Bristle blocks and Fire trucks

ECE blogs of note

2011-11-27T19:32:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if I've mentioned the Teacher Tom blog before. It is, by far, one of my favorites. He encompasses so much of what I want to say in regards to educating young children. . .yet he does it SO much better! His blog is a must and currently, he's written about the best of the best in the ECE blogisphere. Check it out and you will not be disappointed.

It's been awhile. .. .

2011-07-22T10:59:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since I've posted. Things have been hectic and crazy busy, but it's no excuse! Since my last post, I've found some wonderful resources (through FACEBOOK!) that I would like to collect here.

The Parent Resource Center of Taylor County
Yes, this is a shameless plug for my employeer! However, we've got a GREAT links page with lots of wonderful parenting and home visiting resources. Take time to check it out--you will find some unique sites there. :-)

The Teacher Tom Blog
By far, this is my FAVORITE ECE blog out there. I will likely start making this be part of the required reading in my Rassmussen classroom's!

BBFT Resources
This, I will admit, is a shameless plug to an earlier post where I've shared resources that I really enjoy. I wrote a lot more when I was actually in the ECE classroom versus now, when I'm on the administrative and higher ed. side of things.

BBFT Consulting
Shameless plug for my school consulting firm. :-)

Social/Emotional Resources
Exactly what it sounds like!

Let the Children Play
A wonderful blog which focuses on the importance of PLAY (a passion of mine)

Books of interest

2011-01-03T10:01:00.001-06:00

Currently, I am reading (and rereading) two books of interest in my current Walden class. The first, Tinkering Toward Utopia, is written by David Tyack and Larry Cuban. This particular book examines the history of education reform, politics role in the reform process, the "grammar of schooling," and why some reforms don't stick. I'm currently on my second reading of the book and I look forward to discussing it more with my classmates. The second book, Experience and Education, was written by John Dewey. I am in the process of my first reading of this text and I am enjoying it. I find John Dewey's contribution to education interesting and this book was written in response to how some of his prior work was being interpreted.

What I have found most intersting between the two books are the concepts about what "real school" looks like. This was something that I definitely struggled with as a preschool teacher. I was given a certain idea about about was a "real" preschool classroom should look like and how the day should run. Yet, that preconceived notion did not work for my students. It felt strange to break the mold and do something innovative in my classroom, yet, it was exactly what they needed. Do you do anything in your classroom that is innovative? What does "real" school look like to you?

Speaking engagements and Developmental Milestones.

2010-08-04T14:08:00.001-05:00

Life has definitely gotten busy over the past few months in regards to my roles with Head Start and Early Head Start, in addition to teaching at NTC. I have been in the interview process for an instructor position at another college and still continue to try and push ahead with my doctoral program. Personally, I'm going through some changes, including a recent engagement. I'll be honest, it has been hard to balance everything this summer!

With the new school year fast approaching, I wanted to make you all aware of some upcoming trainings I'll be doing either through NTC or various conferences in Wisconsin. I also wanted to post some links to pages that pertain to developmental milestones. I hope your first day of class goes well (or if you've been in class all summer, it continues to go well)! Remember that play is a child's work and don't forget to:

Keep playing,

Rachael

2010 Speaking Engagements

September 25, 2010--Literacy with Preschoolers
October 5, 2010--Autism #1
October 12, 2010--Autism #2
October 14, 2010--NTC ECE book club
November 2, 2010--Autism #3
November 9, 2010--Autism #4
March 17, 2010--Facing the Challenge (Challenging Behavior Training)

Developmental Milestones

Understanding typical development is an important skill to have in the Early Childhood field. Here are a few great resources to support you in understanding what typical development looks like. Remember that all children develope at different rates, however. :-)

Your Child
CDC
Baby Center
The Whole Child

When Parents & Teachers Disagree About What Is Developmentally Appropriate

2010-05-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

When Parents & Teachers Disagree About What Is Developmentally Appropriate

We did it!

2009-12-29T18:45:00.002-06:00

We did it! My agency was notified earlier this month that we've received Early Head Start funding! We will be providing services to pregnant women and children under the age of three. This is an exciting time for my employer and I am proud to be a part of the excitement. I am including some resources below that pertain to Early Head Start, IDEA part C, Resources for pregnant women, and Infant/Toddler Mental Health. Enjoy!

Early Head Start
EHS NRC
Early Head Start Benefits for Children and Families
Special Quest B-5

Idea Part C
Nectac
Wrights Law
Special Education in Plain Language
Wisconsin B-3

Infant/Toddler Mental Health
Zero to Three
WAIMH

Resources for Pregnant Women
Accessing Women's Health Care
Postpartum Depression
Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation
Center for Women's Mental Health

Early Childhood Screening
Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin
WI Child Find

Did I miss something? If so, leave me a comment and let me know!

Keep Playing,

Rachael

Autism Talks

2009-11-28T16:56:00.002-06:00

This has certainly been an exciting year for me on the Adjunct teaching front. I have been picking up more continuing education classes for NTC and I am very excited to be doing a three-part Autism series in the Spring. It will be offered at the Medford, Antigo, and Wausau campuses. I will be covering a number of topics during these talks such as what are Autism Spectrum Disorders, common forms of Autism Treatment, how to seek a diagnosis or make a referral, supporting children on the Autism Spectrum in your classroom, and much more. It should be a fun and educational three days.

Speaking of In-home therapy, I ran into a family that I used to work with this evening. What a treat! It's always to run into families and get updates about how the children I used to support are doing. In this case, the child is doing very well, receiving minimal services. I had a pretty significant weight loss since I worked with that particular family, so I was pretty surprised that the mom recognized me.

This week I am including some resources that are specific to Autism Spectrum Disorders, advocacy, and treatment. I hope you find them helpful and interesting. Have a great weekend!

Keep playing,

Rachael :-)

Autism Society of Wisconsin
Autism Society of America
M-Chat
Polyxo.com
The Gray Center
The Play Project
Floor Time
Natural Environment Teaching
National Institute for Mental Health
Making Visuals
Tony Attwood
Wisconsin Children's Long-Term Support Waiver
Wisconsin Autism Insurance
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Autism Advocacy

Mentoring new teachers

2009-11-25T15:43:00.005-06:00

One area of interest I have is the retention of highly qualified Early Childhood teachers. All too often I hear of excellent EC teachers leaving the field to go work for a school district or leave the field all together. I spend a lot of time wondering, "why?" I often get the response that this happens, "because of the money." While that may be true in the short run, I have a hard time believing that this gets to the heart of matter. There is quite a bit of research that indicates that people are really not any more happy because of money, as long as their basic needs are being met. When I think about how to retain teachers in the field, I think about all the reasons why I thought about leaving the field from time to time. . . .

My work load was too heavy
I was not receiving enough support at work
I did not feel valued
I did not know what I was getting into
I did not receive adequate training

I propose a method of addressing some of the above concerns might be the mentoring new teachers by experienced teachers. There is some research regarding this topic, however, not as much as I would like to see. Particularly, I have not discovered much for current (within the past four years) research in this area. In Wisconsin, teachers who pursue a DPI license, are paired with a mentor in order to hold their Initial Educator License. However, this is not required of E/C teachers in our state. Other states, such as California, New York, and Montana have mentoring program and could be used as a model for the state of Wisconsin.

Are you an E/C teacher who has been part of a mentoring program? Did you find it beneficial? If yes, why? If no, why?

Below are some links to Mentoring programs within Wisconsin School districts. Again, these are specific to elementary schools, not specific to preschool or childcare centers. However, they could certainly be used as a template if your preschool or child care center wishes to begin a mentoring program.

Keep playing,

Rachael :-)

New Teacher Mentor Handbook
Mentoring Teachers Course at UW-Stout
New Teacher Mentor Check List
New Teacher Center Wisconsin
Wisconsin New Teacher's Academy

Touch and Go (Reprint from Exchange Every Day)

2009-11-23T05:42:00.002-06:00

Childcare Exchange has an e-mail newsletter chocked full of interesting tidbits. Below is one of the tidbits I received recently. I found it interesting especially since I recently presented on the topic of attachment, which touch is an important part of.

The following story of Tad Waddington appeared in Psychology Today (November 2009):

"Monkeys go nuts and die if they are not touched. Touch is critical for survival and well being, so we carried 'our little monkey' everywhere and learned that humans have a latent ability to do anything one-handed. Our son, now a teenager, continues to be what Californians call 'centered' and normal people call 'well adjusted.'"

Updates and Such

2009-11-20T20:02:00.002-06:00

Wow--it has sure been a busy couple of weeks. I've returned from my trip to Hawaii with lots of motivation to work on my KAM and the courage to start my first statistics course in December. My new Head Start position has been really enjoyable. Today I had the opportunity to present to our lead teachers and family advocates information about the effects childhood trauma. I then went into a little bit of information regarding one of our screening tools, the DECA (which has been developed by the Devereux Early Childhood Initiative). Additionally I provided information about attachment and teacher-child relationships. Overall, I think it went okay. Our group of lead teachers can be a bit of a tough crowd, so I'm just happy folks weren't snoring away as I presented.

I'm quite excited because North Central Technical College has again asked me to present a variety of topics for continuing education. I even will be doing an Autism series at three of their sites. My hope is that my patience will pay off and I will get asked to teach a "for credit" class soon.

Finally, next week I'll be meeting with some staff to help plan for a child who has some extreme challenging behavior. I thought it might be nice to link to some of the resources that I shared with that staff person in hopes that you'll find them helpful also.

Functional Behavior Assessment
Functional Behavior Analysis
What Works Brief 9
What Works Brief 10
What Works Brief 11
Paul White Training
Becky Bailey's 10 'To-D0's' for Discipline
Using Conflicts as Teaching Moments
Using Daily Conflicts as Learning Opportunities

Extra Resources!

2009-10-10T11:21:00.004-05:00

This has been a busy week! I'm getting everything ready to head to Hawaii on Friday, getting things planned for some trainings I'll be doing in the spring, and getting my feet wet in my new position with Head Start. This week has brought some interesting challenges my way and thus a few new resources to share with you all. Here they are, enjoy!

