Changed My site

Well I moved to blogspot. I might make another blog on wordpress again. But my new page is http://lifeofadaycareteacher.blogspot.com/  I’m still in the process of fixing things around. Feel free to check it out.

Update on what’s going on

Wow I did not know it was that long since my last post. Well I have been very busy. Me and the 4 year old teacher decided to get together and try to convince the boss to let us do our own lesson plans this time. So far it worked. So I been making my own plans which is coming along.  I tried to make the first few weeks as easy as possible until the new class gets use to everything. This year will be different. I have gained a lot of  new ways to deal with things. I’m also stepping up and not letting everyone else tell me what to do. This week we are moving kids around.  Friday that just past I had 4 kids come visit my class room for the day.  These are some of the ones that will be moving up. One That I knew would test me but I kept my foot down and talked to him quietly. He saw I was not letting him get his way. So he tested me even more by throwing very loud temper tantrums. I was proud of my self I still stayed calm. In my mind I kept thinking This is only going to challenge me not upset me and get me mad. I just stood there keeping him in sight. He would slack down then stop. Out the corner of my eye.  I could see him staring at me. When he saw I was not getting mad. He gave another loud scream. Still I ignored him. Still staring at me he kept giving loud screams and pauses. So I know he is doing this to test me. 

One thing I was getting mad at was not the kids but again my boss. Since  the first day I started working there she had been correcting my kids right after I correct them.  Sometimes taking them into her office and giving them hugs. She even throws her little comments on how I should deal with things . Which was fine at first cause I was just learning but know I know how to deal with it. I know what makes things work easy for me.  Well Friday She started her comments again and after I corrected the temper tantrum boy that morning. She decided to take him and correct him her way. I stood up for my self. I said if you correct him right after I do he will not listen to me. Cause all she did was make him scream even more. I know shes my boss. but I’m not dealing with that another year. She does not go in the four year old class and tell her how to do her classroom. She does not even go into the one and twos classroom and do that. Why are you doing that in mine. Well I know the office is half into my room but owell. So when they finally all move up I’m not going to let her  do it. If she has a problem with it. She can fire me. I would be glad to go somewhere else. If she starts up Monday I will tell her hey, I got it. Just like when it was nap time The same boy kept making noises and not going to sleep.  I kept telling him to put his head down it’s nap time.  When I saw that not working I was just about to go sit by him to see if that would of kept him quit. Him knowing I was right there. Well before I could sit she said I am going get ms (suzie) to see how she puts him to sleep.  I stood there just looking at her.  So she came and talked to him but of course that did not work. Now the boss said oh well I will go get the other M.S (Suzie). Finally  I sat by him and said look if you get 5 different teachers to come in here again he will not listen to me. She just gave me this look.  So I did it my way and of course the boy fell asleep in 4 minutes. I sure went to her and said look he is sleeping. She is gonna find out the hard way I am doing this not her. Cause her way never worked anyway. It was her always making it hard for me. It’s going to stop. I’m not going to quit and run from my job when times get rough.  I quit  the daycare I was at before this one because I did not like it with the infants. Who says the next daycare will be better. So I’m not going to quit. She will have to fire me.

 

Well I will Post some more later to tell everyone what projects and new ideas I have. I made me some new poster board things.  This time it’s about shapes.  ANother thing I want to do is bring an object to lesson time this way they can see what I’m talking about. For example later on I have a lesson about healthy teeth . We will talk about wh ywe brush. I want  to bring a real tooth brush  and a toy to show them. Maybe it will keep there attention longer.

Monday

Well yesterday was a normal day. It went by pretty fast. The lesson was boring. The lessons we have  come from a company in the mail. So I have no control over them. Well it was a dog worksheet with a tracing collar and leash. Boring we do that already all the time. I let them glue yarn on the lines to make a rope for the dog. To me what is that teaching. Nothing. Last week I liked because it teaches about the ocean and everyday we did a project with a animal. I guess it is a hit or miss. Tonight after work I am going to maybe find some better stuff to toss in there. The boss said she will be getting a new company next month. Hopefully it’s better.

