In preschool yesterday Ms. Ann served the children ice cream cones for breakfast as her April Fools joke (my kind of lady). Afterwards she was taking a tally of the children's favorite flavors of ice cream.
Ms. Ann: Aniyah, what's your favorite kind of ice cream?
Aniyah: A lot.
See why I love this class? :)
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
my little congo man
One of my Jumpstart kids is from the Congo and has the BEST accent... I wish I could post a video of his delightful self up here but alas you'll have to survive on stories.
So last Thursday E. was fixing my hair in our "hair salon" walking back and forth to the "sink" to get clip after clip and carefully place them in my hair. Alex, his Jumpstart corps member, was trying to engage E in conversation by asking how many clips he was putting in, what his plan was for my hair, etc but E was so focused he just trudged back to the sink, picked up a clip, trudged back repeatedly.
Alex commented, "Wow, he's so intent."
E. immediately stops mid-clip retrieval and says, "No I am not! I am FIVE!"
<3 Congo.
So last Thursday E. was fixing my hair in our "hair salon" walking back and forth to the "sink" to get clip after clip and carefully place them in my hair. Alex, his Jumpstart corps member, was trying to engage E in conversation by asking how many clips he was putting in, what his plan was for my hair, etc but E was so focused he just trudged back to the sink, picked up a clip, trudged back repeatedly.
Alex commented, "Wow, he's so intent."
E. immediately stops mid-clip retrieval and says, "No I am not! I am FIVE!"
<3 Congo.
Kindergarten
Every Monday I've been observing 1st graders and today I made the switch down about 4 inches in height to Kindergarten. Don't be confused... a decrease in height only means an increase in personality.
I was observing two children write a sentence using magnetic words today and this is how it went down:
Shane (holding up a magnetic word): Hey Daijah, what does this word say?
Daijah: Shane, I am NOT your maid. Sound it out.
I like this girl. a lot.
I was observing two children write a sentence using magnetic words today and this is how it went down:
Shane (holding up a magnetic word): Hey Daijah, what does this word say?
Daijah: Shane, I am NOT your maid. Sound it out.
I like this girl. a lot.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
It's always time for pie...
Every morning in preschool we read the two lunch choices to 16 wiggly four year olds and as they hand in their folders and library books they can tell us what their lunch choice is for the day...
One day a few weeks ago the choices were Shepherds Pie or a Hot Dog.
The children came up one by one and made their choices... a few hours later the eagerly anticipated lunch cart rolls into our room (there isn't a cafeteria at our school).
Little feet run to the sink to wash hands and grab seats at the teeny tables. Styrofoam (ugh.) containers plop down on tables and hungry bellies growl.
Mekhi, who chose Shepherds Pie, pops open his lunch container and scoots back from the tablel in confusion at what he sees.
He looks up at the adults in the room and says, "Where the heck is my PIE!"
Poor guy. I'd like pie for lunch too.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Things I don't Usually Connect...
When I was in 8th grade I had an awesome group of girl friends that I had known since we were 4, entering Kindergarten and growing up in the same neighborhood together. We had that funny small-town connection that you see in nostalgia-inducing movies like Now & Then. We showed up to school dressed alike by accident (and sometimes not by accident let's be honest) and often finished each other's sentences. They were a blessing in my life.
One of our favorite activities to pass the time during class-- particularly French, sorry Madame-- was a game called "Random Thoughts." Someone would write a random sentence, or part of one, at the top of a paper and the paper would make its way from desk to desk, thrown over shoulders passed in books and tossed behind the teacher's back. Giggles were suppressed as the message got increasingly complex and fairly ridiculous. A version of this involved hiding the original message and adding on blindly. The entire joint creation was read in the locker area between classes, and most of the time we were amazed to see how our brains connected ideas and created some sort of order out of the randomness. Everything seem to be connected.
I am reminded of this game as I think about a class I had last week. I'm taking a course called The Exceptional Learner, which is designed to help education students think well about including children with special needs in their classroom and designing a community of learning that accepts, embraces and encourages all learners.
A few weeks ago we had a guest speaker come and talk to us about people with blindness and visual impairments. She is a mobility instructor for individuals in our area and one of her main tasks is helping people with visual impairments move around town as pedestrians. She explained to us how complicated it can be to stand at an intersection and use only your hearing to determine when it is your turn to cross the street. The "ped heads" on street poles with buttons we all push to signal we want to cross present challenges-- they are always at different heights, in different locations relative to the intersection, some beep some dont, etc.
One complication she brought up that I had never considered: hybrid cars.
Hybrid cars do not make noise while they idle.
