"If I could fly anywhere in a plane I would fly to Buffalo Wild Wings 'cause that place is good and they have all kinds of sauces and they are good. Even white sauces and red sauces."
-Donald
If only my dreams and desires were as sweet and simple. Sigh.
4.08.2010
4.07.2010
We can read!
We go in the car.
My mom is not fat.
I am a cat.
I can see you.
These are just some of the things that my students can read now! It's so great. I was very excited today because my afternoon class was reading every word I put on the board. Okay so not like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, but words like cat, dad, mom, and dog. It was so exciting to write a sentence and hear them read it out loud to me.
The best part of it all? When I stood in front of them and told them "You can read! You can read! People who read can be whatever they want to be! You are so smart! Soon you will be able to do whatever you want to do." and then Donald can up and wrapped his little arms around my leg and nuzzled his nose into it, followed by Adam, then Madison, Danielle, Bethia, and before I knew it I was smothered by 4-year-olds as we shared a class hug to celebrate our new found success as a class.
They drive me slightly insane some days.
They don't use inside voices.
They sneeze boogers all over my arms.
They eat mysterious objects off the floor.
The bite each other.
They cry over snacks.
They smell a little odd sometimes.
They are beginning to read.
No matter what they could ever do I don't think I could love them any less. I am so proud of the many amazing things that they can do.
Today was a great day.
My mom is not fat.
I am a cat.
I can see you.
These are just some of the things that my students can read now! It's so great. I was very excited today because my afternoon class was reading every word I put on the board. Okay so not like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, but words like cat, dad, mom, and dog. It was so exciting to write a sentence and hear them read it out loud to me.
The best part of it all? When I stood in front of them and told them "You can read! You can read! People who read can be whatever they want to be! You are so smart! Soon you will be able to do whatever you want to do." and then Donald can up and wrapped his little arms around my leg and nuzzled his nose into it, followed by Adam, then Madison, Danielle, Bethia, and before I knew it I was smothered by 4-year-olds as we shared a class hug to celebrate our new found success as a class.
They drive me slightly insane some days.
They don't use inside voices.
They sneeze boogers all over my arms.
They eat mysterious objects off the floor.
The bite each other.
They cry over snacks.
They smell a little odd sometimes.
They are beginning to read.
No matter what they could ever do I don't think I could love them any less. I am so proud of the many amazing things that they can do.
Today was a great day.
3.23.2010
re-post
I just had to post this Facebook status from a student's mom who teaches 4th grade at my school:
I had to laugh at Nico's pre-K homework..."Draw a picture of your school," it said. Nico draws a door, a window, his teacher, himself and a pillow..."Why a pillow, Nico?" ..."So I can sleep over with Ms. Toll, of course," ... of course. silly me.
Love Nico.
anything you want
The day Phil Anaya attended pre-k
There comes a time in every 4-year-old's life when they are presented with meaningful and important career options. Information is given in hopes that they set their minds on something magical and fulfilling to pursue for the next 20 years. Yes folks, 20(ish) years ago your pre-kindergarten teacher was planting the seed of success into your mind. And yes, even as you entered college at 18 years old it was still a terribly difficult decision. If I were to have become what I wanted to be at 4-years-old right now I would be lighting up the big screen. Thank the lord that isn't the case and that I am happily nestled in a classroom full of eager and energetic 4-year-old helping them grow into awesome little people. Presented to you now is a time-line of "When I grow up I wanna be a(n)...."
...actress
....author
...teacher
...veterinarian
...artist
...actress
...pop star (ah, sigh...)
...veterinarian
...architect
...lawyer
...lawyer (thank you "Legally Blonde")
...architect
...lawyer (thank you "Legally Blonde II")
...psychiatrist
...pediatrician
...veterinarian
...architect
...Victoria's Secret model (WTF??)
...history teacher
...advertiser
...interior designer
...psychiatrist
...journalist
...product package designer
...teacher
So I guess I have a certain pre-kindergarten teacher somewhere to blame this long obnoxious list on. But honestly I am so thankful for it.
I can't express how happy it makes me every time one of my my students tells me "I want to be a teacher, like you Ms. Toll..." or like Hunter today: "I want to be a teacher." Me: "Why?" Hunter: "Just so I can teach people." I love that he is straightforward.
But it also makes me so happy that so many of them want to be doctors, or firefighters, or police officers or bankers because at the beginning of the year I was a bit nervous when they told me things like Transformer, or race car, or even the most popular answer.... Spongebob. Yes, a mere 8 months ago many of them looked up to the yellow sponge in the square pants who flips burgers at the Krabby Patty. I love looking down at their little faces and imagining how amazing they will be in 25 years. I am so relieved and comfortable knowing now that they do not aspire to be Spongebob Square Pants.
