Back to school

Looking forward to the first day with my new class.  New ideas ready to go, new cute stuff to make Jumping into another year of preschool fun for me as well as my class.  Found alot of new fun froggy stuff for learning centers as well as decorating ideas.  This year in my searches I found 2 really great ideas for helping your children learn their classroom, as well as one that I made many years ago and still love using. 
The two new ideas are Can you find this in my classroom.  I found this great idea on another teachers blog http://www.littlekinderwarriors.blogspot.com/.  The other idea ws to go on a treasure hunt in the classroom.  It was for an older group of children that had some reading skills but I thought it could be improvised by posting a treasure box picture on each of the different items they were hunting for in the classroom.  When the children finished the hunt and everyone had a treasure sticker they could treat themselves to a treasure from our class treasure box. 
The old idea I have used for years is to take close up pictures of different things in the classroom.  taking the pictures so close that only a piece of what ever it is shows up. An example would be to go to the book shelf and take a picture of just the corner of the shelf with a piece of the book, or to take a picture of a small piece of the calendar, etc.  I usually have 16 pics so everyone can figure one out.   The children have to guess what the picture is of in the classroom.   Lot's of fun.   The first two days of school we spend much time learning about our classroom enviornment, and the rules to keep it safe.  These games are good to use during these times. 
Well happy school year to all of us

A New year ahead

Well, long time no post.  I have been on a REAL break from preschool for the first time in so many years.  It was a good break but I am ready to roll again with a new group of special little friends to add to my heart full of so many little friends from the past.  My husband and I went on a New England cruise and believe it or not the last night on the cruise ship I ran into one of my past students.  She was going in the 7th grade.  Wow, it just shows that preschool teachers tend to make a lasting impression.  That brings me to how important it is for the children in our classes to feel love, acceptance and especially to know they are safe as they leave Mommy at home for the first time in their little lives.  I teach PreK but work at a school that has Babies through TK. 
Back from teaching conference I am on my mad rush to write my lesson plans through November since I have a daughter getting married  at the end of October.  New great websites and ideas from the conference will tweek my old lesson plans. 
I look forward to sharing another year on my blog.