Bathroom Rules

OY!

The things one learns in Kindergarten and needs to be taught during the first week of school amazes me! Did you know that you have to explicitly tell students how to use a bathroom? I didn't!

BIG MISTAKE!

There is a bathroom in the classroom. I taught them to raise their hand to ask to go to the bathroom and that only one can go at a time. Students learned this procedure and quickly raises their hands to ask. (Pats self on back.)

Child raises hand to ask to go. I give permission. Student goes to the bathroom and LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN! Oy!

Ah... class, when you go to the restroom please make sure you close the bathroom door. Make sure the light is on before you close the door. When you leave the bathroom please turn off the light and leave the door open. If the door is closed, knock and wait for an answer to be sure no one is in there. 

There fixed that right up.

Later that day -- student comes out of the bathroom half dressed. Ah... students you must put on all of your clothes and make sure they are buttoned before leaving the bathroom.

A friend of mine sent me her list of bathroom rules and procedures for Kindergarten but says she has used it in third grade as well. Things she includes: how to sit on a toilet, how to use a urinal, how to open and close bathroom stalls, how to flush a toilet, how much toilet paper to use, how to wash your hands, how to dry your hands, how many paper towels to use, throwing away your trash, no messes, belt buckles and buttons: a challenging obstacle.

REALLY?? Don't parents teach their kids these things?

Moving on... how do you manage the question of how to use the bathroom in your classroom? If a student asks do you let him go?

This past week we had an incident with one of my special needs sons. He needed to use the restroom. The teacher said not until lunch in 20 minutes. Said son couldn't wait. Teacher said no to an emergency. Son had an accident. The kids laughed. He went to the nurse to change and came home crying. He is in 4th grade.

This is part of his brain thing but they will not do his IEP until he goes through SAT first as it is a private recommendation and they need to have proof. MRIs, CTs, and neurological exams are not proof. I will digress on that one for now.

I understand the teacher needs to teach and the student needs to be in the room. I understand this is especially important for special needs kids as they need the added support. But where is the line on this issue?

My third grader is also having issues with this topic.

My husband is an EMT. I had heat stroke this week from being out in 115+ temps when I shouldn't have been. I got the lecture from hubby's friends that in this weather you should be going to the bathroom every hour or you are dehydrated and will have issues.  I know this but I was teaching that day and teachers can't go every hour. I am sorry. We can't. They argued as this is what I get for not listening. Humpf!

Back to my third grader... he believes his daddy can walk on water. (Ask him he will swear it is true. I have failed to convince him otherwise.) So he does as daddy does. Everything that daddy does even the things I wish daddy wouldn't do he does. So daddy says drink lots of water. He does and as a result has to go potty all the time. His teacher is annoyed. I would be too!!

So now I am getting emails like "your son went to the bathroom 4 times today prior to 11:30 (our lunch) and 3 times after 11:50 (when lunch ends)." This is on a daily basis. It is better it was 6 times before lunch! He cut it down by half but that is still a lot. He is academically advanced so there is not a concern he is missing something that he needs to learn. It is just that he is setting a bad example.

Hubby and the EMTs say it is healthy. His pediatrician says it is healthy. The school says its against policy. So now what? He is getting his card turned to yellow as he is out of the room too much. I don't know what to do.

Then I have my eighth grader who as 2 minutes between classes to "use the restroom" or he has a 12 passes he can utilize in a quarter to go. So he is severely dehydrated as he refuses to drink water as there is no time to go to the restroom. My hubby is ticked on that one.

So my question is... where is the bathroom line? Are the school rules fair to teachers and students? What do you do when it is over 100 degrees outside? What do I tell my children's teachers and school?

Sigh..... who knew a bathroom could cause so many questions or issues!

Pete the Cat: Confession & Freebie

I have been meaning to share with all of you some of the things that I did and used for my time in Kindergarten. Below are the materials I uploaded to SCRIBD as a thank you for all of your support!!

Melonheadz Illustrating did all of the graphics for this. Thanks Nikki!! Please do not copy the graphics from this for use with other items - it is in violation of Nikki's copyright on these materials.

  

Confession: When everyone started raving about Pete the Cat I thought "what's the big deal? Its another story about a cat. Sounds like a Dr. Seuss wanna be to me." So I ignored Pete the Cat until last week. Then I read one page of the book and was sold.

I was making up my own "rocking in my school shoes" versus all the way home from the bookstore while my hubby was wondering why he married someone so crazy. Poor hubby! I was singing "I am riding home in my school shoes, I am riding home in my school shoes." Hubby was not impressed with my song.

Then when I got home my kids saw the Barnes and Noble bag and went cuckoo cuckoo - a normal reaction around here when new books are spotted. So we sat down to read the book only to figure out some of "my" song lyrics are in the book! All the boys loved it even the 8th grader!

The song can still be heard around my home "I am doing the dishes in my bare feet, I am doing the dishes in my bare feet." Poor hubby wants to know why it is so contagious and how not to catch it. I created a few things to go with the book. There are 2 pages for the student to draw themselves on the first day of school and then a color matching game.

I am trying our SCRIBD for the first time as these items can no longer be uploaded to TpT or TN. We will see how this works.  I am hoping to make a few more items when I have more time but that is not now.


I hope you enjoy!

I think I may need this little guy for my classroom. Isn't he cute? Wouldn't he look nice in my library?

