A Summary of Summer

As I mentioned in my last post, I have switched jobs to a place a bit closer to home. Previously I thought I might actually catch up on all the months of missed dramatic plays I did, but now I'm thinking that it's a bit of an undertaking.

So instead, I'll work from this point forward!

Welcome to Summer Camp with Preschoolers! It's actually the second-to-last week for us, but I'll highlight the fun projects we've worked on. This week is bug week, so we've been looking at things like pairs and symmetry, counting legs and bugs and identifying insects or arachnids. We've had a bug hunt in sensory dirt (baking soda and brown-colored water with plastic bugs), we did butterfly bead patterning, butterfly symmetry art, antennae headbands, and more! Mosquito tag was a major hit, as is any song that involves Ms. Meghan (me) "eating" or "stinging" or otherwise "getting" the kids at the end.

For the past three weeks, I had a cardboard rocket ship in the classroom, but it sadly reached its expiration date a few days ago. So I took it down, and in its place I'm building a pirate ship! Next week is pirate week to celebrate the last week of summer camp. I will post pictures of these soon!

In fact, I'll try to post pictures of everything I have done over the summer soon. I take these photos for a reason! Might as well share with the teaching community!

Over and Out!

A Note About Jobs

While I absolutely love working in a preschool, sometimes the people I work with can make or break a deal. Also, during times of stress, I write less in my blogs, as we can note here.

So, just as an update, I am working in a new preschool with 3 and 4 year olds in Kirkland now, and I will write more/post pictures of my classroom later.

Break is Over...Finally!

While two weeks of relaxed curriculum (in recognition of the "holidays") was a nice break--and something I looked forward to--I have to say I'm happy they're over! I pulled down my snowflakes and snowmen (saved the snowflakes), but left up the dark blue and lights. Because one subject I've always loved is...OUTER SPACE!!!

OUTER SPACE!

Now tell me that isn't awesome.

What's better is that the rocket is interactive. The kids can go behind it and take pictures looking out the windows--and the rocket is a half-circle of pure grade-A materials...AKA cardboard and butcher paper! my design went something like this:

The kids loved it and couldn't WAIT for it to be finished. They spent much of their afternoon watching me. It was like being on stage--they literally lined up chairs and watched. And spent about half that time asking me when it would be finished so they could try it out.

I can't wait!

Besides having all the planets in relative size (sort of...enough for the to get the picture. I discovered at the Pacific Science Center today that my relative sizes are nowhere near realistic, but that's alright), a moon and an astronaut, I have a table that needed to be filled with something to do. I generally struggle most with the table, and usually come up with some last-minute art project to fit there.

Not this week!
(Can you tell I had two weeks to plan?)

This week, I've created galaxy playdough! I found the idea on Pinterest, and used the recipe, but I didn't have black food coloring so I had to improvise. You can find the recipe here. MY playdough looked more like this:

We couldn't help but play with it. Here is my sea serpent, among a few other things we created

We used a LOT of blue and purple food coloring. My hands look like I tried to fend off muggers while in Seattle today.

Yesterday, at the Boeing Museum of Flight, I bought rocket ship and shooting star cookie cutters. If I have time, I'll stop for some glow-in-the-dark stars to add to it, and the station will be complete. Space week, here I come!

I Am SO Making These

Found this idea on Pinterest (where else?) and had to share! My idea will be simpler--the kids won't draw such intricate snowflakes, so they'll get to paint whatever they would like to leave white and we'll water color the rest. We happen to have cool silvers, blues, greens, etc. in watercolors (the cheap kind), so I think it will turn out well, especially as a project for two weeks of no curriculum. The full tutorial for the project (and all the credit for the idea) comes from a blog called The Mayberry Sparrow.

The picture has an Amazon link

I have to say, preschool is MUCH more fun without a curriculum. It's like babysitting, and I can get all excited about silly things (like popsicle stick snowflakes and metallic paper coloring). Not to mention it's easier. I had all of our pre-k kids, which equaled ten. It was easy to give everyone my full attention, and listen to their stories, help with crafts, read fun snowmen books, etc. For "circle time" (more like a line with so few kids and no curriculum) I handed out parts to a snowman. There was a body (three pieces), two arms, two eyes, a nose, a hat, and a scarf, which equaled enough for each kid to have one (I also created this about five minutes before circle, so I thought it turned out well). We discussed how you build a snowman, and in what order, then each kid got to bring forward a piece of the snowman and put it together. Then we read The Biggest, Best Snowman, a book my mom used to read me when I was little. I actually brought it in from my home Christmas collection. The overall theme worked out far better than I had planned (especially for no planning whatsoever), and the kids loved it. They kept connecting ideas back to it for the rest of the day. I had a really great bunch of kids, which was incredibly lucky. They worked well together and we had no fights, no tears, no problems. The whole day was smooth as chocolate, and I even got out early.

