My Half Day Pre-K (Preschool) Schedule

 I don't know about you but, I could not find a half day preschool schedule template that worked for me. I did get one provided by my district but, it was missing a key piece of the puzzle... potty breaks. That could be crucial... I think. 😅 It took some tweaking and trial/error but, we finally landed on a schedule for the AM and PM kiddos that works for everyone. My students transition easily and know what to expect next each day. We have had lots of compliments about how smoothly my classroom runs. Maybe it will make your day easier, too! Here is our routine!

AM

9:10 - Students arrive and enter the classroom to hang up their things (I have playdough, books and puzzles already at the tables for their morning choices)

9:25 - We go to the restroom and I do Heggerty (phonics) with the class while they are waiting their turn

9:35 - We head back to the room to finish up our table choices. I don't have them clean up the table choices when we go to the restroom. It's just a quick trip there and back.

9:45 - We have gross motor time either outside or in the gym.

10:15 - Circle Time

10:30 - Centers (we have snack as a center)

11:20 - Clean up and head to the tables. 

11:25 - I have them do a "home connection" sheet that is an activity or coloring sheet that goes with our daily learning.

11:35 - Pack up to leave

11:40 - Leave and go to the restroom if needed

PM

1:20 - Kiddos arrive and use the restroom while waiting for others to arrive

1:30 - Head to the classroom and hang up their gear. They have the same table choices set up as the AM.

1:45 - Circle Time

2:00 - Centers (we have snack as a center)

2:45 - Clean up and head to the tables. 

2:45 - I have them do a "home connection" sheet that is an activity or coloring sheet that goes with our daily learning.

3:00 - Pack up and line up for gross motor (we hang their things up outside the gym/playground so they are ready to leave) We also head to the restroom and do Heggerty while they wait their turn to potty.

3:10 - Gross Motor

3:40 - Home

Free February Newsletter - All Grades!

 Here is the latest newsletter template. Click to download. 

January Newsletter, Winter Sensory Table, Hot Cocoa Stand and Bulletin Board Decor!

 Happy winter break everyone! I needed this break so badly. I love that I went back to teaching the littles but, a break from hearing "teacher, teacher teacher" is much needed. I will definitely miss them when it's time to go back, though! We had such a fun couple of weeks leading up to break. It's also a super exciting time in our classroom because we are getting a remodel by Sandra Duncan! She's an awesome author who specializes in reimagining the EC classroom. If you haven't heard of her, it's worth a Google. Here are some things I have to share with you all...

First, the January newsletter template! Click here to download. It's an editable PDF that you can type right on.

My winter sensory table was a HUGE hit! It definitely took some teaching a reminders to not eat it 😅I did some coffee cups from Dunkin, cocoa pebbles, and marshmallows. I also added some scoops and measuring cups. We had a hot cocoa sensory table as well as transformed our Community Center into a hot cocoa shop! They LOVED this! Pretty soon it will change again into a vet's office to go with our Pet Study. The printables for the cocoa shop were found here.

Lastly, shout out to my amazing para for always having our door and bulletin board looking fantastic! 

My Circle Time Routine - Creative Curriculum

I teach in a high needs environment. In my classroom, I have a huge mix of ability levels and ages from 3 to 5 years old. Some of my kiddos have SPED services, speech, OT, etc. Circle time routines was a huge consideration for me this year and I put a lot of thought into it. If anyone else is struggling with how to keep them engaged when you have a diverse level of needs, you are not alone! 

I knew we would need lots of movement and excitement but, we also have the curriculum and read alouds to consider. Keeping that in mind, I also knew that they would need consistency and routine. These kiddos need to know what to expect and what is coming next. It makes them feel like they are safe and in control. That is a lot to consider... a lot. For just 15 minutes of my day... 

Here's what I came up with.

1. Hello Song (Welcome activity). We did the same one for several weeks so that it was routine. Then, I integrated a couple more and now we sometimes mix it up. I started with Clap A Name from the Mighty Minutes in Creative Curriculum. Hickety Pickety Bumblebee or any good morning song would work. I display their names and point to them as we go. Super important for name recognition skills.