 When I get my new class things will be different. From the start of the day they move up. We will be active and doing alot of stuff.  I will have my poster boards ready with the alphabet and have projects ready to do  with the theme of the alphabet friend for that week.  Don’t get me wrong it wont be work, work, work all day. But it will be work and fun together. Just being active.  They are not learning that much in the younger rooms. I hardly ever see them leave with any kind of papers. My kids leave with some every day. Then they complain to me they don’t listen and just run around. They say they pray for me when they move up. But if you would do stuff with them it would help a lot.

Other than the boring lesson nothing else fun happened.  Our playground is dry. But yesterday afternoon it was 99 degrees. I let them play for about 7 minutes. To hot.  I should be getting another kid this week. So that means I would have all 11 spots filled now.

Let’s see what today brings. I did not look at the lessons yet.  Hopefully they are not boring. I will have to look in my file cabinet for something better to add.

Kept busy

Well I only had 7 kids today. I was determined to keep them busy today. breakfast time came everything went well no spilt milk. Woo hoo!! Then came potty time. We did music time  before circle time. I thought maybe if they moved around they could sit still for circle time. Everyone danced. Usually they just scream and run. I’m the only one left dancing in the room. Now I always say if you dance the whole time for music time you get one tootsie roll to put in your cubby. It really works.  It is a fact. You can get a kid to dance for a tootsie roll. Sometimes it will work with a sucker, but always for a tootsie roll.

We made a break through for circle time. For about a month I asked them after I just told them the answer. How Many days in a week? They all scream Monday. Every single day for a month. The answer was Monday. I Think they were doing it mostly to annoy me. Then I started to sing the Seven days of the week song.  Now they finally can say 7.

After that we played with the parachute and some banging sticks.  Then lesson time. It was a cat  worksheet they had to color. Again a boring lesson. What can they learn from a cat color sheet. So of course I threw some questions at them. Since yesterday was a about walking a dog. I asked Why do we walk dogs but don’t walk cats. Of course they stopped their coloring and looked at me like I’m stupid. I Then explained to them. Then one kid said they climb trees. So then  I asked why can cats climb trees and dogs can’t. Again with the stupid look. One kid said because birds fly. But I think it was their way to through me off the subject. They think they are sneaky. But it worked Now we were talking about birds and their wings. Totally off the cat subject.

Then after that we went outside they had a tiny breeze so it was not that hot. By naptime I was down to 5 kids. The afternoon felt so long.

My five senses poster board

Well I’m not finished but I done the front cover and the sight page. I have words and pictures on them I know they can not read at this age. That’s why I have the pictures also.  Here is a picture of them. I still have a few to go I will post the other pictures when I’m finished.

 

 

I did not want to put to much on there to be to distracting.  I put a song to sing about eyes on there also a description about that sense. I put that so while I’m standing there teaching I wont forget some details.  Each week I will bring this out and teach about a new sense.When everything is done I will punch two holes at the top with a hole puncher. Then stick those  book rings in them. That way it holds them all together and can turn the page to the next one.  I also thought where will I store it in my class room. Where the kids won’t touch it. Well another good thing about the book rings. You can hang them on the wall. I am going to put two hooks on the wall. High enough where I can reach them but the kids can not . Then just hook them on there. When ever I decide to make more of the poster books I can hang the next set on the same hooks. I’m going to check the craft stores to see when they have a sale on poster boards. Sometimes you can get 4 for a dollar.  I went to a few stores last night to see who had the cheapest and I checked at a dollar Store and they were 33 cents.

I’m trying to think of other things to put on the boards. I am going to do the alphabet friends. Then I’m even thinking about a nursery rhyme one. Each page will be a different one. For example have the Itsy bitsy spider rhyme  in big print then the pictures to match.  We can then all sing the song and point to the pictures. Just something to try to get there attention for a while.

