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KTeach2000 - What is the conference talk about today?
Mary K&1 - Sept. Themes
nat/k/ma - I start with All About Me
casper(Karen) - We always do Fall, Nursery Rhyms, apples, Senses...
Gumbo/K/La - How long do ya'll usually do your themes????
nat/k/ma - Two weeks
Sandy/k/mo - it depends on the theme for me.. sometimes 2 weeks sometimes a month
tooth fairy - We do most themes for just one week. K
KTeach2000 - Casper thats early...I liked the All about me theme for Kinders because you can get to know them and they can get to know each other...
Anne/K/Fl - We start with bears and have a beary good time for 4 weeks!
casper(Karen) - One a week..rarely two
KTeach2000 - My prof did Dinos for a month...I thought it was too long.
casper(Karen) - We do all about me next week
Gumbo/K/La - most of ours are 2 weeks--some 3......only one that is 1 week.....
nat/k/ma - It also depends on the interest of the children.
tooth fairy - For September I will be teaching about the post office, manners, apples, and falling leaves.
Pip - I teach primary and I was wondering how you all get started on deciding what theme you are going to use and how you teach based on it
casper(Karen) - Do we want to share ideas on particular themes?
Anne/K/Fl - We have a lot of shared reading and guided reading books for Bears: Brown Bear, Hairy Bear, Corduroy, Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Dancing Bears, etc.
nat/k/ma - That is interesting toothfairy. We always think of post office in February to go along with Valentines day
tooth fairy - I can also recommend stories for those themes if anyone is interested. I have over 800 books in my library.
Gumbo/K/La - We do lions, all about me, and neighborhood/community......
KTeach2000 - Ann, I like that idea!!! Hairy Bear, hairy bear, your just a scardy bear!!!! Im not a scardy bear, Im a brave and darey bear..LOL
nat/k/ma - All about Me , Family Community, Bears
Sandy/k/mo - apples, all about me, community, fire safety
Anne/KFl - Bears, All About Me, and Apples
Mary K&1 - All About Me, including Names, Family, Apples, and Colors
tooth fairy - I thought of post office because of Grandparents day. The children will make cards for their grandparents and they will be mailed.
Gumbo/K/La - and last year a did a one-day mini apple theme
Sandy/k/mo - usually do post office with my flat stanley
Vivien?CO - How do you think all about me would fly in 2nd or 3rd (that's what I'll be teaching)
Pip - Flat Stanley?
Sandy/k/mo - Flat Stanley is a book and a neat internet project
Casper(Karen) - Great way to make post offices...take 2 shoe holders (clear plastic see through pockets. Cut one in half and sew it to a full one. Works great!
Anne/KFl - I love Hairy Bear and one year I did a play for the school and it was so beary cute!
Sandy/k/mo - I am really going to get into names more this year
KTeach2000 - Aww Anne, I used Hairy Bear in one of my cohort readings.
Vivien?CO - Oh, I am going to do a mini fine arts unit on portraits and self-portraiture, and then have the kids do portraits of each other and themselves
Kathleen - We start with a patchwork theme, then apples, but I think I'm going to move away from apples. Apples in pre-k, k, 1, 2 , 3 ...too many apples!
Kathleen - ...and a short time on 'signs'
Anne/KFl - Sandy I'm incorporating Names also!
Kathleen - KT-cohort readings?
KTeach2000 - Kat, we have to pick a book and read it in a group reading...I used Hairy bear in my first cohort reading.
Vivien?CO - What all do you do with the names units
Casper(Karen) - For names...take pics o your kiddos, and place their names on tag o sent. strips. Take their pics and us them as a atching activity by all of your kiddos. Great way to learn each other.
Mary K&1 - Vivien, learn each others names and how to find their own when it's mixed in with others, we make the names large with colored Elmers Glue for finger tracing
Anne/KFl - Vivien there's a lot of great learning experiences in names for example alphabet recognition, phonics, number of letters, similarities, differences, etc.
Sandy/k/mo - graphing names by first letters
Casper(Karen) - Names...take theirnames and dicut them in colorful letters and glue them in file folders. The use them as their work mats.
Vivien?CO - Also w/names I could get into meanings of names since have older ones
Kathleen - For names, do you have family homework asking how the child's name was selected?
nat/k/ma - Yes, Kat. That was fun.
