3-2-1 Teacher Bio

Happy Summer Everyone! Since school is out, I decided to join the Weekend Warriors in their 3-2-1 Teacher Bio Challenge.

Ready to learn some fun/or not so fun facts about me? Ready? Set... GO!

1. Everything I have I give to teaching. You see I don't have children of my own, so my 28 little monkeys in my Jungle, I treat them as if they are my own. It sounds nice and pretty, but really at the end of the day I go home lay on my bed and I'm out cold till my husband comes and wakes me up! So yes I give it all, but I need to learn to save some of that energy for me too! LOL

2. Since I teach Kindergarten I feel it is important to keep learning as exciting and engaging as possible. My class does Cosmic Kids YOGA regularly and they love it! (and so do I)

3. I am obsessed with classroom environment. What would a classroom be without it? BORING. So in my jungle I love all things leopard, neon pink and green and any other animal print you can find!

1. Yes I am addicted, and no I do not want to quit.

2. Health and being active are very important to me so I am a Vegan and I LOVE to exercise. I teach fitness and yoga classes but some personal yoga time on the beach or surrounded by nature is my favourite place to be!

I would love to give back. Ideally I would love to go visit my sponsor child in Indonesia, but any place where I could share my love and passion for others is a must on my bucket list.

Well, there you have it! I have shared a little bit about me, now its your time to share a little bit about you!

Try

I absolutely love Colbie Caillat and I love her song "Try" however after you watch this video (especially if you are a grandma, mom, wife, woman or girl) this video speaks directly to you and I am sure you will be a fan!

Gifts-A-Plenty

I can't believe that today is the last day of school. Today our SK's graduated into Grade 1's and our Juniors have now become Seniors! My little monkeys have all grown up! A BIG shout out to all of the thoughtful parents out there (you know who you are) for the fabulous gifts, I am truly flattered.
Speaking of thoughtful gifts (not to brag) but check out the DIY gift that I made my fabulous teaching partner!

BEFORE

AFTER

What do you think??????

Father's Day Tic Tac Toe

I am so excited about our Father's Day Gift here in Kindergarten! Check it out below. Its a Tic Tac Toe game made on a maple tree wood piece. We sanded it, painted it, podged it and voila! The kids sorted the rocks into dark and light piles and selected their own. I have to admit the best part is the new tool that I got to buy for this craft. Its called a Wood Burning Pen it was kind of tricky to start off with, but with a few practices I got the hang of it! That way the kids names and date were burned into the wood on the back.

Using the Wood Burning Pen

Our finished product

We had the chance to even play our Tic Tac Toe games with our Dad's. Check out the pics below!

Happy Father's Day From Kindergarten

Fathers Day from lklassen on Vimeo.

My Top 10 Picture Books

You always visit blogs or Pinterest (my addiction) where people post their favourite books. So I thought I would create my own list, sharing some of my faves.

10. Don't Laugh at Me (Steve Seskin)

I really like this books because it helps teach kids compassion and empathy. Seskin displays images of all different kinds of children and how they are different, but loved the same. It also comes with a CD to sing along to. Don't laugh at me....Don't call me names....

9. The Paper Bag Princess (Robert Munsch)

This Robert Munsch book is a classic for both children and adults. It tells the story of Princess Elizabeth who tries to rescue Prince Donald from a fiery dragon. The last page of the book is my favourite and the kids too!!!!

8. Such a Prince (Dan Bar-el)

This story is similar to a mixed up fairy tale. But has humour that will keep both parents and children entertained. With a hilarious fairy godmother, a rude king, a simple boy and a spunky princess this non-traditional fairy tale will have you wanting more. It won a Canadian Blue Spruce Award and once you read it, you will see why!!!!

7. The Lorax (Dr. Seuss)

Before the world was interested in "going green" Dr. Seuss was ahead of his time. This story is a must for the new generation, with quirky characters like Brown Bar-Ba-Loots, the Onceler and Truffula Trees. It helps to teach children about protecting our environment and that they CAN make a difference.

6. Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed (Emily Pearson)

In this feel good book, Mary completes a few acts of kindness (extraordinary deeds) and it is able to come around full circle. This book is sure to inspire kindness and the spreading of good deeds!

5. Koala Lou (Mem Fox)

When I lived in Australia, I fell in love with Mem Fox books. I could have created a top ten list with just her! But this is not that kind of list. This story shows the love between a child and their mother. Koala Lou desires her moms attention so she enters in the Bush Olympics. This book is filled with glorious Australian Animals and is a great story to read to your little one just before bed.

4. The Balloon Tree (Pheobe Gilman)

If Pheobe Gilman is not one of your favourite children's book authors, she will be now! Princess Leora loves balloons, but when the evil archduke locks her in her room she asks for help from a wizard and a small boy. This imaginative and playful story is a classic!

3. One (Kathyrn Otoshi)

This book is fabulous for Kindergarten. Not only does it talk about colours and numbers it also talks about bullying and having the courage to stand up for yourself and your friends.

2. Something From Nothing (Pheobe Gilman)

Every child can relate to this story. When Joseph receives a special gift from his grandfather (a blanket) his grandfather he turns it into a jacket, a button and finally a story.

And my favourite picture book of all time ..... drumroll please...... is a classic......

1. The Giving Tree (Shel Silverstein)



Another classic story of ultimate love. This may be one of my favourites as my dad read it to me as a little girl, but either way who doesn't love the idea of giving to others, even if you don't receive anything in return. This story was written 50 years ago and is illustrated in black and white. However, it doesn't need any colour on its pages, as the life of the story is what makes it alive and bright!