My Kindergarten Philosophy

Growing Pains of All-Day Kindergarten
Seven Years together ~

My Kindergarten Philosophy

I believe the purpose of Kindergarten is . . .

 1) to ready your child for positive participation in a classroom and school setting (following rules and directions, staying on task, completing their work in the allotted time, doing their best, and taking an active part in discussions and activities) ~ learning how
to be a good student.

2) to provide a language-rich environment through stories, songs, rhymes, and poetry, as well as to develop an emotional
involvement with reading through drama, art, and movement. This is not to say that we teach reading, although we get very close! 
That is not our curriculum.  Rather we want to begin to build a solid foundation for the written and spoken word, and help the
children see themselves as beginning readers and writers through engaging, developmentally appropriate activities. When that
kind of learning and support is present, reading often emerges!

3) to add to that foundation with understanding of basic math skills and readiness concepts through hands-on experiences and discoveries.

4) to create a caring environment which fosters the attitudes of "I am wonderful!  I have fun doing it!  I am capable! It's O.K.
when I make mistakes - it shows I'm trying and I'm learning!"

5) to make learning FUN! If children are interested and engaged, they will learn more and retain it longer.

 In addition, I feel these are important ~

 *  This year we will learn and practice many social skills . . . . .

            *  Sharing                                                   *  Cooperating
            *  Having respect for others and their belongings                 
            *  Listening to others                                   *  Developing confidence       
            *  Speaking in front of others                      *  Participating
            *  Waiting for turns                                    *  Maintaining self-control
            *  Knowing and expressing feelings appropriately
            *  Making new friends                                  *  Following directions
            *  Developing a good self-image                     *  Developing self-reliance
            *  Developing responsibility                          *  Developing independence

*  Play is an important part of learning.  Play is serious business!  Through play children learn:
            *  to be creative
            *  to use their imaginations in a variety of ways
            *  to express themselves in language (telling what they are doing)
            *  to express emotions in play situations (role play)
            *  to develop physically through movement and exercise
            *  to laugh at situations and themselves in play
            *  to plan, make decisions, control, and create
            *  to value differences in what others think, do, and make
            *  to share
                . . . . . . . and more!

Through play children "make sense" of their world.  When we play, we LEARN!

*  Kindergarten is not just "sandbox time"!  What we do each day is important in building a solid foundation for first grade,
indeed all the school years to come.  Regular attendance is very important so that this foundation is solid and complete!
 

Growing Pains of All-Day Kindergarten

(Please see the NOTE below on our direction for 2009-2010 and the changes for 2010-2011!)

Looking ahead to YEAR SIX ~ 2009-2010 ~ The economy brought about some changes.

Summer, 2009 ~ NOTE:

The nation's economy woes are certainly hitting very close to home.  Along with our own state's budget difficulties, and our district's challenges we had to make some difficult decisions for this coming year.  I understand that the money only goes so far - no matter how you stretch it!  That is certainly true in my own personal finances.  Teacher salaries take up most of the district budget.  In our state, Kindergartners only bring in half of the money other students bring in.  Districts in our state who have chosen to go all-day Kindergarten have done so with options such as tuition-paid or (if they qualified as a Title school district), used those monies to fund that program.  Some districts assessed their incoming Kindergartners and placed those with less skills in an all-day program while the rest went half-day.  Parents also had choice in some districts which schedule they wanted.  In our district we funded our program through our Levy monies, but that did not cover the total cost of teacher salaries.  (Districts surrounding us used their Title money so there was no extra cost to their parents, and since we are not a Title school district and we felt we had to be competitive with the cost, so we added it to our Levy.  Any funds that were used to make-up what our Levy did not cover are no longer available to us.)  After many district board meetings with staff and public hearings the difficult decision to go back to half-day was made.  Together we KNOW and BELIEVE in the pluses of all-day Kindergarten, however - the money only goes so far.  Other cuts to programs and staff were made  - it's been a tough spring indeed.  I am hoping this will be temporary and the economy and state funding will improve and we can return to a full-day program very soon.