Mary K&1 - Kathleen, I do after we get in the swing of things - when the kids come in to their own and start to make their interests known
Sandy/k/mo - hadn't thoght of that Kathleen.. good idea
Gumbo/K/La - vivien-------have a link on my webpage The Etymology of First Names site------fun!!!!!! will get the url for you!!!! http://www.pacificcoast.net/~muck/etym.html
Anne/KFl - Kathleen I like your idea about the names and how they got picked!
Mary K&1 - Kathleen, I've tried that and didn't get very good results, I'll see what kind of group I have this year- name origin
Kathleen - Mary, I know what you mean about results, but I decided that even if the answers (reasons) weren't very creative or unique, at least it was a joint effort with the parent
Peachy/K.NC - I tried the name homework last year. I used a form so they just filled in the answers. Some elaborated, but all returned the homework.
Mary K&1 - Well, my problem is that so many kids felt left out becouse no one took the time to send in the info
Gumbo/K/La - our school has grndparents day in nov.......it;s a big deal......
Gumbo/K/La - our g'pts day is very nice----each class does poem/song, makes little gifts, photogrpaher there to take photos of kids w/g'pts.......very nice......oh--and breakfast for g'pts.....
Gumbo/K/La - oops-------in ABC order for lunch, I write kids'names on chart paper and put photo before ieach....helps a lot.......
Gumbo/K/La - g'pts day is in sept, but our school celbrates it in nov cuz of school just opening in sept-----works well, cuz by nov the kids can do more......
NYC - Isn't it important that the themes come from the children?
Kathleen - NYC, that is what I would like to do, themes and projects from the children's interests, but haven't gotten there yet. Do you do that?
nat/k/ma - How do you organize that NYC?
Casper(Karen) - NYC ye...but some are important due to the things taught with it..
Vivien?CO - NYC, it is if you have a school curriculum that allows you. Unfortunately, that freedom is not always there
Kathleen - Well, I think that the curriculum often can be imbedded in many different themes...for example, apples are not in our curric., that's just the vehicle for teaching skills
Vivien?CO - That's true Kathleen - I was thinking more of the whole year, like how the Project method does
Kathleen - NYC, do you select themes based upon the chldren's interests?
NYC - Kathleen, yes I do.
Anne/KFl - Each team or grade has to pick themes for the year before school begins.
nat/k/ma - What about spontaneous learning Anne. I can't plan that far ahead. The only one the school adopted this year is friendship.
NYC - nat/k/ma, start with the kids...what seems to be important to them? Get some ideas...brainstorm with the kids...ask: what do we know about____? What do we want to know? start here and see where it takes you...listening to the kids is the best way to keep their interests and keep on top of where they are developmentally.
Anne/KFl - Nat, I agree we have some flexibility but we have to make decisions as a team there are 7 kindergartens in my school.
KTeach2000 - does anyone do a "my pet" theme and allow the children to bring in a pet for shor and tell?
Casper(Karen) - No, no pets allowed due t heath reasons.
nat/k/ma - KTeach I hope the children are not allergic to animals. I have had some allergic to those I brought in. Even the rabbit.
tooth fairy - We do pets, but have the children pring in pictures, not the actual pet. To many chances of alergies, or bites.
Kathleen - since rabies scare, Kteach2000, we are leary about animals in school, a sticky subject
Mary K&1 - KTEach, we're not permitted to do that - bring in animals
Anne/KFl - I did that years ago and had a lot of fun, but our school doesn't encourage pet shows anymore.
Sandy/k/mo - I teach in a catholic school and we have a pet mass at the end of the day, parents bring pets to be blessed on Oct. 4
KTeach2000 - Casper, really??? Well when they did it, they did it outside, not in the classroom...Parents brought the pets and they sat in the playground.
Casper - We only have pets sent from the science resource center...have had a possum
Gumbo/K/La - ......I also use the lakeshore center choice chart-------use photos to choose centers......use LOTS of photos in class.......
nat/k/ma - Gumbo do you have a video digital camera?
Gumbo/K/La - nat------no digital camera......just bought my own scanner.....
nat/k/ma - Anne Does every K teacher have to teaach teh same theme at the same time?
Sandy/k/mo - Anne, do you have to all do the same thing and be the same place?
Anne/KFl - Yes, we all have to teach the same theme, but not the same way.