New Ideas on teaching.

OkI found this site called kidssoup.com. It’s a site for teachers and daycare providers.  It is a membership but I went ahead and got it. They have all kind of stuff. Some things on there made my brain start ticking. When my brain starts to tick there is no stopping it. Well on that site they have lesson plans about the 5 senses. Everything on the site is printable.  You just search the site and click on what you want and it prints. I have a whole bunch of stuff. Now there it goes my brain has started ticking.  I have all these pictures and worksheets but how can I make learning it more interesting. Then the idea popped in my head.  I can get the poster boards and paste the big  picturesof the eyes  nose and ect. On the boards. In a fun and interesting way. So that way I can stand there with my pointer and actually teach. I’m going tonight and buy the stuff. I will have to take pictures and share the outcome of everything.   Hopefully Everything will come out like it is in my brain right now. After I thought of that, my brain was still ticking.

 

My new class is coming up but they are twos or twos that just turned three.  So their attention span is short.  And poor things they don’t do nothing back there with them.  So of course they running around like a bunch of chickens.  So I was trying to think of new ways to catch there attention and keep it there.  So I thought the same idea with the poster boards but with the alphabet. I got printouts form the site. For example for the letter A there was Apple Annie. It was a girl by a tree with a apple in her hand. So  I can make alphabet people. Each week they can learn a new alphabet friend. I think the letter B was bobby bear or something like that.  I can also print out color pages and other worksheets pertaining to the letter friend of the week.

 

So just sharing the new project I am working on. I am determined to be ready for my new class. They will listen and learn unlike the ones I have.  But I saw its my fault in a way. Cause when I first started working here. The class I have now had just moved up. But I never worked with this age before I was with the infants. So not knowing anything about teaching and walking into a class of 3 year olds clueless was hard for me. And the kids new that. So that’s why I think they are the way they are now.  It will be a year in Aug in with this class. I have learned a lot so I am ready now mentally for the new class. Hopefully. Fingers cross.

Getting mad

OK. If  I am sounding  selfish please let me know. Ok All that stuff that happened with state I stuck through with it. . That whole week  we were only allowed 6 kids in the whole daycare. I stuck with it. Now it is getting a little annoying. It’s not with state anymore. We are done with that. It’s now my boss.  Here is the story.  She is not putting her foot down. There are lot’s of parents that are not paying her every month. My boss is letting them get away with it.  There are  parents that owe 1,000 dollars.  One owes 800 dollars.  Not to mention alot of others.  I’m sorry she does not know how to run a daycare.  If it was my daycare. You better pay.  If you don’t pay then your not bringing your child back until you pay that bill. Now don’t get me wrong. I have a understanding heart also. Yes there may be some  that are struggling.  Maybe I would let them go late.  But not 6 or 7 months go by with out seeing any money at all.  Some of these moms are not even working. It’s just the father that’s working.  Well then keep your child home. Why stay home all day long and put your child in daycare.  Ok.  So none of this is my business. It’s the bosses business. 

 

But now it is starting to become my business. Yesterday she told me she is cutting some of our hours off during the week. One of us will go home early then join the kids and the other will stay. Then one day it will be the other persons turn. You know why. Cause she has hardly no money coming in to pay us.  Friday she said I can leave.  It was about 45 minutes early than I usually leave. Oh I took my time in leaving. She says this will help her out until she gets  more kids in Aug.  So it was just for a few weeks. I was to mad to say anything. So I kept my mouth shut. I went clean my bathroom very slowly to keep my time.  I left about 20 minutes early.  Next week if she asks me to leave early again I will tell her how I feel. This is not our fault. This is your problem.  I hope I’m not sounding selfish.  I understand there are not many kids because of the summer.  If that was the main reason of course I would have no problem. That is something you can not help.  But the main reason is because the parents owe so much money. They are getting her service for free.  She is not going to ever get or see that money.

