the perfect off the wall child in your class.  That poor child can't seem to keep their shoes tied, and better yet, they don't know how to do it!

"Mrs. Baxter, can you tie my show?"

This is said about 5 times a day for the entire first semester.

One day, I heard another teacher tell a child in the hallway to "find a friend to tie their shoe."  I thought, this lady is a genius!!!  (This also happened to come in handy when I was pregnant and basically refused to bend over and tie their shoes.  I figured if I could not tie my own shoes, I probably can't tie theirs either.)

Not only did I get out of tying hundreds of shoes, but I was able to use peer tutoring (haha).  When this begins to fail... 

I suggest the 1 second method.

This sweet girl watched a video on You tube that her mom found on learning to tie shoes quickly.

Her mom stated: I showed her the video and by that afternoon she was tying shoes.

This was me:

I said, "Teach me your ways!!!!!"

(ok, maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but you get the point)

I felt like I had struck gold, and instead of keeping this treasure to myself, I had to share!!!

Click the video below to watch.

In general, I told my parents at the beginning of the year I would not be tying shoes after January.  It seems harsh.. but if you are a Pre-K or K teacher, you understand!!!

I thought this might be something fun to show your kids during indoor recess one day or even on an iPad with your kiddos who still can't tie their shoe.

I hope this is a helpful tip.  Have a great day!!

Interactive Math Journals for Pre-K

I am so excited to announce that I FINALLY finished another Interactive Journal set, and this time it's for your little Pre-K Mathematicians!!!  

I have included prompts to match every Pre-K Math Standard.

There are also so many different levels of each prompt.  I did this for many reasons.  1.  You can build on their learning.  2.  You can differentiate their math journals.  3.  Math Journals are the perfect documentation for learning!

Here are just a few examples of the prompts included:

Think you might want to try them out in your classroom???

Click here to grab a few prompts FREE!

If you aren't sure you want to invest in journals yet, use a piece of construction paper or copy paper.  Although, students take a lot of pride and ownership in their interactive journals.  I do not think you would be disappointed if you decided to jump on board!

Click here to purchase the entire set.