Going Buggy!

After yesterday's calm and reassuring day, today was on the other end of the spectrum. All the 'warm fuzzies' I was feeling last night about how well my class had behaved were lost today as our noise and energy levels seemed to triple over night. We were going 'buggy' to put it mildly.
The "dance of the snow bunnies" (a phrase I've stolen from another K teacher) was especially wild today. It seemed to be more chaotic than ever trying to get 26 little bodies into snow pants, boots, coats, hats and mittens for recess. Then 15 minutes later (much shorter for some) it was time to reverse all that energy and put everything back into some semblance of order in the coat room. And once we DID get back into the classroom, some of the children were still in recess mode. (wrestling with each other, loud voices, crawling around, you name it) We took time to review several rules for recess and expectations for the classroom.
As the day went on, things did improve a little and so, at the end of the day, we accepted an invitation to visit the 7th grade science room to see their collection of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. The Kindergarteners LOVED it and were braver than I could ever dream to be. They touched, stroked and even held the creatures with interest and enthusiasm. The 7th graders were very knowledgeable about these multi-legged 'monsters' and my students asked lots of interesting questions. I learned a lot myself. It seemed like a perfect end to our buggy day!

Loved

Today was my birthday and it was great from start to finish. We didn't get a snow day (like last year) but we did start the day with a 2 hour late start due to a teacher in-service. The in-service was pretty painless and we actually finished about 30 minutes early, so there was a little bonus time before the kids arrived. I was bombarded with "Happy Birthday"s and hugs (my favorite daily gift). I also got 2 homemade cards (some of the best writing I've seen these 2 kiddos do all year) and 2 others that had personalized messages from the senders.
One little girl talked her mom into bringing a birthday cake and ice cream for the whole class. Score!! This was a huge hit with the children and they spontaneously broke into "Happy Birthday to you" as they were enjoying their treat. I loved it!
I was also the grateful recipient of some beautiful gifts: cocoa, cappicino mix, a mug, a Willow carving, a bag of goodies from an alumnus, and the class gave me the gift of having a great day together. Who could ask for more??
Well, the icing on the cake came when I took our 'Pennies for Pajamas' collection to the bank to find out how much we had collected. Amazingly, the total was $113.93! I was able to purchase 15 pairs of pajamas in a variety of sizes and designs with the money the children (and their parents) donated.  I think that part of the day made me feel the best of all. Tomorrow we get to box them up with notes from our class and Scholastic will add a book to each pair and donate them to shelters for the Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive.
I am so lucky to do what I do. What other profession can make you feel so loved?

You Can't Catch Me, I'm the Gingerbreadman

One of the best things about teaching in December is carrying on traditions from year to year. The teacher I first started teaching Kindergarten with always had the children make real gingerbread men to hang on the Christmas tree in the classroom. (Yes, we DO get to have Christmas at our school). No rolling out and using cookie cutters for this project. We make the cookie men piece by piece because it helps to remind them how our bodies are put together (and sometimes their self portraits improve dramatically after this activity). It also reinforces math terms (sphere and cylinder) and fine motor skills when they decorate the men with 'red hots' and raisins.
So, imagine if you will, 26 students, each with a ball of dough and listening skills that don't last very long. Somehow they were able to follow directions and turn their lumps of gingerbread into shapes that resembled people. I always marvel at the variety of sizes and styles that we get, even though they all follow the same set of steps. Of couse, every year there's one child who comments that the dough looks like poop or a few the don't like the smell. There are also a few that decide to try tasting the dough uncooked. A few years the cups of cinnamon candy and raisins are completely empty when I pick them up. This year they only took out what they used on their cookies and left the rest alone.
So, when the cookies were baked the children were anxious to eat them. When I explained that they would be hung on our classroom tree you would have thought that I had announced recess had been cancelled for the week. Such disappointment should never be heard in a Kindergarten room.
So, since my birthday is this week, we will have some gingerbread cookies for snack time just so they can have a taste of real gingerbread. (Chances are a few will only have a bite or two before they get thrown in the trash.) But at least when they hear the story of the Gingerbread Man, they'll know why the characters in the story were trying so hard to catch the crafty little fellow and what the fox tasted when he got the best of him.

