4 things public school teachers need to do right away
When I started this particular blog a couple of years ago, I wanted to write about the joys of being a special education teacher of preschool children with developmental delays. However, I spent just a little more time on two other blogs: Inspired Illusions , my art blog and PlayLearnTeach.org, both on my own website. … Read more
The Common Core does not make sense
When I first read of the Common Core standards I was highly skeptical. Just like I couldn’t believe that the mandate for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) would ever become the law of the land. Imposing untested (as in no field studies) standards and onerous sanctions, along with the carrot of the promise of ridiculous … Read more
Preschool classroom changes
So, you look at that photo of a round table in the classroom and you may wonder, “Why did she take that picture?” Documentation of a re-purposed area of the classroom Vision of the shiny floor reflection before the students arrive for the 1st day of school Reminder to keep the table free of teacher supplies … Read more
Summer – Time to Recharge
People who live with teachers know that summer time is not a time of week after week without a thought of school. It is rare for a day to go by without making at least a mental note of something I want to do when I get back to my class in August.’ In the … Read more
It’s not bribery – it’s behavior support!
I recently read a blog post of a young mother with a darling 2 year old daughter. Mom was relating how she had succumbed to the “bribing” style of parenting, and was not too happy about it. I used to feel disconcerted when I thought about this as “bribing”. With a different frame of mind, … Read more
Making Applesauce
We made applesauce in the microwave today and then ate it at snacktime. Here are some industrious preschoolers carefully cutting apple chunks into smaller pieces with appetizer spreaders. Recipe: In a microwave safe bowl covered with vented plastic wrap, heat for 10 minutes: 8 peeled, cored, and chopped apples 1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp cinnamon … Read more
Fun Outside
Our classroom is located in a building that has students from preschool through seniors in high school, so we use the playground that the PTA generously funded and constructed for the elementary students. The preschoolers enjoy the climbing equipment and three slides. There is always something that is just out of their ability reach, so … Read more
Less than a week
The past couple of weeks have flown by and day one is fast approaching. I’ve accomplished four of the ten tasks on my list from the end of July, so this weekend I’ll be focusing on my classroom. During the past week I attacked the porch and totally cleaned it out, moved most of … Read more
Countdown to a new school term
Usually I wait until August 1st to actively engage in planning for the new school term to begin, but this year I caught the bug a week earlier. Then, just to make things more interesting, I decided to actually start a blog documenting what is going in education – in my developmental preschool classroom, the … Read more