The dramatic play area currently has a backdrop of snowflakes, snowmen, and white not-Christmas lights. I've added snow to the area, and I'll be stopping at Goodwill for cheap winter clothes for them to wear while playing in the "snow" as well. I don't have super up-to-date pictures of the area yet, so I haven't created a page, but I will soon (hopefully).

I can't wait for some of the other cool crafts I have planned! I'll update as we complete them (if I remember to take pictures).

I'm a Teacher, I'm an Artist, I'm a Writer, I'm a...Plumber?

The list goes on and on. The things I do for my job that are not related to teaching, that is. (Discontinue reading if you have a weak stomach). Yesterday I cleaned up one of my students' puke in his cereal bowl. Poor guy had been sick all day, but without actual symptoms (such as throwing up what little lunch he managed to eat) we couldn't send him home, though we did call dad to let him know. Every day, I'm cleaning--I clean more at school than I ever have at home. My parents would be amazed. This job is also how I became an artist. Some of the stuff I draw--freehand, by the way--is pretty cool. I'm impressed with myself. I clean things, all the time. I'm an acting mechanic for Things That Don't Work, or Things That Accidentally Fell Apart But I Have No Idea Why, despite the fact that what I went to school for--psychology--has nothing to do with the mechanics of things other than the brain. Also, did I mention that I clean?

Speaking of cleaning, I now bring you to the point of this post. In our classroom, the kids have their own sink which they use to wash hands after bathroom, recess, before snack and lunch, etc. Their towels are extra biodegradable because we can't recycle them for sanitary reasons. So, if we're going to fill up landfills, it might as well be with cheap, easily-mushed up towels.

Do you get where I'm going with this? Easily-mushed up towels is key here.

Their sink has been clogging quite a bit the past few weeks, which I'd noticed before. Not really my job to clean it, so I figured we'd let someone higher up know and it'd get taken care of. Not so. Instead, I found myself hunting down a screw driver when one of my students told me that there were paper towels in the drain. Which, of course, were stuck underneath. Which brings us to the screwdriver.

Which brings us to the most disgusting sight I've ever seen.

Seriously, I almost threw up like my poor flu-victim. It was nasty! I wish I'd taken a picture, just so I could prove how gross this drain was. It was COMPLETELY plugged up with dissolved paper towels, mold, slime, sludge, or whatever you want to call it. No matter what it was, it was disgusting. And I spent half an hour cleaning it out, making our drain good-as-knew. Sort of. It still needs some work, but that requires a real plumber. Someone who actually has experience with that kind of thing. For now, it makes a good story. I'm considering cleaning out someone else's drain just so I can add a photo to this post. If I can brave the grossness.

Thank goodness for gloves.

More Leaking Frustration About My Turkey

My mom heard my entire rant about having to take down my Turkey. That really wasn't my best moment, and I'm still pretty bitter about it. Anyway, she forwarded this email to me. I would like to state that these are not my opinions, nor did I write the following. I am copying it directly from an email. I just find it worth sharing.

Subject: Lighting of the Christmas Tree!

Dear Friends, On Monday, I hosted the lighting of the Christmas Tree that is inside our Capitol building...and yes, I do call it a Christmas Tree! In my first year as Governor, I issued an Executive Order that encourages the celebration of Christmas and Hanukkah and prohibits any censorship of these religious holidays. I encourage you to read and share the executive order with your family and friends by clicking here. As you may know, in the past, state and local officials in Arizona (and elsewhere) have attempted to strip Christmas of its meaning, including establishment of policies forbidding state employees from placing religious items of celebration at their desks, and re-naming Christmas trees as “holiday” trees. Under my administration, I call things what they are and will gladly allow Christmas be celebrated at the State Capitol. Please click here to go to my Facebook page and comment if you agree! I encourage my colleagues and fellow elected officials across the nation to do the same. Yes, Merry Christmas everyone! Sincerely, Jan Brewer Governor of Arizona      ©2012 JAN PAC. Paid for by Jan PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. www.janpac.com