Back at It

When the school year started, I had great intentions of keeping a daily blog of my final year of teaching. Then my class continued to grow and grow until I have the largest roster in my 33 years of teaching Kindergarten. Twenty-six busy little bodies, a full time associate for one student and starting tomorrow, a part time associate to help me with the academic portion of the day. That makes 29 bodies in my room on a normal day and 30-31 on days when I have a High School helper for 90 minutes and some very reliable and dedicated parent volunteers who help for an hour or two each week.
If you have ever worked with young children, you know that trying to keep that many little bodies on task and motivated is a full time job. Just trying to find room for the desks, the coats (& hats, mittens & boots) and space for activities and even resting mats is a daily challenge.  Luckily, I LOVE my job and what I do. Unluckly, I am no longer 20 years old and the energy I used during the school day, has left me exhausted by the time I get home at night.
So, my blogging has been ignored, but not forgotten. This week I have resolved to try to make an entry at least weekly. If I can get myself into the habit of writing that ofter, perhaps I will be able to chronicle aat least a few of the everyday happenings in my chaotic yet charming classroom of cherubs.

How sweaters are made...

Today was another enlightening day in Kindergarten. I learn SO MUCH every day!
When the children bring show and tell, we have 2 parts. First, the child tells about what they have brought to share with the class. Usually its standard information: "I got it at _____.  I like to play with it. This is how it works: Its (color) and I like it because _____." etc.
The second part is when the rest of the class has a chance to ask the proud owner questions about their item/ event. I like this part becuse it teaches them what a question is and it gives them incentive to really listen to what is being said, so they don't repeat something that's already been said or asked.
Every year the children seem to have some favorite questions; "Do you sleep with it? Where do you keep it?" etc. This year they have started asking "How was it made?" I'm not sure who asked it first, but it seems to have become a popular question. Most of the time the answer is "I don't know" or they might name what kind of material the item is made from.
Today one student decided to share her white sweater for Show and Tell. When someone asked "How did they make it?" I wasn't prepared for her reply. This is what she said: "Well, you see, first they take the sleeves and glue them to the sides, then they glue on the tag in the back. They build it from fuzzy stuff, so it feels soft and they glue on pretty buttons. Then they take it and spray it with white paint to make it all the same color."
You can't make up a description this good!  I AM glad we do a fibers and fabrics unit in science this year. Hopefully she will have a little better understanding of how clothing is made when we get finished with that set of inquiries! Or maybe she will revolutionize how clothing is made in the future!
The possibilities are endless. :-)

Dry eyes, Wet pants

Today was a dry eye day! My little guy that's been crying everyday finally made it through a day without any tears. (He didn't even need his chart to check off activities today.)  He was so proud of himself and I gave him lots of praise throughout the day. This afternoon I wrote a special note for him to take home and show his mom & dad. She still emailed me to make sure he was telling her the truth....too funny!
I guess being patient finally paid off.

But on the other side of the coin, I had the first 'accident' of the year. One of my quieter little girls waited a bit too long before asking to go to the restroom and ended up with soggy britches. She's such a little sprout that the nurse didn't have any undies small enough, so she refused to put on a dry pair. I finally convinced her to try them on  and she did comply. Let's hope tomorrow is dry top AND bottom!

Adjusting

Today was our 6th day of Kindergarten. I had to miss school yesterday because of an unavoidable appointment. I was pretty nervous to have a 'guest teacher' so early in the year, but it seemed to go fine. I did my best to prepare them for all the things that would happen while I was gone. I think it was harder for me, being absent, than it was for the children. It's amazing how they can adjust to new situations when they need to.
I have one little fellow that has been crying on and off since the second day of school. His biggest concern seems to be how long we will be at school. I made a daily schedule to put on his desk each day so he can mark off each activity as we complete it, and it seems to be helping. He has a visual, and at least he's not asking me every 5 minutes if its time to go home yet. He knows that we have to get to the end of his chart to get to dismissal time. Today he had a few tears early, but most of the day was tear free! I'm hoping this is a sign that he is adjusting to school and will soon be joining the other children to play and have a little fun.
I also got a new student today. She had started a week ago in a Pre-K program in a nearby district. Family circumstances changed and today she entered my Kindergarten room, making a total of 24 students in my classroom. I wasn't crazy about all the work it took to get everything ready for her to blend into our room. It would have been so much easier if she could have been enrolled when the year started and I was doing all of the prep for the children on my class list. But life has a way of throwing us curves, and how we embrace them makes all the difference. So I adjusted my thinking and did my best to make her feel welcome. She seemed to make an easy transition today, and hopefully tomorrow will go just as smoothly.
If it doesn't, I guess we'll just have to make a few more adjustments.

