January Days

Not every day has to be full of special crazy activities!  Some days are just plain.  Some days are just practice.  Some days the special gets cancelled.  Some days have a special and a change in schedule.

Have a variety of things that you can pull out to fill an unexpected slot of time!  I used the popsicle sticks and mini erasers and plopped myself on the floor and invited the students to join me.  I taught them how to play tic-tac-toe.  It was fun.  Another time I taught them to play UNO.  Yet another time, I used the box of money and handed individuals coins and they had to tell me how much they had. 

Don't be afraid to change it up and sit on the floor instead of standing in front of the class.  Let the children sit around you and even lean on you.  As they gather around, they will play with your hair or hold your hand as they talk.  They will ask you questions about all sorts of things.

Grown-ups, we have a scope and sequence for learning to accomplish.  But January days can be hard!  Slow down, sit down, and take some time to build relationships.  Things get harder in Kindergarten in January...if you want the students to listen and respond to you...you need to do the same to them!