Almost a New Year

A new year is almost upon us.  It is the time of year I try to assess what we have done up to this point and where will we be going.  We will continue working with my Little's that still need help with their alphabet and sounds, and also stretching those who are ready for making words from all those sounds that they have learned and have been practicing in the beginning of the school year.  I enjoy watching them really begin to understand that letters make sounds and if you put sounds together then they can make words. 

 

 

Above you will see one of my past Little's writing the word "Egg"

"Penguin"

 

When we come back to school from our winter break, we will begin to restructure our routines by adding in to our center time work baskets.  These baskets will be geared to number sense work and also literacy activities.  There will be lots of beginning sound work, letter matching, and even CVC work.  Usually, the Little's are given free rein over their center choices in the morning, with only having 1 teacher directed activity each day.  Now, although each activity will be a fun game, it will be geared more towards what we are learning.  There will still be many open child centered centers, where they will be able to play and explore in their own way, but there will be at least 2 or 3 work baskets that they will have to rotate through. 

 

This week we will be going into school to sort through all of those unorganized areas that I have accumulated since the beginning of the year.  I have to regretfully say that I am an unorganized mess!!  If it wasn't for my very organized co-teacher, I would be left with a hopeless mess that I would have to spend a lot of my after school hours managing instead of working on my lesson plans, curriculum guide, and creating the wonderful centers that are expected in an early childhood room!!  So, into school I go tomorrow.  I will take some before and after pics so I can post, and if anyone has any idea's for organizing I would LOVE to hear them!!!! 

 



Funny How Fast it Goes!!

Funny how fast the first part of the school year goes.  The summer seemed to be full of travel and getting ready for the new school year, then it was getting everything ready for parent night and conferences, and then our Thanksgiving feast and low and behold it was time for our Winter play... Which went off beautifully!! Now the next few months will fly by and it will be Summer again! How does this happen??
I guess the older we get the faster time moves, my boys are growing up, the twins are driving... ACH!!! I guess that's why I love TK, I am in perpetual childhood mode.  The kids move on to be replaced with who they were just a year before, it keeps me young.
I had always wanted another child, a girl (having 4boys will do that to you ;)), but now I think about how a baby would fit into my life.  I LOVE my job and can't see ever giving it up, but if I had a baby, I would.  That's just me, I know I could work too, but I know myself and I couldn't do both well.  So, working with my littles gives me the fulfillment that I craved with wanting another child.  Plus, I get a lot of the best and only some of the worst ;)
Before break one of my little guys, which I have 12 this year with only 2 girls, said to me, "Ms Michelle, I know I love you, I don't just think it."  This is the same sweetie that tells me everyday how beautiful I am, how lovely (yes, he says lovely) my voice is, or how much he likes the clothing I am wearing.  I needed this break after such an exhausting holiday season, but that little statement brought me the desire and anticipation to head back to that classroom in a weeks time to bring joy and learning to all my little friends.  
Not that I won't enjoy every last minute up until that moment ;)