Technology and Early Childhood

http://www.parents.com/health/parents-news-now/too-much-screen-time-may-make-kids-less-ready-for-kindergarten/

A Simple Tip for Teachers to Stay Healthy

Often I see teachers making poor food and drinking choices in my school. Most prevalent are the canned drinks such as soda. Unfortunately, my school has had it's fair share of major illnesses such as cancer and kidney stones. I, too, succumb, at times, to drinking coffee rather than choosing something more natural and healthy. 

Our job is stressful and we sometimes feel like we need to reward ourselves with treats that are not so good for us. However, our job IS stressful so we need to remind ourselves that simple and easy ways to keep ourselves on tract with good healthy eating and drinking must take a priority. After all, most of us have to put in 30 years before we can retire and we want to retire in full health! So with this goal in mind, I'm making one simple suggestion that has really helped me. 

Water, good clean water is a must. I work in a school that is 120 year old and the pipes are old. Recently the custodians placed a sign on our classroom water fountain that it is NOT fit to drink. Wow! There are many solutions to this, perhaps your school has invested in a Poland Spring water contract, or perhaps you drink bottled water. I however, worry about bottled water as it has toxins in it. See here for more information on this subject. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11193/7-reasons-to-never-drink-bottled-water-again.html

So in order to drink enough water that is clean during the day you need lots. This means you need to be drinking throughout the day. I did some research on the best over the counter water filters and bought an Aquasana water filter for my classroom several years ago. I have not been disappointed. The water is great! When I replace the filters, I get to witness how dirty the water was before filtration. I know this is a bit expensive but it's the best and you need to remember that your health is paramount. 

Finally, I buy organic green tea and just put it in my water. I drink from glass or a BPA free container. Green tea is the only herbal tea that you don't have to heat up in order to use. So you can just place the tea in the container and it will disperse. Drinking green tea all day in school with purified water is a great way to keep your body healthy. If you need to sweeten it try stevia.

Consider getting this filter. It costs a bit more, but it'll help keep you healthy for your long and stressful career. Oh, and here's a good tip, get the Aquasana AQ-CWM-D-B Clean Water Machine, not the one with the pitcher as the pitcher does leak eventually. 

http://www.aquasana.com/powered-water-filtration

Remember you are a teacher, you have a long career ahead of you and you need to stay healthy so you can enjoy your retirement! 

Have a healthy day and enjoy your job! It's the BEST! :-) 

PS This is the green tea I buy. It's easiest because it doesn't have a string attached to it and it's economical. http://www.republicoftea.com/organic-double-green-matcha-tea/p/v00643/dpn/40051/?mr:referralID=44ef80e7-1179-11e7-bc34-00505694526f&gclid=Cj0KEQjwqtjGBRD8yfi9h42H9YUBEiQAmki5OkFR1TS0khUFfzW9wAx9B0ZL9tP3EkumqhfJ4cU60dMaAsJQ8P8HAQ

Motor Skills for Preschoolers

I found a great article on motor skills and vertical surfaces! I thought you'd like it! Take a peek! http://theinspiredtreehouse.com/motor-skills-and-more-working-on-a-vertical-surface/

Classroom Line Up Tips

Getting children to line up in a fun and orderly fashion can be a challenge for new teachers. Here's some quick tips for helping the job move along.

1. Assign spots and line leaders.
2. Call children individually rather than saying "Line up!"
3. Send children back to their chairs if they do not line up quietly. Just tell them they need to practice again.
4. Practice walking around the classroom in a line before going out in the hall.
5. In the hall, demonstrate any tricky walking patterns, such as up the stairs or down, holding on to the rail.
6. Teach the children to use light feet rather than a heavy stomp in the halls.
7. Remember, Practice, NOT perfection is the key.

Here's a little line up poem I wrote for you to use if you like:

Dysteachia! What is it?

A great article written by David Ayer explains why teachers are unprepared for teaching reading in our schools.


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/taking-our-teachers-out-wood-shed-phonics-fake-controversy-david-ayer?trk=v-feed&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_recent_activity_details_shares%3B1ehk767fZN0e2PdSQXtDGg%3D%3D

Music and the brain work synergistically to enhance neuron pathways and develop a brain that is creative and responsive to instruction. The research is clear: https://musiceducationworks.wordpress.com/2016/06/19/a-childs-brain-develops-faster-with-exposure-to-music/

Here's a little poem I wrote for lining up your class.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sERlKc_sVQ