Transitions...

Originally, I intended to do a post on transition ideas for young children (mostly because the children I had recently worked with would get especially difficult during transition time,) but my searches kept sending me back to a place called preschool express. The more I looked at this site, the more I came to realize what a valuable source it could be. There are probably hundreds of songs, and hundreds more ideas for teaching children. The songs themselves are probably why this site kept popping up. There are songs about vegetables, weather, frogs...just about ANYTHING you could think of. Some are to familiar melodies like "Row your boat" or "Frere Jacques", and others you can improvise melodies for.

There's a section on what you can do with socks, problem solving with blocks, and even slimy sensory fun. Here's the main page. Some of it you can pay for, but very little isn't free. I think this page is fantastic. It is copyrighted by someone named Jean Warren.

http://www.preschoolexpress.com/

P.S.- the songs are under the Music and Rhyme Station section, the socks are under the Toddler Station section, Slimy Sensory Fun is under the Discovery Station section and the Problem Solving with Blocks is under the Skill Station section.

hugs.

Strategies for working with Children with Behavior Problems

Hello fellow students!

I know it has been a long while since I wrote and so I figured now would be a good time to write my second blog. During my many hours as a learner teacher, I have dealt a great deal with children who have some behvioral issue or other. While the source or reason for their behavior malfunction is unclear, it is certainly at least partially the responsibility of the teacher to attempt to alter that behavior, changing it into something more acceptable in modern society. Therefore, in that spirit, I found a great little page written for parents which could be a great resource for us as well. It disseminates parenting habits, ways to overcome problem behavior and ways to create a positive environment.

Hoping that you find it helpful,
omybunnybeast

http://www.foreverfamilies.net/xml/articles/parenting_young_children_with_behavior_problems.aspx

Assignment Post #1: Children and Loss

During my fifty five hours as a learner first grade teacher, I came across two students whose personal stories brought me close to tears. One was a little boy whose mother refused to accept that he had some difficulty concentrating, (he was as capable a first grader if not moreso than his classmates when he could focus, but he could rarely focus. At the end of first grade he could not write one sentence independently and his handwriting was positively atrocious,) and the other, a little boy whose father had died two years previously. Although it had already been two years, it was clear to me that, as a consequence of his father's death, this little boy had some behavioral issues. He was constantly moving and talking, and when we read the book "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle, or talked about the life cycle of the butterfly, his face would freeze and glaze over, as if he were momentarily escaping the moment.

It is difficult for anyone to come to grips with the death of a loved one no matter how meticulously one prepares for it. It is perhaps even more trying for a young child who may not yet fully grasp the concept of death and it's irreversible permanence. As such, I felt compelled to include a webpage designed for teachers and parents of children who have suffered the pain of a loss. I searched the web and found a four page PDF which was adapted from a document posted by the National Association of School Psychologists just after 9/11.

Within it's pages you will find a section entitled "Expressions of Grief" which disseminates typical child reactions to loss, a section entitled "Helping Children Cope", which is self explanatory, a section which illuminates the different stages of children's understanding of death called "Developmental Phases in Understanding Death," a section on how to help children who have friends who have lost a loved one entitled "Tips for Children and Teens with Grieving Friends and Classmates," and a small section with the names of books and websites that can be used as further resources to helping children understand and cope with loss and the grieving process. Please find the address below.

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/griefwar.pdf

Its cold in this lab...

This is my first blog on this site. At this point, I've already finished my school age practicum hours and am mostly done with my infant toddler hours. I just have to be observed teaching a couple of lessons. I have one lesson thoroughly planned out and one in the works. I hope it continues to be a fulfilling experience.