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Preschool Teachers Chatboard

Children and Outdoor Play.

by goodness gracious

Sep 5, 2012

Children and Outdoor Play.

Just How Important Is It? by Deb Purvis [link removed]

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Preschool Art: "It's the Process, Not the Product" Or is it

by goodness gracious

Sep 5, 2012

reschool Art: "It's the Process, Not the Product" Or is it?

Crafts vs. Art and Process vs. Product by Deb Purvis [link removed]

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New game "Obstacle House" targets motor and more.

by Teachers.Net Gazette

Sep 6, 2012

Teacher Lisa wrote:

"I am always looking for new ideas for children to learn and have fun. I believe that I found BOTH options in a new product, called Obstacle House. Obstacle House’s target audience is preschool-aged children, ages 3 -6, who are in the midst of developing coordination and agility. However, after recently seeing this pr...See More

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PRE K 1

by Jen

Sep 6, 2012

The school I am working at wants the kids spelling upon entering K, words that greater then cvc. They also want them to pretty much already be reading words such as good and bell . To me these standers for a 4 year old are way to high. I have a meeting with my boss about this next week. Any thoughts on this. Are my standers too low or are they expe...See More

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one thought That is insane; my heart breaks for the students in your district. Look up Words Their Way. It is a spelling program for K-6.While I am not a huge fan of the program in itself, at least the K program begins with PICTURE sorts, not actual word spelling. There are several sorts that have to do with beginning sounds, rhyming, etc; they have nothing to...See More

Sep 8, 2012

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montana k12 On 9/08/12, one thought wrote: > That is insane; my heart breaks for the students in your > district. Look up Words Their Way. It is a spelling program > for K-6.While I am not a huge fan of the program in itself, at > least the K program begins with PICTURE sorts, not actual word > spelling. There are several sorts that have to do ...See More

Sep 13, 2012

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Marble composition books

by Tina/IL

Sep 9, 2012

If anyone uses these for the classroom, check out Target. I was there today and they had them on clearance for 15 cents each. They also had spiral notebooks for 5 cents each.

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Hey Sunny PreK!!!

by Harland

Sep 10, 2012

Hope you are having a great year!

I am saving a DARK CHOCOLATE peppermint pattie for you!! :):):)

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author study

by Kirsten

Sep 11, 2012

Hi, Does anybody have a link or some links for author studies at the preschool level? book comparisons, art/craft projects, math activities, etc., etc. I don't have a particular author in mind, but want something that shows/uses/supports the use of imagination/play. but anything! I used to have a collection of different activities and authors and c...See More

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Head Start ??s

by curious

Sep 16, 2012

I've just started teaching Head Start after several years in elementary school. I just finished my "training." It seems there is lots of freedom in head start. My immediate manager seems to want some structure in the classroom but the education chair wants them to be free to do as they please. How do I accomodate both? Help!!!

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Just My Opinion I am not and have never been a Head Start teacher, but I do work at a NAEYC accredited center that is evaluated by the state with ITERS/ECERS. I believe that YOU as the teacher can make your classroom structured while giving your children lots of freedom of choice. You do this via the environment, schedule, and your expectations for the children. M...See MoreI am not and have never been a Head Start teacher, but I do work at a NAEYC accredited center that is evaluated by the state with ITERS/ECERS. I believe that YOU as the teacher can make your classroom structured while giving your children lots of freedom of choice. You do this via the environment, schedule, and your expectations for the children. My classroom is set up in learning centers where most materials are out in clearly labeled bins/shelves, with some materials added by the teachers to enhance the available materials according to the theme. Materials that are out are truly open when it is choice time. I work hard to establish a set routine so that everyone knows what comes next, and what the behavioral expectations are for each part of the day. I teach the children how I expect them to use and take care of the materials and toys, and that part of playing is cleaning up when you are done. Then, during the parts of the day that are free choice (not all of it, but a large part of it is), I step back and let them go. If they want to get out scissors and paper and glue and create something in the art center, they may...but we'll be nearby to encourage them to use the scissors properly, help take the gloppy creations to the drying rack, and remind them to clean up the sticky puddles they leave behind. If they want to wear dress up clothes, fill purses with baby clothes and food and (gasp!) take the babies on a "trip" to the circle time rug on the other side of the room (oh the horror!), they may...but if they don't take everything back when they're finished, they will be reminded to do so, and next time they might have to show us that they can clean up the materials they keep in the proper area before being allowed to venture out again. Warn the children ahead of transistions, and always transition in the same way. Songs and chants are great for providing structure; we have cleanup songs and a chant that we do before circle times to remind them how to sit at the rug. For me, the structure comes from the routine and the expectations, and the children buy into those because they know that the "teacher choice" time will be over soon enough, and they will truly have choices during choice time.