Rasmussen College Early Childhood Blog
NAMI
BP Kids
ADHD child
Conduct Disorders
DECI
Typical Speech Development
Talking Child
Sharin' with Sharron

Consulting

2009-09-30T06:21:00.002-05:00

I'm going to take the leap of faith and try my hand at a little private consulting. Mainly because I've been getting asked alot about different kids or ides for setting up classrooms to accomodate children on the Autism Spectrum. My website can be found here.

In other news. . . .
I have offically transitioned into my new Head Start position of Special Services Manger. So far, so good! I'm enjoying conducting Vision and Hearing Screenings and I am looking forward to the Birth to Three transition meetings that I will be attending. I have also been managing I.E.P's and helping teachers come up with ways to support children with I.E.P's in their classrooms. I'm trying to organize some training for teachers, in the future also, so if you're interested in donating your time to present a topic drop me a note!

Helpful Special Education Links:
DPI Early Childhood Special Education
LD Online
IDEA

Social Emotional Resources

2009-08-11T20:56:00.005-05:00

Wow, what a whirlwind this month has been already! July went by so quickly and now my Head Start year has begun. I'm excited and a little overwhelmed right now. First and foremost, I'm trying to get airline tickets nailed down for my second residency. I'm lucky enough to be attending this residency in Hawaii and I'm looking forward to it!

I've also recently been promoted to the Special Service Manager where I'm working. This is a position that focuses on Disability Services and managing services such as Vision and Hearing screenings, along with Mental Health Visits. I'm eagerly waiting to start that position and I am getting the classroom ready for my replacement in the mean time.

Finally, my local NAEYC affiliate is working hard to get our fall kick off rolling. We're going to be offering our DAP training that night along with a training by staff from the Registry. Speaking of DAP, my state NAEYC affiliate (WECA) began a great book club discussion about the DAP. It sounds like we may be doing it again in the fall, so I hope all of you will sign up and join in! Needless to say, things have been busy!

This is a week of Social Emotional Training! Today and tomorrow I'm attending a training that is presenting information from the Center on the Foundations for Social Emotional Learning (CSEFEL). Particularly, we are focusing on the bottom components of the Pyramid Model. This is not new information for me. I have been using many of the resources suggested and promoted for most of my time working with young children, but I'm finding the training interesting from a training and technical assistance point of view.

There is great information about how to adopt the Pyramid Model that can be found here. I'm looking forward to the training tomorrow and finding out more about an additional two-day training that covers some of the most extreme behavioral challenges found in the early childhood setting. CSEFEL describes these children as needing intensive interventions. What's wonderful about CSEFEL is that all the materials are available on their website for FREE. This included the facilitator's handouts and power points. There's also a variety of helpful links on the CSEFEL site that are quite useful in understanding and implementing strategies such as positive behavior support.

Sunday through Tuesday I will be at a Loving Guidance training (sometimes referred to as Conscious Discipline also). This training will not be presented by Becky Bailey, the founder of Loving Guidance, but will be presented by the only two certified presenters in the state of WI. I've met them both when I was presenting at the UW-Whitewater EC conference. They were all delightful so I KNOW that the training will be a fun and educational time! What's great is that the information I'll be getting at this training will only further compliment what I've received from the CSEFEL training. I've used some of the ideas suggested in these trainings but it will be great to look at things from a trainer's perspective.

With all the training I'm going through this week, I feel like I'm not getting ANY writing done. Also, currently I'm looking for a proof reader. I specifically need someone who is familiar with APA formatting. I have found that I'm not able to submit things to my university writing center as often as I would like so I'm hoping finding my own editor/proofreader will be more convenient.

That's it for now! Gotta run

Want more Bristle Blocks and Fire Trucks? Follow me on Twitter!

Statistics and Research and Data! Oh my!

2009-07-18T14:02:00.002-05:00

Research, and now statistics, has taken a strong hold over my life. I'm currently laid off for the summer, so I have been able to dedicate most of my time to Attachment theory research and writing. As I am reading though my journal articles for the Depth section of my KAM, I am bombarded with statistics terminology that I do not really understand.

I am also reading lots of references to all sorts of prior research and different testing models used in the education field. Again, much of this information I had little or no knowledge of until I really started digging into my reading. Therefore, I am putting together some resources here that have helped me make more sense of these statistics terms, research models, and testing models.

For those of you who are not statistically inclined, as myself, you might enjoy reading these things to help you better understand journal articles or the foundations that some of your curriculum is built upon. Enjoy!

Stats Glossaries--I have been using these frequently since I have not had a statistics course in years. Yes, I have listed several glossaries. This is because I was unable to find everything I needed in one place.
Glossary 1
Glossary 2
Glossary 3
Glossary 4
Glossary 5
Glossary 6

Research Organizations (places that conduct research)
The National Institute for Early Education Research
There are many wonderful research tools here. Specifically, I like the expert data base. State data is also available.

The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
Research information regarding early childhood special education topics.

Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion
More research regarding early childhood special education

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
This organization conducted a large study called, "Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development." This study was longitudinal (over many years) and is referenced in many of the journal articles I am reading about teacher-child relationships. Also, it I found it interesting that my state of Wisconsin was a participant in this study. This organization has its own listserv and I though it would be interesting to join.

The National Center for Education Statistics
There is lots of usable data here for anyone needing some! This is a nice resource for anyone who is interested in research in the field of early childhood education.

Testing M0dels (different testing models used)
Woodcock Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised
This is a test designed to measure cognitive ability for children 2 and over. It is referenced several times in a variety of journal articles that I'm currently reading. This test is considered to be reliable and valid.

Bayley Mental Development Index
This test is intended for children 2 and under and is also for measuring cognitive abilities. This is part of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and is pretty commonly used.

The Child Behavior Checklist
Used for reporting behavior. This has been referenced and in several research studies.

Early Childhood Measures
A list of many of the early childhood measures available.

Notable Contributors (Secondary Contributions in the Depth Section of KAM 1).
Dr. Robert Pianta
This name continually comes up in regards to studies involving teacher-child relationships. Some of his notable contributions include the MyTeaching Partner Website and the author of several journal articles.

Erin O'Connor
Another name that seems to come up frequently in current studies regarding attachment and relationships.

Kathleen McCartney
Kathleen is the the Dean of Harvard,s School of Education. She has several journal articles published and also a few books.

Assessing Research
Information on how to assess research can be found here. Additionally, other topics regarding research are located on this website.

APA Formatting
I'm required to follow APA style in my work with Walden University. Those of you have not had the good fortune of working in APA style, well, consider yourself lucky! For those of you who have to learn APA, here are some additional resources, besides my trusty APA manual (a must).

More on attachment theory

2009-07-16T15:16:00.002-05:00

Right now I'm living and breathing attachment theory, forms of attachment, and how attachment affects teacher-child relationships. I'm exploring how teacher-child relationships affect behavior (or vice versa) and academic achievement. I'm thinking that I want to do something regarding how to improve teacher child relationships, especially with those children that teachers deem as, "challenging" for my application project. As teachers we all seem to understand that having a good relationship with students is a good thing. In fact, for some children it serves as a protective factor. We know this, yet, sometimes we allow the challenges of the day to get the best of us and we have a hard time developing those postive relationships.

How do you build positive relationships with your students, even those students who you let "push your buttons?"

Some "nifty" links

2009-06-23T19:29:00.003-05:00

Research, research, research. I have research on the brain. Here are some nifty links regarding research in or of early childhood education.

Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Early Childhood Community
Early Childhood Research and Practice
National Institute for Early Education Research
Center for Early Childhood Research
Early Childhood Research Collaborative
Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion
Child Care and Early Education Research Connections

Sensory Processing Disorder

2009-06-19T06:38:00.002-05:00

Although it may not result in an IEP, Sensory Processing Disorder is a real challenge for some children, their families, and their teachers. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) can be difficult to diagnose because it can look like other challenges and there are still some doctors who refuse to believe that SPD is a real disorder.

So, what are things that I do in my classroom? First, I will take an informal assessment of a child a suspect is experiencing some sensory issues. I use this one. Keep in mind, I'm not an OT (nor do I play one on TV!). I do, however, have about ten years experience working with children on the Autism Spectrum and have learned to recognize what sensory problems can look like. Based on what my assessment reveals, I will then incorporate activities into that child's day to help give that child proper sensory input. There are some wonderful activities here. I also enjoy activities from the book, The Out of Sync Child Has Fun. This assessment and set of activities I plan out are not designed to diagnose a child, but are there to help make that child's day more enjoyable and productive in the classroom.

SPD Resources
OkayCare.com
SPD Foundation
Sensory Integration
Incredible Horizons
The Gray Center
The Out of Sync Child
Work to get SPD in the DSM-5
Advanceweb.com
Ang Therapist
SPD Companion

Using Visuals in Your Classroom

2009-06-19T06:16:00.004-05:00

My classroom is visual rich. I work with many children who are on the Autism Spectrum and have found the use of visuals so helpful. They also become a source of interest for the children who are not on the Autism Spectrum. My other students will often take interest in the schedules and as for me to make them their own (which I do). I do have a large visual schedule posted, but for some children I have smaller more detailed schedules. It really just depends on what the individual child needs. Here are some resources about visual schedules that I would like to share with you. Enjoy!

General info about why visual schedules are helpful
IRCA Articles
Autism Information Message Board
Teaching Children with Visual Supports
How and Why
Places to make picture cards (for those of you without Board Maker)
Mrs. Riley
Cindy's Support
Do2Learn
PictureSET
Visual Schedule Samples
Autism Papers
Lucas Works
Child Autism Parent Cafe
Set BC

Attachment Theory

2009-06-16T07:58:00.003-05:00

I'm currently working on my Ph.D in Early Childhood through Walden University. We use something called a KAM Model in my program, which is essentially writing several large papers. This process really allows me to get into what I'm studying, which currently is Attachment Theory and teacher/child relatiohships. I've decided to include some resources for you regarding Attachment Theory. Enjoy!

