BROWN'S BLOG: December 11, 2013
I am enjoying the upcoming 11th year of my journey as a Pre-Kindergarten teacher here @ LAS! My children are making steady progress under my tutelage in all aspects of their development - mentally and socially. I am gratified when I observe their displays of caring for each other - I especially appreciate when I overhear their conversation as they strive to influence each other to play together - even to the point of actually compromising with each other. Even though it's all about "me", they really do make an attempt to get along!
Today, I took the time to observe and reflect on the fun we have in our classroom in spite of our schedule demands, curriculum requirements, paperwork deadlines, etc. R. requested to read his favorite book of the month - "How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?" while another group of children explored new cans of Play-doh. S. designed a triangle using people link manipulatives and Z. counted 29 dinosaurs! I took a picture of a flower that J. drew - she was so proud of herself!! M. compared his experience about his grandmother having to pour hot water on her car's window to melt the ice to the same one I had this morning. S. "talked" with her classmate in reaction to a fingerplay/rhyme. And we all enjoyed counting in Spanish as we read the book - "Merry Christmas, Mouse!"
I trust that I am on the right track and that I am able to bestow the gift of making great memories as we play to learn and learn to play!!!
BROWN'S BLOG: December 20, 2013
December was so busy! Parent-Teacher Conferences, Book Fair, Breakfast with Santa, Winter Wonderland, Pizza Pollyanna Party, Polar Express Pajama Party - we enjoyed it all!!
I was gratified by 100% parental participation for Parent-Teacher Conferences - thanks again to all of my parents for their support of their children and me as their teacher!!
Our new affirmation is "I aspire to be me!" Just as I aspire to be an excellent teacher, I want my students to be all that they can be and of course, be ready for Kindergarten! I intend to provide more opportunities for writing with respect to the SGO (PGO) - Student (Pre-Kindergarten) Growth Objectives - focus of letter recognition. It is so important to create wonderful learning experiences keeping in mind that your environment shapes you and we all want to be in the best shape and at the top of our game - need I say more?! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
BROWN'S BLOG: January 9, 2014
Yesterday was a grand lesson with the Master Teacher! When one has cause for reflection, it needs to be looked upon as an improvement strategy - we shared modeling, checklist confirmation, and reading reference (Tools of the Mind curriculum guide). This experience did not take long and I was able to assess immediately. But most of all, my children enjoyed learning and all of us had fun!!
On the coldest day of the year - Tuesday, January 7 - we placed cups of water outside to see how quickly the water would freeze - the highlight was when we felt a piece of ice on our faces! Then we placed ice cubes in cups of hot/cold water and in a bowl to predict how quickly the ice cubes would melt!! We also enjoyed exploring the properties of goop when we mixed corn starch and water together to form a drippy paste-like substance - we are serious scientists!!!
We intend to do even more exploration, observation and prediction - the world around us is amazing and awesome!!
BROWN'S BLOG: February 14, 2014
Today is my favorite holiday - Valentine's Day! Only one child did not bring Valentines for his classmates but i can not blame him! Two of my students will pass out their Valentines next Tuesday when we also have cause to celebrate Katie's birthday that is officially on Monday, February 17. I am looking forward to being evaluated next week...
SARAH is making great strides in her steady progress - she is shaking her head in response to questions with a complete understanding of what is presented to her and impressing one with her particular approach to our class routines. All of my children enjoyed listening to the annual Winter Band Concert! Our new TOM components - Mystery Numeral, Mystery Word - are well received. We are learning to understand four phases of the moon - full, half, crescent, gibbous. However, when we did an estimation model, my children were more mystified by the power of a post-it!!
We enjoyed reading and following a map to find a teddy bear; we climbed a moutain (steppers), walked through tall grass (privacy cube), steeped in mud (hula hoops) and walked over water using a bridge (balance beam)!! I need to take serious time daily to reflect as I continue in the career that chose me...
BROWN'S BLOG: October 3, 2014
This year is awesome thus far! We did well with our ECERS & TPOT. Mr. Barksdale is a new addition to our class and he is so c-a-l-m...! We have plenty of photos to demonstrate what we can do and we are definitely having fun!!
MARIAH is working hard to use her words instead of her hands when expressing positive and negative emotions. ELANIE has been helping her classmates with our Feelings Chart. NIKOLA enjoys learning more English along with his Bulgarian and Spanish languages. And SARAH knows how to say "yes" loud and clear! Our ten 3-year-olds are trying to keep up with our four 4-year-olds!!