Mr. Phil paid a visit to inform the youngsters about reporting for the news. They were so in awe and so inspired, it was awesome. I can't wait to be watching the news one day and see one of them on there....
Cheers to your childhood dreams. Feel free to make a time-line and reflect on all the funny (yet uber important) aspirations you once had. Is your list longer than mine?? Embrace your inner child and naiveté for a moment's time, you'll be surprised to see how happy it makes you. And if you still feel inspired by your childhood desires I urge you to read (or re-read) Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture" because that man is my "childhood dream" idol.
3.12.2010
It's ooooon.
SPRING BREAK
The best gift ever.
Oh my gosh I am desperately in need of a break. I can't wait. The worst part about it? I feel as though it is already over.
Well, after SB I have only one more quarter with my kiddos. That means I'm 3/4 of the way done with them. I think this is supposed to freak me out, it does a little, but I am so impressed with how smart they are confident that they will do very well next year. A little of what they know so far:
20 letters and letter sounds
11 words
Time to the hour and half hour (a first grade standard!)
Counting to 30
Spatial reasoning (in, out, under, above...)
8 shapes
10 colors
and so much more....
they are just so stinking smart. They soak it all up like little sponges and make me so happy.
I'm looking for graduation ideas if anyone has any For sure I MUST play Rascal Flatts "My Wish" I mean, it's the perrrfect pre-k graduation song in my opinion.
The best gift ever.
Oh my gosh I am desperately in need of a break. I can't wait. The worst part about it? I feel as though it is already over.
Well, after SB I have only one more quarter with my kiddos. That means I'm 3/4 of the way done with them. I think this is supposed to freak me out, it does a little, but I am so impressed with how smart they are confident that they will do very well next year. A little of what they know so far:
20 letters and letter sounds
11 words
Time to the hour and half hour (a first grade standard!)
Counting to 30
Spatial reasoning (in, out, under, above...)
8 shapes
10 colors
and so much more....
they are just so stinking smart. They soak it all up like little sponges and make me so happy.
I'm looking for graduation ideas if anyone has any For sure I MUST play Rascal Flatts "My Wish" I mean, it's the perrrfect pre-k graduation song in my opinion.
3.02.2010
Pen Pals
Our class pan-pals... At the writing center I had the kids pick out their pen-pals from the wall and then write a letter to them. Larry kept telling me "ask him if he can come to my house, ask him if he can come to my house Ms. Toll!" Then it was so cute when Larry left the writing center and I heard him tell a few other kids in the class: "guys, I went to writing and I made a new best friend!"
Oh, I love cupcakes so much that I bought one from Juliana at recess for $33.60 from her cake shop. That was the most I had ever spent on a (make-believe) cupcake (although I only paid with wood chips).
Oh, I love cupcakes so much that I bought one from Juliana at recess for $33.60 from her cake shop. That was the most I had ever spent on a (make-believe) cupcake (although I only paid with wood chips).
2.28.2010
Rabbit Rabbit.
March is already here. That's just nuts. That means spring break and then soon April will be here and before I know it it will be May and my little smarties will be GRADUATING! Okay so It's time to crack the whip.
They know so many great things..... like 18 letters of the alphabet (including letter sounds). They know how to count syllables, tell time (on the hour and the half hour), shapes, colors, counting to 20, and 9 sight words. It's crazy how brilliant they are. I think back about how afraid I was to introduce the concept of time or letter sounds and then I wonder what I was so afraid of? They are so smart.
They are sooooo excited for kindergarten. Larry asked "do they give out stickers in Kindergarten too Ms. Toll?" And I told him "of course they do, and you will earn a lot of them because you are so smart." He smiled from ear to ear. We had a long discussion about how smart they will be when they get to kindergarten, and they have agreed to help the other students get smart. :)
I'm watching "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" and I think that for my next job I would like to own a magical toy store.
They know so many great things..... like 18 letters of the alphabet (including letter sounds). They know how to count syllables, tell time (on the hour and the half hour), shapes, colors, counting to 20, and 9 sight words. It's crazy how brilliant they are. I think back about how afraid I was to introduce the concept of time or letter sounds and then I wonder what I was so afraid of? They are so smart.
They are sooooo excited for kindergarten. Larry asked "do they give out stickers in Kindergarten too Ms. Toll?" And I told him "of course they do, and you will earn a lot of them because you are so smart." He smiled from ear to ear. We had a long discussion about how smart they will be when they get to kindergarten, and they have agreed to help the other students get smart. :)
I'm watching "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" and I think that for my next job I would like to own a magical toy store.