Noteable Contributions
Melanie Klein
John Bowlby
Mary Ainsworth

Teacher/Child relationships
Harvard Graduate School
Vanderbilt University
Research Connections
Administration for Children and Families
Psychology Testing Center
Improving Teacher-Child Relationships
Relationships and Stress Levels in Children
Supportive Teacher-Child Relationships

Attachment Theory
Types of Attachment
Attachment Theory
Close Relationship Questionaire

Reactive Attachment Dissorder
Rochester Institute of Technology
DSM-IV Criteria
RadKid.org
Attachment.org

2009-05-15T06:47:00.000-05:00

UW Stout Conference and other happenings

2009-04-29T21:57:00.000-05:00

The UW-Stout conference went well and I've been asked to do a few more book club topics at NTC. I'm getting closer to meeting the requirements needed to get a few more adjunct opportunities, so things are really just fine. I'm excited that I've been asked to do some writing about play for WECA. I'm thrilled at this opportunity to share an absolute passion of mine. I've written about it once, here. I've been asked about some Speech and Language info and some special education into so I've posted some links below. I've also written about Early Childhood Special Education previously here.

Speech and Language Links
Speech Sound Development
Speech Sound Development 2
When to make a speech referral
Manding
Applied Verbal Behavior
Language Facilitation
Language Facilitation 2

Early Childhood Special Education Links
The Division for Early Childhood
Topics in Early Childhood Special Education
The P.L.A.Y. project
I.C.D.L.

UW Whitewater Conference

2009-04-19T09:12:00.002-05:00

I had the opportunity to present at the UW-Whitewater Early Childhood Conference. What a treat! There were some wonderful presenters there including: Dr. Becky Bailey, Holly Elissa Bruno, and David Stokes. My presentation went pretty well. The feedback was about 85-90% positive, much better than my last presentation. The feedback I was given was very constructive and I'll use those pointers for my next presentation. What has been facinating about this whole experience is the amount I have grown as a presentor. Seeing more experienced, nationally recognized speakers gives me ideas for challenging and improving my speaking style. Each opportunity to speak is a chance to grow.

Naso was present there. I had no idea this company was located in Ft. Atkinson. They had a tremendous sale and I was able to get a Bev Bos book for only 4.00!!!!!

More resources for challenging behavior

2009-04-08T06:07:00.002-05:00

At this point in my life, I feel as though I am living and breathing challenging behavior with a few children in my classroom. My staff are frazzled and I am working hard to give them the resources they need, but what I am doing for them just does not seem to be enough. When the idea of more training is suggested, I get the response, "I don't know. . . . . " To me, that sounds like staff have given up and choosing to be miserable, but perhaps I am just being cynical.

Since challenging behavior, staff burnout, and stress are weighing heavily on my mind, I thought I would add some resources for these issues.

PBS Parents
Positive Intervention and Behavioral Supports
Teacher Burn Out
Managing Stress
Managing Teacher Stress
Education World Stress Relief Kit

Twitter!

2009-04-07T06:20:00.000-05:00

I'm now officially on Twitter.

Weca advocacy

2009-03-28T21:21:00.002-05:00

My state NAEYC affiliate, WECA, has developed a wonderful advocacy blog. Take time to check it out and comment on the issues that matter to you!

You will want to read this blog

2009-03-20T15:24:00.002-05:00

If you're thinking about technology and what that means for teachers, you've got to check out Mark Milliron's blog. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak while at my Walden Residency and was truly inspired.

Resources, resources, and MORE resources

2009-03-13T18:06:00.002-05:00

Just a few neat-o websites or blogs I have recently discovered. Enjoy!
Best You Can Be
NAMI
Preschoolers and bi-polar disorder
Constructivism

Finally!!!!!!!!

2009-03-02T19:28:00.003-06:00

Finally, I had the opportunity to teach my first adult education class!!! I taught a continuing education class based on the book, 12 Simple Secrets that Real Moms Know. I had a great time and really enjoyed teaching adult learners. I have the opportunity to teach another class in April and I'm hoping that this will help get me more calls in to teach (I'm in the adjunct pool, already).

I'm also excited to be presenting at the 2009 Early Childhood Conference at UW-Whitewater. This is a pretty big conference so I am hoping that I won't get too nervous, especially after my speaking disaster at the 2008 WECA Conference (I was pretty nervous and did not do my best work). As I have these experiences, I learn so much. Each time I present, things get easier!

In other news. . . . . .
Things in the classroom are going pretty well. I am excited to know that I may end up with two part-day Head Start classes next year instead of a Head Start with Child Care room. I am excited to have the opportunity to reach even more children this way.

WHSA Recap

2009-02-04T20:10:00.003-06:00

I attended some wonderful sessions at WHSA and will recap the highlights of my favorites here.

I attended a presentation by Wendy Young, Director of Kidlutions. This presentation covered some topics regarding behavior. If you click on her website, you should be able to get a copy of the WHSA handout there. Here are some of the things that I will be using from this workshop:

Bug and a Wish--"It bugs me when ___________, I wish ____________."
Two put ups for every put down
Mad box (playdough, bubbles, paper, and markers) for a child when he/she is angry.
Measuring anger with a string.
Having a an anger thermometer.

There were MANY other things that I will try, those were only a few highlights. As I try them, I'll post my results. One of the main points she brought home was putting the solution to a problem in the child's hands. This is something that I do in my classroom, but I'm vowing to do it more.

I also went to a wonderful leadership training that was run by Dr. Tim Nolan from the Center for Leadership Excellence. His presentation was spent doing some reflective practice and was far too short! I will definitely be returning to the provided materials and spend some time in reflection.

I attended another presentation about social/emotional education and addressing behavior. They provided participants with many ideas and suggestions from CSEFEL. There were many ideas that I want to take back to my room and use but the main one that I will be using is the compliment/manners tree. Basically, myself and my teacher assistants will write on a leaf every time we see a child doing something such as helping a friend, giving a compliment, cleaning up their area, etc. I'll read them off during transition time and the child will get to tape his or her leaf up on the tree. At the end of the month, they'll get sent home so parents can see all of the positive things their children are doing. The powerful thing is that one thing must be found for each child. The goal is to catch children doing the right thing.

The final presentation that I want to write about was probably the most profound for me. At one point in time I worked for an Even Start Family Literacy program. I really enjoyed my time working for this now disolved program. The presentation that I participated in covered a program called Families and Schools Together. Much of what I saw there reminded me of the togetherness and support felt in the family literacy program. I'm intersted in learning more about FAST and I am hoping that my current employeer will take interest in starting a FAST program in our area.

WHSA, FISH!, and a few other things

2009-02-01T13:16:00.002-06:00

Well, tomorrow is the WHSA conference. I'm not presenting here, just enjoying myself. I look forward to many topics on behavior and leadership! I'll post upon my return.

I wanted to add some information today about the FISH! Philosophy. I'm not going to spend time writing about the WHAT but I do have a neat batch of ideas that I found online regarding the HOW. I found these ideas here. There's lots of great information here and I look forward to trying out lots of ideas at home and work. After all, FISH! isn't just for business. I am going to try one thing in each area, my goal being that slowly FISH! will catch on at work with out me ever saying thing about it.

PLAY

Create a employee bulletin board with pictures, likes, hobbies, family, pets
Have a central area to share good news (births, weddings, promotions, kid's achievements)
Have a joke bulletin board where jokes can be posted
Create a bulletin boards to have fun - any employees can add anything within reason to the board, can be to have fun with someone in company or a national figure or issue, no ridiculing!, no hurtful comments!
Get a Polaroid camera for work. Fill a bulletin board with photos
Photo Day - Baby Photo Contest
Post a cartoon every day. Make someone responsible for different days
Cartoon pictures that may relate (or use cartoon, but make up a new "improved" caption related to subject).
Have an area in which you post photos of staff having fun at work
Display pictures of all the staff - a wall of fame
Bring a camera for funny moments and hang pictures
Roving random photographer

Poke fun at yourself
Tell a funny story about yourself
Require everyone to bring in a joke for a staff meeting and tell at the beginning
Joke around with one another
Tell a "bad" joke to the first person you meet every morning
2 minute joke drill
Share a joke or funny story
Kid around with co-workers - it helps make the day fun and go faster
Tease a resident good naturedly, i.e.,"seen any good looking men lately?"
Come up with a funny story, quote, or comic for each day and share it with everyone
Do a joke chain letter
Morning announcement joke (over loudspeakers)

Have silly days-everyone participate
Do foolish things to make them laugh
Do something silly
Make a spectacle of yourself for the residents amusement
Wear clown noses on busy days
Laugh at yourself - don't take life so seriously
Prank calls to the kitchen from the phone on the loading dock
Practical jokes like: Lock the bathroom door, write women's room only on unisex bathroom, decorate your boss's office at least once a day
Joke and play- have wheelchair races
Answer the phone "Zachery's Pizza" or as some other local business
Put bubble wrap under chairs for feet and entry door mat, so it pops

Start a fun committee to help organize events
Have a team brainstorming session to explore acceptable ways to have fun in your workplace

Theme days e.g. pajama, Hawaiian shirt day
Have a Spirit week- crazy hair day
Wheelchair and walker races
Beach party in January

Happy Unbirthday Week
Have a No Whining Day
Create holidays on non-holidays
NASCAR Day - Dress as your favorite driver
Color for the day - all wear same color to work for unity
Have a resident/employee social
Celebrate not only boss's day, nurses day, etc. but celebrate the first snow day, etc.
Have a Dress Up Day - come to work as a character or costume on Halloween
Hat Day, Dress Up Day, Costume Day
Wear fun clothing, bright colors, fun jewelry on certain days
Say Thank You Day
Do a Good Deed Day
Resident / staff activities - scavenger hunt, wheel chair race, ice cream social, breakfast, supper
Bring in hypnotist, magician, $5 massages, etc
Ice cream social or other activity
Play with water balloons in the summer
Celebrate holidays
Invent a "holiday"
Sponsor a cookout/softball game/swimming activity at a nearby state park
Talent show
Penny wars (winner/loser) must do something like kiss a goat.
Don't be so serious - decorate for holidays (i.e. Halloween)