Our theme of FAMILY is enhanced by our "Mi Familia" bulletin board. Our Lending Library is up and running and 9 new Pleasantville Public Library cards have been sent to ALAN, GALOIS, HEIDY, JACIER, JULIETTE, MELEIDI, RI'KIA, SAMANDA and YAZMINE. Once upon a time there was Pre-K and they read happily ever after!
BROWN'S BLOG: October 21, 2014
Now I can finally teach - have Powerful Interactions - and have some fun! Finished ECERS, ESI, SGO, TPOT and completed first short Evaluation - am exhausted just from thinking about all of this!! This is definitely worth tweeting about!!!
Diversity + Inclusion = Innovation!
BROWN'S BLOG: November 5, 2014
Tomorrow, I will be on my way to the NJEA Convention to attend two (2) workshops - "Making Literature Come Alive in an EC Classroom", Play 2 Learn" - and shop! Also will start working on finalizing Worksampling checklists and thinking about Summary Reports plus Letter & Math Assessments - here we go again! In the meantime, will reflect on "static" as discussed in book - Powerful Interactions!!
BROWN' S BLOG: September 11, 2015
Steve Barkley's message was inspiring: vulnerability + trust > action; this is grounded and rooted within the Pre-K staff whether we are working on lesson plans, SGO or the simple decision of where to place a child's cot. It was also evident when collaborating with my colleagues on a presentation "Superchild, Superchild, What Do You See?" as a result of reading Powerful Interactions. His message also confirmed my decision to contact my five graduates and their parents attending Kindergarten this year even I may be viewed as interfering when I am simply advocating for their continued well-being!
"Individually we're smart, together we're brilliant." (Mary Barra - CEO of GM)
BROWN'S BLOG: October 7, 2015
I pride myself on my parent-teacher relationships but somehow I am having difficulty in communicating with several parents at this time - exactly what is the solution?? Well, I will write a letter to apologize for being remiss in my responsibilities according to a parent's perception and will follow up on specific directions for another child's transportation needs. I do not like being off track in my duties and I do understand that one's child is the most important person in the world to them...But with SGO assessment, providing meaningful learning experiences and dealing with health issues...no excuses!!! I will continue to strive as a great teacher; am looking forward to attending my Phi Delta Kappa cluster meeting this weekend and become reenergized?!
BROWN'S BLOG: October 23. 2015
I am so proud that 11 of my students attended the LAS Hispanic Heritage Program on Thursday, October 22; seven participated by dancing to the Spanish classic "Che Che Cole" and four more were in the audience! I had previously texted all of my parents so a little text went a long way!!
It was inspiring to contact Belinda Manning and have her to participate in our PTO Family Reading Night! Then I was thrilled to be a part of Mrs. Manning's "Little Free Library" project in Pleasantville - the dedication ceremony was very moving...
GALOIS has a real interest in volcanoes - we prepared a KWL chart and he built a volcano using cardboard blocks after viewing volcanos on the internet - we plan to create our own volcanos by following a volcano recipe!!
We enjoyed having JADA, a 4th grader, read to us every Friday; we had fun discovering what type of Bristle block "boats" can float or sink in water and we designed apple prints after counting the 5 points of the star pattern in the middle
of the apples.
Teaching is fun when you are having fun plus we are having fun learning!!!
BROWN'S BLOG: September 4, 2016
I met JON and his parents on Friday - he was great and they were very positive about him coming to school! I'm in my classroom on Sunday, September 4 to set up my Blocks Center, staple letters for classroom bulletin boards and to complete hall bulletin board - My back hurts so much - ugh! But I must finish today - as I get older, I get slower but such is life!! My husband helped out today; he saw what screws are missing, cleaned and emptied sand into the Sand Table and best of all, he tightend the sink faucet so my children can wash their hands!! Want everything to be ready for my children on Tuesday, September 6 - the first day of school!!!
`This year, focus is on Pre-K standards (new lesson plan format) and implementing Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment. Ms. Gerald, my new Teacher Assistant, will keep me on target with being consistent with discipline - yes! Our Open House/Back-to-School Night is Tuesday, September 20. We have new substitute system - Source4Teachers - and I need to use on Monday, September 12 to attend orientation for AtlantiCare... Decided to work new AtlantiCare Kids morning program because our students need to see a familiar face...yes!
BROWN'S BLOG: July 30-31, 2018
Amazing! I haven't written anything in 2 years - so sorry! Am currently absorbing info from an Early Childhood web PD - Soar 2 Success - and it's what I've been looking for; will completely rewrite my Back 2 School agenda!
