The beauty of Observation.

Teachers have asked me, "how and when I collect my observations for my portfolios". I can tell you that I'm collecting observations all day, everyday. Whether it's small group, large group, outdoor exploration, etc. 

I sometimes even wear a hat that says, "observing" so the children know to first go to the other adults in the room with a question if it's not an emergency. (Yes! We get the students in on the fun too!) I have a "work collector", it's usually one of the older students, who can collect work samples for me that she/he sees laying around. If it has no name, the work collector "investigates" and find out who made the work of art and files it in their work folder.

When getting my classroom organized for collecting observations, the first thing I make sure of is that I have provided myself with opportunities to document where ever I go inside the classroom. 

I have a pocket folder for blank observation sheets as well as completed ones. I usually carry these around on a ring so i can capture any dialogue or observation in the moment. 

I created this observation tool so I could easily write what I see or hear, choose the measures the observation pertain to, then put them in the child's portfolio. A quick and easy procedure. :)

I use these sheets for large/small groups. If I want to observe a specific child, I make a note at the bottom with the measure I'm looking for. This is useful if my assistant is helping with the observations because she will know exactly what to look for. 

While some observation tools are made, others are just written on paper- whatever paper closest to me.

There is no wrong or right way to collect observations. I have seen some teachers use apps. A few apps I like for documenting are Evernote, skitch, and pages. My favorite is the notepad that comes with the apple devices. It is an awesome tool because you can add pictures, make notes, and hand write. I even allow the children to write words on it & wha-la you have a measure!

I have also seen teachers use sticky notes, index cards, & their hand! (Ha ha). It's a job that has to get done by any means necessary :). 

Observations are in everything we do and is everywhere inside my classroom! 

Email me with any questions: ThaKydBlueprint@gmail.com

Want a copy of the documents you see here? Email me! 

Gifts from Brother

With our due date approaching quickly, we are seeing how our other children are growing anxious and nervous. The other day KayLei (my 4 year old) asked me if she could go back to being the baby. It was then I knew I had to celebrate them as much as possible during this time- since so much time and energy was being spent on preparing for baby. One of the things I decided to do was give the girls a gift from their new baby brother acknowledging that he knows he has big sisters and couldn't wait to see them. Also, to show the older siblings that he already knew them very well by " giving"  them gifts that they loved so much. With my 3-4 day stay at the hospital, I wanted to make sure they had a few goodies that reminded them of home and hopefully be entertained by them to help them pass the time. I attached a picture and note from baby brother..

After that I headed to target and dollar tree to pick out some of their favorite things...

I put  the small gifts  in a cupcake holder that I got on Halloween clearance from Michaels
(80 % off!!!!).

It was something that was simple and easy that they can remember forever. It requires little effort. You could even hand write a note and pack things around the house! The possibilities are endless. Just make sure you do it with love & it will be appreciated!

Xoxo,
Angie B.

Count Down!

Count down until baby arrives has officially began.

With all of our hectic schedules we have taken this week to enjoy each other, make memories, and prepare for baby as a family. The most important thing for me is making sure Baby K's sisters feels like they are included in the process. I wanted to get them ready for the new guy that will be sharing Mommy's heart.

Here's what we did...

I gathered a few pieces of construction paper and had the girls cut them into strips. After, we brainstormed ideas of what we should do together as a family, separately with just mommy and/or daddy, and if needed alone time (I kept a few as a surprise). Things we came up with were:

1. Kay'Lei's Ice cream date with Mommy & Daddy.
2. Picnic at the Park
3. Make PlayDoh
4. Movie Night- Pop Popcorn/ Make treat/ Make Pizza
5. Kay'Lei's Crispy Creme Date & Ka'Mari's Treat
6. A scrap book for Brother from Sisters
7. Paint a canvas for Brother
8. Make a special BIG sisters dinner
9. Mommy's Surprise
10. Help Mommy pack bag for hospital
11. Ka'Mari - write & illustrate a special book for baby Brother
12. Family Game Night
13. Plan days with Auntie and Grandma

As you can see, all activities involve spending time with each other. With a new baby coming into the house, we don't know how that might change the dynamics of the household. For me it's important to let the girls know i'll always have time for them and i'll love them just the same even if my attention is else where for the moment.

