I was recently asked when I was scheduling an appointment if March 17th was a 'high holy day' in my family. I don't know why anyone would think that just because I have the last name of McGuire that St. Patrick's Day would be more special than any other day in my home. The … [Read more...]
Rainy Day Tissue Paper Butterflies
Sometimes, you just need something a little bright and cheerful when the rainy days are gray and dreary. With only one, little, pathetic window in my classroom, I decided we needed to brighten things up a bit for days when the sun wasn't so sunny. So we whipped up some tissue … [Read more...]
Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts and a Freebie to Help
What do you do when it's the Wednesday before Mother's Day and you haven't figured out what your class of kinders are doing for their moms? You use your planning time to scour Pinterest in hopes of some divine inspiration. At least that's what I did. I kind of had an idea … [Read more...]
Nonsense Word Play for a Rainy Day
"The sun would not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in our class on that cold wet wet day . . ." Or not! I feel your pain Dr. S, and that's why we were hopping flowers and puddles down the kindergarten hall today. If you teach kindergarten, you know that a … [Read more...]
A Very Washi Mother’s Day!
It’s Mother’s Day season, and every year I feel like I’m never satisfied with the gifts I have my kindersgive their Mommas. I’m always second guessing myself. Is it meaningful? Will they like it? Will the kids love doing it? But this year I think I hit a home run! My … [Read more...]
First Grade Here I Come: Summer Review Fun
I’m sure I don’t have to tell any of you. But I’m not always sure that parents realize how much our students ‘lose’ over the summer months they are home, soaking up the sun and doing all the fun things that kids SHOULD be doing over the summer. But with a little bit of … [Read more...]
Spring Into Differentiated Word Work
Even though there’s still feet upon more feet of snow in Northern Michigan, I’m determined to come back from Spring Break to SPRING, even if it’s just in my classroom. Here's what I'm using to get that Springy feeling into my word work. My goal for these … [Read more...]
Differentiated Spring NO Fuss NO Muss!
I know that the calendar has announced that ‘It's Spring.’ But as I look out my deck window, I still see three feet of snow. Will it never leave? I’ve decided that the only way to make Spring come is to WILL it to come. So I’m going all out and getting my spring on. … [Read more...]
Differentiated Kindergarten’s St. Patrick’s Day Survived!
It’s one of my most favorite times of the year, but it's also so darn exhausting. Seriously, being a trickily leprechaun is no easy task. And keeping the magic of the season alive for little ones, while so incredibly fun, can poop a poor kindergarten teacher-mom right out. But … [Read more...]
Differentiate By Engaging!-Differentiated Kindergarten’s Bright Idea
Today I'm teaming up with a slew of other great bloggers to bring you a bunch of fabulous Bright Ideas. For me, I'm always thinking about differentiating. It's always there in the front of my mind. Somedays I think I do it better than other days, but everyday it's what I'm … [Read more...]
Differentiated Kindergarten’s Leprechaun Shenanigans Begin
Let the Shenanigans begin!!!! I can’t help myself. I just had to get my St. Patrick’s Day fun started early. And so this week, Seamus made his first appearance. Yes! I have my very own leprechaun. He’s been visiting my class for years now and with a name like McGuire, … [Read more...]
St. Patrick’s Day Math Stations Differentiated Plans and a FREEBIE!
I’m all about choices. Even though I only have 9 math stations going in my classroom, I think you need to have a lot of choices so that you can get at those skills you really need. It's hard to find one pack that meets EVERYONE's needs, but I try really hard to give you those … [Read more...]