Do some team building activities
Ice breakers in unit meetings e.g. write a secret about yourself and then guess who it is
Team building exercises once a month- intellectually challenging & physical
Play some new non-competitive games as a team
Monthly, pick a day and have department go somewhere in the afternoon, such as climb a mountain together then go somewhere to eat fattening Italian pasta
Outside activities (bowling, picnics, ball games)
Put together a department scrapbook
Go on a field trip
Contest of some sort...using department teams
Do something for the community as a work team
Enable employees to volunteer on work time at non-profits once a month, quarter or year
Bring department together once a month to share good stories and problems. Keep everyone aware of what is going on in the hospital. No one should be in the dark

Switch roles for one hour
Have a job swap - pick a different job
Change places with our residents-let them be staff and us, the residents
Be someone else for a day - who knows you may like that person - you never know
Reverse days - pick students to run class
Change job responsibilities for a short period of time or job shadow for an understanding of what others do

Have everyone share their most embarrassing moment (if they dare) during a special project, etc.
Let the kid in you come out
Twirl when all fails (per Loretta LaRoche)
Put humorous stuff in the newsletter every week
Act like you just had a large coffee
Dress up your office or space with fun stuff
Put out toys to play with
Play with hula hoops
Have a toy box in work area - with groucho glasses, clown noses, koosh balls, paddle balls
Buy a rubber fish
Keep a squirt gun handy
Build a pyramid out of muffins
Toss a few nerf balls once in a while
Have a anti-stress box with serious and fun things in it - Tylenol, punching bag, big eraser for big mistakes

Dress up funny for the residents on special occasions (Halloween, Picnics)
Wear wild clothes to help start conversations

Answer call lights together. "49 is ringing" "49 is ringing"
Respond with playfulness - let go of worrying "what they will think" and instead find opportunities to surprise people.
Put a face of someone from the dept or hospital on every screen saver in the dept
Send notes between offices as paper airplanes

Play music
Sing-people will either sing with you or laugh-either way you have a brightened a day
Play: Music/entertainment in the cafeteria at times
Don't post the daily menu. Sing it to the residents together.

Make written messages amusing
Change boring routines: wear a funny hat when serving meals
Tie a helium balloon to a resident's wheelchair
Allow a fun environment
Throw candy at my cubby, "mates!"
Greet everyone every morning in your office by standing in front of their desk and bowing
Birthday balloons for everyone, delivered and sing
Model fun
Shock people, wear a wig to work
Do something unexpected (i.e. pull out glasses with a funny nose while going over instructions)
Do something fun at the beginning of each meeting - icebreaker
Raffles - parking spaces, free meal tickets - use money for charity, good causes, purchase hospital equipment
Clown to make rounds to see staff and patients
Have someone act like Miss Disorganized running around on roller skates
Have shift cheer or code phrase to start the day
Start the day with a group cheer!!
Secret pal games: could be done quarterly
Do something unexpected
Leave a goofy message on someone's voice mail
Recess (free time to play, meditate, nap, relax) - non structured time
Entertainment (carnival acts) during lunch/dinner in the cafeteria
Compile a department or hospital wide journal of employee work stories - humorous, thoughtful, emotional (like Chicken Soup books)

Find something to celebrate, even a small thing
Celebrate small "wins" not just big projects
Make a day/week or month a "Celebrate Success" day: Within department, remind ourselves of most recent successes.

MAKE THEIR DAY

Tenth customer gets something special
Find ways to thank customers for their business
Events for customer appreciation
Customer Prize Day - "You are the one millionth customer..."

Do a little extra for one person every day
Activities and lots of love
Customer and employee socials
Compliment a customer / patron (and mean it)
Do something special for your customers - unexpectedly
Assist visitors who seem disoriented or lost in your workplace
Create a fun playful attitude with your patients and their families
Involve the residents in activities (chain effect)
Have the customer of the week - someone you pick for a silly reason or an accomplishment and start a bulletin board
If a resident looks sad, give them a hug
Be extra kind if you see someone is having a bad day
Do unexpected things, surprises
Make patients feel like they are noticed, share your love
Go beyond work description (to help customer/co-workers) and show them that you care
Bring fresh flowers from garden for residents - They love it
Give stickers ( I had a good check up) goofy, but maybe adult may like it, kids love stickers.
Laugh more with customers at the front desk, start with a big smile and take it from there
Write them notes or cards I tell the residents that I love them

Sending anonymous notes of appreciation
Leave a happy note for your co-worker
Tell everyone you see during the day, what you appreciate about them or a positive thing about them
Show appreciation for a co-worker
Give co-workers compliments
Get ideas from staff of items they enjoy and would like to receive - comes in handy when recognizing
Tell your boss you appreciate what he/she does for you.
Pass an award around (fish) secretly with a note saying why the person deserves award
Give out 1,000,000 candy bars as a "bonus" for going above and beyond at work
Snickers awards
Say thanks for the smallest thing
Let employees know they are appreciated by taking time to write them notes or doing something special for them
Have a pass around stuffed mascot - awarded by group consensus
Have an appreciation day - Hand out cards to everyone and have them choose a person they appreciate at work and them why and forward cards to common place. Post the results and have silly rewards
Staff appreciation - Managers wash their cars
Acknowledge physicians for their accomplishments
Celebrate people's birthdays by cutting out paper balloons and having everyone write down something that they appreciate about the birthday person
Everyone who works this weekend gets .... movie ticket, gift certificate
Focus on what people do well, and thank them when they do something that is good
Use a physical thing (ex; stuffed animal) and give to a new person each day/week for doing something good or who needs extra support.
Have a secret partner that we could exchange small gifts
Invade a meeting to honor someone who has done something for another area totally unannounced
Make a banner for another department or discipline, tell them how much you appreciate them and hang it up in their area
Surprise one of your co-workers with a cup of coffee, etc

Treat your fellow staff workers well
Be caring to one another
Treat people the way you want to be treated
Do a kind deed for a not so close friend
Always be ready and available to help other workers
Go out of your way to help e.g. someone finish a project
Random acts of kindness
Leave a surprise trinket/chocolate/etc on someone's desk
Ask "Can I help you with something, or do you need any help?" once a day
Do things to make the other person's job easier - everyone benefits
When a co-worker feels down in the dumps, say something to lift their spirits
Be extra kind if you see someone is having a bad day
Lend a hand whether it's your job or not
Giving a flower to the aid, nursing or kitchen staff person
Bring in books you've read, clothes/toys kids have outgrown to share with co-workers
Pick a posy on your way in and present it to the first person you see
Bring flowers

Surprise food, flowers, treats
Trade lunches
Take turns bringing in something for coffee break
Bring a cake to work for no reason
Bring in homemade goodies
Maple syrup / pancake cook-off
Pot lucks once a month
Have lunch together (send out for pizza)
Have a jar of m&m's (or any favorite candy) available for everyone - it's bright, colorful, and gets people talking even if they don't want to!
Have a candy bowl out at all times
Bring in candy to bring cheer
Drink more coffee
Chocolate
Start the day with coffee, donuts or bagels
Make popcorn to share
Make cookies to share with people who come into your office
Team lunches or gatherings to acknowledge work accomplished and individuals' efforts (preferably off site)
Have office parties - quick lunch, picnics, etc
Random acts of kindness - bring in cookies
Picnics
Games after hours for the families BBQ
Run special activities, like pot luck lunches, to help bond staff on a more personal level at work
Plan staff retreats, picnics, parties (or for customers)
Have Pizza Day once a month
Have little goodies to share
Bring popsicles for all-especially on a really hot day
Treats for staff when they don't expect it (candy or ice cream)
Take a peer to lunch just because

BE THERE

Smile more
Smile, knowing someone will appreciate it
Always greet with smile and friendly word/friendly touch

Greet everyone you see
Say "Good Morning"
Stop into someone's office just to say "hi"

Listen to what others have to say
Ask how people really are and LISTEN to the answer!
Don't interrupt
Assure people you heard their concerns by restating that you heard

Give undivided attention/focus
Be attentive 100% to every customer - make them feel important

Do your best knowing that it will be appreciated
Be dependable
Strive to give 100%
Do your best while you are here
Make the most of present moment with a person

Ask customers about something they enjoy and build a relationship with them
Engage in meaningful conversation
Get to know your co-workers at more than a superficial level

Everyone needs human touch-hug and touch residents
See each person as God sees them-special
A touch, a pat on the back, a hug, smile
Enjoy the person you are with
Find out about someone's hobby
Be interested in people's lives
Be glad to see people
Care about employees lives outside of work
Learn from mistakes
Be supportive when someone has an idea
Be true to yourself
Notice when someone is down
Pay attention to who you're with no matter how much is on your mind
Ask the residents about their day - talk to them about the old times, the weather - something that brings back memories, smiles & tears
Ask customers about themselves. Find out what they want to talk about
Genuinely take an interest in what people are saying
Spend a few moments to meet a new co-worker - learn their name and position
Take few moments to find your balance, emotional and mental center

Do no harm
Answer phone promptly - return messages and e-mails
Remember that you can make a difference without realizing it at the moment

CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE

Count your blessings not your troubles
Be grateful every day!!!
Take a few moments before starting work and reflect on the things you are grateful for
Write down why you love your job
Take time to celebrate your successes
Remember each day is a blessing share the joy of life with those around you
Feel lucky to have a great job, home, etc.