Now, I will tell you that I taught half-day (morning and afternoon sessions each day - 2 1/2 hours each) for 17 years.  I'm going to check what percentage of our state offers all-day Kindergarten.  It will be a challenge to fit in all I feel is important - and I will work very hard along with my very hard-working and supportive staff here at Beacon Elementary - to insure that every child WILL have a wonderful beginning to school and a memorable first year in public school.  I know we can do it -along with the vital help from our fabulous parents - our children's FIRST and primary teachers!

May, 2009 ~ Moving on to YEAR SEVEN - 2010-2011:

This past year has been interesting to say the least.  I didn't realize how hard it would be to go back to half time!  The children did great, and THANKS to a fine group of supportive and hard working parents, we have done well this year.  We began Weekly Homework Packets to give parents ideas and things to do at home to reinforce concepts and repeat those skills we worked on in class - something that all-day had provided before.  Nearly all of the families responded well each week, and it made a BIG difference - I could tell!  The focus was on our reading and math readiness standards and I feel that the children are prepared for next year.  It will be interesting to see how much is retained over the summer.  The first grade teachers will be prepared to review and begin a little slower in the fall to get the kids up to speed.  I am sending home a packet of ideas and things to do over the summer to keep those skills in tack as much as possible.  You could check out our class website on our Montesano District website.  Just click on TEACHERS and then Diane Connolly for our pages.  You can see what we did with our Weekly Homework packets and I will be putting up the Summer Ideas in June.

We did do less with our Science and Social Studies objectives, but it did make me really think about what was the most important and how could I be as efficient as possible with our time limits - which isn't a bad thing!  Again, one of my big goals is to train the children how to be good students in a classroom setting, learning, working and playing with a lot of other children.  Following our rules and being as independent and responsible for themselves as much as possible continues to be an important area in our program.

Our District took a long, hard look at all-day and listened to parents as they worked on a way to return to offering full time Kindergarten.  The budget remains a top priority, as it should - even though they believe in the benefits and value of other options.  We will be offering a tuition-based all-day Kindergarten to offset the cost to the District.  It needs to support itself as there is no extra money in the budget at this time.  There will also be two half-day classes.  As of this date, there are a few more than a full all-day class.  We had hoped to offer some scholarships for those families who could not afford the tuition, but I believe there is no money for that at this time - they are looking at options.  We will see how all of this plays out from now until September.  I will be working with the all-day class, for which I am excited.  I will be planning with our other Kindergarten teacher to be sure that ALL of our Kindergartners will have a wonderful experience next year.

And if this wasn't enough to experience this year - we are in the middle of a big remodel!  We have lived all year with construction, dirt, rocks, noise, and moving fences all around us!  It has been very interesting to say the least.  The children and the parents have been wonderful with all of this.  It should be all done towards the end of August - we shall see!  I have been at this school for 22 years and the changes around me are amazing!  I can't wait!  With the remodel comes monies for new furniture and things and I am excited to know that we will be getting Promethean Boards (interactive white boards) in our classrooms in the fall.  This is an amazing tool that will engage our learners in new ways as we dive into new technology!  I will let you know about all of that as it happens! 

There is a lot to look forward to next year, and I am sure that there will be another fantastic group of Kinders - and their wonderful, supportive parents to work with.  I will be busy this summer getting my room ready for new carpets and a few other construction projects as well as working hard at home on plans for the new school year.  I am looking ahead to my retirement these days as well (I think I have about 5 years to go, but time is speeding by!).  I'm not ready to leave - but I am trying to think through all the stuff I've collected and made over the years, weeding out what I haven't used in a long time.  Having to get most of what I have out of my classroom is helping!  Oh, my!  I think my summer is going to fly by!  I will be going over the pages in this site to update and complete what I have begun.  I didn't do much with it last year, but I am inspired to get back to it!  Check back, soon!

July, 2009 ~

Well, I finally packed up my room, ready for new carpets and flooring.  That was an amazing job!  I've collected a LOT of stuff over the 23 years of teaching Kindergarten, and have been in the same classroom for almost 20 of those years!  I was mortified to see the pile!  I also found a lot of things I had forgotten I even had!  I didn't get to really go through everything the way I wanted - I got to the point that I just wanted to put things in boxes!  I hope and pray that I will be able to get back into my room in early August - that's when I am going to really weed out.  We are suppose to be getting new teacher desk and a few other pieces of furniture, so I am waiting to see how to arrange all of that first.  Every summer the first thing I need to do is get my room arrangement ready - way before I can begin to work on the specific planning and preparing of the work we will do.  This year is going to bring about many NEW changes.  Not only is our remodeling scheduled to be done in August, but my room will be different with the new carpet and furniture.  We have also just adopted a new Math Curriculum - Math Expressions.  I will be working on getting that organized this summer.  I will be attending a workshop on our new Promethean Boards mid-August, and am looking forward to that.  Lots to think about and lots to do before school begins!

