“What we are teaches the child far more than what we say, so we must be what we want our children to become.”- Joseph Chilton Pearce

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”- Maya Angelou

2010july - aug - sept

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WIELDING A CHILD’S SENSEOF WONDERTO SPARK THE IMAGINATION

Welcome Summer!

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.”

-John LubbockBy mid-summer, we’ve seen the

thermometers stretch and cool mornings have given way to blistering afternoons. Popsicles and sandwiches have become staples of our diets; anything you can eat with one hand while reading a good book or playing a game of cards with the other. Our skin has taken on a darker hue from its lost battles with

sunscreen and our hair has a life of its own; full of wave and texture from the chlorine/sun cocktail of our new life.

This new life, we are so blessed to emerge ourselves in during the summer months. No long ‘to-do’ lists of the classroom, papers to grade and state forms to fill out. Instead we fill our days with time. Time for family. Time for home projects. Time for travel. Time for growth. Time for us.

Every vessel must be refilled in order to flow again and offer new nourishment to its surroundings. This is our JOB during the summer months - to refill our vessel. We’re taking time to cleanse ourselves of the past, recharge our spirits and envision our future with success.

You may feel the need to pursue some professional development or your spirit may

call you to steer clear of the classroom until August 16th. Whichever you choose, use this time to count your blessings, enjoy the peace of the present moment and dream of the future.

more:Technology Tip 2Teachers are Talking About 3PSA: Teacher Safety 3Setting Up 4

Back to School Books:So many books, so little time! Here are a few of our favorites!

1. Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergartenby Joseph SlateAfter a few readings, place a sticky note with a student’s name over the character they share an initial letter with (including the teacher)! Miss Smithergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten!

2. Listen, Buddy!by Helen LesterA silly, yet practical example of the importance of listening. For extra fun, read this story while wearing a set of bunny ears!

3. A Mother for Chocoby Keiko KaszaAn absolute treasure for illustrating how families of adopted children come together.

4. Friendsby Helme HeineA wonderful book to show how friends can do many things together, but also need some time on their own or with other friends.

People Don’t Care...“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” This statement speaks volumes in the field of early childhood education. At the beginning of the school year, parents need to know how seriously you take the care and education of their child. You can talk about your dedication and intentions for days, but what really counts (in the eyes of your students and their families) are your actions. Here are a few tips for fostering the strong parent/teacher/student relationship needed for a successful school year: - Home Visits: If at all possible, visit the homes of your students. During Meet the Teacher Night, give parents the option to sign up for a home visit. On the assigned day, arrive at the child’s home promptly, with a timer in your hand. Set the timer for 10 minutes and allow the student to choose the topic of conversation or task. Many children will want to show you their bedroom or their favorite work of art. (Parents may have a few questions, but mostly this is a time for you to get to know the child in a relaxed environment.) These short 10 minutes will give you invaluable insight into the child and his/her home-life. It also aids in a smoother first day of school and parents appreciate you taking extra time to get to know their child.

- Questions: When a parent asks a question or needs to tell you something about their child, listen. This seems like a common sense statement, but many times teachers get wrapped up in the hectic pace of the beginning of the year, grow weary of the same questions being asked again and again or (if it’s during the school day) cannot respond to numerous questions while their classroom is full of children. Parents have legitimate concerns/questions about their child’s education and you are their Ambassador of Answers! As an Ambassador, you must listen with your eyes and ears, give parents clear and concise explanations and (if needed) offer a time to sit down and discuss their concerns in more depth. Remember, many times our students‘ parents are solely focused on their child and may not realize you have a classroom of needy children or 43 emails to answer. Be patient. Slow down. Listen to what the parents have to offer. After all, they know their child quite well and with their knowledge and your expertise, together your make a powerful alliance for their child!

- Parent Nights: Meet the Teacher Night and Curriculum Night are great, but how much do parents glean about helping their child from these events? Try having a Parent Education night and invite parents to come to school one evening and learn tips for reading district assessment results, how to help their child at home and what to look for in the future of their child’s education. The parents will find this immensely helpful and you’ll see your students’ performance grow from all that extra help from home.

- Blog: Have a classroom blog set up and ready to read for the beginning of the year. Write a short post about yourself and/or your program and then make a dedication to blog once a week (or whatever fits your schedule). Your working parents will appreciate the ability to know what’s going on in their child’s classroom!

Technology Tip:At the beginning of the year, parents are asked to fill out form after form, many by hand. In our technologically driven world, this seems archaic to parents. Prove your excellence in technology by offering your questionnaire on-line! Jotform.com is an easy-to-use site that allows teachers to create customized questions for parents to fill out on-line, then the results are sent directly to your email inbox. Print it out or store it in your mailbox - either way, you have the information you need at your fingertips AND your new classroom parents are impressed with all your fabulous techno skills!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Loving those ‘first day of school moments’

Growing Up:

A growth chart is a priceless addition to the classroom. Students love to compare their height to one another, watch their own markings skyrocket and look in awe at how much they’ve grown within nine months.Keep each chart at the end of the year and hang them all up every Open House night. When previous students come back to visit, they can reminisce of your time together and you can mark their height one more time!

‘People don’t care...’ continued

What’s the latest buzz in education today? Need the skinny on classroom happenings? Check out our list for the beginning of the year:

1. Book: Start your school year off with a burst of energy that sustains you throughout the year! Jon Gordon’s book The Energy Bus offers a powerful message for educators in and out of the classroom.

2. Magazine: Check out edutopia’s article Educators Grow Green Schools on making our schools green. Included are helpful links and a survey to see how green your school is today.