I will be "reading my textbook in my pjs, reading my textbook in my pjs, reading my textbook in my pjs" today.

911!!! I need a Kindergarten teacher!! HEEEELLLP!!

Okay -- I am COMPLETELY CRAZY!! 

I know this is my second post of the day but I am really and truly freaking myself out and need help.

I got asked to teach KINDERGARTEN starting on Monday. Monday is the first day back for these kiddos. I am trying to find out if I have access to the room to prepare or not. I am just the sub filling in until they can hire someone OR we may turn me into a teaching intern and it could be mine for the entire year. The jury is still out on this one.

So we don't know if I will have access or not. We don't know if the room is set up or not but we can assume not and I have no lesson plans prepared. I have never taught procedures before. I was planning on learning how to set up a classroom next week and take notes watching others teach procedures.

 I AM BEING THROW TO 2 THE SHARKS!!

Hubby says not to worry they are only 2 feet tall. 

I reminded him that the most poisonous scorpions are the babies.

I asked hubby and he said that it was best that I say yes and be willing to take one for the team. I love my school district and I know they will support me but YIKES. I need help. Here is my list of questions... you know I am gonna be pinteresting and blogstalking for Kindergarten first day ideas.

1 - Do I simply teach procedures how I would do it?
2 - What do I tell parents who arrive? Ummm... hopefully we will have a teacher for ya soon but if not you are stuck with me!
3 - What activities should I have planned for the first day(s) of school?
4 - Should I bring the kids a treat?
5 - Do Kindergarteners take naps?

AHHHHHHHH!

Breathe - in and out, in and out!

Right now, I will be with the kids for the entire first week of school guaranteed. If they hire someone she/he will start on week 2 at the earliest. 

Where to begin!!!?? 

And HOW?

That is my biggest question!

Teacher Must-Haves!

One of my goals has been to compile a list of things that I needed to purchase for my classroom. I have slowly been creating this but it has been an ongoing challenge. Part of the reason being that there are some things that are simply grade-specific or school-specific.

I got an email tonight from Melanie at Schoolgirl Style sharing her list of teacher must-haves that was compiled by several teacher bloggers. LOVE IT!!

Now while I think this is a great list... I think it is also assuming that you are not a brand new teacher and already have a few things. For those of us who are new, here is what I have been gathering for the last year. I have not finished collecting all of these things but I have a good chunk of it stored throughout my house.

So I would add.... 

~ A good pencil sharpener
~ 2 sharpened pencils per student ready for the first day
~ A paper cutter
~ 2 pairs of good adult-size scissors
~20-30 plastic shoe boxes
~ 5-10 index card holders or plastic travel soap box containers
~ 3-5 rolls of decorative tape
~ 2-3 rolls of clear packing tape
~ 10-15 packages of border
~ a way to store your borders
~ 15-20 yards of fabric
~ 3 rolls of wrapping paper
~ Silhouette Cameo or Cricut
~ Modge Podge
~ 10-20 magazine holders
~ 10 clear-view binders of varying widths
~ 3-5 crates
~ 1 clipboard per studnet
~ 1 individual sized white board per student
~ 20-30 whiteboard markers
~ 20-30 sharpie markers of varies colors and tips
~ 2 packages of smelly markers
~ 3-5 $1 Target pocket charts
~ 2-3 boxes of thumb tacks
~ a good stapler and lots of staples
~ personal laminator & laminating sheets
~ color printer & lots of ink
~ 1-2 stopwatches
~ 1-2 whistles

What would you add to my list?

ABC Countdown

The end of the year is here! I know so many of you have already begun your countdowns but I wanted to share a few more ideas with all of you that I ran across in several classes during my last practicum.

Have you heard of the ABC End of the Year Count Down? It is such a great idea! I love this! =)

Each day you have a special end of the year activity to do beginning with a specific letter of the alphabet. One of the classes I was in used the book "Let Us Draw" by Frank Webb to turn the letter of the day into a picture.

This is one for the letter H. I removed the teacher's first and last name from the example. Can you see the H? The students copied each step of this and were so excited. They were "predicting" and using their "inference" skills to guess what it would be! They even had a chance to work on their handwriting!

Here is the finished product. Sorry about the flash!

I copied all the letters she had but she was missing I and J. =( And the book it out of print. I am searching for an alternative as this was so much fun, the kids loved it, it teaches them art (which many schools are no longer doing), and works on their fine motor skills (which even adults could use some practice with).

 A lot of these are fun but there is still more learning to do. In a different class I was in, they had a packet to complete that went with the letter/theme of the day. It was primarily review but it still provided proof of mastery over the concept.

I got to thinking, this count down could be used to fill in the wholes and to do one last "make sure you got it" before the end of the year. A could be for addition, S for subtraction, F for Fractions, N for Nets, S for the Scientific Method, T for Technology, B for balance, P for planets, plants, or photosynthesis. Whatever last minute concepts that need to be taught or reinforced.

What about using this idea at the beginning of the year? A quick review of things learned in previous grades, while introducing the procedures, expectations, and topics of the current year. A - Addition. B - Buddy system (homework buddies, reading buddies, finding a new buddy to play with at recess), C - Classroom Management, etc...

What about a backwards countdown starting from Z?

The ideas are endless! I created a freebie for all of you with some ideas for each letter to get you started. It is available at my TpT store. Enjoy!