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

In case you are interested, I left our first five years notes below:

OUR FIRST YEAR ~ 2004-2005 ~

* February, 2004 ~ Received approval to begin full-day Kindergarten September of 2004-2005 school year. Oh, happy day!

* Spring, 2004 ~ visits to other all-day programs in the area, discussions with other teachers, looking for information on the internet (especially schedules, how you do snacks, naptime, etc.); attended an all-day Kindergarten workshop in June

* Summer, 2004 ~ TONS of planning and going through materials and activities to be better organized and find all the wonderful things hidden in my room over the years! I don't feel I've taken a day off from school all summer - from planning at home to spending hours (and money) setting up the room just right. It's nice I love my job!

* August, 2004 ~ Kindergarten Orientation planning. Will we have four classes or three larger ones? This will be a last minute decision - understandable, but frustrating. Children not assigned yet to teachers. How will this affect our opening days in Kindergarten with Orientation and our "slow start" plans?

* August 27th ~ Hired our fourth teacher who needs to have her room up and ready in 3 days! It will be a long weekend!  With four teachers and 85 Kindergartners we will each have 21 to 22 to start. With our declining enrollment in the last few years we have been spoiled with 16 to 17 in each class so this seems big to us!  But we are grateful for the support of our District in hiring another teacher ~ the children will benefit the most!

* September, 2004 ~ We're off and running ~ I just hope we're running ahead of the children! 
     Our Kindergarten Orientation went well.  We spent Sept. 1st (the first day of school in our District) meeting with groups of 7 parents and their children to go over our philosophy, curriculum, and routines.  The children did a drawing project and played as they got to know each other a bit while the adults talked.  On Thursday, half of the class attended all day and we had the opportunity to go over our routines (especially lunch!) with fewer kids.  The other half came on Friday.  That was very helpful!  September 7th was our first day all together. 

* September 24th ~ We are beginning to run a bit more smoothly through our day.  It has seemed like all we do is wash our hands, go to recess, have snacks and lunch!  I don't feel as if we have gotten started on our curriculum yet, but then I realize that learning these routines and schedules IS a big part of my job as we learn together how to work and function in a school and classroom setting.  The time it takes to learn all these rules and procedures is worth it - especially later on when we do focus more on the reading and math readiness skills in the Kindergarten program.
     Overall the class is a great group of children.  I am enjoying them a lot and am looking forward to working with them this year.  There is (as usual) a wide range of abilities and some with very special needs, but we are working together as a staff to plan a variety of ways to work on those needs and challenges.  Will I have the energy to meet these amazing demands?!  I guess that is the wonder and lure of teaching for me.  I know that I learn a lot from working with these children, and every challenge makes me a better teacher!
     So far, I have only asked myself if I am still supportive of all day Kindergarten a couple of times!  But I do know that when things get going more smoothly, then I will see the reasons why I believe in it more clearly!  Each day brings its own special joys and concerns ! And then I look into those freckled faces with those twinkling eyes and those amazing questions and comments . . . and I believe!

* October, 2004 ~ The routines are coming along - it still takes a lot of time for all that is involved in lunch!  My particular class seems to like bringing their own lunches more than the other three classes.  I had to go out and buy 2 large plastic bins to carry their lunch boxes all back after the lunch recess each day!  But even that seems to be working out as it is now easier for the students to help out.  This month we need to begin re-testing in order to get ready for our First Quarter's Report Card the first of November.  (Seems we just got done with the initial assessments!)  In Kindergarten it is so time consuming because it needs to be done one-on-one.  I must say we are all pleased that we are seeing some real growth already - even though we feel all we have done is work on routines and rules! 
     It feels less stressful to be with one class for the whole day.  What doesn't get done in the morning can be picked up again later in the day without as much disruption to the learning as it was with half-day (sometimes we would just rush through stuff or couldn't get back to it for a couple of days and that can interfere with learning). 
     We all have busy children - lots of talking going on, especially now that they are feeling more comfortable in class!  We all have more boys and that can make for noisier and busier classes!  We each have several needy children as well and there doesn't seem to be enough of us to meet their every need.  But each day and week that goes by we work on improving that and planning how to be more effective.
     Halloween/Spider Parties went very well - the children get so excited about this holiday!  Perpetual Motion came and we all had a great time in the gym with them.  Spiders was the Theme and our classroom games and treats were planned around that. 

