Who Has An Opinion?

Opinions......Opinions.....Opinions.....

I think we are all full of them.

However, there is no one more full of opinions than a Kindergartener.  That's a fact!

The hardest part about teaching facts and opinions is that kids always think that their opinion is a fact.

Child:  Broccoli is yucky.  That's a fact.
Teacher:  No, honey, that's your opinion.
Child:  No, it's true that I don't like broccoli.

Actually, I don't know why anyone would argue with that!

Now - if I tell you that dogs are the best creatures on this planet - well that would certainly be a fact!  Ha!

I can understand why this is a hard concept for kids.

I made a product to help make writing opinion pieces a little easier.  They are simple sentence starters about a variety of fall topics. You can even make a class book out of it!  Just click on the link below.

Opinion Writing Class Books

Enjoy!

I Love Kindergarten

Well, well, well, my imaginary friends (soon to be hopefully real friends who read this) - I just completed my third week of Kindergarten and I'm in love!  I taught kindergarten a long time ago (I'll refrain from saying "In a galaxy far, far away") and then I taught first grade for a few years.  But I'm back and loving every minute of it!

I teach two sessions each day.  It's busy and crazy AND... did I say BUSY? 

Between recess, snack and specials I get to teach a little over two hours each session.  My goal this year is to share what I'm doing with my kids, show you my classroom and find a few followers.  However, if anyone wants to follow the Yellow Brick Road - I must warn you that we're NOT in Kansas anymore.  

Nope!

We are in Kindergarten!

Here is my day:

Enter/Take Home folder in chair pocket/clip in for milk choice
Morning Meeting (or afternoon) - calendar/phonological awareness/Zoo Phonics    
                                                     practice/story (with story elements)
Reading Group and Centers
Writing (choice and prompts based on theme)
Recess
Special
Snack
Math
Go Home (What?  We just got here)

So, social studies and science themes must be incorporated into my reading, writing and math in order to fit it all in.  It has not been perfect but we're just getting to the meat of instruction NOW.  So I guess that means that perfection is coming!  Ha!  Ha!   

I might live in dinosaur land because I don't see many teacher blogs out there who teach 1/2 day kindergarten.  Tell me it isn't so...........I actually like half day because it forces me to be intentional with what I do and I really don't hear ("When do we go HOME?").  However, I'm worried about fitting in all of Common Core!   

So come join me on my adventure.  I can't wait to see your adventure too!