Friday, August 28, 2015

Five for Friday: Stations, Writing, & a New Baby!


Oh my...this is so fitting in my life right now in every domain =)


I decided to take the plunge and start stations this week. It was a little early since we had not even been through an entire week but they did fairly well.  I made them very simple and easy without any time constraints. I went from a typical class of 17 to 24 students this year and it was a huge jump. I think the biggest challenge I am facing is the noise level. This must be tackled ASAP! Other than the noise, I was pleased with the outcome of these activities. I had the geo blocks, rhyming game, iPads, counting, and computers all set up. I moved one group at a time through a sequential order. I hope it becomes easy as clock work when we have done it for a week or so.


Writing in Kindergarten takes a while to get off of the ground and must be done in small baby steps. I let the kids illustrate any picture of their choosing but start with a request of colors (5 colors for five year olds, 6 colors for six, and so on). This week, we tried to make as many details as possible but also started labeling our picture with the sounds we heard in words. I always tell the kids that I realize they don't know how to spell correctly, and some adults still have difficulty spelling, but I want them to make the sounds in each word by saying it very slowly. Writing is probably my favorite thing to teach with these kiddos as you see such a HUGE progression from August until May!



The most exciting news we had this week was my sweet little niece was born! She is so precious and beautiful!! My husband's side favors boys very heavily. In fact, my mother in-law has SEVEN grandsons and was finally blessed with her first granddaughter. Telling you were are ecstatic is quite an understatement. LOL!



Next week, I am going to start heavily assessing so that I can get a handle on where I need to target instruction. I did a few this week and think I may need to start with more basic concepts than I had anticipated. On top of doing my personal assessments, I have until September 30th to administer the KRA. I should know these kids inside and out. LOL!
You can grab my Kindergarten assessment pack here to cover all of the standards!


On my 'to do' list this weekend is finishing all of my safety training online for school. I have been doing them in small bits because I can only pay attention for so long. I saw this e-card and it fit so perfectly =)

Have a great weekend!



6 comments:

  1. Ha ha! Love your meme at the beginning! That's so true. I have two of my own monkeys and some days I just have to wonder how I got here. Your niece is precious and adorable! That's exciting that she's the first girl. I've never taught kindergarten but I did teach first and remember how young they seem at the beginning of the year. I can't imagine what a class of kinders must feel like. I know we appreciate all the work the kinder teachers do! Have a great weekend!
    Joya :)

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  2. 24 kinders??? Yikes! We have had smaller numbers the past couple of years but I clearly remember 24...phew.... I think the sooner workstations are introduced, the sooner they will get those systems DOWN. Congrats on your niece....she is beautiful.....
    Lori @
    Bee the Change
    Mrs. Faas’ First Grade

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  3. What a precious baby! I also have a few more kiddos than I'm used to and I agree, we need to work on the noise level!

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  4. I am sitting at 20 kiddos. I had 18 last year, which was my smallest class ever; I'm usually somewhere around 22 with my highest being 25. I laughed out loud at #5...I finished my training a couple weeks ago. KRA= :/ We are feeling that stress too! I need to do some more assessment too to really get to know my kiddos. Have a great week!

    Amanda
    A Very Curious Class

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  5. I am teaching first grade for the first time this year. I am looking forward to seeing progress this year in my firsties writing. Right now they don't even want to try to spell words unless they are sure they know how to spell it. Do you have any suggestions for helping them be more confident and willing to make mistakes? Thanks in advance! :)
    And by the way, your niece is absolutely adorable!!!
    Crystal
    www.crystalclearteaching.com

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    1. Hi Crystal! Thanks so much for the inquiry. I always explain to my kiddos that the writing process is a process and you have to do it in baby steps. I NEVER expect them to spell things correctly but I want them to do their very best in sounding each word out. I even remind them that I know adults that don't spell correctly. LOL! It will all come in due time. Good luck and best wishes for an awesome year!

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