* November, 2004 ~ Conference Week was November 8th through the 12th.  It was great to meet with each parent - I always learn so much more about my students at this time.  Overall we were all pleased with the progress and look forward to getting into the more "academic" parts of our curriculum this next quarter.  One of the other Kindergarten teachers and I have taught half-day for years and years.  We REALLY like all-day when it comes to Report Cards and Conferences!  What a difference to be able to focus on only one group! 
     This month brings Thanksgiving and working on our Winter Music Concert.  These holidays just keep coming up so fast!  Christmas is just around the corner!
     As far as all-day Kindergarten - I think we are all enjoying it more and more and feel that these children will be better prepared for first grade - hopefully retaining what we work so hard on over the summer much better than they have in the past.  The first grade teachers just watch us and smile knowing that some of those first-of-the-year routines will be much easier for them next year!
     I am also enjoying working with three other teachers - for years I was the only Kindergarten teacher at my building.  This was a big change for me - one I wasn't too sure about at first.  The energy level for the teachers has increased as far as planning and supporting each other.
     We went to the November School Board Meeting on November 18th and shared a Power Point presentation on our program - how things are going, etc.  Mostly it was pictures of our kids in action - they reflect our program.  It went well and we felt appreciated for the hard work we have been doing.  That lifted my spirits!  Now if I could just figure out how to keep the children from draining all my energy by the end of the day!

* January, 2005 ~ The holidays were very busy and exciting but we are looking forward to settling down and focusing more on our language and math skills and objectives this month.  All four classes are VERY busy and we each have several children who need extra time and support - it is draining!  We continue to work hard on routines and being good students so we can all learn and work together.  In spite of the way I feel things are going as far as teaching, the children are making good progress - sometimes to my surprise! 
     Sometimes I long for half day, when the busier ones were only in class two-and-a-half hours!  Some days seem longer than others.  But most of the time, I am pleased to have the time of all day.  I do feel it is best for the children - I'm still working on my stamina!

* March, 2005 ~ It's nearly Third Quarter Repot Card time - where is the year going?  Spring Break is the first week in April!  Skills are improving and seem very strong for most of the children.  We are able to do more in our language and math skill areas - more depth and time to help those that don't "get it" right away.  I like that!
     We have been working hard with Special Services trying to meet the needs and skills of our more challenging students.  Flexibility is a must - and I think it is my first name!! 
     Friendships and social groups are more intense in all day!  I've seen more cliques earlier in the school year than in half day.  My class is very social and they enjoy each other and their special friends very much.  We continue to work on what friendship is all about, but for some it can be very hard and feelings get hurt easily it seems.  I wonder what Spring will bring in the social circle area!!  Oh, my!

I'll check back in next month with more "growing pains!"

* May, 2005 ~ Here it is with only days to go in the school year, and I am exhausted!  It's been a busy year with a busy and active class.  We have learned a lot, especially in our routines as we go through our day together.  I think we are all ready for summer break, but I know we will miss each other.  All day intensifies our friendships and love of each other as we have gotten to know each other so much better than we could have in a half-day program.  Academically we have some tweaking to do, but have been very pleased with the progress and the depth of learning we can now see.  We are anxious to hear from our first grade teachers on the differences they see in these children in the fall.  That will help us know what we did "right" and what we need to improve on.  I think my summer is going to be very busy with school stuff - again!!  It looks like we may have big classes again in the fall if we only go with three Kindergarten rooms.  We shall see what registration brings in August and September!

