rubber boots and elf shoes: classroom

Showing posts with label classroom. Show all posts

Showing posts with label classroom. Show all posts

You know how the universe sometimes nudges you to do something, change something.

For the last few years I have been taking things out of my classroom. Making it more simple, fewer colors, less clutter. I want the kids and their work to be the focal point, and the classroom "decor" to be the background. A background that supports independence, curiosity, imagination and learning.

This summer, I knew it was time for my classroom alphabet line to change to something more organic, more simple, more natural.

Sandi

In our kindergarten class, we don't have class rules.

We used to.

They were good rules.

Sandi

I like having a tree in my classroom. Not a real one (while that would be wonderful, we make do with potted plants) -- a two dimensional -on-the-wall one.

This year, it was time for the tree join the alphabet and the number line to have a make over.

Sandi

Last year I took the plunge and changed the way that we "do" calendar. (Thanks to (Matt Gomez and Mardelle Sauerborn who posted about their calendar journey.)

Instead of the traditional turn-the-date-over monthly calendar, I put up all 12 months, to create a living document of our year.

It was a learning curve as the kids and I figured out together how we wanted it to work.

First thing that went up was all the birthdays. Pretty important.

my goals

I wanted the kids to see the passage of time. The whole school year - not just the current month.

I wanted to the kids to refer to the class calendar the way that I use my calendar at home - to see when events were going to occur.

Sandi

3 clues and a brown paper bag

I finally found a way to do show and tell that I not only could live with, but actually like and enjoyed.

I had banned show and tell from my classroom for a number of years. I could not stand the "bring and brag" that it often turned into. And I could not keep my eyes from glazing over and the kids sitting attentively for another "this is a rock that I found on my driveway this morning" or "this is the toy that I got from McDonalds when I went with Grandma - it is very special to me".

I found other ways for the children to use their oral language skills and practice speaking in front of others.

This year, one winning smile accompanied by some gentle cajoling, and a bit of serendipity, resulted in show and tell that the shower-and-teller, the rest of the kids, and the teacher enjoyed.

Sandi

I have been thinking about changing my alphabet frieze in the classroom for a couple of weeks.

Then numbers 1 - 6 fell down.

And that settled it!

The alphabet had to go.

Time for something new. Time for something less manufactured and more organic.

I went looking for inspiration.

Sandi

I love peeking into other people's classrooms.

Here is your invitation to peek into mine.

My goal is to make our classroom a welcoming place for my students and their families.
I want it to be a backdrop for the kids' learning and their work.
I want it to pique their curiosity without being overwhelming.
I want it to be about the kids who spend a year learning and growing in kindergarten.

Sandi

Curtains are fabulous classroom tools.

They hide clutter.

They soften hard edges.

They are easily cleaned.

They are cheap and easy to make.

And did I mention, they hide clutter
(or activities that are not currently available).

I had a cute little curtain (that luckily, I had brought home to wash over the summer) that hid a shelf full of ~~boring~~ very important teacher books.

But it was a bit too cute. And it did not work with my beautiful new rug.

It was time for a new curtain.

Sandi

Since I have to spend three hours a day on the picket line, I might as well be productive.

Kindergarten teachers never have enough time to make all the loose parts /manipulatives /learning tools that are on their want list.

But, my government has given me time (albeit, unpaid time), so I might as well make lemonade.

Or, at least, painted rocks.

Sandi

My friend Val Galvin makes the most amazing rugs.

I figured that one of her braided rugs needed to be in my kindergarten classroom. And I told her that each time I saw one that caught my kindergarten eye.

She didn't give me a rug. She did one better. She taught me how to make a braided rug.

I wanted a nice soft, comfy rug for sitting on in a quiet, mellow time corner in my kindergarten classroom.

Recycled blankets would make a soft inviting rug.

There's a special fancy bit to do right at the beginning. I happily let an expert take over.

First job was to rip up the blankets and roll them ready to use.

And then braid. And braid. And braid.

And change colours. And watch it grow.

Until it was ready to be laced.

I used a flat, slightly curved, round topped needle that Val has made locally

(by the father of one of my past students - the joys of small town living!), and special linen lacing thread.

It was almost exciting to see the rug showing its personality.

Val would say it is very exciting to see the rug find its personality.

And a fine personality it has.

It's warm, inviting, gentle, and random with a wee bit of structure.

A perfect place to take some time away from the business of a kindergarten classroom.

A perfect place to curl up with a book.

A perfect place to think and to be.

Imagine this rug, a cosy corner, a couple of pillows, soft light from a small lamp

and a couple of kids curled up, making plans for the day.

Can't wait to see it.

If you can't make it to Vancouver Island for one of Val's courses, and until Val gets tutorials on her Facebook page, Renditions in Rags Hooked and Braided Rugs (and she says she is going to), Sunshine's Creations has a braided rug tutorial.