Casper - We all have to tthe same theme at the same time...
nat/k/ma - How many teachers, Casper?
Gumbo/K/La - We have a very academic-oriented report card---we plan our themes ahead so we can find creative ways to work in the required 'academics'.....I think an effective kdn requires a lot of planning and consideration.....and juggling!!!!! :-)
Sandy/k/mo - whew... that would be hard for me.. used to being the only one
Kathleen - Anne, that's one thing I don;'t like about that sort of team approach, leaves little room for creativity, indiv. needs and strengths. Seems constraining.
Mary K&1 - We all do our own thing! There's no set anything, except for learning out comes
Casper - We have7 and adding an 8th
Gumbo/K/La - Luckily we can do our own themes-----like mary......
Casper - Sometimes I wish I could do my own thing...
Anne/KFl - You are right Kathleen however I was still able to implement a lot of my own activities. Everyone shares but we choose what we want to do.
nat/k/ma - How long has everyone been teaching? Maybe I'm the oldest one. In my day and time (smile) everything was done spontaneously. Let whatever happens happen for the day.
Kathleen - Is everyone always involved with a theme, or do you sometimes find that you are not tying things together with that framework?
Gumbo/K/La - I add and subtract themes------makes for a lot of work, but I get bored doing all the same ones each year......
Sandy/k/mo - I have the same themes, but change the activities
Mary K&1 - Not everything I do every day goes with the Theme, sometimes it just won't work
Lehnea - Does anyone do a farm theme?
Casper - I teach a two week farm unit.
tooth fairy - We do a farm theme.
Sandy/k/mo - Did you find all the farm sites on the web? had some really neat ones
Lehnea - Casper, What websites on farms are there?
Casper - bye all...email me on farm stuffave tons!!! Casper1862@aol.com
nat/k/ma - Roe, Do you agree that education in kindergarten has completely changed. We did units when we started and never a lesson plan book.
Vivien?CO - From what I understand K now is pretty close to what 1st was not too long ago
roe/k-1/RI - I've gone the full circle--from workbooks in every subject to do your own thing. This is all in the same system!!
Mary K&1 - nat, I've been teaching 30 years and have always had to do lesson plans, I wouldn't want to teach without, helps to keep us on track
Gumbo/K/La - kdn is now more academically oriented in this area...1st grade stuffed down to us!!!1
Sandy/k/mo - much more academic here..
Mountainette 4/WV - My niece's son is starting K this year. They want him to know his letters, his numbers to 10, his colors, and how to write his name before he comes. Is that what you all expect?
Sandy/k/mo - Mountainette.. most of my kids have been to preschool and already know that
Mountainette 4/WV - That is what I told her when she asked me, Sandy.
nat/k/ma - Mountainette, Not what I expect, but I would love to have 28 kids who know all that. it would make this academic crap easier to teach.
Mary K&1 - Mountainette, no way! Some would never be able to come, by law we can't exclude anyone and long as they meet the age
Anne/KFl - Mountainette we don't expect that in our school district.
Lehnea - When does everyone start centers?
Gumbo/K/La - start centers after kids have 'practiced' in small groups----and only after they're ready...sometimes 3 weeks, sometimes 4 before starting full out......
Vivien?CO - Hey I could do a family history month!! This chat is really helping with the brainstorming!!
Sandy/k/mo - Vivien.. don't ask for a family tree... caused a big stink here
Vivien?CO - And that would go with Grandparent's Day too! Woohoo! I was really having a creativity block thinking about what the heck I was going to do with these kids
Mountainette 4/WV - Viv, have your students ask their parents about something that happened when they were a child. Also ask where child was born, where parents were born and where grandparents were born
nat/k/ma - I love self portraits done throughout the year. One a month. then put them all in a book and watch the growth of the child. Better than any VMI testing.
Sandy/k/mo - cool idea Mountainette :-)
Vivien?CO - I attended the National Genealogy Conference and went to a Gen for kids and schools workshops that had good ideas for non-traditional families
nat/k/ma - Vivien, I agree with Sandy. Some children are adopted, live with grandparents, foster homes, too many variances.
Vivien?CO - Right, more of an angle of who your family are, what they are like, etc.