SECOND YEAR ~ 2005/2006:

* September, 2005 ~ After injuring my shoulder the first of June I had a quiet summer at home recovering.  Even though I didn't even go back to my classroom until the end of July, I did have plans and projects on my lap every day!  It is so hard for me to turn my head off from school - there are so many wonderful ideas out there ~ and of course I want to try most of them!
     One of my goals this year was to have less going on in my room visually - it is quite full of stuff and colors after 18 years of collecting!  It is beginning to affect even me to some degree!  I'm trying a little different arrangement, and trying to keep shelves and dividers on a lower plane - I think that is helping a bit.  I am also trying to organize all my tubs and boxes of activities better so I can find them when I want them and the children can have better access to all the things I've bought and made!
     August was spent going through all the boxes and cupboards and rearranging things (and writing down where stuff is stored).  Also, there were lots of things to get ready for the first few days of school and our Open House on August 30th.
     A few days before school we hired our fourth teacher, and now we each have about 23 students.  Our newest gal is super and is going to be a GREAT addition to the team.
* Open House ~ August 30th ~ What a great evening!  Even though parents didn't get their letter about who their child's teacher was going to be until a couple of days before our Open House everyone seemed very happy and excited.  It looks like a super group of students and I was equally impressed with a dynamic and excited group of parents! I went to bed with a big smile and I think it stayed with me for a couple of days!  Even after 18+ years in Kindergarten, I still LOVE my job!
* September 1st & 2nd ~ We had half of the children come on Thursday and the other half on Friday.  With a smaller number of students it was better to go over they important rules and routines with fewer kids.  I was able to see them more individually that first day and I thought it went very well.  Tuesday will be the real test when they ALL come!  Overall, they seem to be a bright and eager group and very sure of themselves.  The potential for a very busy (and possibly talkative) class is definitely there!  I'm trying to get LOTS of rest this Labor Day weekend!

OUR THIRD YEAR ~ 2006-2007 ~

* Summer, 2006 ~ I seem to spend a great portion of my summers on school.  I do it because I love my job and I have a lot of time it seems since my family is grown and on their own and my 2 cats don't require q lot of time!  This summer is much the same.  After 19 years of teaching Kindergarten and most of them in the same classroom, needless to say I have a LOT of STUFF! I've been trying to inventory, organize, and record where everything is so I can put my hands on it when I need it!  This summer I've cleaned out cupboards and reorganized that I haven't done in 12 years!  It's amazing what one can find! 
     After the wonderful and very capable class I had last year, I have also been going over my plans and activities to include more challenging things for my higher children.  That's what I'm loving about all day Kindergarten - time to really spend on skills and then seeing that the level of expectation needs to be raised later in the year.  Yes, there will always be "low" children who need all the time you can give and then some, but I am convinced that all day is most important for them - time to practice skills more than once!
     We had 24 children last year - a lot of little bodies in a crowded room.  I was grateful for my class and we had a great year, but I am hoping for fewer children this year.  Without a Para it is very difficult to get to everyone during an activity.  I did have some fabulous parent helpers - we are blessed with that in our community it seems.  It is now August and my to do list seems to be growing!

YEAR FOUR ~ 2007-2008 ~ It's hard to believe!

June, 2007 ~ I must be crazy, but every spring with about three weeks left of school I always start planning and working on things for the NEXT year!  I just can't seem to turn my brain off when it comes to school!  One of the things I have been thinking about a LOT is this website.  I loved working on it, but this last year I found little time to do so.  So my goal this summer is to update a BUNCH of things and keep it current.  I still love visiting other teachers sites and have found some fabulous ones that I visit often.  You would think with 20 years of Kindergarten under my belt, that I would have plenty of ideas already in place and not have to work so hard!  But I guess I'm the kind of person who isn't satisfied with what I've done - I am always refining it or changing it completely!  I did attend our Washington State Kindergarten Teachers Conference this spring and got some more incredible ideas.  I am taking a couple of classes this summer and hope to learn more. 

We had three full-day Kindergarten classes this past year, but our registrations are up and we may be back to four in the fall.  Class size sure makes a big difference in what we can do with these energetic kiddos!  We each had 23 students, but there were some busy and active ones!  I have a lot of furniture and things so even in my good-sized room, things get a little crowded!  I will be having a student teacher in the fall and am excited about that.  I'm sure I will learn a lot from her! 