On 9/16/12, curious wrote: > I've just started teaching Head Start after several years > in elementary school. I just finished my "training." It > seems there is lots of freedom in head start. My immediate > manager seems to want some structure in the classroom but > the education chair wants them to be free to do as they > please. How do I accomodate both? Help!!!

Sep 16, 2012

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Casey56 I also do not teach at Headstart, but I agree with Just My Opinion. We follow the exact same approach. Have you read the Creative Curriculum book? You can find used ones online. It will outline how to set up your centers to allow the "structured freedom" you are looking for. If they are set up with interesting things, with the guidelines in place f...See MoreI also do not teach at Headstart, but I agree with Just My Opinion. We follow the exact same approach. Have you read the Creative Curriculum book? You can find used ones online. It will outline how to set up your centers to allow the "structured freedom" you are looking for. If they are set up with interesting things, with the guidelines in place for clean-up, it can free you to do some great observations while being available to assist them in their creativity and learning. With an aide present, I can also pull for some small group work if needed.

9/16/12, Just My Opinion wrote: > I am not and have never been a Head Start teacher, but I do > work at a NAEYC accredited center that is evaluated by the > state with ITERS/ECERS. I believe that YOU as the teacher can > make your classroom structured while giving your children lots > of freedom of choice. You do this via the environment, > schedule, and your expectations for the children. My > classroom is set up in learning centers where most materials > are out in clearly labeled bins/shelves, with some materials > added by the teachers to enhance the available materials > according to the theme. Materials that are out are truly open > when it is choice time. I work hard to establish a set > routine so that everyone knows what comes next, and what the > behavioral expectations are for each part of the day. I teach > the children how I expect them to use and take care of the > materials and toys, and that part of playing is cleaning up > when you are done. Then, during the parts of the day that are > free choice (not all of it, but a large part of it is), I step > back and let them go. If they want to get out scissors and > paper and glue and create something in the art center, they > may...but we'll be nearby to encourage them to use the > scissors properly, help take the gloppy creations to the > drying rack, and remind them to clean up the sticky puddles > they leave behind. If they want to wear dress up clothes, > fill purses with baby clothes and food and (gasp!) take the > babies on a "trip" to the circle time rug on the other side of > the room (oh the horror!), they may...but if they don't take > everything back when they're finished, they will be reminded > to do so, and next time they might have to show us that they > can clean up the materials they keep in the proper area before > being allowed to venture out again. Warn the children ahead > of transistions, and always transition in the same way. Songs > and chants are great for providing structure; we have cleanup > songs and a chant that we do before circle times to remind > them how to sit at the rug. For me, the structure comes from > the routine and the expectations, and the children buy into > those because they know that the "teacher choice" time will be > over soon enough, and they will truly have choices during > choice time. > > > On 9/16/12, curious wrote: >> I've just started teaching Head Start after several years >> in elementary school. I just finished my "training." It >> seems there is lots of freedom in head start. My immediate >> manager seems to want some structure in the classroom but >> the education chair wants them to be free to do as they >> please. How do I accomodate both? Help!!!