After we wrote the activities on the strips, we made them into rings, glued them together & hung it up. Now we are ready to go! Today we cut the number 9! It was make a scrapbook for brother. Check back to see how that goes!

Having a planned day!

I often get asked the question, how do I manage to do all that I do in a day. The answer is simple, I plan!

With school and work back in session I have no other option but to be prepared.

Trust me, this is no easy task! With two totally opposite girls, that always want to do totally different things and momma still has to work!- Yeah, It’s definitely a challenge but with a well put together schedule anything is possible.

I can’t simple give you a schedule of what we do and how we do it because everyday is different  “adventure” depending on the day of the week. But here are a very things that I do to keep my sanity and keep the girls on track and confident about the day.

Prepare: Sundays are wash days, hair days and get ready for the week days- basically everything day to prepare for the week. Sunday night the girls pick out their clothes and we label them Monday thru Friday.   

This will give us more time in the morning so we aren’t scrambling looking for clothes. When kids are rushed in the morning its affects their day at school  & we are trying to RAISE CONFIDENT KIDS, RIGHT? (But believe me, we still have those hectic morning)

-I found those cute closet tags at Sweet Bella -

Be organized: I usually do their hair at night and wrap it but it’s a must that the scarf ALWAYS comes off. So I keep all the hair essentials in a little basket so everything is in one place and easy to find.

Have a routine: To get them up and going, I use an app called “My Routine”. I place it in front of the girls and they follow the routine. It gives them so many minutes to complete a task (I give them a few more minutes then it will typically take them to complete a task, so they won’t feel rushed and they feel confident that they are achieving the goal set.

Remind yourself: My alarm on my iPhone is a life saver. I program it every week and it just keeps me reminded of what I have to do & when I have to do it. Putting it together was a little time consuming, but it saves me valuable time now.

Breathe: The girls are off to school & Mommy is off to work. I miss them dearly but they absolutely love going to school. They each have a best friend (that they also see outside of school) & it gives me a break to have some social time with grown ups and for them to have that social interaction with their peers. It also gives me time to prep for the afternoon. (A mommy job is never done)

Now after school… This is where our schedule really becomes a big deal. Before the week starts, we write out what we are scheduled for, for the week. We write it on an old white board- nothing fancy. We also set a goal for the week. This gives them a little incentive. Since we praise the effort made & hard work put forth, not the end result, they always have something to be excited for!

Don’t make unnecessary trips: With active girls, I must keep them hydrated and eating healthy. Kaylei is a health food junky & KaMari absolutely loves working out – she would seriously run a mile and do cardio for fun (I hit the lotto with these two).

Every week I buy fresh fruit and vegetables and wash and package them. KaMari loves fruit and Kaylei loves raw vegetables. This saves time & money because I don’t have to make the trip to the store while we are on the go.

Remember to PREPARE. Whatever activities the girls have for the day, it’s planned for. All bags (cheer, dance, sports, etc) are packed for the week. 

When KaMari figures out what day of the week it is, she grabs the bag for the activity she has in the afternoon. Pretty simple- all her workout clothes are kept in the bag with everything else she needs. The bags go into the car in the morning and we are ready to go. KayLei is still a work in progress :-)

If they have anything that they’re working on or anything I want to teach them at home, it is laid out in the morning. It saves us time when we get home instead of having to get everything out.

KaMari is in second grade and her teacher has a strict policy on reading every night. So, her book & index cards are left opened and ready to read as soon as she settles in for bed. She is encouraged to highlight words she doesn’t know, write them on the index cards and find the definition. She writes them on the index cards so that she can review them during the week. This allows her to become comfortable & confident with the words she’s learning.

Know your children's interest: Pick out books, activities, etc that your kids love. KaMari is a mine crafter (if that's even a word) so i buy books and activities that relates to her interest. The time it would take you to try and force them to read something or do something that they are not interested, is too much time wasted.  

As long as you prepare to succeed, you will succeed. Have fun- squeeze in those free moments and enjoy the company of your children. 

LoveLove, Angie Bei