I don't use a rewards system, but I have a "treasure box" for birthdays. I took a nice box with a lids, covered it with wrapping paper, and wah-la! I had checked around for a wicker chest or something, but couldn't find anything inexpensive (I didn't get to many yard sales last year!). The box worked well, and if I get tired of the look, I can change the paper! It also stacks up well when I need to store it!
If you meet your students before school starts, take a picture of them and keep a list of their names in the order that you took the pics. Then you can learn their names before school starts. I still put name tags on my students for the first week, but this helps so much the first day of school! Have fun but be firm!
You have received excellent ideas, you're gonna LOVE Kindergarten. Couple thigns to add: Look up the Kissing Hand, great first week lessons, precious book Instead of keeping hard copies of everything and files and files, I am moving towards putting all my crucial documents (Back to school letters, homework packets, etc) on a flash drive, I always edit them anyways and it is so much cleaner to edit the doc rather than white out and fix dates, etc. Of course you want to save it on your hard drive too, i create folders there, "poems", "homework", class lists, etc) just in case I lose the flashdrive, but it has been working great, I can use it at home or at school!
Super Site What a great site Vannapk! I'm interviewing for a kindergarten position on Monday and your site is very helpful! I'll will surely be utilizing it whether I get this position or not!
Has anyone taken a Kindergarten position mid-year? I just interviewed for my first Kindergartten position and don't know if I have the job yet - or will take it if offered - but if I do, I would start in December - seems like a hard thing to do to come in after the year has started - any advice, tips on this? Thanks!
I am wondering the same thing! I have an interview tomorrow for AM Kinder and am not quite sure when I would start, sometime between next week and December I believe. I would also love some advice/suggestions on this! Thanks
I didn't start Kindergarten mid year, but I did start teaching a Head Start preschool class one December. I wrote a letter to the parents and children introducing myself, and stating how happy I was to be their new teacher. I talked with the students about their "old" teacher often and kept everything upbeat and positive. Soon they were used to me and my ways of doing things. Children are pretty resilient and will be fine. They will even help you with the way that they do things. I tried to keep it how she had it, all the routines, etc. and slowly made changes to how I liked it. That seemed to work well. Come January you will feel like its a whole new year anyway! Good luck! You will love Kindergarten. It's the best!
Treasure chest I have tried just the classic if your good all week with smiley faces you can pick out of the treasure chest on Fridays. It didn't work. I work in a Christian School, so I came up with "Angel Dollars". They get an angel dollar everytime they complete their homework, if they are good for the whole day, bring signed papers back, signed, etc. They get a dollar. If they are bad for the day, they loose a dollar. When they get $5.00 they get to pick out of the treasure chest. This way has done wonders, and teaches responsibility, counting and money concepts as well. A safe way to keep track of their earnings is to either make a wallet and keep it in their folder, or keep it in their file folder. So they don't have to just pick out the chest on Fridays anylonger, any day of the week as long as they have $5.00. It has done wonders with their behavior. Obviously they are children and will slip up, not all of us are perfect. But I love my kids!!!!
I can recommend https://wunderkiddy.com/ if you are looking for learning activities kindergarten kids will enjoy
Ok wow this thread is from forever ago I have moved on from that school. Then spent 8 years as a kinder teacher in an another district. I am currently teaching 2nd grade for the first time.
When people resurrect really old threads it's usually because they are trying to plug something of theirs.