2.23.2010
2.10.2010
obsessed
I am obsessed with children's books. So much that I already have a collection that takes up 1/4 of my book collection. 1/4 is a lot when I love to read and have tons of adult books. And yep 1/4 are children's books. The author I have most of? David Shannon. Actually, I also have books he only illustrated and did not write. I love him. In second would either be Karen Katz or Eric Carle.... oh, and can't forget Jean Marzollo (I SPY BOOKS), I have at least a dozen of those.
Who I have is not really that important. The reason I have so many (besides the fact that I love the smell of a new book, the glossy pages, and the entertaining illustrations) is because books are so important. I love reading a new book in class everyday and I purchase the books because I plan on doing the same thing with my own children one day.
Reading to children is vital. A bedtime story is just as (if not more) important as brushing teeth and eating dinner. I know first hand the difference between a child who has been read to and a child who is just now being exposed to books. Books stimulate the imagination, introduce new vocabulary, and give parents an opportunity to spend quality time with their children.
Every month about $30-$40 of my teaching income goes to Scholastic Book Club book orders (and that goes a loooooong way with Scholastic Book Clubs). I want my students and future children to have a library that will expand their knowledge and imagination. By the age of 5 children should already have had 1,000 books read to them.
So if anyone, anyone at all reads this blog please spread the word to families with little ones and families that are expecting. It is very important.
Feel free to ask for recommendations. I know which ones make them laugh, which ones teach them valuable lessons and which one bore the snot out of both them and me.
This weeks book selection:
Monday: "Slugs in Love"
Tuesday: "Henry in Love"
Wednesday: "Olive My Love" and "One Heart"
Thursday: "Love Splat" (I love this cat) and "Valentine Mice"
Friday: "Raining Hearts"(Felicia Bond, also the illustrator to: "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie") and "Bernstein Bears: Funny Valentine"
Next Week:
Tuesday: "Our Abraham Lincoln"
Wednesday: "Barack" (in looove with this children's book about our prez)
Thurs: "John, Paul, George and Ben"
Who I have is not really that important. The reason I have so many (besides the fact that I love the smell of a new book, the glossy pages, and the entertaining illustrations) is because books are so important. I love reading a new book in class everyday and I purchase the books because I plan on doing the same thing with my own children one day.
Reading to children is vital. A bedtime story is just as (if not more) important as brushing teeth and eating dinner. I know first hand the difference between a child who has been read to and a child who is just now being exposed to books. Books stimulate the imagination, introduce new vocabulary, and give parents an opportunity to spend quality time with their children.
Every month about $30-$40 of my teaching income goes to Scholastic Book Club book orders (and that goes a loooooong way with Scholastic Book Clubs). I want my students and future children to have a library that will expand their knowledge and imagination. By the age of 5 children should already have had 1,000 books read to them.
So if anyone, anyone at all reads this blog please spread the word to families with little ones and families that are expecting. It is very important.
Feel free to ask for recommendations. I know which ones make them laugh, which ones teach them valuable lessons and which one bore the snot out of both them and me.
This weeks book selection:
Monday: "Slugs in Love"
Tuesday: "Henry in Love"
Wednesday: "Olive My Love" and "One Heart"
Thursday: "Love Splat" (I love this cat) and "Valentine Mice"
Friday: "Raining Hearts"(Felicia Bond, also the illustrator to: "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie") and "Bernstein Bears: Funny Valentine"
Next Week:
Tuesday: "Our Abraham Lincoln"
Wednesday: "Barack" (in looove with this children's book about our prez)
Thurs: "John, Paul, George and Ben"
2.09.2010
love is in the air.
Love to pre-kinders is (and I quote) "grosssssss."
Underpants are also "grossssss," but I guess I can understand that. But there aren't a lont of tangible words that start with "U" so I am out of options.
Boogers for some reason are not gross. In fact, judging by how many of them eat their own green goobers they must be very delicious (but I'm not gonna try).
Lice is also in the air..... itch itchy itchy.
The love bug has hit the classroom (even though it's "gross") and many of the kids are now confessing their love for one another... "but shhhh, it's a secret." Don't worry though- on Friday many of them have plans to divulge their love to their crushes, so soon the secrets will be out and love ("gross") will be everywhere. But hopefully the lice wont.
TTFN
Underpants are also "grossssss," but I guess I can understand that. But there aren't a lont of tangible words that start with "U" so I am out of options.
Boogers for some reason are not gross. In fact, judging by how many of them eat their own green goobers they must be very delicious (but I'm not gonna try).
Lice is also in the air..... itch itchy itchy.
The love bug has hit the classroom (even though it's "gross") and many of the kids are now confessing their love for one another... "but shhhh, it's a secret." Don't worry though- on Friday many of them have plans to divulge their love to their crushes, so soon the secrets will be out and love ("gross") will be everywhere. But hopefully the lice wont.
TTFN
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