A person who is blind standing on the street corner is analyzing the traffic that runs parallel to his or her path in an effort to determine when it is her turn to cross the street. If a hybrid car is idling next to her, she cannot hear it and therefore it presents a great hazard to her if the car intends to turn right. Right now apparently there is litigation to get hybrid car companies to include some sound device-- a click perhaps-- in the car as it idles to help those with VI's be safe in traffic.
I've thought about hybrid cars for a car for myself in the future... and I think they're pretty cool. Now, I'm not expert and to be honest haven't done a huge amount of research so don't go crazy if you think I'm wrong (although I'd be more than happy to hear why). But this is something I had never thought of-- if you can't hear my car, does that make it a hazard to you?? How do the purchases I make affect the people around me in a very real way?
It's just like reading the final product of a class period of Random Thoughts and realizing everything is connected...
Luckily Lil Rojo currently makes enough noise to wake the whole neighborhood.
One of our favorite activities to pass the time during class-- particularly French, sorry Madame-- was a game called "Random Thoughts." Someone would write a random sentence, or part of one, at the top of a paper and the paper would make its way from desk to desk, thrown over shoulders passed in books and tossed behind the teacher's back. Giggles were suppressed as the message got increasingly complex and fairly ridiculous. A version of this involved hiding the original message and adding on blindly. The entire joint creation was read in the locker area between classes, and most of the time we were amazed to see how our brains connected ideas and created some sort of order out of the randomness. Everything seem to be connected.
I am reminded of this game as I think about a class I had last week. I'm taking a course called The Exceptional Learner, which is designed to help education students think well about including children with special needs in their classroom and designing a community of learning that accepts, embraces and encourages all learners.
A few weeks ago we had a guest speaker come and talk to us about people with blindness and visual impairments. She is a mobility instructor for individuals in our area and one of her main tasks is helping people with visual impairments move around town as pedestrians. She explained to us how complicated it can be to stand at an intersection and use only your hearing to determine when it is your turn to cross the street. The "ped heads" on street poles with buttons we all push to signal we want to cross present challenges-- they are always at different heights, in different locations relative to the intersection, some beep some dont, etc.
One complication she brought up that I had never considered: hybrid cars.
Hybrid cars do not make noise while they idle.
A person who is blind standing on the street corner is analyzing the traffic that runs parallel to his or her path in an effort to determine when it is her turn to cross the street. If a hybrid car is idling next to her, she cannot hear it and therefore it presents a great hazard to her if the car intends to turn right. Right now apparently there is litigation to get hybrid car companies to include some sound device-- a click perhaps-- in the car as it idles to help those with VI's be safe in traffic.
I've thought about hybrid cars for a car for myself in the future... and I think they're pretty cool. Now, I'm not expert and to be honest haven't done a huge amount of research so don't go crazy if you think I'm wrong (although I'd be more than happy to hear why). But this is something I had never thought of-- if you can't hear my car, does that make it a hazard to you?? How do the purchases I make affect the people around me in a very real way?
It's just like reading the final product of a class period of Random Thoughts and realizing everything is connected...
Luckily Lil Rojo currently makes enough noise to wake the whole neighborhood.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Days of the Week
My job this year is with an organization called Jumpstart. An Americorps partner, Jumpstart works with Pre-K children to develop social and academic skills to prepare them for Kindergarten. So on Tuesdays and Thursdays I work with a team of UVA students and 4 year olds in a two hour session where we sing songs, make plans, read books, and just play!
One of the girls in my Jumpstart group-- we'll call her Mary-- is incredibly smart and so I try and find things to challenge her each day... lately I have been writing her a message on our white board for her to read and add on to.
Yesterday my message to Mary said,
Good morning friends!
Welcome to Jumpstart! Today is T_____, February 24, 2009.
Today we will make puppets.
I asked Mary to read me the message and fill in the blank. She read it and promptly told me that Today is Tuesday. Then her sweet little face squished up in confusion and she asked, "Miss Shannon, why is it Tuesday? It's the third day of the week... Sunday, Monday, TWOsday... so why is it Tuesday?"
It took me a minute to realize how hard she was thinking about this and why she had gotten confused. I laughed and wrote out the number 2 and TWO-sday and explained that it sounds the same as the word Tuesday. What a thinker!
A little while later I was playing in the housekeeping center when Mary and her partner Lanita came walking by whistling. I explained that I can't whistle and Mary promptly gave me a lesson on the proper placement of your tongue when you are trying to whistle. I practiced and proved that I am indeed incapable of whistling. She smiled, patted me on the shoulder and said smugly, "It's ok. You just need a little practice." :: collapsed in giggles ::
One of the girls in my Jumpstart group-- we'll call her Mary-- is incredibly smart and so I try and find things to challenge her each day... lately I have been writing her a message on our white board for her to read and add on to.
