Summer Party Eye Candy

Are you ready to get outside for those summer birthday parties? Here are some of my new favorites...

Country Living

Martha Stewart

Oprah.com

Schedules and Creative Spaces

The best way to begin preparing yourself for teaching next year is with your schedule. When are you going to be teaching? Is it in the morning or does your child do better in the afternoon?

Then, decide what you are going to be teaching. My scope and sequence helps break down what I teach, when I teach it.

To give you an example, I copied my own schedule below:

Morning Preschool Schedule

8:30-8:45 Opening/Free Center Time

8:45-8:50 Clean Up

8:50-8:55 Pledge of Allegiance

8:55-9:15 Circle Time/Calendar
· Wednesday Discussion
· Thursday Math Concepts
· Friday Science Enrichment

9:15-9:30 Bible/Verses

9:30-9:50 Jamboree Time (Gross Motor Play)
· Aerobic Wednesdays

9:50-10:00 Drinks/Bathroom Breaks

10:00-10:20 Activity Time
· Wednesday Letter Readiness/Zoo Phonics
· Thursday Spanish
· Friday Computer

10:20-10:45 Snack

10:45-11:00 Story Time

11:00-11:20 Craft

11:20-11:30 Clean up/Song Time/Pray/Line up/Dismissal

The next step to preparing for the school year is by making creative spaces for learning. Whether you are going to be teaching from home or in the classroom, creative spaces help children experience learning in a unique way. To see a great example of that take a visit to Megan Powers' classroom, Scholastic's 2009-2010 Kindergarten Teacher Advisor.

Below is a video of her classroom. Check out her spaces!



If you teach from home you can easily create these learning spaces. Later in the school year, I will show you some of mine to get you even more inspired! Make sure to visit Megan's blog through out the year to get even more ideas!

Teach Well: Create creative spaces in your home or classroom. Don't worry... it's ok to be inspired by another teacher like Megan!

Be Inspired Thursday: Room Tour

Take a look at magazines, catalogues, or online to create creative spaces for your classroom or at home. Think outside the box and try and find things around your home to use to make your child's space unique!

Who says your classroom has to be white? OK, maybe your school has limitations about painting your classroom. If not, try an eco-friendly product that is safe for children and the environment. This room is painted with Yolo Colorhouse paint.

The rug, white table, and lighting fixture is from Ikea and the table top manipulative toy was found at a garage sale.

Our little child's chair would make any reading center special in a classroom. Ours was found at a garage sale and then we bought a slipcover from Target to cover it. The curtains were handed down from my sister. To make the art, I purchased Ikea's bedding set and used their wood canvas to create pieces that would match the light fixture.

I had the bookcases already and just added baskets to fit. I change out these baskets every other week to go with the theme that I am teaching about. I also add manipulatives and other favorites to encourage play. I used this same system in my classroom. In the classroom, the children knew not to get into the baskets unless I put them out as a center. It makes the classroom look organic, clean, and creative! The puppet holders are wine rack holders from Ikea.

In the classroom, this system worked well in my art area. I kept paint locked up, but left items that we might use for the theme that month (such as feathers, silk palm branches, worm bait, plastic frogs, etc.)

This book holder is actually a holder for pot lids from Ikea. We had originally bought it for our pots and pans and they didn't fit in our cupboards. But for $2.99 you can't beat this great book rack!

I also found this child size coat rack at a garage sale. After a lovely coat of paint, we added our dramatic play items. I also change the items I hang here with our theme.

I also keep a radio at child height to encourage my child to learn to play his music when he wants to. In the classroom, have a listening center for children to listen to stories on CD or tape. This is a great center for those children that need alone time.

Book Review: Together We're Better

I was so glad when I went to Creation Station online and saw that they are selling this book by Bev Bos. This is on my Resources I-Can't-Live-Without List.