2. Focus Wall. I have my focus wall tailored to the needs of my kiddos. I have some that are three and still working on number recognition, alphabet and colors. However, I also have five year olds that will be headed to Kindergarten. They are working on sight words and more complex skills such as building sentences and writing. My wall has to be pretty diverse to meet those needs. This is the part where I also do songs and the calendar.

3. Movement. After the sitting for about five minutes, they NEED movement. Every day I pick a different activity or song. Right now they are really into "Turkey Hunt" since we are coming up on Thanksgiving. They also love Simon Says, Freeze Dance and The Floor is Lava.

4. Book. After the movement, we do a few deep breaths together and get ready to read our book for the day. Sometimes it is from the curriculum, other times it is a choice of mine.

5. Second Step. We use this as a school but, I don't usually get to it every day. Since I have half day, I only get one short circle time with each group. Second Step usually happens a few times a week. If you don't know what this is, it is an SEL curriculum. This would be a good time to do an SEL or team building activity if you don't use something like Second Step.

6. Curriculum Activity and Question of the Day. This is the time that I quickly do my curriculum activity and question of the day. We usually try to make this as interesting and involved as possible because by this time they are ready to play!

7. Centers. I introduce the centers, goals for the day, and send them on their way!

Free December Newsletter Template - ALL grades!

 This is a freebie printable template for all grades. You can also type straight into the boxes as I have made it and editable PDF. Enjoy! Click here to download.

November, Fall Sensory Bin for Preschool and Pre-K!

 Happy November! I love changing out my sensory table for different holidays and seasons. This month we used corn kernels as the main item. I also added measuring scoops, pine cones, leaves and fun laminated numbers. This gives the kiddos lots of choices with how to use the table. Some of them find all the numbers, most of them love scooping, and others bury the items. These tables are a huge hit so far!

These also align well with TSGold standards. They allow for the students to explore together, identify numerals, use measuring skills, and make connections. 

Apple Orchard Dramatic Play

 My students are THRILLED with my change to our dramatic play area. We changed it up and created an apple orchard and bakery. We also added raking leaves to our block area. Some kiddo sized rakes and fake leaves did the trick!

Their favorite thing in dramatic play is definitely the pie baking! They use the pom-poms as apples and put them in the pie tin. Then they add the felt strips to make their crust. 

I got all the printables here and here and it was super easy! 

Pre-K and Kindergarten October Poem

 It's almost Halloween! My kiddos have decided on Harry Potter and a Vampire Bat. I asked my five year old what he wanted to be and, without any hesitation, he said "a vampire bat!" Where does he come up with these things? Apparently from Wild Kratts, what do I know? 

Here is a fun freebie for you! October printable poem and coloring! This is perfect for teachers that do poetry notebooks with their kiddos!

Click to download!

Pinecone Painting, Fall Art Project for Kinder and Pre-K - TS Gold and Creative Curriculum Aligned!

 Super easy art project for this season! 

I use TS Gold in my classroom and this activity lines up with several of the standards: 

8b. Follows Directions

11a. Attends and Engages

33. Explores the Visual Arts

There are probably even more that I'm missing or that you can add if you change up this activity or use questioning techniques, counting, etc. 

We had the kiddos choose their paint colors and how many pinecones. Then, we just put in the paper and pine cones, they squirted in some paint and shook it up! It turned into an awesome process art piece.

This activity is also great if you use Creative Curriculum and are starting the tree unit! 

I'm Back!

 I have realized I miss blogging! Now that I am back in the Early Childhood world, I have things to share again! I get so into making things and all of these fun activities for my littles. I'm starting off small with a new freebie! Just a basic newsletter template for all my teacher friends. Happy Sunday!

Click here to download the editable PDF

Have an Awesome Day With a Substitute in Your Classroom!

