Ms. Agnes's classroom

  Gradual entry for little ones at a daycare Gradual entry is an essential step for the little friends who just start their new adventures at a daycare. Therefore, making the process as smooth as possible is the key to help them to accommodate the new environment faster and then settle down.  So, how can we, as teachers, make it successful? Here are some tips. Create a friendly and  welcoming classroom I do believe the physical environment has a great influence on little children. In our classroom, there are shelves with toys as “stations” as well as table time activities. I usually like to direct the little friends to the shelves first so they can see their play options. Then, they can move to the carpet to play where they feel more comfortable or relaxed.  Acknowledge their anxiety and comfort them with gentle and calm voice  It is very common to see little friends crying for their parents at drop-off. In those moments,  I have the child sitting on my lap, telling them I understand t

  Connecting the world—the Olympic Day at the daycare The 2024 Olympics in Paris is the most highlighted and cheerful event this year. To bring our little friends to “participate” in these glorified sports games, an Olympics theme week and Special Day has been set on their school calendar.  Introduction to the Olympics We opened the Olympics week by introducing the history of the Olympics and the sports played in this event. The main focus was on the colors and the meanings of the rings. We also talked about the cities that have held the Olympics, emphasizing  the hosting city, Pairs, this year. I showed the little ones where Pairs is on the globe and reviewed the continents and countries learned last year. I also drew some of the pictograms  and had the little ones to guess what sports it is, even having them imitate the pictograms, which led to much fun.  Preparing for Olympics Day Then, in the next few days, we had been “preparing” for the Olympics Day by trying out various sports w

  Why I support product arts in early education Before answering my own question I think it is important to make clarification about the difference between proceed arts and product arts in early education. The main purpose of the product arts is to support fine motor and executive function skills while the processed art emphasizes on inspiring creativity and exploration.  So.what is produced arts? It is simple! The child knows what the “product” looks like when they begin the project. It is led by a teacher and a child is required to process the given instructions or perform certain specific techniques to achieve the end goal. To me, in the early education setting, product arts not only provide structure but also flexibility and variety. What does it mean?  1. Variety in material and techniques When the center chooses the arts and crafts, various materials and agents are considered to keep children engaged and excited. For example, we made a beehive with a piece of bubble wrap with yel

  Project-based extension activities  I used to teach all-English programs to elementary school children for years. To me, the primary purpose of learning languages is always communication. The learners  use the particular language they learn not only to express themselves but also explore the world.  Considering their age and interest, adding project-based extension activities after completing provide full informal assessment for me as well as increase their motivation of learning.  Since English is not their first language and the classroom is probably the only place they have full langage exposure, I always plan the project with all the details, including key goals, required resources and material, and timeline. I also carefully design the procedures because it usually takes several weeks to complete the task. The other core value of PBL is collaboration. Thus, when I group up my students, I pay extra attention to their personalities and capability, to ensure they can all make some

The moments…… Scenario 1 It is ok!    Child W is crying. He is almost two and has been with us since last September. Apparently, a little friend just grabbed a toy “back” from his hand. I talked to both of the boys and Child W still has a few drops of tears on his face. Then, Child L went over, giving Child W a hug, patting his back and trying to comfort him. It was a very touching moment, seeing my little one has empathy and being willing to make her friends feel loved really made my day! Scenario 2 We did it! Playhouse with mini dolls and furniture is always popular among the little ones, especially the girls. They just love dramatic plays. The pieces are stored in a container and need some “techniques” to put all of them back in the box due to the different sizes and shapes. I have demonstrated how to arrange  the pieces, starting with the biggest piece, such as sofa, closet or bed and then moving on to tables, chairs and other smaller ones. They usually need my help but this time w

  How I adapt online resources to my classroom—an eagle cardboard puzzle and feed the bird with worm activity One of the popular themes on the curricula in daycare is about birds. This spring when we have a bird as a theme, I would like to try some activities that integrate more fine motor skills with science and math concepts. Immediately, an eagle puzzle popped up in my head. Personally, the eagle is my favorite bird. Also, eagles are commonly seen in North America. I think the little ones will be fascinated with this powerful but beautiful creature.  Before I did some research online, making a 3-dimensional eagle puzzle game was already my first attempt. First, it is a great game to review the body parts of a bird. Also, by assembling the pieces, the little one not only enhances their fine motor skills but also learns how to balance the eagle.  However, I could not find any templates or samples made with cardboard online.. Instead of purchasing a pre-made wooden one, I preferred to