Yes, I am updating! It has been a long time coming, though in my defense I can assure parents of my students that the lack of blog entries correlates directly with new things in our classroom. It has been a very math centered few weeks, and I have introduced many of the students to the decimal system (1s, 10s, 100s, 1000s) and even more students are working on their 1-1 correspondence past nine. It has been very busy.
We breezed through Halloween and Thanksgiving with very few manic days, which I was extremely thankful for. Now, I am introducing some seasonal works. Which brings me to how I like to handle the holidays in my classroom. I do not tip-toe around the fact that it is the holiday season. Dr. Montessori believed that to engage a child, we must provide learning materials that are relevant to their lives. And let's face it, it does not get much more relevant than family, food, and presents! The Christmas tree dot-to-dot is a popular work because a lot of the students are getting Christmas trees in their home, and it is exciting. The cut and paste Menorah is popular because every night for the next 7 nights some students will be going home to spend some very special evenings with their families. It is an exciting season, and (in my very humble opinion) it does not need to be taboo or awkward. We all have different traditions for this time of year, and if a parent has something they would like us to incorporate beyond Hannakah and Christmas, please PLEASE let me know!
Another special day note, we have a lot of birthdays coming up (mine included, I LOVE Starbucks). In our classroom, we like to make this day very special for our students. So, when a student is having a birthday we have card making available. This includes construction paper, usually stickers, and instructions for writing "Happy Birthday [insert name here]." This activity is always very popular, and our kids get really excited to be able to share in the giving. We have class as normal, then clean up a little early, around 11:00am. Then comes circle time where the birthday boy/girl is able to wear their crown. A helper holds a candle (symbolizing the sun), and the birthday/boy girl holds a globe while walking around the sun once for every year they have been alive. After this is when we will enjoy any treats the parent has been kind enough to provide. If a child's birthday comes in the summer months, we will have their birthday celebration on their half birthday so that they also get to be in on the fun.
I have some great pictures to share, but will be uploading them later (so January?). Another quick note, I have a work specific e-mail that I am able to access at all times, if you would like the address please feel free to ask me or Ms. Tammy.
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