Math Time

That dreaded word...Math. I don't know why, but when I think of numbers, my heart rate goes up and I want to hide under a rock. I truly believe that I bring with me some unnecessary experiences from early on and I can't seem to let them go. I think we all have our strengths, and our weaknesses, but I also believe that we can change.

I am in the middle of my Montessori math training and I am trying to let go of old ideas and have a fresh perspective, just like children have. Because learning new skills is not just for children!

So I had to create a 1:1 correspondence game and I came up with this "Ducks around a Pond," scenario. It's so important to have colorful and aesthetically pleasing works out in the classroom for children because they will find joy in working with something so beautiful. I'm not saying this is beauty at its best, but I don't think it's too bad, and I had fun making it!

Back at it!

I fell off the blogwagon. I was doing so well and I was so motivated and then... well, I moved. Man oh man, talk about being pulled out of my comfort zone! I had a great thing going at my old place; all of my student teaching syllabuses were up on the wall ( amid some smaller wedding photos that kept me smiling), I had the laminator set up and all was well. It took me a couple of weeks to work my way back into another groove, which I am happy to say has happened.

But wow, do I have a lot of work to do! The good news is that most of it is super fun! Last night I spent the majority of the evening creating some rhyming and matching games that will soon be in the classroom. And now that I am feeling so much more comfortable leading groups, Elton and I (yes, he is a big part of my planning) enjoy planning out some fun activities! I am still singing. I am still singing all the time and last night I made up a song about the letter "P" and sang it today, it was kind of a big hit. If you email me, I might be able to give you the rights for a good price. One verse preschool songs don't come cheap folks.

I'm loving life right now and I am so enjoying teaching these kids. They inject in me with a new energy I didn't even realize I had, and I find that it spills over into my personal life. Anyway, this is a short post because I need to go buy a lamp. Boring, but so necessary, I can't see so well at my desk. No good. So, off I go, but here is a look of one of my favorite recent works, the Attribute Game inspired by no other than, Elton the Dog!