Unbelievable that it's been over four months since my last posting. Since then I have been hospitalized, recovered, sent my little darlings onto PreK4 in September, taken a vacation with Sweetie, and mostly spent my summer break pouring over preschool websites, setting up new units, activities, and projects. Whoever said that teachers get the summer off, is not a teacher.
And yes, it still all has to do with reinventing myself. This month it has taken me three times longer than normal to reassemble my classroom as I have essentially "torn it all down to build it back up." I have restructured existing centers and incorporated brand-new ones. My classroom library's organization now matches the thematic unit organization scheme. I have added a new area of curriculum, Morning Masterpieces, a child-directed time of expression using random art materials.
Students will timidly enter their new frontier in early September and I will be there to guide them through the wilderness of Exploration, Expression, and Experience. For the next ten months they will be my Treasures, Blessings, Angels. And I will inevitably finish out the year with a few more grey hairs -- there are "those days," ya know.
When Spring registrations began filtering into the school office, I quickly knicknamed this class, The Class of the Siblings. as I have previously taught several older brothers and sisters. But this is NOT their siblings preschool class. Oh some good old stand-bys will be found, but Teacher has reinvented herself, her program, and hopefully their experience.
After all, it is all about Them.
And yes, it still all has to do with reinventing myself. This month it has taken me three times longer than normal to reassemble my classroom as I have essentially "torn it all down to build it back up." I have restructured existing centers and incorporated brand-new ones. My classroom library's organization now matches the thematic unit organization scheme. I have added a new area of curriculum, Morning Masterpieces, a child-directed time of expression using random art materials.
Students will timidly enter their new frontier in early September and I will be there to guide them through the wilderness of Exploration, Expression, and Experience. For the next ten months they will be my Treasures, Blessings, Angels. And I will inevitably finish out the year with a few more grey hairs -- there are "those days," ya know.
When Spring registrations began filtering into the school office, I quickly knicknamed this class, The Class of the Siblings. as I have previously taught several older brothers and sisters. But this is NOT their siblings preschool class. Oh some good old stand-bys will be found, but Teacher has reinvented herself, her program, and hopefully their experience.
After all, it is all about Them.
For sure - a teacher's job is never done!! I hope you did get some time off. I hope you will be sharing some about your new ideas! It sounds like you have prepared for an awesome school year.
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