I'm focusing on Language and Math activities this summer, trying to organize all my ideas and plan so there is time to explore and learn hands-on without rushing through things.  I am finding that I was starting to rely too much on paper and pencil tasks and I aim to get back to active involvement for all of the children.  Working with small groups by myself is still the challenge, but I am really going to focus on organizing that so things can run smoothly.  That is my goal for this summer!

YEAR FIVE ~ 2008-2009

June, 2008 ~

We continue to enjoy the benefits of all-day Kindergarten - and the first grade teachers are enjoying it, too!  I can't imagine going back to half time.  I do feel we have the time to TEACH, not just cover our curriculum.  We don't need any more to teach - we need that TIME to repeat valuable experiences and practice the skills over and over again - repetition is how the learning sticks for Kindergartners!

We did have four full-day Kindergarten classes this past year.  We hired our fourth teacher a couple of weeks before school began.  That is one of the hardest things about Kindergarten - not knowing how many to expect until the last minute!  I do appreciate the decision to wait and see who really comes, but trying to get just the right person at the last minute is just crazy.  It's also crazy for the three of us who stop what we are doing in our own rooms and try to pitch in and help the newest team member get ready!  Class size sure makes a big difference in what we can do with these energetic kiddos!  We each had 23 students, but there were some busy and active ones!  I have a lot of furniture and things so even in my good-sized room, things get a little crowded!  Having a student teacher in the fall was great - we hope she will be hired in September as the fourth K. Teacher - yes, we are in the same predicament as usual!  Oh, and the gal we hired in August was fabulous and is back again this coming year.  We were fortunate!  My long-time partner retired in June - together we have over 35 years in Kindergarten.  She will be missed greatly!  I've got 20+ years in and will be 60 in November, but will be around for a few more years trying to get the most out of my retirement as I can!  I hope I have the energy to make it!

Once again, I'm focusing on Language and Math activities this summer, trying to organize all my ideas and plan so there is time to explore and learn hands-on without rushing through things.  I am finding that I was starting to rely too much on paper and pencil tasks and I aim to get back to active involvement for all of the children.  Working with small groups by myself is still the challenge, but I am really going to focus on organizing that so things can run smoothly.  That is my goal for this summer! (These are the words I used last summer - but I will give it another try this summer!)

One of the things I am really going to work on as I set-up my room again after cleaning is to downsize the furniture and visual stimulation!  I have a LOT of stuff and I am sure it affects the energy level of the children!  So, I am going to part with some things I have used forever and put some of the toys and manipulatives out of sight - even if I have to take some things home! 

I had a very busy, talkative class with very strong personalities this past year.  It was a handful and I was truly worn out at the end of the year.  I am spending some time going over many of my routines and expectations so I can start the year strong, CONSISTENT - but also caring and positive!  Over the years I have spent in Kindergarten there is a real change in the kinds of problems that are interrupting the flow of learning in the classroom.  It use to be the time it would take to work with the low students - our "learning disabled" in special education.  Now it is almost all behavior - explosive behavior that totally STOPS the work in the classroom.  These are needy children and I want to be able to help them all I can, but being by myself is not working!  I'm not sure what the answer is, because budget cuts means less aide time.  It used to be that every year you might have one or two difficult children - now it seems it is four or five with three or more ready to jump on in as well!  There were several days I felt all I did was put fires out around the room.  Fortunately, my class was also bright and did very well with our Kindergarten skills.  I'm praying for maturity over the summer so they can come back ready to work and be a good student in first grade!

These are indeed challenging times in education!  But, call me crazy - I still love my job and I will be back in September ready to go!

JUNE 2009 ~

It was a great year in many ways.  We began with 29 kids in 3 all-day classes but added a fourth teacher in mid-September which brought our numbers down to about 22.  Much better!  We had many wonderful students with high skills and it was terrific to see how much they could do.  We had several who were quite challenging in their behavior and others who were our "time consumers" - those who need a lot of reminders or extra help always.  All of our kiddos were great and they all made a lot of progress.  We enjoyed them and, as always, it was a happy/sad situation on the last day of school when we said our good-byes.  We wish them well - and know that they will love the challenges and the fun of first grade.