3. App: iWriteWords (lite) app for your class iPod/iTouch is a great way to practice the proper handwriting strokes. It even has an interactive alphabet song, fun sound

effects and restricts the player to master the proper handwriting stroke before moving on to the next letter or number.

4. Watch: In Richard Byrne’s website, Free Technology for Teachers, he offers ’15 TED Talks Teachers Should Watch’. It is truly an inspirational collection educators must see before beginning a new school year.

5. Website: DaFont.com offers a plethora of (free) fonts that look amazing in print and on your class website!

6. Global Learning: Learn about and connect with other classrooms around the world on ePals.com.

What’s the word from your neck of the woods? Have great ideas to offer? Click on this link to share. Thank you!

Public Service Announcement: Teacher SafetyIt happens every year in August, teachers transform themselves into construction workers and furniture movers while preparing their classrooms for a new school year. They begin rearranging furniture, nailing things into the walls and climbing upon things they ought not be climbing upon.Here are a few tips to keep you in one piece for the first day of school:- wear sneakers instead of flip-flops for all that furniture moving- keep a small tool-kit in your desk (use the right tool for the job!)- keep a jug of water at school and a granola bar (or other healthy snack) to stay hydrated and energized- know when to say when (if you can’t remember how long you’ve been at school working, go home and get some rest). A well rested mind can work more efficiently and safely!

- A Phone Call: During the first week of school, take a few moments to call the home of each child. Just a quick phone call to touch base will allow parents the opportunity to clarify quandaries that have been swimming around in their head and show that your are available to help. Schedule the calls around your needs (three quick calls a day or all the boys on one day/the girls on the next). Even if you call during a time the family is not home, they will appreciate your effort to connect.

- A Student Survey: Find out your students’ interests and incorporate them into your classroom and curriculum. You don’t need to spend money on these things or change all your lesson plans. You can simply integrate them into your vernacular. “If I had two SpongeBob books and my mom gave me one more, how many would I have altogether?” “If I wanted to hold my friend’s Hello Kitty notebook, what would be the best way to ask for it?” Including interests in this way captures students’ attention and shows your class, what’s important to them is important to you. (If you need a great student questionnaire, check out ‘Thinking and Learning Together’ by Bobbi Fisher. This is also a wonderful resource for independent learning projects.)

People say that in real estate it is all about location, location, location. In education, it’s all about relationships, relationships, relationships. So find your best way of building those relationships. Remember, you are already doing many wonderful things to build relationships in your classroom, you don’t need to try to incorporate everything on this list! Simply re-evaluate what your are already doing - if you love it, attack it with a new-found focus. If you’d like to vamp it up a bit, try one of the ideas above. When the parents see how much you care about their child, their worries will vanish and their eyes can be clear to see what a magnificent teacher you are for their child!

What Educators Are Talking About

datesgrab a few ideas

july august septemberdatesgrab a few ideas

1U.S. Postage Stamp Day Design a postage stamp you’d like to see the U.S. adopt

1Friendship Day Call a friend and tell them how much you appreciate their friendship

6Labor Day Discuss the importance of rest after working hard each day

datesgrab a few ideas

27Walk on Stilts Day Make a set of wooden or coffee can stilts with your child and practice walking

6Nat’l Root Beer Float Day Go ahead - enjoy!(Remember, fill your vessel with fun this summer!)

12Nat’l Grandparents Day Create a gift for your grandparent or an elderly person

datesgrab a few ideas

10Nat’l Sewing Machine Day Sew something unique for you or a family member

You’ve spent the summer dreaming of new floor plans and furniture arrangements, you’ve hit the sale at the local teacher’s store and now you’re ready to set up your classroom!

STOP! Before you unpack a box, take a step back and look at an old photo of your classroom. How does it look? Calm and welcoming or like an explosion at the crayon factory? Be honest...is it cute like a window display in a candy shop or focused down to the specific needs for the first few weeks of school?

As you’re feathering your nest-of-a-classroom this August, keep in mind the visual and physical needs of your students. Remember the significance of first impressions (of parents and students) and approach your space with a new eye.

Here are a few things to consider:- Does your classroom have a clean and uncluttered feeling? (Keeping as many horizontal surfaces clear and/or as organized as possible)

- Are items clearly and uniformly labeled (same paper and font)?

- Are there clear vignettes within your room? (Children can easily see reading happens in this corner, everyone knows

this is the area of the room for making scientific discoveries, the boundaries for the building station are marked, etc.)

- Do you have empty display places for students’ work? (If you’re feeling self-conscious about having blank wall-space on Meet the Teacher Night, create a sign that says ‘This space is reserved for amazing student work!’ People will immediately understand the value you place on student creativity and work.)

- Does every child have a space within your classroom that they can call their own?

- When parents and children enter your room, do their eyes dart about in sensory overload or are their senses soothed, so they can concentrate on the task and thinking at hand?

Ask yourself questions that will drive you to make changes for the better in the classroom environment. Create a space that will foster inspiration when eyes look upon your walls and bookshelves. Keep in mind that many children are inspired by their peer’s work (and not by store-bought posters), so leave a little space for those little ones to look upon and grow!

For more information and ideas, go to:

www.wonderandspark.com

First Day of School MemoriesRemember your first days of school? Anticipation about your teacher and classmates lingered in the air. Your heart was filled with glee about your new school supplies and your clothes were stiff with newness; bought for that fine day!Try your best to snap a photo of your class on the first day of school. It will be a treasure to look upon as the year progresses.(But if you have a runner or too many tears on Day 1, leave the photo op for Day 2!)Good luck and have a restful summer and a wonderful first day of school!

Setting Up Your Classroom