Happy Halloween! This year my team and I were "candy rappers"--- hilarious!! My teammates did an amazing job and really went all out! The kiddos ate this up! We wore baggy pants, candy logos, sideways hats, chains and even had temporary tattoos! So much fun!! Now, onto the topic for today.... some tips to have an awesome day with a substitute in the classroom.

Kids can be really thrown off by a sub. This isn't all their fault. They should definitely be respectful to adults but, with the whole routine thrown off, a stranger where there is usually a trusted role model, and twenty-something other confused kids, it's bound to be a little strange. You will also have the overly helpful friends who are really trying to help the sub but, end up causing more issues than they fix. I tell my kiddos to just roll with it and do what the sub says, even if it is different. I think I also have a good perspective on this since I was a sub myself. Tips to a sub --- please try to clean up the classroom when you leave. I always did and this makes a huge difference. That's like coming to my house, trashing the place, and then just leaving it. Teachers, try to make it as welcoming as possible and set those kiddos up for success!

Most of these tips are for a prepared day out but, you could tweak some of these to work for emergency days too! You could always put the notes in your emergency sub binder along with a "Sprinkles from the Sub" poster.


1. First tip is "Sprinkles from the Sub"

I make a poster like the one shown above. It's pretty self-explanatory.. the sub can give sprinkles then, the class earns a reward if they get their sprinkles. I actually bought my class donuts for getting their sprinkles!



2. Notes for the kiddos

When I have a planned sub, I always leave notes for my students. Yes, I write them each a note, yes this takes awhile. I cannot tell you how much they love these notes! It truly shows them that you care about them as individuals. If you do any of these tips, this is the one I recognize the most.

3. Emergency Sub Binder

I was a former sub and let me tell you, having sub plans is so important. Especially for unplanned absences. If you search on TPT you will find a TON of emergency no-prep sub plans. No need for your team to run around like crazy to whip up a plan for you. Usually these plans are also fun and project-based which the kiddos love! Win, win!


4. Sub plan in "kid friendly" language for the students

This is a recent change that I read about on Twitter and implemented in my class. I take whatever sub plans I made for the adult and tweak them into kid friendly language. That way the kiddos can see what's coming, there won't be surprises AND they know that I actually said to do something and the sub isn't making it up. I can't tell you how often I heard as a sub "but, we never do that!" This will help eliminate that problem. 😀


5. Sub note template

One last tip, I created this Sub Note template. As a sub I always left a note using this template. I actually would have teachers text to tell me how much they appreciated it. As a classroom teacher, I am SHOCKED with how many subs don't leave a note. That just leaves us wondering about the day and not knowing what we should talk to the class about. I would suggest leaving this on your desk. That way, the sub sees it and knows you expect a note.

Try to relax on your day off and let your students show you how awesome they are when you come back!

Positive Family Relationships

One of the things that is extremely important to me is having positive relationships with my students' families. Also, having positive relationships with the families can be awesome on a bad day! So, I have some practical tips to help get this train rolling.... If these sound like a lot, and I know they do, just pick one and give it a shot! I think you will be thrilled with the results!

1. Class Dojo - If you don't use it, you can always look into some other options like an email list, texting, other apps, etc. I use this to constantly keep in touch with my students' families. They can keep track of their behavior, message me throughout the day, etc. I also have a "selfie request" station next to my turn in basket where kiddos can request to have a selfie taken of them with their work. Then, I post this to their personal portfolio on Dojo. The families love this! I also try to post at least one Class Story post a day with a fun activity, info about our read aloud, etc.  Here is a picture of one of my students with his work!

2. Newsletter - This one answers a lot of parent questions before you can even be asked them ;) Honestly, I should have started this even earlier this year. My newsletter has all subjects on it, reminders, my email, important dates, homework info, etc. I send this out monthly with all my kiddos. This is my newsletter template that I use. Click here :)

3. Social Media (Twitter) - I have a class Twitter that I use DAILY. I send out permission slips that also include the hashtags I use and my Twitter handle (@MrsDFalk) Follow me for an inside look into my classroom! The families love seeing the daily updates.