Yesterday my message to Mary said,
Good morning friends!
Welcome to Jumpstart! Today is T_____, February 24, 2009.
Today we will make puppets.
I asked Mary to read me the message and fill in the blank. She read it and promptly told me that Today is Tuesday. Then her sweet little face squished up in confusion and she asked, "Miss Shannon, why is it Tuesday? It's the third day of the week... Sunday, Monday, TWOsday... so why is it Tuesday?"
It took me a minute to realize how hard she was thinking about this and why she had gotten confused. I laughed and wrote out the number 2 and TWO-sday and explained that it sounds the same as the word Tuesday. What a thinker!
A little while later I was playing in the housekeeping center when Mary and her partner Lanita came walking by whistling. I explained that I can't whistle and Mary promptly gave me a lesson on the proper placement of your tongue when you are trying to whistle. I practiced and proved that I am indeed incapable of whistling. She smiled, patted me on the shoulder and said smugly, "It's ok. You just need a little practice." :: collapsed in giggles ::
Monday, February 23, 2009
Quotes of the Day
"Holy moly that voice is cute!"
-- a 7 year old upon hearing me speak.
Me: I have to go soon.
Scarlett: I thought you were staying an hour!
Me: I am... it's almost been an hour.
Scarlett: No way! An hour is when a minute lasts until like... 630.
-- a 7 year old upon hearing me speak.
Me: I have to go soon.
Scarlett: I thought you were staying an hour!
Me: I am... it's almost been an hour.
Scarlett: No way! An hour is when a minute lasts until like... 630.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Quote of the Day
I was observing in a 1st grade classroom today... I walked in and within 30 seconds this small girl with a head full of braids marches up to me and says,
Did you know that bananas can change diarrhea?
Me: (trying to keep a straight face) Oh really? Do they make it better or worse?
Girl: Better. Cause one time I had a diarrhea and I couldn't get rid of it until mom gave me a banana.
t.m.i. :)
Did you know that bananas can change diarrhea?
Me: (trying to keep a straight face) Oh really? Do they make it better or worse?
Girl: Better. Cause one time I had a diarrhea and I couldn't get rid of it until mom gave me a banana.
t.m.i. :)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Power of One
I am rereading The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay these days... delighting again in the story of an unlikely little boxer named Peekay in South Africa. It's fun to read it again with the history of South Africa now in my head... I understand much more of the complicated history and context!
Peekay is this adorable character who has great insights about the world as it begins to unfold for him... this was my favorite of today:
"I settled back happily into the corner of the large green leather seat and proceeded to lick the sucker. One and a half suckers in less than an hour was an all-time happiness, and having a real friend was another."
Peekay is this adorable character who has great insights about the world as it begins to unfold for him... this was my favorite of today:
"I settled back happily into the corner of the large green leather seat and proceeded to lick the sucker. One and a half suckers in less than an hour was an all-time happiness, and having a real friend was another."
Thursday, February 05, 2009
poor no man.
There's a little guy in one of my Pre-K classes with whom I have a morning ritual... he rolls into class looking more like 16 than 4, a little thug-like, but full of goodness.
I sit at the table and reach out my hand in a fist, call his name, and say, "Is it time?"
He usually looks at me. Looks down at my fist. Shakes his head.
A few minutes (or sometimes hours) later he will walk up to me and say, "Miss Shannon. It's time." and extend his own little fist to give me a pound. :)
Well this same sweet guy can't say the "s" sound if a word starts with the letter S (snake, sound, snip, silly). We had some snow this week and before recess one day he exclaimed,
I'z gonna play in the no!
I'z gonna make a no man with no balls!
Took us a minute to figure it out... :)
I sit at the table and reach out my hand in a fist, call his name, and say, "Is it time?"
He usually looks at me. Looks down at my fist. Shakes his head.
A few minutes (or sometimes hours) later he will walk up to me and say, "Miss Shannon. It's time." and extend his own little fist to give me a pound. :)
Well this same sweet guy can't say the "s" sound if a word starts with the letter S (snake, sound, snip, silly). We had some snow this week and before recess one day he exclaimed,
I'z gonna play in the no!
I'z gonna make a no man with no balls!
Took us a minute to figure it out... :)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday night vindicated.
Back in the fall I spent one Friday night (yea friday... sad to admit) making this Color Game for one of my girls who doesn't know her colors yet. It's basically a simplified version of Candyland. A manilla folder opens up (thank you Abundant Life for teaching me everything I know) to reveal a colorful "road" made of squares of construction paper.