Crying Game?

So I was feeling pretty smug after my first day with my new class. Things had gone pretty smoothly and a little guy that had trouble with crying during the Summer Readiness program, had made it through the day with only about 30 seconds of sadness when he said good bye to his mom.
I should had known better than that, but I got carried away I guess.
Today was another story.
We started out really well, and about 9:00 he asked if today was going to be another short day like yesterday. Of course, I was honest, and said "No, today will be a normal day and we will be here longer today. But you'll be surprised how fast it will go because we'll be very busy!"
It didn't work. He immediately teared up and asked about every 3 minutes "Is it time to go home yet?" I also heard "I just want to go home now" and "How many more recesses until we go home?" To help him, and the rest of the class, I wrote out a list on the board of all the things we would be doing today. And every time we completed one of the things listed, we made a check mark by it. Around lunch time I showed my little weeper how far we had come and drew a line above our current activity. Miraculously, when we came back to the room after lunch time recess (out last activity before dismissal yesterday) he was fine. No more tears, no more constant questions about  when it would be time to go home, no sign of the insecure, sad  little person he had been all morning. Wow! Lunch really is a MAGIC time.
I  sure hope tomorrow will be better for him. Its going to be Teddy Bear day and all the children get to bring their favorite bear (or stuffed animal). I've got mine in my bag and ready to go. I don't want to be the only one without a bear....I would probably cry!!

First Day

Today was the first day of school. Most likely my last 'first day' in Kindergarten. As I was thinking about all of the 'first days' I've seen through the years, I remembered my very first day at this school.
I was here to start my student teaching experience. I had been assigned to work in kindergarten for half of the day, and first grade the other half. I had been teaching the kindergarten class at my church on Sunday mornings, so I had heard lots of stories about Mrs Walton, my supervising teacher in Kindergarten, from the children. From the stories and activities they talked about, I was expecting to see someone in their 30s teaching the class.
When I arrived at the school and the secretary directed me to the room, I looked in the window to see a tiny, white haired woman talking to the children. I thought that the teacher must have been absent and this must be her sub. But I knocked on the door, since this was to be my teaching assignment.
To my surprise, this 'little old lady' was the Mrs. Walton I had heard about. Could this really be the teacher that had excited and encouraged the children that I had seen at Sunday school?
Indeed, it was one and the same. It didn't take long for me to see that she was truly young at heart, no matter what the age on the outside may have indicated.
I learned so many things in my student teaching semester, but most important was a true love for teaching children. Maybe someday I'll write my own book, "Everything I Needed to Know about Teaching I Learned in Kindergarten".
1 successful day down, only 179 to go.

Gotta Love It!

This week I read a blog that talked about why we love what we do. It made me think about my career in Kindergarten and I guess this is why I love being a Kindergarten teacher:
I love that my job allows me to ALWAYS look for the best in every child and nurture that spark into a glowing smile or a full blown fire to do their very best. I love that after 33 years in Kindergarten, I still get excited when August comes around and I get to hone my skills once more to be the best teacher I can be, because these kids always deserve my best, too. I love that no matter how many candles I have on my cake, I'm still somewhere in the land between 18 and 99 to my students (somehow ageless).
I love that I can read a story out loud and make the characters come alive for my students by the inflection I use in my voice. I love being able to dance and sing and be silly and know that the children are learning through all those moments. I love the smiles I get to see when the light bulbs start to light up in their brains and they make a connection for the first time. I love reading their journals and figuring out what they were trying to spell before they read it to me.  I love talking with their parents and assuring them that its common to see letters and numbers facing backwards in Kindergarten (and sometimes realizing that the parents were once my students, too).
I still love the smell of 'magic markers' and the feel of a real chalk board. But mostly I love the children, each and every one of them. And when they come back to visit, I love those hugs that I've missed since they left my room.
How many other people do you know that can say that?

Here We Go....

