Marine Institute Field Trip

Right after my school got out for the summer Lucy's preschool had a field trip to the Ocean Institute in Dana Point. I was so excited to be going on a field trip with Lucy's class, because being a full time teacher I never get to do such fun things! This field trip was really perfect for the kiddos, they stayed in one room the whole time and went to different centers to learn about creatures in the ocean. Here are some pictures of our morning!

Here was a crab that was just chilling when we were walking to the institute.

A view of baby beach! We need to go here soon with Lucy and Stetson. It is perfect for little ones! By the way I call it baby beach but I am not sure of the real name. ( sorry! )

Looking at the beautiful views....

I touched this one up a bit.....notice ? Haha. 

This one too. Isn't it beautiful?

Her class was walking to go look at the ocean and I caught Lucy and her friend Addison holding hands. How cute is that??!?!?!

An attempt at a group shot. I gave up! 

Lucy and her bff Grant. She just LOVES this boy. She is in the same preschool class and we go to the same church. We had a playdate with him this morning and I am thinking we will be having a lot more this summer!

Sorting animals.

Classifying them by their sounds.

Peek a boo!

Octopus and see star!

Lucy and Grant writing words ( although this wasn't the center they were supposed to be at! )

They had an awesome instructor for their group.

Reading an ocean book to all the kids. 

I would totally recommend this field trip if you live in the OC.

Our Father's Day

I got the idea for the present for Troy and Steve ( Grandpa ) from Sandy Toes and Popsicles ( check out her blog if you live in the OC ). Here is a picture of Grandpa's.....by the time I took pictures Troy's had already had some candy taken out, so I decided to just take a picture of this one. Total hit and super easy to make ! 

Pinterest idea #1 this summer = check!

 After we got home from church we did a little photo shoot. We didn't get one good one of both kiddos, so I decided on this one being the best from the shoot :)

It was a great afternoon actually! ( that's me being selfish! ) I took a nap and Troy watched golf while the kiddos played and hung out. It was one of those times there were no fights...no whining....just pure silence....can you imagine? Must of been their gift to Troy today!

Then we headed over to the in-laws and ate ....A LOT!

Stetson played a little golf.....

 Here is a 4 generation picture with Troy's grandpa, his dad and Stetter bug.

 We did a lot of laying around ( a theme today I guess ) and watching more golf ( hey it's father's day what can I say? ) And at the end of the night we came home and Troy read the kiddos their favorite book right now, The Cat in the Hat. 

I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband and father to our children! He stays home while I work, and he does SUCH a good job at having fun with them and teaching them so many things that I don't have a clue about! 

I hope you all had a wonderful Sunday !

The Daily Five- Chapter 1

Hello all! I know I am not a true teaching blog and you see WAY too many posts about my family, but hey, I am a kinder teacher too, and I am joining in our your book study :) This week Tammy from Live Laugh Love Kindergarten posted about chapter one. Each Thursday the host for the next chapter will post questions for you before reading and also allow for you to ask questions in the comments. The following Wednesday, that blogger will post answers to that week’s questions and a reflection of that chapter. You will have an opportunity to link up each week too so the learning will continue to spread online. I have learned so much already and I just have read Chapter 1!!! 

Here are Chapter 1's questions:

1. How do I teach new behaviors?

In kindergarten, everything is a new behavior!!! August, September, and even October are spent with a LOT of talking to them about what a behavior should look like, and what procedures should look like from the beginning all the way to the end. I do a lot of repetition, and modeling for them, and I point out students who are doing a great job. I praise praise praise children when they are doing the right thing ( and hope that it rubs off on the others! ) New behaviors take me a long time to get, so for them I give the same type of grace I would want.

2. How do I teach expectations?

My expectations are definitely modeled and talked about all day everyday, even on the last day of school! My expectations change as they get older, and start becoming more familiar with what is going on in school and in our class. There will be those that, on the last day of school you are scratching your head and wondering where they were all year long when you were going over these expectations......BUT for the most part if you are CONSISTENT with your expectations and praising those that are following them, the class will follow along.

