Kindergarten

Ahh, it's that time of year again! Kindergarten has begun and I am once again reminded of how much I love the cuteness of barely five year olds, the smell of new crayons and freshly sharpened pencils, and the squeals of delight as kiddos discover the joy of "big" school for the first time!

I haven't blogged in a while and this is the very reason why...it's the first few weeks of Kindergarten! If you've never taught Kindergarten before, you may not know some of the joys and yes frustrations that come with training Kindergarten students the first few weeks of school. It is all about strategy, patience, planning
and modeling how to do every single procedure and routine you expect to occur in your classroom on a daily basis. Harry Wong says, "In an effective classroom students should not only know what they are doing, they should also know why and how."

After six years of teaching, I have to find humor in the fact that the first two weeks of school are always the same! I am continually amazed to discover (each year) the things that some five year olds still have not been trained to know how to do before coming to school. So, this year I developed a list of the top 20 things a child should be able to do BEFORE coming to Kindergarten. Have a laugh :) Here they are in no particular order...
1. Wipe your own bottom
2. Blow your own nose
3. Open a carton of milk
4. Put a straw in a Capri Sun
5. Answer a question when called on
6. Tie your shoes
7. Button and zip your pants
8. Clean up your own mess/trash
9. Sit in a chair on your bottom
10. Stay in your seat
11. Walk in a line
12. Raise your hand
13. Pack/unpack your backpack
14. Write your name
15. Sit "criss cross"
16. Know your name and come when called
17. Open ketchup and mustard packets at lunch
18. Open a bag of chips at lunch
19. Wash and dry your hands
20. Cover your cough

I'm not only Mrs. Mitchell these first few weeks I am "Momma" Mitchell as well :)