-
Teaching when you’re sick
I would get sick in the middle of May – it never fails, whenever I happen to be busiest, Mother Nature gets me. It doesn’t help that the weather has taken a sudden turn back to winter and it is cold cold cold. All I want to do is curl up under a blanket and spend the day on the couch. Luckily, I’ve come up with some pretty good strategies for teaching when I’m not feeling my best. Those can be the longest days! Of course, if you’re really really sick – and contagious – stay home! But if you’re just uncomfortable, here are somethings that will help you out:…
-
DIY: Easy Dramatic Play Cookbook
I have the easiest DIY ever for you today! I always struggle with making materials for the dramatic play area because I know how much wear and tear they are going to take, but this one is perfect, I encourage teachers to add written materials to their dramatic play areas, and cookbooks are an easy fix for any kitchen or restaurant theme. You could find cookbooks at Goodwill or garage sales, but I really love cookbooks that have plenty of pictures too, and these can be harder to find. So for this “cookbook” I just used the recipes from the backs of boxes! There are a couple of ways that…
You May Also Like
Halloween Teacher Gift Inspiration
-
Friday Freebie – Garden Numbers Scavenger Hunt
Happy Friday! Is it summer yet?! Not quite, but I am so ready – If you haven’t been able to tell withall of my summer themed posts this week. Today’s freebie fits right in! This Garden Number Scavenger Hunt from Margaux Langenhoven is adorable – and such a good idea! Children choose a number and an outdoor item, then they have to look all around the yard or playground to find that many of the item (i.e. 7 rocks or 4 twigs, etc.). I also love this set because it fits perfectly with the Gardening Activity Bundle that I posted this week. Check them both out and have a great…
-
Fun summer activities
Have you started planning for summer yet? Whether you’re looking for lesson plan ideas or fun things to do with your own children, here are some amazing ideas that I’ve been collecting: Twirling Twig mobile from Babble Dabble Do Aluminum foil river from Filthy Wizardy Outdoor play food from Munchkins and Moms Block Shadows from the Pinterested Parent Pineapple ice pops from Eats Amazing It’s no coincidence that all of these are outdoor ideas – we had a hint of beautiful summer weather for about a week in April, and ever since then it’s been rainy and chilly. I’m ready for sunshine and grass between my toes – I think…
You May Also Like
Friday Freebie – Cloud Hunt
Summer Must Haves for Kids
50 Activities to do outside
-
Summer Ideas for Year-Round Preschool Programs
I’ve learned more about the preschool world in the last year than I ever thought was possible, and the one thing that never ceases to amaze me is the sheer number of different schedules for preschool programs. I’ve always taught at year-round programs, which pose their own challenges: The children rarely get a break or vacation from the program The teachers rarely get a break Teachers have to engage the children in more activities because they are there for more days The teacher and children’s day are often longer than a typical school day They also come with some really great perks: once children learn the routine they don’t have…
-
Google Drive Student Portfolios
I originally shared this post a couple of years ago, and it has been the most popular post that I’ve ever written. It was time to give it a face lift, so I’ve updated the photos, but all of the text is the same! I’ve always used three-ring binders to compile my students’ portfolios, but this year my classroom did not have the extra space to store all of them – 1 binder per student takes up a lot of precious space! I decided to do digital portfolios, and using Google drive to store them has been an absolute lifesaver. Having all of the portfolios on Google Drive meant that…
-
Friday Freebie – Diploma
Happy Friday! I am loving May, it just feels good to be able to say that it’s May! This month is always a whirlwind of activity – personal and work-related, so it goes by so quickly. Today’s freebie is one less thing that you’ll have to worry about. Whether you have a graduation ceremony or not, you can use this free diploma to mark the end of the year for your preschoolers. It is designed to match all of my other graduation materials! Download and print your diplomas and fill in the information for a quick keepsake, and have a great weekend!
-
Make your summer goals… and keep them!
This time of year is all about finishing up all of those end of the year projects, and I’m not sure if it’s the weather or just knowing that other projects are winding down, but it seems to be the time that I started dreaming big dreams of everything that I’m going to accomplish over the summer. Those dreams are usually lofty, and then all of a sudden it’s September and nothing got done. So this year I’m going to do what I do best, make a list. I’m planning on writing down all of my goals, so that I can really determine which ones are realist and which ones…
-
Your daily dose of inspiration
I was looking for something completely different on Pinterest and this quote was in my search results. This. Is. It. This is why I do what I do, this is what keeps me going every single day, and I’m so glad that someone (source) figured out the words to use to explain how I feel, so of course, I had to share it. I love this because it isn’t specific to working with young children. I love working with teachers as much as I love working with little ones and this quote fits both of those pieces of my job. This one is going up in my office so that…
-
Teacher Appreciation ideas
Today is Teacher Appreciation day! This is the perfect time to let you favorite teacher know just how much they mean to you, but if you haven’t had time to shop (or craft) yet, I’ve got you covered. I thought it would be the most helpful to share some of the gifts that I’ve received over the years – and absolutely loved! Here are some of my favorite things to receive as teacher gifts; Gift cards – whether you want to treat your teacher to an evening out or just a cup of coffee, gift cards are always appreciated because the recipient can use them for something that they were…