She is lucky I’m nice. And That I love children. If it was any other job I would of done quit. But don’t think that quiting is not in my mind right now. because it is.

 

Well Enough about that. SO this week we did a few projects  about ocean things. Oh here is that template of the crab I was talking about. I was planning on posting the stuff we did every day, but I guess My mind is busy somewhere else.

 

 

 

This is what we did all week

Monday-  Finish the Octopus. we traced the octopus legs and glued google eyes on it

Tuesday -Was the paper plate crab. We folded our paper plate in half and glued the parts onto the paper plate. Eyes on top and claws on the bottom. Then folded strips of construction paper accordion style. and glued 3 on each side of the bottom half for the back legs. It came out cute.

Wednesday we talked about the whale and the blowhole on the top of the head. We colored our whale then stuck the blue construction at the top for the water.

Thursday was shark day.  We took our shark worksheet and glued torn pieces of grey construction paper onto the body.

Friday was free day. They enjoyed that. That was the first time we had a free day. I let them play with any toy anywhere in the classroom. It did not have to be in centers. They all stopped and looked at me. Like your going to let us do that.  I think that moment was the most quiet my classroom has ever gotten. Oh but I reminded them if there was fighting or toys everywhere we would be going straight to lesson time. Oh they understood that. I was surprise that they actually listen.  I do have to give them credit. They do listen when they want to.

 

I did my bulletin board in a aquarium theme. I did their hand prints as the fish. stuck some googly eyes on them. I put my background blue. The bottom was brown dirt. Of course It was cut to make it look like bumps. I even put grey and dark grey rocks with seaweed.  It looks just like an aquarium. The assistant director liked it and got into the spirit and ran into the office. She came out with her very own pink hand print fish. She stuck it on there. Shes the only one with a pink fish. It was to funny. Of course I had to get fancy. Then I stuck clear cellophane paper on it. It even had a bubble print on the paper so it looks like bubbles everywhere. I got the idea from the 4 year old teacher she said to do a aquarium. So she gave me the theme and I put it all together. I promise I will have to start doing my post everyday. This way it wont take 2 hours to read my post.

Back to work/ Blogging mood

Well my 3 day weekend vacation is over.  I did not mind that we were close Friday, but by Sunday afternoon I was ready to be back to work.  I can’t be off schedule for to long. I get bored very easily.

Today went by pretty fast. The summer is so boring. I only had 8 kids all day before naptime. This week we are learning about the ocean and the animals that live in the ocean. In our lesson book we had to explain that there is salt water in the ocean. And this helps animals float.  Well We tried the science project of taking a bowl of plain water and a bowl of salt water. Then sticking a raw egg in each bowl. The egg in salt water is suppose to float and the other one Will sink. Well I tried it and they both sank. I don’t know what I did wrong. So that did not work. Our work sheet was called  finish the octopus. Its legs were in those tracing lines. They had to finish drawing the legs. Then we glued googly eyes for his eyes.  Tomorrow We talk about a crab. We even have a paper plate crab project. They like doing those kind of projects.  If I remember I will post a pattern for it tomorrow.

 

 

 

Well I am in a writing  mood today. So I’m sorry if this is long. 

