Curriculum & Classroom Managment

Curriculum:
www.frogstreet.com

Frog Street Press:

We use the Frog Street Press Pre-K Curriculum, Frog Street Pre-K is a comprehensive program that integrates instruction across developmental domains and early learning disciplines. The program consists of nine themes. Each day begins with a Greeting Circle where the focus is building a sense of community. Children sing, perform a calming strategy (de-stressor), connect with classmates through fun activities, and commit to helping keep the classroom safe. Greeting Circle, is followed by a Morning Message where children are actively involved in the practice of early literacy skills.Literacy and math lessons are offered daily. Lessons are short, theme-related and filled with hands-on applications and meaningful context. Lessons spiral so that each time children return to a lesson concept or skill, they are able to expand their understanding.Frog Street Pre-K is dedicated to the concept that all children can learn when instruction stimulates curiosity, nurtures the child's interest, is delivered with joy, and is tailored to challenge each child to the edge of his or her competency. Childhood is a period of incubation. There is much to learn. The journey should be joyful. Frog Street Pre-K is filled with songs, music, hands-on materials and activities, chants, games, make-believe, and stimulation for the children's imagination. The journey is joyful from Greeting Circle to Closing Circle.

Classroom Managment
www.consciousdiscipline.com

Conscious Discipline Plan:

Maintaining a safe and well managed learning environment is one of my many priorities as a teacher. Over the last few years I have used several different techniques. I started using Conscious Discipline, Safe Place& Communication Time Machine to provide a better model and hands on way of learning the desired behaviors for our classroom. Conscious Discipline helps to build and maintain a safe family atmosphere that is conducive to learning & exploring.

Examples:
A child is not sitting and listening like a 5 star listener (eyes looking, ears listening, mouth quiet, feet still, hands in lap) during large group time. I will say “_____please show me that you are a 5 star listener and you know exactly what to do during group time” If the child continues to show me that they do not know what a 5 star listener is and how to be one I will say: “____ your behavior is showing me that you do not know how to be a 5 star listener, you may sit criss-cross with your hands in your lap or criss-cross with your hands on your feet, which do you choose.”

*I warned the child
*I provided the child time to change
*I gave the child 2 positive choices

A child has thrown a block at another student. I will say “_____you are not helping me keep our friends safe. You hit your friend with your block because you were not sure how to communicate that you were angry that he/she accidentally knocked over your castle.” I will then model for them the correct way to use our words to communicate their needs. After we have talked about the situation I will say, “You may finish your block building in the safe hoop until you can show me how we use our blocks safely.” I will use a hula hoop to place on the floor to designate a space away from the incident with a few blocks for the child to practice safe block usage.

*I let the child know that his/her actions were not safe immediately
*I helped him/her understand why he acted that way
*I modeled the correct way to re-act in that situation
*I moved him/her to a safe place to practice the appropriate behavior

Conscious discipline is a way to model the appropriate behavior, give time for the child to monitor and change their behavior on their own as well as provide the child the ability to maintain their self control and make choices that benefit themselves as well as our classroom family. This technique also teaches the children to take responsibility for their actions and the rewards or consequences that will follow their choices. Should your child have to practice a broken commitment, I will mark in their folder what commitment your child did not keep for that day. Please visit the Conscious Discipline website to learn more about conscious discipline and how it used our classroom.

Safe Place: In our classroom there is a small quiet space with puppets, family & friends board, kissing hands, drawing paper, stress squeezers, calm down sparkle jar, and anchor charts that remind the students about the calm down techniques. The Safe Place is for children who are upset, sad, mad, scared, angry, frustrated, etc. It is not used as a time-out or punishment but rather a place for the child to regain their self control on their own. Sometimes I will offer my assistance in the safe place and other times the child likes to be left to calm down on their own. Please visit the Conscious Discipline website to learn more about how the Safe Place is operated and how you can use these same techniques at home.
Sources:
www.consciousdiscipline.com

Communication Time Machine: In our classroom there is a small quiet space with puppets, drawing paper, and anchor charts that remind the students about the conflict resolution techniques. The Communication Time Machine is for children to invite a friend who has upset them in some way to work out their problems together. Sometimes I will offer my assistance in the Communication Time Machine and other times the children like to be left to work out their problems on their own. Please visit the Conscious Discipline website to learn more about Conflict Resolution through the Time Machine.
Sources:
www.consciousdiscipline.com