4. Daily "good notes". I send three notes home per day with my students. I go down my class roster to make sure that everyone gets a fair shot. Of course, if they don't deserve it, they don't get one that day and have to try again the next day. Sometimes I mix it up and go out of order but, I always make sure to keep track on a checklist so that even my energetic friends get notes :) The students love these and they get extra tickets if they get a note!

5. Calls, texts, Dojo messages. Again, I have a checklist to make sure that I contact ALL the families in some way. Most importantly, these are POSITIVE contacts! I make at least five contacts a day on top of the other things. I know that sounds like a lot but, once it's routine, it's pretty easy! It can just be a simple text. The families appreciate this more than you know!



Doing these things is huge for the families in my classroom but, it is also huge for me! I feel like I am connected with all the families which helps me better understand and be connected to my kiddos. Also, at the end of a long day, a positive parent connection can make everyone leave the day on a good note! When you say positive things to the parent, a lot of times, they have positive things to say about you too! You deserve to hear them because we all rock!

Real World Mistakes -- Creativity in "Write About Math"

I am absolutely loving "write about math" in my Daily 3 math block this year! If you are curious as to what Daily 3 looks like in math I will share what my structure is. I follow The Sister's Daily 3 math structure pretty closely with a few tweaks due to time constraints. This set up is lovely because I am able to pull at least 2-3 small groups a day just in math. In my math block I start with a warm up, then go into my main mini lesson (I do), then the kiddos do "Math With Someone" this is usually a partner game that goes with the topic. Then, I do my second mini lesson (we do), then the kiddos do "Math By Myself". This is when they use a math program such as Freckle.com for individualized practice. My final mini lesson (you do) is when the students complete their independent work and I walk around and help. Then, the final piece is a closing "Write About Math" activity.

Lately, we have been doing Math Mistakes. LOVE THESE!! I simply search "real world math mistakes" on Google and choose one for the day. The kids have a few minutes to look at the image and find the mistake. Then, they write in their journal what the mistake is and why it is a mistake. Finally, we have a chat about the mistake. The kids love seeing people make mistakes in the real world and knowing that they can find the mistakes! I hope you can try this out in your math block! Let me know how it goes with a comment!

How I Create a Love of Reading In My Classroom

One of the things that I really pride myself on is creating a love of reading in my classroom. This starts on the very first day of school.

First of all, I have a HUGE classroom library. Now, I'm not saying you should go out and spend a bunch of money. There are ways to get books for your kiddos without buying them brand new. Half Price Books gives away boxes and boxes of books to teachers... just go in and ask. Donorschoose.org is my favorite option! If you don't have one, check it out! Garage sales, library sales, and thrift shops are some more options. Personally, I buy a lot on Scholastic, earn points, then get more books with my points! When the kiddos come in and see my library on the first day, they can't wait to check it out! I have a large variety and set out lots of different ones on display. I make sure that I have the graphic novels front and center, and I set out some non-fiction for those hard to reach friends. They tend to gravitate toward the animal or sports books.

Next, I talk about reading AS A FUN ACTIVITY! I talk about how much I love to read and I say word for word .... "if reading is not fun, you are reading the wrong book. Reading should not be boring". I also tell them that if they hate to read, that my goal this year is to find at least one book that they LIKE. This usually sparks their attention. Some even take it as a challenge! This year, one of my students (on the third day) told me "well Mrs. Falk, you already beat the challenge, I like this book". This comment made my day.

Another key of reading in my classroom is I let them read for enjoyment. During silent reading I may have them do a small jot but, I let them read for fun. I don't give them assignments. I do check in with them for CAFE but, we make those conversations - not assignments.

Read alouds are also part of my day. I am currently reading Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix (my absolute FAVORITE book!) This really hooks the kids and makes them realize that books can be really cool. With my read alouds..... gasp...... I don't have them do any work. I know. Crazy. They just listen and then we discuss. I hit the standards but, it is as a conversation. I might even have them chat with each other on Google Classroom. Reading (in my opinion) shouldn't feel too much like a chore or an assignment to just "get through". 