Today was our first official contract day of the school year. It was extra special because I got to meet my students and their parents tonight as they visited the room for a buoilding wide "Meet & Greet".
I usually invite the students and a parent to come visit on the afternoon before our first day of class, but this year our principal decided it would be a good experience for all of the elementary, PreK through 5th grades. Opening up the event to more classes made for more confusion in the building, and the time frame was shorter than I'm used to, so the time really flew by. I decided to plan ahead and provided sheets for the children and their chaperones to get to all of the areas in the room and complete all of the most important tasks of the evening. It seems like I barely had time to talk with each student and their parent. Having 25 students in my room is going to take some getting used to, after having classes of 20 and less. I connected some of the names to faces, but as I looked through the photos I took of the children, I notice there are still some I can't put names with ...yet.
It was a fairly easy night, as ther weren't any painfully shy or crying children in the room. Our first day on Wednesday could probably be another story.
I love to take each child's photo on this first visit to my room. As the year progresses I find out just how accurate those first glimps shots really turn out to be. Trying to get a smile that isn't forced or eyes that aren't blinking can be a challange sometimes. For the most part, the pictures turned out fairly well. One little girl struck a fashion model pose, while another little fellow has that 'deer in the headlights' look, Smiles ranged from big and missing some teeth to something close to a grimace. I wonder how many will still be smiling Wednesday morning after they say good bye to their parents and we are finally all alone together in the room. I know I'll be smiling!

Back to School

For the 33rd year, I am preparing for the first week of school. You might think it would be automatic for me, but every year I walk into my room, stacked up with boxes and furniture and wonder if I will ever be able to get everything put up and ready in time for the first day. (I have one fellow teacher from down the hall that seems to delight in seeing my 'mess' and she shakes her head and laughs as she leaves.) But somehow, I always seem to make my deadline.
You might recognize by now, that I am not one of those organized people that maps out every move. My motto is 'attack the most important task and the rest will fall in place'. Its not necessarily a motto that always works, but its gotten me this far!
After 2 days of working in my room, it is finally beginning to look like a classroom again. Bulletin boards are up and desks are in place (although I'm still one short for my roster) and center areas are defined. The next step is getting the activities and play equipment out and organized. The biggest challenge for me each year is having a place to put all of the materials we use each day so my room doesn't look like a toy tornado just passed through. I've tried baggies, and boxes, and tubs, but have yet to find the perfect solution. I'm guessing it has something to do with the abundance of materials I my room and my reluctance to throw anything away. I guess I've been through the 'lean years' when our budgets were minimal (like this year) and I try to make use of whatever is available. Its amazing , but in this high tech world that kids grow up in, sometimes a simple game or toy can fascinate them. I've seen some amazing architecture using just some wooden blocks and cardboard tubes, while 'marble works' sits untouched on the shelf.
I will admit that the technology has certainly made some parts of my preparation easier. Typing notes on the computer, or simply editing things from last year, is so much easier than typing on mimeo paper and having to start over if you made a mistake. Before color printers, we used markers and crayons to add color to our artwork. And does anyone remember projecting images onto a large piece of oaktag to make bulletin board decorations? Those projectors were gigantic and it never failed the bulb would burn out before you finished. Those are days I don't miss.
Back to school tomorrow to get down to the 'nitty gritty' and get the rest of the room organized. Perhaps my teacher friend will stop in again to gauge my progress and give me a thumbs up. Or maybe this year I will finally find the magic formula for storing everything in an orderly fashion. (If I do, you'll be the first to know!)  Most importanly, I will do what it takes to make a safe and enjoyable space for the children that will be 'my class'. Because the children are ultimately why I do what I do. It's what gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me working when others have headed for home. Its the children that keep me young and make me thankful for being a teacher.

Eternal optimists

I believe that teachers must be eternal optimists (primary teachers at least). We are forever looking for the good in the children we teach. And for me, at least, I quickly forget their 'shortcomings' as I concentrate on accentuating the positive traits they possess. In my mind, every child is reachable and teachable (a line I gleaned from a veteran teacher I worked with my first years).
Today I was reflecting on one of my little guys and thnking of the progress he has made this year. Yes, he has made progress academically, but also in the way that he acts and reacts in the classroom. It's been an ongoing process and his parents have been extremely supportive and instrumental in making our plan work. As I was reflecting, a memory came back that I had already forgotten about. A memory, that at the time it happened, I thought I would never forget.
Early in the year, this strong willed and determined young man had gotten so upset with my class rules that he had darted out the door to the playground and 'made a run for it'. Since we have a busy street in from of our building, I had no choice but to go after him. (Luckily, I had an associate in the room to stay with the rest of the class) At 53, I am not as quick as I used to be and at 5, he definitely had the advantage of speed and mobitily. Somehow, I did get him caught and back inside the room. I remember telling my building principal that I was "getting too old for this!"
I guess my point it this: even with all of the challenges this lttle brown eyed ball of stubbornness has given me this year, I still look at him and see the child that has finally mastered his ABCs and is on his way to putting letters together to make words. I always saw him as what he was capable of being.
The other day we had a few preschoolers visiting our class and we talked a little about how they might be a little afraid of coming to school. My little 'runner' piped right up and said "Why would they be scared? School is a great place to be!" After all of our ups and downs this year, its nice to know that he has also focused on the positives this year.
♫♪You've got to accentuate the positive to eliminate the negative...♫♪

