Shape Building Center

More loose parts! No surprises here- at least half of the pipe cleaners were bent by the time centers were over, but still a math center the students enjoyed. I purposefully made each length a different color so they could accurately represent it on paper using the colored pencils. This download includes the shape paper and the mini shape reference cards. Circle is also a part of the shape reference cards just in case you decide to use them in another shape center (example: with glass gem vase fillers). 

Snow Poem

We have been working hard to add labels to our illustrations. I love leaving blank space on papers for students to draw their own pictures- it is always special to see how each child represents the poems through a little bit of art.

For this snow poem, I pulled up a blank Smart Board page, drew a face and asked students what we needed to bundle up tight. It was cute because the first item a student shared was snow pants- so all the students saw was a head, a big space (for the coat), and snow pants. Visually, I think this helped students think of everything needed to dress for winter weather. I modeled how to label as we went along and students did not draw themselves in winter gear until we were done drawing and labeling as a whole class.

Ice Cube Experiment

The winter months are tough in kindergarten. Outdoor recess seems like the lottery (daily chances are low), and the students get so wiggly. I am trying to incorporate more hands-on learning- science is always hands-on.

This experiment requires minimal preparation- win! I have done this experiment for a few years now, but haven’t used a worksheet to document our learning. I’m glad I did. Sometimes it’s nice to have evidence to go home and hopefully spark some conversations between child and parent. 

Here is how I conduct the ice cube experiment:

• Freeze water to make an ice cube (mine is in the shape of a heart)
• Tell students that they will pass the ice cube around (like hot potato) until it has completely melted
• Ask students to make predictions about the amount of time it will take for the ice cube to completely melt
• Conduct the experiment and set your timer (aren’t iPhones just wonderful?)
• Share the actual time with the class
• Discuss what made the ice melt

Snowflake Center

With snow days and cold days frequently occurring, I pulled together this snowflake center. I have always been inspired by other bloggers who utilize loose parts in their kindergarten classrooms on a daily basis, but haven't truly gotten around to trying them out. My students loved it. I changed the title on the downloadable version because I noticed my students copied the words in all capitals like the title. I was happy that they knew they had the words on their page to copy. A proud teacher moment nonetheless. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

I recently read a post on social media about the power in choosing diverse literature all year round. I completely agree. I get caught up in the everyday ongoings of the classroom- and wait to pull out biographies until a special holiday or month. Today, I am reminding myself to always expose my students to meaningful and diverse literature whenever it suits me.

Introduction and Letter Focus

Welcome! My name is Britney, and I teach full-day kindergarten(FDK). After having my son in early September, I went back to the classroom with a little less motivation. I lost my identity- as most new mommies do. I was still trying to reacquaint myself with the "new me" inside and outside the classroom. I created A Teacher Market really for a selfish reason- to continue to mold myself as an effective educator. I blogged in the past and changed my username more times than I can count. I was lost. It was apparent that I had lost insight on why I started social media from the very beginning. I wanted to share ideas that benefited my students. Again, a selfish perspective. But isn't that the point? I harnessed the focus needed to fall back in love with blogging. And here I am- invigorated and energized. The hopes and dreams for A Teacher Market are simple. If my teaching and materials can inspire you to become an advocate for your students, then I am happy.

So here we go- Once a day, my students participate in centers. I have a books center, blocks center, math center, and literacy center. During this time, I also try to pull intervention students and meet with some of my guided reading groups.This alphabet activity is super easy to prep and serves as review for letters and letter sounds. I tried to choose beginning letter sounds that would have minimal confusion for my kinders. I have since changed the heading font on this paper, but the content is still the same. Overall, my students responded well to this because the activity was self explanatory.