A little about home life… We had my nephew all last week. Friday I bought  me a fish tank. I use to have one but the water was always cloudy and I could never get it clear. I tried everything. So I wanted to give it another shot.  I read up on it this time and did find a few things I was suppose to do but never did. Like cycle the tank before putting fish in it.  Saturday I went buy some more rocks and things. My nephew came with us and I could not help myself from buying him a fish. Two gold fish to be exact. He named them Dora and Deigo. I had a big fish bowl so that’s where I put them. Which I read later that fish bowls are not good for goldfish. Well Diego was a pig and kept eating all the food before Dora could get some.  I was worried by this. Also Dora was not very active and did not even try to eat. Well Sunday came and still she did not eat. She would go towards the food then swim away.  So by Sunday afternoon I decided to separate her and put her in my tank. She became more active. But still will not eat. I will put Diego in the tank as soon as I find out what is wrong with Dora.  Here it is Monday And still not eating. I just tried to feed her and She swims to the food then swims away. So now I’m wondering maybe she just don’t like that food. So now I am going to go buy a different type a food and ask the petstore what might be wrong.  Or what were they feeding the fish in the first place. If anyone knows why it would not be eating please let me know. It does not look sick. It’s swiming around and everything. Oh here is a picture of dora and deigo. Dora is the orange fish and deigo is the blue fish with huge eyes. I was not a huge fan of the blue one. But that’s the one he wanted.

 

Expect anything for show and tell

Well Wednesday was show and tell. Which I did forget until I discovered something in one of their cubbies. Well I went to work a few minutes early to do some paper cutting for a project we had to do.  Well  I saw in one of the cubbies a shoe box. I was thinking why in the world does he have a shoe box.  Thinking of course what comes to every ones mind. There are shoes in the shoe box. So being nosey I opened it.   Nope not shoes.  It was a Turtle.  Nice surprise for a Wednesday morning.

 

 After nap time I made everyone sit in a circle.  I then said I am going to put something on the floor do not get up and try to touch it yet. I then took it by the shell and placed it on the floor it started to crawl really fast towards the kids. That was it all the kids were screaming and running away from the turtle. I was laughing of course. I never  seen a turtle move that fast before. After we all settled down I put it on the floor again and they all watched it crawl around. They loved that turtle.  It was the highlight of the day I think. Yesterday they kept asking where the turtle was. Of course we had to give it back.  I’m going to have to get a turtle for the class room. We have fish but they are not very entertaining.

rearranged centers

Well all last week I moved my centers around and decorated my walls.  The 4 year old teacher and assistant director always laughs at me. Almost every month everything in my classroom is in a different place.  This time I was tired of the way the kids kept getting out of the centers and walking around so I move the kitchen center in a corner of the room. I placed it like a box and have a little table and two chairs in the center.  I did that Thursday and the kids now don’t get out of it. They know that is their area.  In the dining room there was  a tiny table that the 4 year old teacher did not want.  Well guess what I made it mine.  It looks like a picnic table bench. Its kid size and you can put it against the wall. Then in the front it has the seat that sticks out. It is just big enough for two kids. So I pushed a small bookshelve  on each side and now it becomes a coloring and drawing center. Well plus a few small building toys and stuff. Just something that can be hands on and sit at the same time.  I did that also Thursday and the kids love it. I think it is their favorite center now.  There is also stencils that they can draw with and a bucket full of blank paper and color sheets. I came up wit a neat idea for those recycled crystal light  containers. The ones that have those individual little powder cups in them. Well I  took  two of them and stuck color pencils in each one. Now they have their own standing container of color pencils. I even took construction paper and taped it around  the container.  To match my wall theme. For my wall theme I made a retro polka dot theme.  It came out very cute and actually made my room look bigger for some reason.  Now no more plain white walls. I made the dots different sizes. Also I made them out of brown, light blue, and dark blue construction paper.  Of course the 4 year old teacher said she likes my dots and how long I tend to keep it up. I laughed and said I am going to try to keep it up as long as I can.

Well we have my nephew for the whole week and next weekend. So I will try to come on and post something every now and then.  I will be very busy working and then coming home to spend time with him.  We get to see him once a month since the divorce. Also the mom moved back to her home town which is 3 hours away.  He is 4 years old and growing.   I had started writing this post almost an hour ago. Until he insisted on crying because he wanted to watch Diego and we did not have a dvd of him. With no 24 hour tv channel playing just Diego. I have netflix online and on there you can watch free movies. So of course instead of watching him cry and breaking my heart I let him watch it. 

 

WE ARE OFF FRIDAY!!!!!!