Another reason I love teaching in a small town

I know that there are people who love the city life and all the opportunities it provides, but I love the life in a small town in a rural area.
A little over a month ago someone I work with was diagnosed with cancer. She is one of those sweet people that works quietly, doing her job and living her life as an example for the children as well as the staff. She rarely complains and is one of the kindest people I know.
So, with her treatment program being several hours away, the staff at school decided to have a family activity night and give the proceeds to help her family with some of the costs they are incurring as a result of the cancer treatments.
With 3 weeks to plan and pull off the event, it was a true team effort, but everything was organized and ready to go on time.
Tonight was the 'big event' and the community response was incredible. Our elementary school has around 400 students, small by most standards. During the 2 hours that the event was scheduled, the elementary was packed with students and their families. Almost every classroom had an activity going on and the cost of every game or item was only $.25. We also had food and silent auction items.
In that 2 hour period the community helped us raise over $4,500 for our friend and her family. That's a truckload of quarters! and a wonderful community of generous, caring people.
Yes, the city might have bright lights and glamorous people, but I wouldn't trade the kind and generous folks in my small, rural town for any of it. Even in a struggling economy, they open their hearts (and billfolds) to help a friend through a difficult time.

Wood/Wool

For the past several years we have done a science unit on wood and paper in Kindergarten. We start by reading about trees and looking at a slice from a tree to see the rings. We learn about properties of wood  and look at several different samples. We even make our own plywood, particle board and recycled paper.
In the spring we do a unit on fabrics, and always start it off with a presentation by a local woman who raises sheep and goats for their wool, cleans, dyes and spins the wool into yarn. The children get to feel the wool and help card and spin it. It's one of my favorite days.

So yesterday, two of my students are having a heated arguement and I walk over to see what its about.
Me: "Hey guys, what seems to be the problem?"
Lee: "I said wool comes from trees, and Jay says it doesn't."
Jay: "But paper comes from trees. Not wool."
(Now you have to understand that Lee has a few speech delays and sometimes several words can sound the same, including wool/wood and sheep/trees. S sounds seem to creep in for most any sound)

So we spent just a few minutes reviewing some of out previous lessons. "Yes, paper comes from trees, because paper is made from little pieces of wood and wood comes from trees. Wool sounds a lot like wood (I even wrote both words on the board to show them that only the last letter was different) and wooL is what we get from sheep."

Both seemed to be satisfied that they had been correct and went off to play together.
Ironically, our Weekly Reader for the day was about Terrific Trees, so everyone got a refresher on trees and their products. What great timing!

Wooden sheep :-) ......I love Kindergarten!

Rock Stars

     Last night the Kindergarten classes performed for their families ON STAGE!! It was so exciting for them to be in front of all those people in the auditorium, up on the risers and being 'rock stars' for a night. Our program was titled Everybody Has Music Inside and of course that is my feeling exactly! The first number had the kids wearing sunglasses and rocking out with actions (including a little air guitar at the end). Five and six year olds "gettin' down" with the music....too funny! Each child also had a special part, either reciting a sentence or doing a special movement for the Dancing Machine number. They did an amazing job!