Choose a positive attitude and let it be contagious
Accept responsibility for your attitude
Don't let circumstances or others set your attitude
Start each day fresh - Don't give past struggles continued power over your life
Do not carry over a bad day to the next day
Wake up each morning and make a decision to be happy that day
Have a positive attitude regardless of how your day is going
Actively choose to have a good day, regardless of those around you
Don't let others set your attitude
Think about difficulties as a way of strengthening your character, an opportunity for growth

Enjoy the moment - Appreciate life and its rewards
Look for the humor in situations and life
Find the humor in situations as well as the seriousness
Place a humor section in everyone's job description, where you are expected to enjoy yourself at work
Don't take life too seriously - No one has ever come out of it alive!
Don't take things personally
Find the silver lining in a bad situation - Turn a negative into a positive
Choose to be happy and tell someone about it
Choose to see other people as important and affected by your attitude
Don't sweat the small stuff

Don't participate in group griping
Stop complaining and blaming others for your problems
Do not grumble even if you feel like it
Stop complaining (do something about it)
Distance your self from others with a bad attitude or be willing to invest the time and energy into learning why those people have a negative attitude and in helping them change it
Avoid making negative comments to both customers and co-workers

Don't gossip or spread gossip

Keep the big picture in mind - it makes the day-to-day struggles easier
Make it your job to cheer up fellow employees everyday
Make an effort to be more patient with others

Make negative tasks fun, do them as a team, make games out of them
Make the best out of every situation possible
Never buy into their down attitude - acknowledge it but turn it around
Make an ordeal an event. (Turn a difficult task into a group party!)
Take a negative situation in stride

Inspirational signs, posters, and quotes from people we know
Quotes for encouragement
Happy photos on walls
Make sure the environment is bright and cheerful
Put positive notes on your desk for yourself & others to read
Start with your workspace: What does it look like? How can it be more fun? inviting?

Start each morning with a prayer and ask for God's help and patience
Psych yourself up before walking in the door
Positive thought for the day
If you are doing something that you don't like, dress up first so that people compliment you and you feel better
Look for the good in everything, because there is good in all of us
Talk positively
Be upbeat. Don't act like you are down about something. Everyone has a "hook" in their life, they are trying to cope with.
Set an example-with a positive spirit/attitude
Come to work with a positive attitude (there are always people in worse situations)

Do something to lighten your day
Try to help yourself and others see the humor in everything around them
Evaluate your actions and reactions - are you choosing the attitude you want?
Walk in another's shoes, yours is not the only job that may have problems
Honor your work

Throw some fish if you start your day with an attitude
Treat yourself special every day - go first class with little things
Make it your job to cheer up fellow employees everyday
Think of something nice about everyone you encounter every day

Accept the fact that things are going to go wrong once in a while
Take a break (go for a walk) when you feel you are getting frustrated
Take a mental health day when needed
Have a mental health moment - where you stop what you are doing, relax, take a deep breath, do some stretches, clear your brain of any obsessive thoughts and refocus. Then get back to work you slacker!
Expect the best from a situation or circumstance - be an optimist
Remember difficult circumstances don't last forever - This too shall pass!

A few resources

2009-01-16T18:37:00.003-06:00

I have discovered some wonderful resources that I wanted to share! Some are geared toward parents and others toward teachers, all are useful and interesting (at least in my opinion!). Enjoy and if there is something you think I should address in my blog, leave me a comment!

BAM! Body, Mind, and Child
Play-Activities
Body Brain Boogie
Preschool Curriculum--What's In it For Children?
Child Care and Early Education Research

A new path?

2008-12-21T19:52:00.003-06:00

It's going to be busy and I'm not so sure I'll get around to blogging again before the new year. I wanted to blog a little about where the year has taken me and where I think I might be going. Let's recap. I've worked in-home as a therapist for children with Autism. Then I went to Head Start. Then I left Head Start, thinking that I wanted to become a director. WRONG!!! I went back to Head Start, have been presented with my most challenging group yet, and have started my Ph.D. in Early Childhood.

As of late, I have begun looking into what I would need to do to get my Early Childhood Special Education teaching license for the state of Wisoconsin. This won't be a small feat, since I graduated with my Bachelor's in Elementary Education, Non-Certifiable. I won't go into why I made that decision. I don't regret it, but this means that I have to jump through some hoops that I would not have had to if I was "certifiable." I'm chatting with a few schools to see what sort of time frame I am looking at and what sort of options are available, especially since I've already got a Ph.D in progress. I'll keep you posted!!!

In the mean time, here are some great Early Childhood Special Education Resources.
WI DPI Early Childhood Special Education Info
Topics in Early Childhood Special Education
Council for Exceptional Children
Special Education in Preschool
Preschool Special Education
IDEA
Creating an Inclusive Classroom
Special Education Information at Scholastic
Preschool Zone

Well, it's been awhile!

2008-12-19T21:39:00.002-06:00

It has certainly been awhile since I have posted here. Things are going well. I'm back at Head Start and working with a classroom of children with some pretty high needs. I'm learning lots, that's for sure! I'm also working on my Ph.D in Early Childhood and I'm contemplating getting my Early Childhood Special Education license for the state of Wisconsin.

Here's a little info about the room I'm in this year:

I have 19 students who are all age three.
Two of my students have a documented disability and IEP
Three of my students have some behavioral concerns but no IEP at this point
Most of my students are present for the full day (my Head Start room has wrap around child care).

Here area some of the helpful accommodations or schedule adjustments that I have made at this point:

Large, posted visual schedule
I use visuals, such as a "First/Then board," as needed.
I have completely taken "large group" activities from daily schedule and have replaced them with small group activities only. For instance, many preschool classrooms have a large group for circle time. I do not because of the level of behavioral concerns that pop up when I have everyone together at one time. Instead, I do circle time during our "small group" time. Small groups are on a rotating schedule, so everyone does not do circle time every day.
I provide "heavy work" activities for the children who need them.
I have taken out all unneeded transitions. If I can make something happen without a large transition, I do. Because of this, our day looks relatively seamless. It may even appear that there is no set time for anything. Vanderbelt University has some wonderful work on transitions and how to make them more effective for your students. This guide was very helpful in my adjustments. Early Childhood Today also has some terrifc tips for succssful transitions.
Think proactively. I do a lot of prep. I over plan and I have stuff out and ready to go so that I do not need to spend time while the children are in the room getting things going. When the children are outside with the other teachers, I set up the room for our small group time so that we can dismiss right to small groups as we enter the room.

Until next time. . . . . .

Leading the Way Confrence

2008-09-20T18:51:00.003-05:00

Today was the Leading the Way Conference at UW-SP. Again, it was another wonderful conference at a very affordable rate. The Leading the Way Conference is something put together by several agencies, including the Wisconsin Rapids Child Care Resource and Referral.

This year's keynote speaker was Patricia Dischler and she was very funny. She currently has several books out that seem like worthwhile purchases.

I spoke at the first session, leaving me time to attend a few other sessions before heading home.
My presentation was less than steller this year and you can read about that here. I'm hoping for better luck next year. I did go to a very interesting presentation put together by the Registry, NTC, MSTC, and UW-SP. This was a very informative presentation regarding all of the educational opportunities for Early Childhood Professionals and the wonderful collaborations that are happening in Wisconsin between UW-SP and the technical college stystem.

While at this conference, I ran into some of the my old coworkers and had a pretty interesting discussion with them. They told me that staff are not pursuing continuing education opportunities locally because of the cost factor. Why was this interesting? Well, these same folks were willing to drive 40 minutes away to Stevens Point because this conference was less than half the cost of the presentations that are often offered in Wausau. This is an area of concern that I am going to bring to my next WECA meeting and see if we can come up with some solutions. It seems like such a shame that so many wonderful learning opportunties are being passed by right here in our own community.

National Board Certification

2008-09-16T18:39:00.003-05:00

I'm wondering how folks feel about early childhood teachers being Nationally Board Certified. I do not know any early childhood teachers who have sought this out, but I would be interested in chatting with someone in the future. From what I gather, the certification process has two components; an online test and a portfolio.

Education World has an article highlighting teachers who have gone through NBC and it sounds as though teachers are finding it to be a frustrating, but rewarding process. The center that I recently left was undergoing the rigorous process of becoming NAEYC accredited and I wonder how this process would compare. Wisconsin has a whole website dedicated to the NBC process and where teachers can find support. NAEYC does support National Board Certification and it's standards for the Advanced Programs of Early Childhood Professionals are alligned with NBFT Standards. Furthermore, the AFT supports NBFT and process to become a NBCT.

At this point, I'm in the learning/reading stages of trying to figure out if this is something that I want to pursure. I'm begining a Ph.D in Early Childhood soon and I'm unsure if becoming an NBCT will add anything further to that.

Goodbye Admin. . . . . . .

2008-09-16T18:36:00.003-05:00

Well, I did leave the world of being a director. I learned a lot about myself and where my strengths lay. I believe I would have been a very successful director if I had been working for a smaller center at this point in my career. Perhaps I will walk that path again one day, but for now, teaching is where I should be--either in the the preschool classroom or in the college classroom!

Einstein Never Used Flash Cards

2008-09-01T08:28:00.005-05:00

I'm reading, Einstein never Used Flash Cards, by Kathy Hirsch-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkof. I'm thoroughly enjoying this book and it only further supports what I've learned as an undergraduate student. It also backs up what I am continually trying to get across to some teachers and parents where I'm working now.

This book was a big hit about five years ago, yet, I'm still seeing so much emphasis on teacher directed activities and little time spent playing. There is a tremendous pressure being placed on teachers, especially with NCLB. One might think that this pressure wouldn't trickle down into preschool and child care, but it most certainly does and parents seem to be feeling the pressure too.

Research demonstrates that play is important and develops serious skills needed for future learning. Yet, adults still continue to be too busy to find time to play with children and encourage children to play. Not only do children need to have time for unstructured play, adults do also, yet, we still continue to over schedule our selves and the children we work with.

Early Childhood Teacher's Unions: Helping or Harming

2008-08-31T09:13:00.002-05:00

I've written previously about the catch 22 I'm in as a Director. If I want to hire high quality teachers, I need to really offer them more money. If the board were to approve an increase in wages, that would most certainly lead to an increase in tuition, especially since I'm working in the nonprofit sector. As this center moves in the direction of NAEYC Accreditation , the board will most certainly have to make this decision for the next fiscal year.

The center where I'm at is not the only facility caught in this catch 22. Something needs to happen at a bigger level if Early Childhood Educators are to truly be fairly compensated in the long run. I've heard a bit about Early Childhood Teacher's Unions and I wonder if they help or harm the issue over all. What is your experience with teacher's unions in the Early Childhood industry?

