Leader in Me

My new school is a Leader in Me school.  What that means is that all the teachers are getting three days of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  Then we will have one day of training and planning to implement Leader in Me in our classrooms and our school.  We are doing three days of the 7 habits because the idea is that this isn't just another program to implement and teach, this is a framework from the ground up.  It starts with us buying into the 7 habits and using them in our lives. I had read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People years ago and I had a FranklinCovey planing system for years.  In other words it won't take much for me to buy in.  

As for implementing Leader in Me in my special education preschool.......I am still thinking about the specifics.  I am thinking about the things we teach our students that are not lessons.  What they learn from our actions, the routines, the schedule how we treat people and even the atmosphere we create.  

Habit 1 - Be Proactive 

      We foster independence and self-determination throughout the school day.  Students are responsible for their own belongings, they participate in daily routines and they make choices about where they want to play and who they want to play with. 

Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind

     We review the schedule for the day, we talk about any surprises/changes to the schedule. 

Habit 3 - Put First Things First

      We do our 'work' before we play and we clean-up before we go outside.

Habit 4 - Think Win-Win

      We are constantly modeling how to treat others, now to problem solve and ways to encourage and congratulate others.

Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood

     We teach problem solving and friendship skills.  

Habit 6 - Synergize 

    We encourage students to play together and with different peers each day.  We group them for projects mad model and teach how to work together.  

Habit 7 - Sharpen the Saw

     We are consistent.  The most important thing is to be consistent and just keep going.  

In my classroom Leader in Me will mean using some different vocabulary for things I already do.  I will of course explicitly teach the 7 habits in an age appropriate manner. 

 Over at First Grade and Fabulous she has posters for the 7 habits and picture books that she uses.  I think picture books are the most age appropriate manner you can find.  It will be interesting to see how it all comes together this year.  I will do my best to keep you updated and what I try.  

Linky Party #4. Rhyming

Here we go.......

My current #1 rhyming book is.....

  

#2  -  I love books that go together.  Not really a series because they aren't connected but they have the same characters.

#3 - Really all of these are great.  They are so much more than rhyming books.

#4. -  I just picked this one up today!  Just really a cute and short book.  

Subway Art

I am so excited about my newest idea.   Have you seen subway art?  I found, though Pinterest, a blog with subway art to download.  Then the other day I got one of those wonderful e-mails from Shutterfly. "101 Free Prints"!     Because of my wonderful timing I had recently printed all the pictures from our last trip and didn't have anything else pressing to print.   And hen a little light bulb went off.  The subway art downloads and prints as a picture.  

Eighteen25

So, on the last night for the "101 Free Prints" (Again my timing is impeccable) I begin downloading the subway art from eighteen25  And then I upload it into Shutterfly.  These downloads are meant to print as 8x10 or 16x20.  And that of course is what I do (if you have guessed what happens next then you are a step ahead of me).  I crop the photos, order several of each and then try to use my "101 Free Prints".   
And here comes the surprise....."101 Free Prints" is for 4x6 size only.  After a moment to collect myself I came up with a new plan.  Keep in mind that this is still the last night for the "101 Free Prints" and it is getting later and later.  I just can't give up at this point.  Now I begin again.  I delete everything and download again, upload to Picssa.  Now my plan comes into action, Picssa has a an edit feature where I can resize the pictures.  Then of course I have to save the new files and upload them to Shutterfly (again). This plan works and I have beautiful subway art ready to go at 4x6.

  

This is how my pictures  turned out. 

I bought a frame on sale at Target because I couldn't wait to see it all finished.

 

My plan is to put one of each and a frame together as a cute little gift for my friends.  I also thought it would be cute with a two opening frame.  If you were organized you could have a Halloween picture to go with the Halloween subway art.  You know, if you were that organized. 

Linky Post #3

  

1. Mouse Was Mad

 2.  Marvin Gets Mad




























3.  Have You Filled a Bucket Today? - One of the best ways to teach little minds about feelings and consequences of their actions. 

4.  The Duckling Gets a Cookie - A great book about manners.

5.  Winners Never Quit - Keep trying, it's okay to loose.  

6.  Yes We Can! - Friendship and working with friends.

The second Linky Party post.  Books about math. 

1. One Green Frog  -   Book with circles for each animal. Great interacive and tactile book.

 

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2. I'm Dirty - Counting back from 10

3. Mouse Count  - There is tons of great resources to go with this book.

4. Apple Countdown

 

5. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons - Simple counting book with basic subtraction and of course Pete's rhythm and songs.

I am going to try my first Linky Party.  First Grade and Fabulous is hosting a Linky Party all about picture books.  I love picture books and I have lots.  Mine are mostly in storage so these Linky posts will be just from my memory. 





First week books


1.Don't Eat the Teacher  -  A silly meet the teacher book.

2. Pete the Cat I Love my White Shoes -  A great song and colors it is perfect.

3. Pete the Cat Rocking in my School Shoes - I just love Pete!!! 



  








4. I'm Your Bus  -  Even the kids who don't ride the bus like to listen to this.

 

5. I Ain't Gonna Paint No More   - Because you have to have one that is just silly.

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Update

Big Changes!!!

I realize that I don't post on a regular basis and more than likely I am the only person who will read this.  I know...my own fault for not posting more and getting people to follow me.  

We are ........ moving.  It is now Ohio to Nevada to Utah!!

We have been trying to move for several years with no success but suddenly this year I was offered a position  teaching preschool special education.  Now we are packing up and looking for a house and leaving everything and everyone behind. 


Just two pictures from my last trip up to my new home.

I got to see my new school and my new classroom.  I forgot how scary it is when the room is empty; and I do mean empty.  I will post some pictures when I go back up and start working on the room. Seeing all the work there is to do gets me excited and ready to start working.  If only I didn't have to drive six hours to start working. 



Just a few of my newest Pinterest finds for my classroom.
Shape Monsters

Story Props

Shape Sorting

That's all I have for now!  You can follow my Pinterest boards to see all my other random thoughts and finds.  I will work on pictures of my newest sewing project too but here is the link to the original website (I of course got there through Pinterest)



Fat Quarter Quilt
I am a visual learner and I will post pictures to go with it.....you know kind of like a tutorial!!!
I will warn you mine is way brighter!