Children choose a painted penny for their playing piece then reach into a magical bag (aka brown lunch bag) and pull out a colored dot. They then name the color if they can and move their penny to the nearest place.
Well... after hours cutting, gluing, laminating, regretting, gluing some more... I had high hopes for this game. It's sat on the table for the past 3 months untouched until this past Thursday. My girls were picking out cups in housekeeping and naming the colors, so I jumped on the chance to reintroduce the color game, and they LOVED it!!
The two of them-- J & S-- spent about 20 minutes taking turns and playing. S is the girl who has a hard time with colors and she was making good progress when all of a sudden she pulled out a red dot and was stumped. J waited a minute then said, "It's red!" S grinned, stuck out her hand to shake J's hand and exclaimed, "Thank you so much for helping me!"
made.my.day. (and made that Friday night worth it)
The other precious thing is that S knows most of the colors now, but she consistently names yellow amarillo... correct in Spanish, who knows why. Thats for your Claire.
Children choose a painted penny for their playing piece then reach into a magical bag (aka brown lunch bag) and pull out a colored dot. They then name the color if they can and move their penny to the nearest place.
Well... after hours cutting, gluing, laminating, regretting, gluing some more... I had high hopes for this game. It's sat on the table for the past 3 months untouched until this past Thursday. My girls were picking out cups in housekeeping and naming the colors, so I jumped on the chance to reintroduce the color game, and they LOVED it!!
The two of them-- J & S-- spent about 20 minutes taking turns and playing. S is the girl who has a hard time with colors and she was making good progress when all of a sudden she pulled out a red dot and was stumped. J waited a minute then said, "It's red!" S grinned, stuck out her hand to shake J's hand and exclaimed, "Thank you so much for helping me!"
made.my.day. (and made that Friday night worth it)
The other precious thing is that S knows most of the colors now, but she consistently names yellow amarillo... correct in Spanish, who knows why. Thats for your Claire.
old shoes
Kam: Miss Shannon?
Me: Yea, honey?
Kam: Why are you wearing old shoes?
... i look down at my every-day-very-beat-up-shoes...
Me: Well honey, because I"m a teacher.
Me: Yea, honey?
Kam: Why are you wearing old shoes?
... i look down at my every-day-very-beat-up-shoes...
Me: Well honey, because I"m a teacher.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
adult things...
Today I had the surprise pleasure of babysitting two of my favorite kids, Newt (4 years old) and Katie 2 years old). I had Newt in my very first Sunday School class three years ago... the fun part of about staying with that class is I now have Katie this year!
So at one point this afternoon Newt was dancing around me saying, "After I be 4 I'll be 5. After I be 5 I'll be 6. After I be 6 I'll be 7......" and so on and so on.
Me: Newt, when do you think you will be a grown-up?
Newt: What's a grown-up?
Me: You know, an adult, like Mommy.
Newt: Oh... (long pause)... when I'm really really old.
Me: When's that?
Newt: Oh, like 29 probly.
:) Sorry Lane.
Later we were back downstairs and the kids were playing with lincoln logs (one of my favorite toys) and I had sat down in the armchair to watch their progress for a bit....
Newt: Miss Shannon, want to build me a house?
Me: Nah I already helped you, I'm sleepy (grinning and closing my eyes)
Newt: You can't go to sleep here!
Me: Why not?
... he thinks about it...
Newt: Ok, if you go to sleep here it would be a sleepover.
Me: That's right!
Newt: When adults come to your house and if they eat supper with you and go to bed with you, that's called a sleepover.
haha, close Newt, close.
So at one point this afternoon Newt was dancing around me saying, "After I be 4 I'll be 5. After I be 5 I'll be 6. After I be 6 I'll be 7......" and so on and so on.
Me: Newt, when do you think you will be a grown-up?
Newt: What's a grown-up?
Me: You know, an adult, like Mommy.
Newt: Oh... (long pause)... when I'm really really old.
Me: When's that?
Newt: Oh, like 29 probly.
:) Sorry Lane.
Later we were back downstairs and the kids were playing with lincoln logs (one of my favorite toys) and I had sat down in the armchair to watch their progress for a bit....
Newt: Miss Shannon, want to build me a house?
Me: Nah I already helped you, I'm sleepy (grinning and closing my eyes)
Newt: You can't go to sleep here!
Me: Why not?
... he thinks about it...
Newt: Ok, if you go to sleep here it would be a sleepover.
Me: That's right!