Radio Shows!

2008-08-29T20:41:00.003-05:00

I am excited to discover that NAEYC has it's very own radio program. What a wonderful way to get some free training right in the comfort of your own home! I will definitely be taking advantage of this wonderful resource and will encourage my staff to also.

I found some other wonderful, free, early childhood related radio or tv programming/podcasts. The first can be found at Early Childhood News, one of my favorite websites. The next is found at Teachers TV and has many resources for a wide range of education topics, not just early childhood. Similarly, there is also Teachernet, a video channel out of the UK. Finally, there is the Parent's Journal, which is geared toward parents, but has lots of great information to share.

Stress Management

2008-08-17T11:19:00.004-05:00

Something that I didn't know before I began this adventure into preschool administration is how stressful my position would be. I think some of it has to do with the size of the center I work for (112 children) and the circumstances that I entered my position under (major issues in two classrooms, staffing problems, NAEYC accreditation, and organization-wide adoption of a curriculum). However, some of what I didn't understand before I took this position, was the amount of daily stress I would undergo.

For me, this has become a bit of a personal road block. I would describe myself as a Highly Sensitive Person and that is a bit of a mixed blessing. Being as sensitive as I am allows me to be in tune with my staff, parents, children, and coworkers. However, this causes me to also be highly sensitive to subtleties and react more severely or be more easily stressed by things that happen in my life. In other words, I over react because what I'm feeling is a bit more severe than what others may be feeling about the exact same situation.

I'm at a real cross roads right now because I'm trying to determine weather or not I'm going to be able to get a grasp on the stress involved with the work that I'm doing. My job is challenging, and I like that. I'm using all my talents, but this job also emphasizes my areas of weakness, such as remaining outwardly calm and collected in high stress, quick thinking situations. This is particularly true when a parent comes to me with a complaint or challenges me on something that I really need to think about before answering.

Our Executive Director assures me that I am doing a fine job and feels that I am being too hard on myself regarding my performance. I am conflicted because I'm having a difficult time determining if the stress and anxiety I'm feeling has to do with my own personal weaknesses or if I am in a position where I have never been as challenged as I currently am.

How to Appologize

2008-08-08T06:09:00.002-05:00

This was sent to me by The Early Childhood Exchange. They have many wonderful resources available, some of which are free. One of the free resources is a weekly newsletter that one can subscribe to. I find about 80% of the information sent is meaningful to either myself, my employees, or the parents at the center where I'm working. I found this article, and the links within it, both helpful and amusing in some circumstances.

ExchangeEveryDay

How to Apologize

August 8, 2008

Give children the time and the space to work it out.
Karen Stephens

The August issue of Wired magazine includes many "how to" tips including how to build an army of followers, how to donate money, how to dress like a hipster, how to pretend to be working, and how to win at rock, paper, scissors. Here are their suggestions on how to apologize:

Come clean quickly. Even a heartfelt apology loses its luster after a string of denials and equivocations.... You look like you fessed up only because you got cornered.
Take the rap. A good apology is a clear admission of guilt. Avoid the passive voice ("mistakes were made") or weasel words ("I'm sorry if you...") that sh ift blame onto others — especially the person you wronged.
Make good. If material harm was done ... clean it up or pay for it. If the damage was emotional, list the steps you're taking to ensure that it never happens again.

WCCAA

2008-07-10T04:59:00.004-05:00

About two months ago, I became a member of the WCCAA (Wisconsin Child Care Administrator's Association). This has become a highly valuable resource. It provided me the chance to brainstorm with field veterans and it facilitated the opportunity to get insight regarding life as a director, from someone outside of my employer.

Professional organizations provide one with the opportunity to network and develop as a Early Childhood professional. Personally, I wish more educators in this field would seek out the use of professional organizations. I'd be interested in learning why more do not. There are many professional organizations in this field, most of which are quite cost effective. Below, you will find a variety of links to professional organizations.

NAEYC
ACEI
American Federation of Teachers
Institute for Educational Leadership
National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators
National Child Care Association

Professional Development Resources

2008-06-23T18:59:00.004-05:00

I have been hunting and scouring the web for low cost professional development resources that I can use within my center. Of course, it's great to get outside the center for professional development, but the sad fact is, many of my staff won't go to a training if they have to pay for the training and THEN get reimbursed for it.

According to them, this is partially because they are living paycheck to paycheck. Personally, I was living paycheck to paycheck when I was in a direct teaching position also, but I found any way I could to attend trainings. I would volunteer so I could receive reduced admission, talk with my employer about the cost, or ask my employer to cover at least part of the training for me if it was work related.

I don't have direct control over weather my staff can have trainings paid for up front, but if they would just ask, I would definitely look into it. I want to make additional training easy for my staff, so I'm looking into as many free options as possible. Currently, I have three guest speakers lined up to attend staff meetings to provide my staff with training, however, I want to do more for them. I want them to be educated and feel well trained to do their jobs.

So----here are some free or very cheap professional development opportunities that I have discovered via the web.

Teacher Freebies!

2008-06-14T14:17:00.002-05:00

Part of what I like about my current position is the opportunity to share with my team some of the neat-o resources I have picked up along the way. I would go as far as to say that this is the highlight of my position. After all, why hoard the knowledge? So, one of the cool things that I discovered while working for Head Start was how many free things I could get for my classroom if I were just willing to ask for it.

So--here it is! The GIANT list of freebies for teachers!
Teacher Freebies
Teacher Freebies 2
Teacher Freebies 3
Teacher Freebies 4
Teacher Freebies 5
Teacher Freebies 6
Teacher Freebies 7
Teacher Freebies 8

Teacher Freebies 9

Choosing my attitude

2008-06-03T19:36:00.005-05:00

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.
Don’t complain.
-Maya Angelou

I want to spend this time to write about the power of choosing a good attitude. There are many wonderful resources indicating that attitude, especially, choosing a positive attitude, does make a difference in one's life. I found some great articles and suggestions at SuccessConsciousness.com . I especially liked their tip of using daily affirmations. This is something that I have been trying. In the morning, I have been telling myself, "I'm having a great day," and before bed I've been telling myself, "Tomorrow will be great." This was something also suggested at Toolstolife.com. I also am enjoying Think Simple Now's thoughts about having a positive attitude. What I'm reading there is helping me sort through and find meaning in a current struggle I'm having now. I particularly like the quotes from Viktor E. Frankl.

Everyday a new challenge and opportunity to learn something new!

The things I have learned in the past two and a half months!

2008-05-13T18:16:00.005-05:00

I'm almost to my third month as a Preschool Center Director. I've learned a significant amount and I've made some mistakes along the way. Some what I've learned has come from the observations from moving from one employer to a new employer and some has been through my own mistakes as a new director.

Be an excellent listener. I'm a talker. What I've learned in my first few months is that I need to push my listening skills to a new level. This is something that I actively need to do every day and, I'll be honest, can be a challenge. If you do not have excellent listening skills, start working on them.
Know your day care regulations,staff, and parent hand books. I live in the state of Wisconsin. My regulations can be found here. Not only is it imperative that one spend time reading and understanding these, it is also important to understand how your licenser, staff, and parents will interpret the information found in these works. Be prepared to explain to any one of these individuals how what you are doing is with in compliance of your state regulations, staff, or parent handbooks. If you're able to do this, it will save you some headache in the future. Also, make sure that what your staff are telling parents matches what is in your parent hand book. This seems to be a "no brainer," however, the center where I'm at currently has some inconsistencies. As a new director, I'm put in a very sticky situation when the messages being conveyed to parents contradict the messages being conveyed in our parent handbook.
If your center does not have them already, please develop clear policies and procedures. This will cut down on confusion and make the hiring of new staff much easier. In addition, this will make your staff training clear-cut and will ensure that staff are "on the same page" with the messages that are being conveyed to parents.
You can't make everyone happy, so stop trying right away! I'm not saying don't strive for excellence. Do. Be the best Director you can be. I'm saying, don't try and please everyone at one time. There will never be a single situation where everyone; parents, staff, the administration team, or the governing board; will be happy.

Make yourself unique

2008-05-05T05:28:00.003-05:00

From Child Care Exchange: A little advice that I could use, so I thought I would share it.

One of the resources in Exchange's Center Manager's Tool Kit is a CD collection of Exchange articles on "Avoiding Burnout." Included on this CD is the article "Go For the Gusto — Put Zest Back In Your Job," which offers this advice on making yourself unique...

"Joyce Brothers, writing on the factors of success in business in How to Get What You Want Out of Life (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978), observed, 'The more you can bring more than one facet or talent to a job, the greater your probability of success. You can make yourself unique. You can work to acquire a cluster of skills that no one else has.'

"Think abou t what excites you about your job and about your life outside the job. What are your prime skills? What other professional challenges interest you? Can you combine your current skills and interests into a unique and rewarding career?

"If, for example, you have mastered the tasks involved in administering a child care center, and now you find yourself increasingly intrigued by computers, maybe you can build a business out of helping child care centers enter the computer age. If your strongest suit is the marketing of your organization, maybe you could set up a marketing service for a network of centers.

"Overhaul your work day. Keep an appointment book with you for several days, logging in what you are doing every 15 minutes. Now take a close look at how your time is allocated. During what amount of your workday are you called upon to exercise your strongest professional skills? How much of your time is spent handling mundane clerical or administrative tasks that could just as well be handled by a lesser-trained individual? How much of your time is devoted to evaluation, development, and innovation? How much of it is consumed by maintenance activities and fire fighting? How much of your time is deliberately planned by yourself? How much is controlled by others through phone calls and drop-in visits?

"Now take a stab at fantasizing your ideal work day. How much time would you spend on reading and writing? How much time would you allocate to talking with your staff? When would you come in to work and when would you go home? How would you put your peak performance times to best use? How can you bridge the gap between how you really spend your time and how you know you should?"

The Stout Conference

2008-04-27T14:17:00.004-05:00

My presentations at Stout went pretty well. My first group was highly interactive and my second was not, so I got a little taste of both. I was organized and stayed on track, so that was a big plus! Also, my technology worked just fine. I seemed to have a good report with the audience in each group. I'm hoping I can get copies of my evaluations so I can see what I can improve on for next time.