      One of my former students (actually several of them) was there with her son. She made a special point of saying Hello and telling me I was her favorite teacher. It was a wonderful reminder that we don't just effect our students while they are in our classrooms, but sometimes our influence lasts beyond that 180 days that we share their lives. This former student makes me especially proud becuase she chose to become an elementary teacher. What bigger compliment could a teacher recieve? I guess that's why I've done this for so many years. :-)

New Beginnings

     This week I begin the process of meeting and assessing the Kindergarten recruits for next fall's class. We use the Gesell Kindergarten Readiness Screening. I've been giving this 'test' for 25 years. A few minor things in the dialog have changed, but for the most part it has stayed the same. More importantly, the norms and the milestones have stayed the same. It is actually reassuring to me that no matter what technology or organized sports competitions we expose them to before they reach 5, there are still things that are the same for these children that were seen in children 50 years ago. (The more things change, the more they stay the same I guess)
     One of the hardest parts about teaching Kindergarten for me has been watching parents send children that may not be developmentally ready for school. The screening we give incoming students looks at more than just what they can recite or write on paper. It looks at attention span, language skills, fine motor dexterity and how the child reacts to new situations. Yet when a child screens young, parents immediately think they can fix it before school starts in the fall. Although I've always tried to keep my room a Kindergarten that allows children time to play and interact, the curriculum guide has become more academic over the years. Another reason to make sure a child is READY for the task of reaching those standards and benchmarks decreed by the district, state and national tests.
     Sorry! I didn't mean to get on my soapbox. My goal was to say that I am looking forward to meeting yet another class of eager, wiggly, smiley 4 & 5 year olds. The children I work with give me so much every day. Their energy is contagious and it helps to keep me young. Just as Easter Sunday marked a new beginning, I think it's appropriate that I will begin meeting a new and eager batch of children this week.
 

Kindergarten is Great

Every year there are a few kiddos that I always seem to be talking with. Reminding them of rules, questioning their current choices, etc. Last week I overheard one of the students from another class make a 'discouraging' remark about school. Without skipping a beat, one of my 'challenging' students piped up and said, "No Way! Kindergarten is great. I love it here!" Amazing how different his perspective was from what I thought it would be.  That's why I LOVE Kindergarten! <3

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Today was St. Patrick's Day. It's always a fun time in Kindergarten and a chance to spark their imaginations. Whenever St. Pat's Day comes around I'm reminded of my first few years of teaching and the extra effort Mrs. Walton put into making the day memorable for the children. Maxine Walton was my cooperating teacher for half of my Student teaching semester and later my teaching partner. She was forever young at heart and a wonderful mentor. Each year the Leprechauns would come and mess up her room before the children came in the morning. One year she surprised the little green buggers and they ganged up on her, tying her up with a jumprope to a little chair and stashing her in the classroom bathroom. When she wasn't at the door to greet the children, they went looking for her and finally found her. They released her from her bonds and proceeded to clean up the room so help out their beloved teacher. I have to admit I copied her idea a couple of times and the dramatic effect was similar with my students.
For several years we found a note from the Leprechauns that gave us a riddle, resulting in a scavenger hunt to the media center to locate paper shamrocks attached to 'gold' (butterscotch candies). A few years ago we had an inservice day on March 17th and a few traditions were forgotten by the next year. The excitability of the children over the last few years has also grown, so adding more to their excitement meter wasn't mat with much enthusiasm on my part.
Today we worked on several Leprechaun and rainbow themed pages and the children talked about things that they had experienced at home or at preschool last year. Overall, though, they were pretty calm. So after gym class, they discovered the paper shamrocks with butterscotch 'gold' in their desks. They were thrilled! About this time I discovered I was missing my cell phone from my pocket, so I asked if anyone had seen it in the room (thinking it might have fallen out of my pocket during the day.
The children immediately decided the Leprechaun's must have taken it as a prank when they were delivering their treats to the children. They vowed to chase the theives down on the playground as they went out for recess. Reports of seeing Leprechaun and their immediate demise were rampant after recess. How I love their ability to accept mythical characters and report adventures with them without batting an eye.
Lucky for me, the little visitors did return my cell phone. (I found it after the children had left) I'm working on my story about how the Leprechaun's returned it for tomorrow. I only hope my imagination can be as convincing as the children's! :-)

Welcome to Kindergarten

Welcome to my world of 5 and 6 year olds. I have been lucky enough to spend over 30 years teaching and learning in a Kindergarten classroom. I have seen many education and economic and emotional changes through the years, but one thing has always remained constant. Children have always be there to make my day a little better just by giving me a smile or an unedited opinion of how they view the world around them. I hope this blog will do the same for you by giving you a peek into my busy and sometimes chaotic Kindergarten room.