A Day in the Life...

(A Rainbow Symmetry Project)

What does a day in our TK look like??  Well, I'll tell you...

Our students arrive to school between 8 & 8:30am... during that time we have open centers for them to play at.  Usually at least one center centers around our theme and a standard we are trying to teach that week.  For example... I will put 6 to 8 white boards out on the table with letters, words, or numbers that the kids can use to write individually, use in stories to accompany pictures they may draw or just copy and read to a friend.

8:30 starts our day... after clean up we may start with our Circle, where we learn about the calendar, numbers, letters, counting, the weather, and any theme related link we have. We may also go to a Special like Music, Art, Gym or Science.

9:00 - 10:30am: we have open center time.  This is when our students get to participate in both child centered areas and teacher directed areas.   Myself or my co-teacher will usually have one group learning or practicing a skill in a small group setting while the other teacher moves around the room monitoring, facilitating, and/or re-directing children throughout the other areas.  This is when a TK room really shines... there is a cacophony of noise as students really dig deep into their particular centers and learn the nuances of socially acceptable behavior, problem solving, language, communication, fine motor, gross motor and so much more!!

10:30 - 11:15am: Outdoor Play... this can include a trip to our Outdoor Classroom or to the playground, it all depends on our mood, weather, and theme.

11:30: LUNCH!!  We stop at the big kids bathroom to potty and wash hands (getting ready for that next step to Kindergarten!!)

12:15 - 1:15: Rest Time

1:15 - 2:15: Wake Up, pack up, we then do a whole group activity... this could include Letter/Number Bingo, Math Games, Writing Games or another Special.

2:15: SNACK!!!

2:45: Pack Up and Carpool

That is our day in a nut shell... when I write it out it feels like such a short time for any "formal" teaching, but then I think about all the little teachable moments we have during the day.  In TK that is where the learning really happens.  When I see a friend help another get up after a fall, or tell a friend that they should sit quietly during the Mystery Reader because it is polite... those are the little things I love seeing.  Yes, I know I am doing my job when we see our students recognizing numbers, sounding out letters or trying to write phonetically... but I like to look at the bigger picture, who will these little wonders become?? Where will the life lessons they learned in TK take them and how will it effect who they are later in life??  If I can answer that I am a great role model, give all of myself, am empathetic, and shower them with love to build self-esteem and self-confidence... I know I am doing my job and with their parents I can make a great impact on them, both academically and emotionally.