I'd like to blog about one presentation that I really enjoyed. It was called, "The six habits of highly effective teachers," and it was given by Dr. Judy Herr. Her presentation was fabulous. It was her personal take on the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People as it relates to teaching. If you ever get the chance to hear her speak, do so! I definitely will be looking into some of her books for my staff.

Some newly discovered resources that I'd like to share!
Early Childhood News
Early Childhood Focus
The Foundation for Child Development
Council for Professional Recognition
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
The National Prekindergarten Center
Videatives
PreKnow
ECE-SOS

Love and Logic

2008-04-13T19:33:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, I worked at a Love and Logic class as part of my volunteer efforts with my local NAEYC affiliate. Saturday was our kick off for the Week of the Young Child. Attendance for the class was great. Love and Logic is a positive approach to parenting that can be easily applied to teaching. A short summary of the basics can be found here and a nice summary can be found here. I really like Love and Logic, it pairs nicely with my center's curriculum, the Creative Curriculum.

Love and Logic Links and Resources
Love and Logic Project Real
Love and Logic Experiment Day 2
Creating a Love and Logic Classroom
How to use Love and Logic in the Classroom
Love and Logic: Learning and Growing through Mistakes

Another One Bites the Dust

2008-04-09T10:23:00.002-05:00

No, I'm not quitting! I had another staff give her two week notice that she is leaving. I started March 3rd and three staff have given their notice during that time! All staff were considering leaving before I stepped it, but it has been a lot to deal with in my first month of work! I'd love to hear some ideas about how to recruit quality preschool teachers and keep them!

The quest for teachers and teacher retention

2008-03-31T20:25:00.003-05:00

THOUGHTS FROM THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE

I'm learning quick at my new job. I'm learning that there are two main groups that I have to work to please. The first group, the preschool and child care teachers, are over worked and under paid for the most part. Many of which are quiet under educated for that matter. However, what many of our teachers lack in education, they make up for in experience. This leads me to the big question often debated in the realm of early childhood education. What's more important: education or experience? I argue that the ideal early childhood teacher would have a combination of both.

The second group of individuals that I have to please are the parents. Of course , the children are the main "customers" when working in the field of early childhood, but these are not the folks who say, "yeah" or "neigh" when it comes to attending the childcare center. Where the delicate balance and struggle occurs is when I try to please both parties. Despite both parties wanting to champion for children and are essentially present because of children, both parties find themselves disagreeing at times about what's best for the children. And this--well, it leaves me in the middle.

THE QUEST FOR TEACHERS AND TEACHER RETENTION

So, that brings me to my next point. I'm learning that a lot of my job is recruitment. I either am recruiting children for the center or I am recruiting staff for the center. Currently, the focus is on the recruitment of staff. We are short four teachers at this point and, really, I could stand to hire at least two extra "float" teachers to be used for subbing or days off. Why my employer has never had a sub list is a mystery to me.

I've recently interviewed a very promising hire only to hear that the wage we were offering was not high enough. She almost had an Associate's degree completed, yes, but she did not have the course work to qualify for EC 1 or EC 2 in the state of WI. Therefore, she couldn't be offered anymore than barely above our minimum rate, which is within the "normal" range for assistant teachers. I was unable to offer her any more and I lost a potentially great employee.

One could argue that because she wouldn't take the offer given, she didn't really want the job as a teacher. However, all workers should get to enjoy a fair wage. I don't believe any one is expecting millions here, just something fair. It's a sad state when the people who flip hamburgers make more than those who are taking care of human beings.

As a new director, I am longing to find out how I can recruit high quality teachers in an industry that refuses to pay it's employees the amount that they're really worth. I've been doing some research and I'm going to post some additional links here. Maybe you have some ideas for me! What has worked for you in your centers? How do you hire great employees?

AFT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS
LOW WAGES=LOW QUALITY
PRESCHOOL TOUTED AS VITAL
NIEER FACT SHEET ON HEADSTART TEACHERS
LEGISLATION TO KEEP TEACHERS FROM DROPPING OUT
P-3 CERTIFICATION
WISCONSIN CHILD CARE INFORMATION CENTER
NICC CHILDCARE LICENSING
RECRUITMENT IN RURAL AREAS

I'm hoping to speak at. . . .

2008-03-24T05:27:00.003-05:00

My proposal is written! I'm hoping that I'll be selected to speak at the 2008 WECA Early Childhood Conference. I'm hoping to present on the importance of play and the elementary school skills it helps to develop. I also want to discuss how teachers can support play within their classrooms. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'm planning on attending the 2008 Whitewater Early Childhood Conference and I'm hoping that I'll get to speak at this one next year. This year, they will be having lots of presentations regarding leadership and management. I'm hoping that these will be helpful as I get into the swing of things with my leadership role at work.

Speaking of work, things are going pretty well. I am so short teachers and hiring is a big priority right now. I'm having a tough time wrapping my mind around how to recruit staff other than the traditional methods. Advertisements are in the local papers, advertising up to 45 minutes away. I'm working to get into the local technical college to speak in some classes, but I'm not sure where else to go.

The Power of Play

2008-03-09T11:07:00.003-05:00

Play is important. I have known this in my heart from day one in my journey as a teacher. Now, finally, there is documentation and support for my "wacky" idea on the importance of play. Currently, NPR is doing a series on how play is important for building the skill of self-regulation, which is now being deemed a more important indicator of school success than IQ. A wonderful article about the connection between ADHD and self-regulation can be found at Sharp Brains.

There is an ever growing movement of Early Childhood Teachers fighting for play within their preschools and childcare centers. Lisa Murphy, the Ooey Gooey Lady, is one of them. I had the privilege of hearing her speak at the 2007 NAEYC National Conference and I will be looking for her at the 2008 conference!

The fight for play:
Einstein Never Used Flash Cards
The Power of Play
A Place of Our Own
Importance of Play
Alliance for Childhood
Young Children Need Play
Why Play?
Play is the Business of Kids
Are you giving your children the freedom to play?
The importance of FREE PLAY
More on play

Challening behavior

2008-03-09T10:56:00.003-05:00

This was my first week at my new position. It went pretty well considering I managed to make some teachers feel threatened and upset. By the end of the week, it was all worked out and things should be fine at this point. The issue at hand was over challenging behavior and what to do with it.

My views are a little different than some regarding behavior. Most of my views about behavior stem from my work with children with Autism. While working on my teaching degree, I was NEVER taught how to proactively handle behavior that is out of the norm. I was taught how to react to this behavior but wasn't really taught how to "figure a kid out" and determine why he or she behaving in a disruptive manner.

This skill came with my work in two different programs for children with children with Autism. One program used lots of behavior modification techniques, however this program never worked to understand the function of the behavior. The other program I worked at used more of a Positive Behavior Support Method, which works to understand WHY the behavior is occurring in the first place.

Because I have had experience with both of these techniques, I feel uniquely qualified to handle a variety of situations regarding behavior. Unfortunately, the advice that I had to offer was not what the teachers wanted to hear. Part of this stemmed from the misunderstanding about how much classroom experience I had. Also, the teachers were not aware of my previous experiences working with children who were displaying "challenging" behavior.

Next week will be better!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is the big day!

2008-03-02T18:48:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow is the first day with my new role as a Center Director. I'm a little nervous and a little excited at the same time. I'm counting down the days until I get to present at the Stout conference and I'm working on developing my own online course. Thanks for the tip, VP. Also, check out my other blog, Play for Life, to see some neat-o children's art work.

I'll be speaking at . . . . . . .

2008-02-13T19:02:00.003-06:00

If you read my other blog, The Quest for Academia, you'll know that one of my big goals is start teaching at the higher education level. I'd like to start adjunct teaching while working and some day move into a university professor. Mind you, this is a VERY long term goal and it could be a long road to get their. Anyway, as I've begun this process of trying to get adjunct jobs, I'm being told that I need more experience teaching adults before I'll really be considered. I'm addressing this by trying to get as many speaking engagements as possible. I'm very pleased to announce that I'll be able to add a second speaking engagement to my resume finally. I'll be speaking at the 2008 Stout Early Childhood Conference on the topic of connecting parent's to their children's literacy skill development. I'll post and let you all know how it goes!

Okay. . well, there have been some big changes

2008-01-31T22:36:00.001-06:00

It's been awhile since I've posted and that's because there have been some big changes happening. I got a job offer and I've been trying to decide weather to accept or not because I've only been in my current position for six months. Today I've made the decision to accept and I'll speak with my employer on Monday about this matter.

The exciting thing is that I'll be moving into a director position at a center right in my own city. Currently I drive approximately 39 miles one way five days a week. That is a total of 390 miles per week and 1560 miles per month. I can get approximately 270 miles per tank of gas, so that is about six tanks of gas per month. Gas in Wisconsin is 3.08 per gallon and my tank holds about 12 gallons, so it costs me about 37.00 to fill my tank currently. By switching to my new job I will be saving a total of 222.00 per month--and that would be if my salary wasn't going to be higher (I will be paid about 1,500 more per year). This would be a great start to an emergency fund.

Anyway--that is the plan and for that reason, this blog will begin to take a new tone as I transition from my primary role being that of a teacher (and a supervisor and an administrator) to my only role being that of an administrator. Watch for changes soon.

Goals for school!

2008-01-02T21:00:00.001-06:00

Well, it's six month review time and that means that it is time for me to think about my goals at Head Start. I have a few goals that I'd like document here so that I make sure that I REALLY follow through with them.

RACHAEL'S 2008 CLASSROOM MANAGER GOALS

I will provide my teacher assistants with at least one hour of additional training per month that relates to Creative Curriculum.
I will provide the parents of my students with one special training this school year, in addition to the monthly center parent meetings that are regularly held.
I will make sure that I follow up with families the following day if an incident report has been filed out regarding their child.
I will work to obtain my Wisconsin Registry Administrator's Credential.
I will work to bring the FISH! Philosophy to my coworkers, teacher assistants, and supervisor.
I will utilize the Project Approach in it's entirety (not just bits and pieces as I am now).
I will work to incorporate more Responsive Classroom approaches into daily classroom activities and life.