Sep 17, 2012

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Talking Back

by MOPreK

Sep 17, 2012

I'm having trouble with one student this year who is always either talking back to me or just making rude sounds at me while I'm approaching him about something. I've been teaching preschool for many years now, and I've never had one so disrespectful when it comes to listening. For example, he took off the dress-up shoes and left them in the middle...See More

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Leah I am sorry you are having this problem. I think meeting with his parent(s) or guardian to discover more about the child would be helpful.

For reproducible articles: "Guidelines for Educator-Parent Conferences Concerning an Angry Child," "Love and Logic Basics," and 24 Ideas for Instiling Manners in Children, click below and on the title o...See More

Sep 23, 2012

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maureen Sorry, I just came to this board so I didn't know if you were having the same difficulty. The child needs to have a relationship with you in order to trust you enough to be respectful. Chances are he has had some negative experience with adults treating him in a way that he feels he needs to protect himself by hiding behind his behaviors.

...See MoreSorry, I just came to this board so I didn't know if you were having the same difficulty. The child needs to have a relationship with you in order to trust you enough to be respectful. Chances are he has had some negative experience with adults treating him in a way that he feels he needs to protect himself by hiding behind his behaviors.

I would sit next to him in an activity that involves no "Me teacher. you student". For example sitting next to him in the sandbox and just do things in the sand. Just chat. Get to know him as a person. It is very important that he not feel you are going to control him or ask anything of him other then to start some kind of bond. You might be the first adult that ever took the time to get to know him as a person. He is probably used to being "in trouble" and feels he just needs to do whatever he can to not be in what he perceives to be in trouble. I personally believe that there is good in all children and bad behavior is simply a learned response to hide his true self because his needs have not been met. He needs to be validated as a good person who deserves to be loved and cared for like everyone else.

For > example, he took off the dress-up shoes and left them in > the middle of the floor. I calmly told him to put them back > on the shelf so no one would trip over them. He proceeded > to argue that he did put them away. He raises his voice at > me and uses a very nasty tone.

It sounds like you are using way too many words and explanations. Surely he already knows that leaving shoes out in the middle of the floor would cause a possible mishap. It takes two to argue and you fell right into his very clever trap. I would have simply asked him if he was done with the dress up shoes. If he said yes, then I would ask him then what should he do next? If he balked, then I would ask him if he was going to return the shoes or did he need help. If he said he needed help, I would hold his hand and guide him gently to the place they were supposed to be. Usually children don't like to be treated like an incompetent so he might suddenly remember how to do it himself. It throws them off when you don't get into a power struggle with them and you can keep things simple yet still get the job done. Give him two choices that you can live with and let him save face and comply without feeling like there is a Loser/winner in the situation.

Last week I was calmly > requesting him to do something or stop doing something, and > he was sticking his shoe in my face. Most often if he's not > denying doing something wrong, he just lets out rude noises > when I'm trying to talk to him. How do you discipline this > type of behavior in your classroom?

He still might be just testing you to see if you will give in if he doesn't. Giving choices you can live with will take away his power and will give him a good place to start to find that cooperating can make him feel important. Adults tend to talk way too much to children when a simple and direct request will suffice. He might have a processing challenge and instead of doing what he is supposed to, it is easier to make noises then admit he didn't have a clue what you were saying. He might also be "Mom deaf" and makes the noises to tune the adult out when he doesn't want to hear what is being said to him. It is a learned behavior.

I don't want the other > kids hearing this and think they can "get by" with talking > to me like that too. I can't have any kind of discussion > with this kid about his behavior without him disrespecting > me.

Again, a child who feels respected will respect you back. I would seriously work on building a bond with this little guy like I mentioned above and go from there. You need to earn his respect and it looks like he has you lumped into the same group of the adults he has had in his life. You need to break out from his perceptions that adults are there to try to tell him what to do all the time. It is an art to be able to walk the fine line of being able to get children to comply with your wishes without coming across as bossy. (sorry about using that word but that is how children look at it). The "Secret" is forming a bond with those children and before they realize it, they are learning how to be respectful to others.

I hope my post is helpful and you can make a difference in his life. He can learn this easier now then later, which might be too late if only punished now. Discipline is teaching, not something one does to a child. maureen

Oct 4, 2012

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