Any help you can give is gladly accepted. What do you consider to be the best 3 Classroom Rules? What are essential readings for a kindergarten teacher? What are the musthaves for a kindergarten classroom? Thanks!
The 3 best rules for my space are: Respect for each other Respect for the classroom and the materials Respect each person's right to work uninterrupted. Pretty much everything fits into one of those three categories, and it keeps it very very simple. As far as must haves for the classroom, IMO it would be manipulatives. Anything a child of this age will learn, will be through 3 dimensional materials in order for it to stick. Many times paper and pencil stuff at this age just doesn't work, especially if the child may have some type of learning issues.
WELCOME!!!! My 3 best classroom rules are 1. Be a good friend. 2. Be a good listener 3. Be a good worker I truly don't think any book helped me prepare for my first year in Kindergarten. Find another K teacher on your campus and they will let you know more than any book every will. Must haves for a k classroom is PATIENCE and STRUCTURE. I know that you are talking about material things, but those two are a necessity. As far as material things I would like things they can use to be creative (paper, crayons, markers, pens, pencils, stamps), puzzles (they are great for those who finish early), and as much storage as possible (I like everything to have a place). GOOD LUCK to you!!!!!
My rule for this year is simply, "Do the RIGHT thing". We are going to role play different situations and discuss what the right thing would be.
I appreciate your replies. I also want to do the role playing to demonstrate the right way vs the wrong way. How many days of reviewing procedures and how much is too much for kindergarten students in a day?
mom2sands, first I thought I was the only person still up....LOL second I have an interview on Monday for a 9 week temp. in K and I did my internship in K and loved it. My CT used great hands on centers and they loved them...big hit! CC
I think it's not so much going over the procedures, as it is being consistent with them. Most of the children in my classroom are normalized by Halloween, meaning I don't have to remind them as much about what to do when.
"normalized"! That's great! lol Yes! I agree that the key is to be consistent! Especially with this age! A lot of them have never been in this type of setting so everything from learning to line up to learning to call you by Mrs. Soandso instead of TEACHER, TEACHER, is new! Consistency can make or break your year! This is another reason why I hate the fact that come the second/third week of school, I'll probably have to send 3-5 of my students out into a new class because we'll be over enrollment...poor kids...the consistency goes right out the window for those students!
Rules Teaching rules during those first days of school is essential. I literally spend the first few days/weeks introdcucing rules and procedures and modeling and practicing them with the class. There is a new book out called "kevin knows the rules" which is a read aloud for introducing the rules and modeling them for the class. It is a must have for any teacher, especially a new one! I got it on amazon.com, I don't think it is in the bookstores yet. Kindergarten is such a great grade to teach, just be patient and loving, and be yourself!