So, I ask you, as fellow teachers, what are your teacher goals of 2008?

Flubber, Flarp, Oobleck

2007-12-16T15:22:00.001-06:00

Here are some links to all those great sensory activities.

Oobleck 1
Oobleck 2
Oobleck 3
Slime
Oobleck and More
Slime and More
Play-Doh

Neat-O Resources

2007-12-16T14:47:00.000-06:00

Nobody should have to recreate the wheel. As educators, we are all busy. I sure know I am! I enjoy finding new resources that prove useful in my teaching. I wouldn't be a good colleague if I didn't share them with you, would I?

Cindy's Support
This site has lots of great supports for working with children who are on the Autism Spectrum. I explored this site because there are many links for making visuals. I am a big believer in having visuals in the early childhood classroom, regardless of whether there are children who have a high need for visuals or not. Visuals paired with words are a great way to get children reading.

Mrs. Jones Room
This is a great resource. Some of the items are not appropriate for the students in my room, but there are a wide range of activities here that can be modified to meet your needs!

Professional Development Center In Autism
This is great place to find lots of wonderful classroom resources. Again, these things are helpful regardless of whether you have a student with Autism.

Wellness Ways
This is a great website where you can formulate your own picture recipes!

Parent Educator Websites
This is a great list of some speech pathology information and resources. Again, these are things that would be helpful for you regardless of whether you have a student with a speech need.

Good Teacher Mentoring and Supervising

2007-12-09T14:04:00.001-06:00

I currently supervise one teacher assistant. As I said in my last post, I want to move from merely supervising her, to mentoring her. I've also found that I will be taking on a student teacher soon and I want to be a good role model and mentor for this person as well.

I have found some helpful resources on-line and I'd like to share them with you.

TEACHER MENTORING SPECIFIC
On-Line Mentoring This is an article located at the Education World website. There are some links to listservs and teacher chats. I have not utilized these as of yet, but will be checking into them soon.

New Teacher Mentoring This is a resource indicating the "ins" and "outs" of mentoring.

Giving Feedback to Trainee Teachers Although this post was written with the novice ESL teacher in mind, I found it helpful and hope you will too!

TLN Resources There are many wonderful resources here, including a link to the movie, TEACH.

GENERAL STAFF MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISION
Management Help There are many good resources here, especially if you are working for a nonprofit, like I am.

7 Habits Well, I feel like a broken record here. I continually am talking up the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This is the philosophy that am working at living and managing others by.

More 7 Habits Info This site gives a nice overview of the 7 Habits.

7 Habits Notes This is a site that I visit pretty frequently. It has a great overview of each habit and a section where you can dialog with the person who put this site together.

Great Management This website has lots of tips and articles regarding management.

This I know. . . . .

2007-11-20T19:08:00.000-06:00

The jump from an in-home therapist for children with Autism back to a classroom teacher has been an interesting one. I’ve begun to master the delicate dance of doing what the Admin team wants me to do and what is really feasible in one day. Sometimes it’s the same and sometimes it’s drastically different. I’ve learned what teachers on the verge of burn out look like—there are definitely a few where I work. I know that I don’t want to be there and I vow that I will no longer remain in the classroom if I begin to look how those teachers do.

There are a few things that are not working in my room at this point. Calendar time and pretty much most large group activities are challenging for this group. I'm going to be making some major changes. The first is the complete elimination of calender time. It never did quite make sense to me and after a presentation at The NAEYC Conference, I decided that I was going to make the big leap. After all, it really does not make sense to my students and it just seems like a poor excuse for disguising something pretty meaningless to three-year-olds as learning. Instead, I’m going to change my morning circle time to the morning meeting approach, which is a part of the responsive classroom. I got rid of the calendar completely on the 19^th and I’ll start the morning meeting aspect on Monday the 26^th officially, although I’ll do a trial run tomorrow to see how it goes.

I continue to favor PROCESS art versus the use of projects that all need to look like something. I continue to favor learning being relevant and MEANINGFUL for the children. Not just some random topic my curriculum or administrators say I need to work on this week. Something like dinosaurs. Yes, kids like dinosaurs. But, when are they really going to SEE one? When will they TOUCH one (and I do NOT mean a photocopied picture here, either?!)? If they can't experience in a way that is relevant then I'm not going to bother teaching it. If I can't bring it them or them to it, the topic isn't happening in my room (thank you, Lisa Murphy--you have me an ah-ha!).

The big "thing" I'm learning? Well, I'm learning to have a more specific sense of self as a teacher. I'm starting to want to mentor my staff, not just supervise them (I supervise one TA and a cook). I'm working hard to learn from every day and reflect on my practices in the classroom. Bev Bos (I think) once said something to the extent of, "if this were one of your student's last days on earth, how would he or she remember his or her time with you?" I want make sure that the children who come to my room find joy in school and learning. I want to help parents understand this too.

Every day is an adventure and I continue to learn and grow with every adventure!

All things story telling

2007-11-11T21:21:00.000-06:00

Story telling is VERY important for the young child. Not only does oral story telling help a child develop his or her imagination, it helps develop vocabulary, turn taking, eye-contact, listening skills, and many other skills needed for your child or student to be ready for kindergarten. I'm no real expert in this area, though, so if you really need convincing, take a look here.

Oral Story Telling and Early Childhood
Power of the Story
CFC
Helium
Storynet
Turner Learning
Timsheppard
Eldrbarry
Fairy Tales
Stories
Children's Songs
Storytelling

An Awesome time at NAEYC!!!

2007-11-11T19:44:00.000-06:00

Well, I just returned from the NAEYC Conference. What an awesome experience. I have never been in one place with so many people who care about young children and how young children learn best. I saw many unbelievable presentations and I will link to as many as I can.

The first presentation that I feel compelled to talk about was one by Lisa Murphy, the Ooey Gooey Lady. The presentation that I specifically saw can be found here. If you haven't heard of her, take time to read her stuff. If you are not on board with process art yet (and you SHOULD be), she's got the info that WILL convince you and your administrators that young children REALLY do learn best through play and experience. This is something that I have always believed and it's awesome to have a nationally known presenter with materials and info supporting that belief.

The next presentation that I would like to highlight was given by Bev Bos. Again, this is another early childhood professional that you should know. She is not only entertaining to listen to, she practices what she preaches. She is the director of her own school and she still makes time to run a classroom!!!!! The talk that I was listening to was about the power of story telling. It was wonderful. The handouts from that talk are not posted on Bev's web site yet, but they will be there soon. I'll post them as soon as they are up.

I also heard Dr. Pamela Schiller speak on appropriate math practices for early childhood education. Needless to say, after her talk, I will be slowly fading out counting with the calender and the use of the calender in general during circle time. She was very entertaining and I learned a considerable amount during her presentation.

Finally, I saw Cheri Sheridan, a speaker affiliated with Dr. Becky Bailey, of Conscious Discipline and Kenny Woods present some great songs that will help with daily preschool routines. Unfortunately, the CD is not ready yet, but it will be soon!!!!

A few other things. . . .
My classroom will be participating in a traveling teddy bear. Click here to see where he is at now!

Terrific Transition Songs

2007-09-17T21:06:00.000-05:00

Good transitions can cut down on behavior and make any day more successful. I'm working hard to have a whole passel of transition songs or ideas to grab from when needed. I hope you will find these helpful too. If there are some good transition ideas that I have missed, please share and leave a comment!

Transition Songs 1
Transition Songs 2
Transition Songs 3
Transition Songs 4
Transition Songs 5
Transition Songs 6
Transition Songs 7
Transition Songs 8

Discussion Forums

2007-09-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

I am a big fan of networking. I think it's a great way to gain knowledge and ideas. Sometimes it's nice to just be able to vent about a situation or get someone's expertise who isn't directly involved with the situation. Here are some places that I go for ideas and networking.

Head Start Teachers: This is a forum for Head Start teachers to chat about lessons, curriculum, and staying within Head Start regulations.
A to Z Teacher Stuff: Pretty much any lesson plan or theme can be found here. Lots of great stuff! You definitely want to check this one out.
Pro Teacher Discussion Forum: This is another great site!
Head Start Haven: This is another Head Start forum.
Teaching Preschool: Lots of great printable info here!

The first week of school!

2007-09-05T21:02:00.001-05:00

This is the first official Head Start week. My new students arrived on Tuesday with their backpacks and boxes of Kleenex. So far, so good! At this point I only have ten children in my room. I MUST have seventeen to get full capacity. I currently have six that are Head Start and child care dual enrollment (so I see them all day) and four that are Head Start only (they leave at noon).

Numbers being low is a not a good thing general Head Start purposes because we need to stay at a certain level of enrollment. However, low numbers mean that I really get to develop a great relationship with my students and I get some great observation notes written. Observation notes are part of how I do my on-going assessments. I've decided that since I'm thinking about writing good observations, I would include some links to help you write excellent observations as well. Enjoy!

Classroom Assessment
Observation Guidelines
NIEER
PBS Article

A free on-line journal
ECRP

National and Wisconsin Early Childhood Conferences and Resources

2007-08-22T18:22:00.000-05:00

Child Care Exchange
Early Childhood Care and Education Training, Workshops, Course, and Conferences
WECA: Conference
Invest in yourself
UW Plattville Conference

If there are important conferences and professional development opportunities that I am missing, please leave a comment and I will add them to the list.

Welcome!

2007-08-21T19:06:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Bristle blocks and Fire trucks--all things early childhood related! For this post, I'll share some of my favorite links.

Head Start Info
EHSNRC
ACF
NHSA
Early Childhood
Surf Aquarium
Head Start Lane
Creative Curriculum Research
NAEYC
Talaris
WIIMH
Connect For Kids
Challenging Behavior
National Autism Association
DPI
WI FACETS
Autism Network
ICDL
Teachers.net
Reposnive Classroom
Montessori For Everyone
Topics in Early Childhood Education