Sandy/k/mo - my kids draw picture of self, favorite thing to do, picture of family & pets if they have them
Mary K&1 - Do any of you have the kids trace each other and then paint their clothes and hair and face, etc?
nat/k/ma - I did it one year, Mary, kids tracing each other is hard at the beginning of the year.
Tony B/CA - We did that when I was a YMCA counselor for 4 and 5 year olds, Mary. We'd do the tracing on long sheets of butcher paper, and then the kids finger-painted the features on. cool!
Anne/KFl - Yes, Mary we did that for open house and then had the finished product sitting in the child's chair.
Sandy/k/mo - we had our buddy class come in and trace for us.. then decorated and sat in our chairs for open house
Sandy/k/mo - great ideas Anne :-)
Mary K&1 - It always ends up to be finger painting even if we start with brushes
Mountainette 4/WV - and body painting Mary LOL
Tony B/CA - Yep, Mary.
Mary K&1 - Anne, that's why we do it early, for Open house
nat/k/ma - When is open house?
Anne/KFl - Mary, one year we stuffed the full figured children that was super!
Mary K&1 - Anne, did you get some parent helpers for that?
Sandy/k/mo - http://www.vbe.com/%7Egns/myselfandi.htm
Anne/KFl - Yes, I had helpers for that activity but the kids really loved crunching up the newspaper and stuffing.
Mary K&1 - Anne, did you staple the edges together?
Anne/KFl - One year I had them bring their clothes in and we stuffed their clothes and added a head, hands, etc.
Sandy/k/mo - Anne.. that's cool.. :-)
Mary K&1 - Anne I like that idea better!
Anne/KFl - Mary, we stapled the edges!
Mary K&1 - Did they have to have an extra pair of shoes?
Mountainette 4/WV - What did you use for a head, a balloon?
Sandy/k/mo - one year I had them trace their feet, then decorate a balloon for their head.. attached the balloon to feet
Mary K&1 - Maybe we can use old shoes that they have out grown, not many of my kids have an extra pair
Mary K&1 - Anne what did you use for the head?
Anne/KFl - No, Mountainette, we stuffed a head and I used a pillowcase one time but I like your balloon idea better.
Mountainette 4/WV - Just so the balloon doesn't pop and scare those little ones to death!!!!
Anne/KFl - Mary, I always make sure I have extra in case a child can't bring or forgets.
Mary K&1 - I'd hate to have someone's head pop! That might be too much for some kids to handle!
Sandy/k/mo - knowing my bunch this year.. they would go around popping :-) think this is going to be an energetic group
Anne/KFl - I like to measure them during the all about me unit and record in their math books and then remeasure each month.
Sandy/k/mo - do you weigh them Anne.. I still have nightmares from when the kids made fun of my bones
nat/k/ma - Anne Could you graph the results in the math book every month so they can see the difference.
Gumbo/K/La - we use paprer clips, pennies, red beans, etc to measure feet, hands,etc.....
Sandy/k/mo - graphing is something else I am going to do more of this year
Anne/KFl - I didn't last year because I had some children that I thought would be embrassed about their weight>
Anne/KFl - Yes, Nat graping is part of the measurement.
Gumbo/K/La - sandy----me, too, on the graphing.....I'm trying to set up my class so these things are easier to do----lack of usable 'good' space, y'know?????
Mountainette 4/WV - Make a graph chart and laminate it. Then you can erase it after you graph something and have a new one ready for the next graphing
Anne/KFl - Sandy, I'm using hula hoops for my daily yes and no graph and then I use a variety of materials for my other graphs.
Gumbo/K/La - anne----what kinds of things do you do for your daily yes/no graphs?
Anne/KFl - Amy I hung them by my calendar board and the kids sign their name in the yes hoop or the no hoop> Then we tally the answers during calendar.
Karen - Hula hoops come in handy for hanging work. String 3 strands of fishing line from the ceiling track and attach to hula hoop to make it level. Then attach clothespins with hangers to it.
Anne/KFl - I usually make the questions up the week before using the unit theme or some issue that comes up in our classroom.
Lehnea - My school uses hula hoops as venn diagrams -- the info that has the same properties goes in the middle of the intersecting hoops.
Anne/KFl - Have to go thanks for all your great ideas!
karen4 - I have some websites that give ideas/info for the first weeks of school. If anyone wants them, email me at angelwings@ftc-i.net