Newt: When adults come to your house and if they eat supper with you and go to bed with you, that's called a sleepover.
haha, close Newt, close.
man after my own heart
Today we had a "special lunch" with a few of the Jumpstart kids... the teachers pick children who have been well behaved that day as a reward to come eat lunch with me, Lanita, and Natalie out in the common area. It's really fun and always quite the conversation...
Today Ricardo was scarfing down his lettuce and I praised him for eating his salad so he'll be big and strong. I mentioned how I had a great dinner last night including peas and mushrooms...
This launched us into a conversation about vegetables. We asked the kids if they like peas (pretty unanimous no)...
Miss Lanita: How about lima beans? (yes and no)
Me: I like all vegetables, I'm really an equal opportunity veggie eater.
Miss Natalie: I like kidney beans.
Edmund (enthusiastically waiving his hand): I like jelly beans!
Thats what I'm talking about Edito :)
Today Ricardo was scarfing down his lettuce and I praised him for eating his salad so he'll be big and strong. I mentioned how I had a great dinner last night including peas and mushrooms...
This launched us into a conversation about vegetables. We asked the kids if they like peas (pretty unanimous no)...
Miss Lanita: How about lima beans? (yes and no)
Me: I like all vegetables, I'm really an equal opportunity veggie eater.
Miss Natalie: I like kidney beans.
Edmund (enthusiastically waiving his hand): I like jelly beans!
Thats what I'm talking about Edito :)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
shaving cream...where?
Today we sat the children down and let them play with shaving cream all over the tables... REALLY fun especially with kids who have never played with it before! We were talking about Winter so we let them pretend it was like snow...
The teacher was introducing the activity and explaining that the children may have seen their daddy's put shaving cream on their faces and shave off the hair on their faces.
One little girl raised her hand and reported that her mom uses shaving cream on her legs to make them smooth.
Then a boy raises his hand and contributes, "My mommy uses it on her legs and on her body and on her bottom."
Awesome :) TMI.
The teacher was introducing the activity and explaining that the children may have seen their daddy's put shaving cream on their faces and shave off the hair on their faces.
One little girl raised her hand and reported that her mom uses shaving cream on her legs to make them smooth.
Then a boy raises his hand and contributes, "My mommy uses it on her legs and on her body and on her bottom."
Awesome :) TMI.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
learning numbers
We are teaching our kids how to write numbers using fun rhymes each morning...
Half a heart will never do
slide to the right to make a two!
Down to the right
Wait! There's more,
Add a stick man to make a four!
And today's number was 5...
Make his hat,
Make his back,
Make his belly round and fat.
... to which Mary commented loudly, "That looks like my dad!"
:)
Also, today in art we got to use pastels (I really really love art class and have to hold myself back from being absorbed in playing with the materials... whoops). The kids really enjoyed the texture of the pastels and when we asked Ani what they felt like she replied, "Soft and lovely."
Half a heart will never do
slide to the right to make a two!
Down to the right
Wait! There's more,
Add a stick man to make a four!
And today's number was 5...
Make his hat,
Make his back,
Make his belly round and fat.
... to which Mary commented loudly, "That looks like my dad!"
:)
Also, today in art we got to use pastels (I really really love art class and have to hold myself back from being absorbed in playing with the materials... whoops). The kids really enjoyed the texture of the pastels and when we asked Ani what they felt like she replied, "Soft and lovely."
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
back to school...
So I went back to work yesterday at Jumpstart in a local elementary school and I took the 32 4 year olds to music class (joy). The music teacher (not joy) proceeded to talk to the kids about New Years Resolutions and how they are promises you make to yourself. As an example, she shared that she had made a resolution to lose weight.
So today, Tuesday, we walk into music again and Mary-- one of the smartest children in my class and also the least socially tactful-- raises her hand and says, "Ms. T... have you lost any weight yet?"
HAH! I guarantee Mary will ask the same question for the next 6 months.
Another priceless quote during snack time:
Mary: Awwww Ms. Shannon, Ani said bra! Thats a bad word.
Me: Ani, what did you say ?
Ani: I just said, when little mermaids get their tails they also get bras!
Thank you Disney.
So today, Tuesday, we walk into music again and Mary-- one of the smartest children in my class and also the least socially tactful-- raises her hand and says, "Ms. T... have you lost any weight yet?"
HAH! I guarantee Mary will ask the same question for the next 6 months.
Another priceless quote during snack time:
Mary: Awwww Ms. Shannon, Ani said bra! Thats a bad word.
Me: Ani, what did you say ?
Ani: I just said, when little mermaids get their tails they also get bras!
Thank you Disney.
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