My kiddos leave at the end of the year as readers! I promise! Even if they came in thinking it was the WORST, they leave having enjoyed books during fourth grade. If you want more details on any of the things I talked about... shoot me a comment and I will blog about specifics.

Happy Saturday!!

How I NEVER take work home!

So I wanted to get on my favorite soap box today! People ask me all the time: "how do you not grade at home?, how do you never have piles of stuff to grade?, what do you do with all the papers? how do you get grades?" I am here to answer these questions! First off, I NEVER take anything home with me. My first year teaching I remember spreading tons of papers on the floor and grading for hours. Nope. Not anymore.

How do I do this? Well, first of all, I limit the actual worksheets that I give the kiddos. There are so many options for formative assessment where I can simply walk around and jot their grade on paper, in my grade book, etc. For example, if the kids are working on a math concept, I can have them hold up whiteboards and instantly see who's "got it" and who doesn't. I also use a lot of exit tickets where they only answer a few questions. Sometimes, I even grade these right in front of them, circle the ones they got wrong and then they go back and correct. This process takes about 10 minutes to get through the whole class and voila! grades for the that are done if you jot them down as you go. Sometimes I use the workbook pages but, who says they have to do the whole page? I choose a few key problems to show their skills and then I only grade those. BAM! Time cut in half and the students aren't sitting there all day doing a workbook page. So, in short, make your formative assessments nice and... short.

Another key to my grading process.... this one is top secret.... I.... throw..... things..... away. Sometimes, I can give grades based on what I see in class and anecdotal notes. I do NOT need to grade a math page every. single. stinking. day. That is crazy. If I don't grade it in at least 2 days, it gets thrown out. Formative assessments are supposed to be used to inform your instruction. If you don't grade quickly, you cannot possibly be using that to inform your practice. So, if it doesn't get graded right away, it doesn't get graded at all.

Lastly, homework. I do not grade homework. I check for completion and look at one or two questions to make sure they didn't write "booger" for every answer. This saves a ton of time and I cannot imagine sitting and grading homework every day. In my opinion, I could be doing much more amazing things for my students with that time.

That's it. The end. Now, go spend your time not grading!

Theme Book Brochures

I am SOOO excited about my new TPT product! I have created brochures for theme. I plan to do a lot more reading standards and this turned out SUPER cute! Please post pics when your kiddos make these. I will post mine, too! These can be used for assessment, lit circles, book clubs, book talks, etc. Have fun! Don't forget to follow my TPT store! Click here for this product!

 

Daily 3 Check In

I am moving into a school that does all Daily 3 and CAFE. I came from a school awhile ago that did this so, I am pretty excited to try again! With that being said, I really needed a Daily 3 check in for my SmartBoard. I made this today and wanted to share with all of you. If you would like a different color scheme, or a customized one, let me know! Don't forget to follow me on TPT!

Click Here to Download!

S'mores Oven STEM

So excited about this fun STEM activity!! Making S'mores ovens -- who wouldn't want to do that! This is a perfect activity for a chemical/physical change unit or for an end of the year activity. Make sure you do this fun activity on a nice sunny day! Show me pictures if you try it out!! Click here for TPT! Don't forget to click HERE to follow me!

End of The Year Bundle

Happy end of the year! For some of us summer has started or, for the lucky few we have a couple weeks to go! Hang in there!! This is a bundle of 5 end of the year activities for big kids! I have soooo many great ideas of things to add to this product! Buy it now and you will get all the additions for FREE!! The price WILL GO UP!! Right now it includes a class compliment activity, find someone who, thank you letter, dear future student letter, and memory page. I will be adding STEM, math, and reading activities in the near future! TPT Store Here.

Follow Me on TPT!

Fourth Grade Jeporady Geometry Review!

Happy end of the year! If you are looking for some math games check out my Jeporady SmartBoard games! They are all power points that are played like Jeporady. This is my newest one and is all of the fourth grade Geometry standards. Enjoy & don't forget to follow me on TPT to get notified when I post new stuff! Click here to follow me! Click here for the game!