Sandi

My classroom is my home away from home.

And not just for me.

The kids are there for 6 hours a day for about 190 school days a year. That's a lot of hours.

Our space needs to be somewhere that we can all feel at home.

I am not allowed in my classroom right now.

I'm writing about what I want to see in my classroom
and using photos from my home and garden.

Let's just look at it as a home-school connection.

In our classroom we need ...

somewhere to put our "stuff"

Sandi

I posted about the 4C building blocks for my kindergarten classroom. I will have to change that to 5 Cs.

As well as designing a classroom around curiosity, confidence, creativity and compassion, I also hold the children capable.

Maria Montessori said: Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.

Ann Landers: It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.

Dear Abby: If you want your child to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsiblity on their shoulders.

Ms. Sandi: Step away from the shoes. (to Mum and Dad - said kindly)

Sandi

Last week I posted about kindergarten readiness.

My wishlist of skills my brand-new-in-the-door kindergarten kids will excel at.

My blogging friend, Mary Catherine of Fun-A-Day did the same.

Mary Catherine's post, and a comment from Faige Meller of The Road Travelled got me thinking.

I need to accept my students with whatever skills or lack of skills they come in the door with. I have no control over what they know or don't know. What they can do or can't do.

But I do have control over the classroom.

Not only am I responsible for the physical set up of the classroom - where to put tables, and dress ups and bookshelves and everything else in order to create a functional and pleasing learning environment, I am also responsible for the emotional make up of the room.

What do I want my room to say to my kidlets' souls. What is held high and honoured.

I need to be intentional about it. (Debbie Miller's book Teaching with Intention is brilliant).

After letting it rattle around in my brain for a few days, there are four C words that I want to rest all that we do in the classroom on.

Sandi

Along with Picasso, I believe that all my kids are artists.

While I would LOVE to have a studio for them filled with natural light, inspiring art, quality art materials and an atelierista to inspire and support them, we have a regular classroom, standard art supplies and me.

I dreaded Friday afternoon art when I was at school; I always felt so totally unartistic and uncreative. Nothing looked the way that it "should".

I don't want my students to see themselves that way. I want they to see themselves as artists.

So, one of my tasks is to provide inspiration and materials.

Sometimes that rolls into one.

Sandi

make it fun

At the beginning of the school year, every year, the first cutting projects we do, I have brand new kindergarten kidlets who go crazy cutting with scissors.

These are the kidlets with the pile of tiny tiny tiny snippets of paper under their chairs.

It's obviously a developmental/skill acquisition need.

This year, I figured, if you can't beat them, join them. Make it a legitimate activity.

At the end of last school year, I asked people to save their extra scrap construction paper for me rather than recycling it.

Into the sand table it went - a mass of different colours, shapes, types of paper, even some old border strips that I was tired of looking at. Regular scissors (actually fancy art scissors with camo and pink tiger stripe handles) and the fancy-dancy scissors that make cool zig zag cuts were reassigned from the art supplies basket.

It was so popular, it was almost a cult hit!

''

Kids were around the edge of the sand table cutting. When there was no more room there, they found space on the floor with their paper and scissors.

Fabulous cutting. Then the stapler came out. Cutting, stapling, stapling cutting. One little kidlet proudly took home a bag fill of tiny bits of bright pink paper!

When kidlets have difficulty holding their scissors correctly, we chant this oldie (but goodie).

Click on the graphic to get a free download.

And, happy cutting.

Sandi

Happy Thursday.

Last summer I made some clipboards for my class.

I just made a few more since they end up being used in all sorts of projects,

and I still want a class set left for instruction.

here's the story

My box of clipboards was driving me mental.

The clipboards did not fit into the box.
The strings with the pencils attached got all tangled.
The pencils fell of.
The kids complained.
It was messy.

I got grumpy.

I needed a clipboard solution.

This year will be better.

I like to repurpose materials.

With old throw-away binders, I solved the clipboard conundrum.

This one was great since it had pockets inside.

I cut off the binder part off and put it in metal recycling.

Funky purple duct tape
(lots of cool colours and designs, but I like simple and I like purple) .
Tape around the edges.

Add clips.

And you have a fine clipboard. Actually, 2 fine clipboards.

This year, the clipboards will be in a bin, the clips will be in a basket and I have a lovely tin that used to hold chocolates that is the perfect size for the pencils.

No mess. No tangles. Happy teacher.

***********************

I use all different coloured throw away binders.

So I was worried that we would have fights

about what colour clip board some kids felt that they needed.

Worries unfounded - I guess the purple duct tap made them all the same!

I ended up not using the clips much. The kids didn't need them,

and they were one more step that we didn't need.

Sandi

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Back to Top