Kindergarten Teachers Chatboard

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Saida Can someone please just tell me whether u think it's ok or not. I know its hard to be a kindergarten teacher but I don't think it's right that the teacher tells my son no.

Apr 13

Kindermama First off, I would ask the teacher how she plans to help your child. You can talk to him about how to behave at school, but she is ultimately responsible for teaching him everything he needs to learn in Kindergarten. I also wondered if he was not engaged in class and then asking for help when the class was transitioning to the next activity, when s...See More

Apr 23

Teacher Products

by Nyasha Williams

Apr 18

Hello Fellow Teachers,

I started a teachers apparel line just recently and wanted to share my store with the group.

Feel free to check out my products updates and follow my line on Instagram @teachertextiles

Please support

Communities & December Holidays???

by JTeach1

Dec 3, 2017

My Kindergarten team is doing a small unit on how communities celebrate December holidays for social studies. I'll be focusing mainly on the traditions/customs of the holidays and other winter celebrations. There is so much that can be done for each holiday (ex: Christmas is celebrated so many different ways). I'm trying to narrow things down and f...See More

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flacka Another suggestion is to each choose a particular holiday and have a "workshop" day where the classes rotate and see each teacher who teaches about the one holiday and has the activity. We used to do that for Dr. Seuss and other topics - less planning, a nice way to mix it up and keep the kids excited, and it's just plain fun.

Dec 4, 2017

Like (1)

KForLife Ask families within the school community who actually celebrate these holidays to come in and talk to the kids. They will have lots of ideas for how to explore the parts of their celebrations/traditions that appeal t kids!

Mar 28

Hello, everyone! Any suggestions for writers workshop mini-lessons? We are focusing on non-fiction in L.A. & mammals in science, so I'm trying to integrate that into my mini-lessons. Some of my students need a lot of support w/ beginning sounds & stretching out words in their writing. I was thinking of doing a (can, have, are) graphic organ...See More

Writer's Workshop

by JTeach1

Jan 21

KForLife Writer's Workshop is a difficult to execute in Kindergarten (esp non-fiction). And for the most-part it's for the reasons you mentioned... they can't "write" their ideas independently. You could have them draw their animal then have the mini-lesson be about labelling so they are writing the same words (head, tail, legs, etc).

I don't do W...See MoreWriter's Workshop is a difficult to execute in Kindergarten (esp non-fiction). And for the most-part it's for the reasons you mentioned... they can't "write" their ideas independently. You could have them draw their animal then have the mini-lesson be about labelling so they are writing the same words (head, tail, legs, etc).

I don't do Writer's Workshop since Kindergartens in my area aren't required to "write" per se. They only need to know how to form letters, and write most initial sounds - which is NOT enough skill to complete a written project. Instead I do Story Workshop. You'll need high quality books with engaging pictures (maybe from your public library), and tons of hands-on materials (non-plastic where possible) like, ribbon, beads, marbles, popsicle sticks, clothes pins, felt, tooth picks, sticks, pine cones, leaves, etc. Have them build their animal, their habitat, predators and food. Give them a tray (I use box lids) to contain all their work, and have them tell you (or a teacher assistant or parent volunteer, or maybe an older student from your buddy class) about it. Make a video of them telling you the story of their animal's day. You can then type it up (or use a voice to text app). They are responsible for drawing the story they made. And when their typed up words are ready, print them, cut them out, and glue them on the page with their drawing.

If the goal is learning the Science curriculum, you're better off focusing on vocabulary building and using close up, high quality photographs of animals to explore appearance and habitat. Make visual representations (arts and crafts) that demonstrate their learning, and that they can discuss orally.

If you've already started your animal projects, and really want the focus to be on the kids writing, maybe have them work in animal groups so you can do direct instruction with some (where they info they need is all the same) while the other groups draw their animal, make clay representations, build a habitat with paper and shoe boxes, or come up with a "play" where the kids act out what their animal does to meet their basic needs.

Hope that helps!

Mar 28

Question about alphabet learning

by LSMom

Mar 26

Hi everyone! I am a substitute teacher and have just started tutoring on the side. I am tutoring a child that is in Kindergarten and has yet to learn the alphabet. I need some advice/help! I can place letters down on the table and ask him to find the "s" (for example) and he finds it right away. However when I hold up the same letter on a card he c...See More

clean up song

by Christine

Feb 13

Silly question but it's driving me crazy. Does anyone know the name/artist of a clean up song that goes like this:

You gotta clean up, girls and boys

You gotta clean up all of your toys.

You pick it up. And put it back. You pick it up. And put it back.

LOL It is kind of a rap. The words are burned into my memory ...See More

flacka There are many clean up songs on you tube so maybe you can find it there.

Feb 14

Hi! I have a student who is having a lot of trouble in school. He is extremely smart and the oldest boy in the classroom. He acts out quite a bit in class (rolling around in his seat both at the table and on the carpet, touching things he is not supposed to, and just overall not making good choices). He is also an extremely manipulate student who a...See More

Helping a child succeed

by Lauren

Feb 8

flacka It's hard to have a child like this in your class and there is no perfect solution. The key is to find out why he is behaving this way - is he bored, does he need more activity, is this behavior to distract from the fact that he can't do something, does he want to be in "control" etc. Look at what you are asking him to do and his response and see i...See More

Feb 11

Resume

by Advice

Jan 29

I am currently enrolled in the fast track teacher certification and would like some advice on how to build a resume that is attractive, that will stand out as a new teacher with no experience.