Robots

I know it's been a long while since I've blogged. I have a lot of catching up to do, but I promise that it will be lots of fun. Almost as much fun as a preschooler discovering a sprinkled donut in her lunch box. Yup. THAT MUCH fun.

One of my art activities this week was to make robots with the children. They turned out really cool. Check them out.

 

 

 

I used dixie cups, aluminum tape, plastic pony beads, pipe cleaners, googly eyes and stick-on eyes, and masking tape. I was able to incorporate a lot into this activity. Counting the beads and eyes allowed the children to practice math. Stringing the beads alowed them to practice their fine motor skills. I pretty much just let them decide how they wanted their robots to look. Teacher initiated, but child-centered. I had fun. They had fun. I can't wait for our school's art show. These robots are taking up my workspace!

Emergent Writing

Ava's Version of Emergent Literacy and Writing

The sink...

...the bench...

and the toilet!

After I told her that I was really glad that she was practicing writing the letters to her name, I suggested that it would be better to do it on paper.  We took pictures of it so that she can have a memory of her writing her name. Then she helped me clean it up.

Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes Galore!

Ava was on a pancake kick for a while. So I incorporated some math and reading into her breakfast.  She helped me gather the ingredients for the pancakes, then I lined up the ingredients from left to right (because we read from left to right) and walked her through the process of adding and mixing the ingredients together. I used a spoon to "draw" the pancakes on the pan. Although I don't really like using food coloring in food that I prepare, I figured a little bit wouldn't hurt.

I love cooking with children. It's a great way to promote math, literacy, and science (liquids turn into solids, and solids can turn into liquids). Here are some of the pancakes from our Friday pancake parties:

The Very Hungry Catterpillar

 

Angry Bird

Brobee

Back to basics with some Minnie Mouse pancakes.

She loves Justin Bieber. He even has a mic.

Bugs!

Ninjas too!

Five Green and Speckled Frogs

I made five green and speckled frogs for our classroom. We found a nifty felt board that wasn't being used, so I figured it was time to get crafty. I busted out with my felt, scissors, and glue gun and here's the end result:

The children enjoy having a visual aid for some of our songs and stories.  It helps them engage more during circle time. I didn't use any patterns for my frogs, log, or pool of water. I like Henri Matisse's concept of "drawing with scissors" which allows me to cut free form. Pencils and patterns are overrated sometimes. All you really need is an active imagination and some scissors.

Rainy Day Activity

So the girls and I got a little creative on a rainy day. We made paper mache hamsters and did some creative writing. Maya and I are still in the process of finishing the story. Unfortunately there were some technical difficulties uploading the video of our story. I'll post it after I figure out what the technical issues are. Let's just say it's our take on the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" but with hamsters. Hah.

We also used the home-made paste called "gaw-gaw."  When I was growing up in the Philippines, I remember my Mom and Pops making this on the stove to keep up with my demand for more paste to use for my arts and crafts. The best part? It's made out of ingredients you already have at home. The gaw-gaw recipe I used is from www.baguio-city.net.  This recipe makes enough to fill a 32 oz. jar and then some. Great for classroom use and safe for children to eat.

Gaw-Gaw Recipe from www.baguio-city.net

Ingredients:
4 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
3/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons vinegar (optional)

Procedure:
Mix the cold water and the flour until well-blended. Make sure there are no lumps, so you can use a whisk. If you would like the paste to keep for more than a week, add the vinegar. Pour the mixture into the boiling water (over medium heat). Stir constantly. Soon, the mixture will thicken and turn into a gooey consistency. This will take about three to four minutes. Set aside and let cool.

There Are Pirates in My Classroom!

I made something cool. My brother gave me a box with other really cool cardboard pieces. I got my duct tape and went bananas making a pirate ship.

Maya and Ava were kind enough to test it out for me. It's kinda cool how they like to visit my classroom and check out what I do. I'm also fortunate that their parents let me try out my lesson plans on them. Hehe.

Yes, it even has a gate!

Aaaargh matey!

Oh, The Places You Will Go!

It's been one busy year. I still can't believe that I'm done with my teaching internship. Even the summer program went by quickly. I miss the children, but most of all, I miss my co-teachers. I can honestly say that each of us brought something different to the program, which allowed us to be more creative in our curriculum planning. Ashley, if you're reading this, I will miss all the baked goods you brought every Thursday to our meetings. I'm glad to have made some new friends for life.

I know I've neglected the blog, but I promise to update as much as I can so that everyone can see all the cool things I've been up to, both at my my teaching internship and nanny job. There's edible pancake art, an awesome cardboard pirate ship, and an improvised incubator made out of a styrofoam cooler.

Stay tuned...