Thus far, classroom management will consist of TSB - teach skills, set goals, break habits thru the use of consistent language among other factors. Another point: play is the method & learning is the outcome. Learn to articulate the "why"; if child answers "I played" to parent's query of "what did you do today?" then Teacher did their job! You want parent to be on Team Jackson's Jets!! First day/week(s) of school focus is two-fold: what can child do & what tools child can use?? Provide opprtunities to explore because experiences at school should be different from home (no art projects, may use scissors...?!) Teacher has 2 goals; get child home safely & make child want to come back the next day!! Make powerful interaction by connecting w/ child on the first day/week to build trust and make a daily list of "little victories" such as finding name. Read books that connect - David / Pete the Cat (no Kissing Hand, Mouse's First Day of School!). Above all, provide experiences & GO OUTSIDE!! Children's Growth Mindset consists of TRY & 5 components including books - empathy (Wolf in the Snow, Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Trouper, Fergus & Zeke), flexibility (Cat Traps, Imogene's Antlers), optimism (When Sophie Thinks She Can't / Molly Bang; Are You Ready to Play Outside? / Mo Willems) persistence, resilience (Oh No, George - My Friend Maggie) along with storytelling! Centers should be open-ended, child-led & makes the child want to explore. Centers facilitate language development; powerhouse Centers are Dramatic Play, Blocks & the theme is not the goal - start by knowing your children! Select books for read alouds according to BREAD: Bold pictures; Rhythm & Rhyme - repeating phrases, rhyming books; Engaging & Entertaining - interactive, Don't Press the Button; Amount of time -short; Dialogue - use character voices. We want two things to happen - 1) teaching procedures of how to listen to a book 2) fall in love with books!! See Book List... Create a literacy toolbox - core set of 10 titles. If no interest in read aloud, stop reading, stand up & stretch or kust stop reading... Refer to www.growingbookbybook.com & Instagram #picturebookoftheday... Diversity includes all kinds of diversity - books should relect mirrors and windows; for family theme, read The Family Book (Todd Parr), A Family Is a Family Is a Family, I'm New Here, We Are Family, The Lines On Nana's Face, Last Stop on Market Street. No cringeworthy books - The Carrot Seed?. The 3 R's = research, rehearse, rejoice when developing passion for reading. When collecting books & materials, just ask and send thank you note. All parents want to lead child to success but not all parents know how - if parent can't read, it's still important that child sees parent with books; education is valuable but execution is priceless - Parent University...
My Self-Care regime this year will be to take my lunch w/ colleagues no matter what; leave school by 4 pm 4 days a week; to have mani-pedis on a regular schedule - want to also meet w/ colleagues for weekly lesson planning... Dr. Jean is the best - promise to review her blog posts! And take advantage of www.harrykindergartenmusic.com - "teach in a way the students won't to be in time out"!
BROWN'S BLOG: Tuesday, October 8, 2019
To thine own self be true! My parent sent me a text that her son wasn't smiling in photo I texted to show her that he had changed his clothes because he had an accident - but she felt that I scream at her child so that is why he won't smile for me - so will pay heed and soften my approach with her son...Need to write template for PDP, do lesson plan, finish SGO (finally completed testing of all 15 students!), and text for Family Pictures, candy fundraiser, Family/Child surveys, library apps - too much but it will all get done in timely manner - #YES!! Need to go to AK Nails for mani-pedi (#Self-Care) and don't forget to prep student files!! Anyway, went to see Nikki Giovanni last night @ Swarthmore College - finally got book - The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni - signed; priceless treasure! Rates high along with experience of seeing the Twins @ FLAIR - tribute to Ebony Fashion Fair!!
BROWN'S BLOG: Friday, October 18, 2019
Well, can breathe a bit - finished initial SGO & PDP! Speaking of which, I was able to watch an edWeb webinar from 2-3pm in classroom about teaching STEAM in the Early Childhood classroom - it was excellent, engaging and I can use webinar slides. for future reference. But would not have been able to view if it were not for my para-educator, Mrs. Brock! #BrockRocks Anywaty, funds turned in for candy sales, library apps & Family/Child surveys were misplaced (will find), have 9 flags for Parade of Flags...Attended Mentoring Game Night - attendance was sparse but event was ok. Afterwards, i reached out to PDK Soror who is not receiving emails due to name not being included on email list - then I hung up FUNDATIONS Alphabet Letter strip w/ blessing and informal approval from Master Teacher. Still need to go to AK Nails for mani-pedi...
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