This book is filled with Eco-friendly creative ways to bring coactive learning into the classroom. One of my favorite chapter is how to make wall and plexi-glass easels. I love the hands-on activities and easy to read directions that fill this book cover to cover! Although this book was published nineteen years ago, it reminds us that our classrooms and playgrounds are meant to be fun, creative, and active!

Classroom Creation Inspiration

Check out this idea at Apartment Therapy! This white board tree could make for a beautiful addition to your classroom or at home!

Puppets, Puppets, Puppets!

Puppetry can be very useful as visual tools in story telling or dramatic play. They are also very good for helping children with social difficulties express how they are feeling. Maybe you use a devotional Bible or Bible curriculum for your Bible time and are currently just reading the story to your children. Finding puppets that can help you tell the story will help the children experience the story in a new way. Therefore, making the lesson more memorable and help them remember what they have learned!

Be inspired by other puppeteers by learning from them. A great resource is Puppets with a Heart. I had the pleasure of seeing Darcy and her puppets for several years at ACSI. The puppets are created with a heart that you can pull out and "hide" an object in it for the lesson.

Puppets can be expensive...You can have the same rewards with puppets that you find at garage sales or Goodwill.

Some of my favorite finger play puppets are from Ikea. I keep them on a card holder that I found at Target twelve years ago. Think outside the box! Find anything to display your little friends and put it at a level where the children can explore and play on their own. We use these to sing Where is Thumbkin?

Some of my favorite puppets were donated or from garage sales. This raccoon has probably seen better days, but where else can I find a raccoon to use for The Kissing Hand? There are also great puppets at your local dollar store.

When looking for a great puppet for application stories or discussing emotional issues with children (eg. divorced or foster children that might be angry or sad) find a puppet with hands that are soft and move. These are my favorite for Bible and application puppets. If you are uncomfortable speaking through a puppet, you can use a puppet that doesn't even speak but whispers in your ear. I use this lesson when teaching Jesus Calms the Storm but it can be adapted to whatever lesson you are teaching about!

Supplies: small puppet, apron with pockets, Bible

Process: Place your puppet in your apron pocket before the lesson. Tell the children that you are going to have a guest for Bible Time but they are really shy and get really embarrassed around other people. Tell the children that they have to be very quiet to not scare or embarrass their guest. Then say that the puppet has a problem and needs our help. Ask if the children could help their new friend and if they are ready to meet their new friend (don't forget to give the puppet a name).

Begin talking into your pocket. Tell the puppet that it's OK to come out and meet our new friends. Place your hand in the pocket and begin to pet it, calming it, and at the same time get your hand inside the puppet. Poke the head slightly out of the pocket to create interest, then back down again. Still calming the puppet, have the puppet climb out of your pocket and up to your check, hugging you.

Ask the puppet, "You said that you had a problem and needed our help. What is your problem?" Have the puppet cover it's eyes as if it is shy and then whisper in your ear. Then say, "Oh, OK... tell me more." Have the puppet continue in your ear then come back down with shy hands over his face. "Kids, our new friend does have a problem! When it is bed time and his mom turns out the lights, he gets scared! He wants to know what he can do so that he won't have to be scared anymore. Does anyone know how we can help our friend?"

Give opportunities for the children to help solve their friend's problem. Mention that God's Word tells us that we do not have to be afraid because God is always with us (Isaiah 43:5).

"What can we do to talk to God when we are afraid?" Wait to hear answers from children. When someone mentions prayer ask if there was anyone that would like to pray for their new friend so that they would not be afraid. Have the puppet bow their head and pray with praying hands along with the class.

Thank the puppet for coming to visit and have everyone say goodbye. Walk to an area where children can not see you taking off the puppet.

Teach Well: There will be children that might disturb the lesson or dramatic play by calling out "That's just a puppet!" It's OK! Be encouraged! Some children are not able to use their imagination in today's society. Create opportunities in your classroom or home where children can become kids again! Make a time to call on that child to talk to your puppet, answer any questions you have asked, or have them even pray! You will be surprised, they might be hugging that puppet goodbye... maybe even asking when they are coming back for another visit!