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1,000!
Without even realizing it I crossed the 1,000 post mark! Wow, that’s crazy to me. This blog has been a labor of love. It is an absolute joy that I get to share some of my favorite ideas with you. I started Preschool Ponderings back in July of 2011 when I was transitioning from teaching toddlers to teaching preschoolers. A lot has changed since then and I am so grateful to have a record of my own growth as an educator. For those of you who have been following along for some time, I so appreciate that you spend your precious time reading my blog. For those of you who…
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Friday Freebie – In Like a Lion
Happy Friday! March has definitely come in like a lion in my area – isn’t that a funny saying?! I distinctly remember learning the “In like a lion, out like a lamb” adage when I was in preschool. I know for a fact that we made lion and lamb faces out of paper plates. Isn’t it interesting what our brains chose to remember? Today’s freebie can help you explore this tradition with your own students. This In Like a Lion Out Like a Lamb Calendar and Weather set from Tina O’Block is adorable! Go download yours and have a wonderful weekend!
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10 Tips for Building Relationships with Families
When I started “Family February” I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to write that many posts about one topic – I should’ve known better. Not only are families a huge piece of the work that we do – because children’s lives are so highly influenced by the experiences of their families – but I also love love love family engagement. I know it’s technically March, but I want to wrap up my Family February with a little bit of a summary. So here are 10 tips for building those relationships with families: Be available – If a family member needs to talk to you find a…
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Writing letters to parents
At the beginning of the month I shared that one of my favorite ways to get to know children is to ask each parent to write you a letter about their child. I have often ended the school year by writing letters to each of my students, it a wonderful way to let them each know that they have been an important part of my year. I think it would also be a really great tradition to start writing letters to parents. I am constantly reminded that parents do not get enough credit for the wonderful things that they do for their children – if they get any credit at…
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Encouraging family members to visit the classroom
Here’s the dilemma, we want parents to take part in classroom events, but in most cases children are in our care because their parents are working – which means that they are not available to participate in activities. One way to make sure parents feel like they are a part of classroom events is to use technology to share photos and anecdotes – even when parents can’t be present, they will still feel like they know exactly what happened. Another creative solution is to encourage parents to share events with extended family members who may be able to attend. Grandparents might enjoy spending the afternoon with your class, and aunts,…
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Ideas for making conferences more meaningful
Have you started thinking about spring conferences yet? They tend to sneak up on us, we’re celebrating the new year and then we blink and it’s time for conferences and the end of the school year. Spring conferences are my favorite because by this point in the year, I knew my students and their families really well. I felt comfortable with them, but that often means that I didn’t prepare for conferences as much as I probably should have. Here are some ideas that can make conferences more helpful and meaningful for everyone: Be prepared to share easy activities that parents can do at home. Every child has something that…
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Friday Freebie – Game Night Printables
Happy Friday! Yesterday I shared a list of fun ideas for family engagement events, one of those ideas was to host a family board game night. Today’s freebie is full of printables that are designed for hosting a game night – these would make your job so easy! Go download your set and have a wonderful weekend!
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Unique ideas for family events
Do you ever get tired of the same old literacy nights and holiday parties? Here are some fun, different ideas that your families will want to participate in: Invite families to help with a community service project Take a large group family field trip Host a glow in the dark game night Plan an outdoor movie night for the warmer months Invite a local zoo or nature center to do a presentation Have a mommy and me spa day Plan a teddy bear picnic Set up a coffee bar and encourage parents to spend time with their children before heading to work Host a board game night Put together a…
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Today your child said…
Those four little words can strike fear into the hearts of parents everywhere, and they will quickly find themselves wondering what direction this conversation is going to go. I loved to share things that children said during the day, and I’ve certainly heard hilarious quotes from tiny little mouths, but I’ve also heard children say things that are incredibly insightful. When I share these quotes with parents they are always so happy to have that little window into their child’s day, and it does wonders to build relationships with those parents. They appreciate that I am paying enough attention to their child to remember what he or she said, and…
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Friday Freebie – Valentine Family Activity
Happy Friday! It was a long week – holiday weeks always feel long. Today’s freebie is one that you can stick away for next Valentine’s Day. This Valentine’s Day Family Project is from Teacher’s Breathing Space. I love the concept – send home a heart that the entire family can work together to decorate, and then display everyone’s project in the classroom. What a wonderful family engagement activity! Go download yours and have an amazing weekend!
