Preparing for the Best

The last couple of weeks  have been filled with prep for my classroom and students for the new year. We don't start until after Labor Day but I don't like to be rushed at the last minute so I've been working on it a little at a time.

It's funny how this time of year we never think about how we (as teachers) will be feeling around February 20th or so....tired, irritated, impatient, desperate for Spring break! We set out....preparing for the best year we can - Going the extra mile to be sure our students are welcomed and excited about the new year and learning. But somewhere along the way... some of us ...me .....lose steam.

I learned a few lessons last year that I hope will help me in the coming year. I've also brushed up on some classroom management tips over the summer to help me deal with those problems that arise (in other classes...not mine, of course!) I'm spending time in prayer for each family that will walk a child through my door on September 6. For whatever reason God has placed them in my class, I pray that I'll be up for the task and sensitive to what God wants.

And come along February 20th when I'm tired and wishing for summer, I will try to remember that these children deserve the best all year long. That God deserves my best, all year long. That my boss deserves my best all year long. Anything less than that is preparing for failure. It's preparing to start strong and finish weak. To be a bad steward instead of one who works diligently. It's taking advantage of a paycheck without doing the work to earn it. And that's just wrong.

I hope that as a teacher who knows that my responsibilities go way farther than the 3 r's, I will openly share Christ in everyday actions, lessons, prayer and conversations. After all, that will be more important than any math and reading and handwriting I teach.

Mother's Day Artwork

Each student in my preschool class made one of these paintings for their mom for Mother's Day. They turned out super cute!

Here's how you do it:

Supplies:

canvas mats (found mine at Walmart near the acrylic paints)

green acrylic paint

blue acrylic paint

white acrylic paint

brown acrylic paint

pink acrylic paint

stencil paint brushes

pencil

Directions:

1. Place your canvas mat vertically and draw a light pencil line slightly below the halfway point on the board. This will be the dividing line between your sky and grass.

2. Take a small amount of green paint and dab you stencil brush in it. Using an up and down motion stomp off some of the excess. Then begin pouncing the green paint in the up and down motion below the pencil line. This creates an illusion of texture.

3. Repeat the same directions as #2 but using blue paint for the sky. Allow to dry completely

4. Take child's arm paint fingers, palm and halfway if the arm with brown paint. Place arm down on canvas where the brown on the arm is placed at or below the halfway point of the green. Any further up and the fingers will be off the canvass. This creates the tree and branches. Allow to dry completely.

5. Place pink paint and white paint on paper plate. Then mix a little white and pink together to make three separate colors...(pink, light pink and white). Take a small stencil brush and using same up and down motion as before pounce on each finger (branch) and cover palm. This will give the illusion of cherry blossoms. You might also like to paint some on the grass to look like they have fallen from the tree. All to dry.

The kids loved seeing how great their work turned out. They did an awesome job being patient (it took us a week to complete all the steps).