8 Things You Should See in Today's Kindergarten Classrooms

From the desk of Leigh Ann… Robert Fulghum wrote, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” As a kindergarten teacher I find that statement incredibly inspiring and do believe kindergarten is the place where a firm foundation and a love for learning are formed.  Kindergarten has truly evolved over the years and…

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One Little Way to Enlarge Your Child's World

From the desk of Leigh Ann… “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” ~ Jacqueline Kennedy Research has shown that one of the most important things a parent can do to help instill a love of learning in their child is to read to…

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Respect

From the desk of Carol C…  The school year has started for most teachers and children.  Open House is over, and now it’s time to begin to establish a positive relationship with our students and their families.  I believe it is our responsibility in cooperation with the families to establish a relationship of trust.  This…

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Getting Your Child to Read During Summer Vacation

From the desk of Carol C… Last weekend I asked several parents what they did to encourage their children to read outside of school, especially during the summer.  Some told me their children were always engaged with reading.  Others gave me some practical ideas that worked for them.  Here are the tips that brought the…

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Make 'em Behave

From the desk of Carol C…   “Don’t kick that wall again!” “Why can’t you walk in a line without talking?” “What is it about ‘clean up your room’ that you don’t understand?” “You don’t even try.” Anybody who has dealt with children of any age will recognize the statements above or something like them. …

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And the Answer Is…

From the desk of Carol C… I’ve thought a lot about the role of questioning in our classrooms and its effect on students.  Questioning, if used to help students think more critically is a vital part of any high achieving classroom.  Lately though I’ve started thinking about the answers we give children.  Whether kids are…

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Perfectionism

From the desk of Carol C… If you look up the definition of the word “perfectionism” you will find something that looks like this.  Perfectionism:  “being displeased with anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards”.  While this definition makes perfectionism sound like something to avoid, perfectionism does have both positive…

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Academic Difficulty at School

From the Desk of Carol C… In the last few days I’ve read a blog article entitled “Comprehension Issue or Assignment Issue?“.  It captured my attention and created questions in my mind. (Good reader!)  Is this an example of parents overreacting?  Are the children refusing to do homework or rushing through something they view as…

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Learning Experiences

From the desk of Carol C… Maybe it was because I didn’t have younger siblings to show me the way.  Maybe it was because I was shortsighted.  Maybe…well the maybes don’t matter.  The bottom line is that when I first started teaching, I didn’t understand what went on in the minds of children. One of…

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Communicating with Parents

From the desk of Carol C… Recently I’ve seen some good relationships become strained due to miscommunication or a complete lack of communicating.  One friend didn’t understand the decisions of the other friend and lashed out at her.  A couple I know had some heated moments between the two of them because they didn’t communicate…

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