3. How do I monitor student behavior? whole group? small groups? individual?

Presently I do it all. I really would like to do the " I Can" charts that I see around the internet, but I have yet to do them.

4. What do I do when a student is not exhibiting desired behavior?

I use a clip chart in my classroom to provide immediate consequences when students are not behaving the way they have been taught. There are good and bad things that happen when students clip up ( good ) or down ( bad ). Students clip up if they receive rainbow sticks ( colored popsicle sticks ) and if they get to the highest color they get something from the treasure box. If students are continually making poor choices, they have to take away their rainbow sticks, and then move their clip down. As they move down the chart, there are consequences that go along with that, such as a simple warning, 5 minutes away from the class, missed recess, time in another room, and call parents. What I have found works BEST though is simply praising those who are following along and most others will get the idea.

5. Whose classroom is it?

It's OUR classroom! From my first day of teaching 8 years ago I made it a point to always let the class take part in decisions and share their opinions on certain items in class. They need to be comfortable in the classroom, and this can happen by allowing them to feel they are included and their voice matters.

6. Locus of control?

External locus of control. This will definitely be changed this summer while reading this book!

7. Where are supplies stored?

My students keep their supplies in their pencil boxes at their seat. They have what they need (pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, erasers) and I have a few areas throughout the room where they know they can get a whiteboard, eraser, sharpened pencil, extra crayon, glue stick and so on. I also have an area that has a whole punch, stapler and tape, and they are free to use any of it on assignments for class. ( not notes to their best friends :) )This is AFTER I have explained my expectations though :)

There is a great pinterest board for the Daily Five that this group has started ( click on the picture below for a link to it )

Caitlin from Kindergarten Smiles is leading Chapter 2! Click below to go to her blog and start following her!!!

Last Day of Preschool!

Well for this year at least! Lucy now is going to be in the Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4 year old class.  She has had an amazing first year of preschool! I was so hesitant to put her in preschool ( being a teacher I have become SO picky with schools in general ) but I am so glad we chose this school. I mean COME ON, her dad went there when he was little! Couldn't be better right? She has become so close with a lot of the other kids, and has developed a great relationship with one of the teachers in particular, Mrs. Schulze ( Sarah ). In fact, when I went to Elevate this weekend I couldn't do Lucy's hair and make up for her dance pictures, so Sarah came to the rescue! We are excited to do her summer camp for the second year in a row this year as well! 

Sooooo, here is Lucy on her first day of preschool back in September.....

And here she was today! I cannot believe how they change so quickly!!!!

And here are two of her three teachers....the one she has become super close with is the 3 year old teacher who is on the right, and her teacher next year is the one on the left. Wonderful women!

To celebrate preschool being over a bunch of us headed to the RSM beach club. Super fun! The kids did so much better there this year than last year. ( this was our first trip this summer ) I can tell there will be many memories made there this summer!

Book Study

This week I will be starting a book study with this blog. I am super excited to:

a.) be reading a book together with a bunch of teachers

b.) to get more involved in the bloggy world

c.) to get to learn learn learn and implement in the fall!!!!

                                       
                                   




I ordered my book and am ready to begin! I have a few more weeks left in my masters class, and then I get a few weeks off before heading back to teaching and my 8th masters class ( there are only 10, WHO HOOOOOOO!!!! )

I can't believe I am entering my 9th year of teaching! It really does not seem like I have been doing this for that long! I am getting old!! hehe.

Have a great Sunday!

Enough is Enough!!!

I promise to blog more, promise! So much so that I am going to a blog conference tomorrow, SO EXCITED!!!!! Crystal ( sad that so many of my friends now don't know her, my best friend from growing up ) bought me a ticket to Elevate, and I couldn't be happier! I need to meet new girls, and someone needs to light a fire under my you know what! I used to be so good at the whole blogging thing but now I feel like everyone else is good and I just read theirs. I don't have a purpose to my blog like crafting, teaching, giveaways or what have you, but I do craft, I do teach, although I don't have much to give away :)
I hope tomorrow is an uplifting day where I get motivated!!!!! 

Testing

I am blogging from my phone!!!