My Teaching Closet

Hello there everyone me name is Malinda and I would like to welcome you to my blog!!!! I am a very busy person but I wouldn't have it any other way. It does seem to make my days go by faster and I feel blessed that I can offer people so much each and every day. I was born and raised in Central PA where I have an AMAZING family that is my life.  I have two wonderful boys ages 8 and 3 and a wonderful step daughter whom is 8. My husband is in the long process of Adopting my oldest son but when everything is finale all the stress will be more than worth it in the end. On July 21,2012 I married my best friend Keith. Like everyone else we have had our bumps in the road but he has been so supportive in my dreams and my goals. Without him I can't say that I would have been able to succeed as far as I have. He has given me the nudge to reach my dreams and do what I need to do to achieve it and supports me 110%. I have been teaching Preschool for 15 years and with all the new requirements for a preschool teaching I have had to obtain a college education. I had feared that I would no longer be able to proceed with my dreams of helping the children with their early education that they are in need of to succeed themselves. In April 2009 my husband had convinced me that I can do anything that I want to if I apply myself so I enrolled at University of Phoenix where I completed my Associates Degree in Elementary Education.  After the completion of my degree I was able to return back to teaching preschool and have so much fun doing so. In October 2012 I decided it was time to further my education so I enrolled back at University of Phoenix where I am currently earning my Bachelors Degree in Phycology. I currently am employed at a local Christian Daycare where I am the Head Teacher of the School Age class. This is a great group of children to work with and to be able to share so many things with them.

My WONDERFUL family!









I have started my blog because I want to be able to give back to people as they have been so grateful to give to my family and I. I would like to be able to add some helpful teaching tips, lessons, and stories to my blog. Everything that I will post will be free of charge since I know that teaching isn't a profession that makes a lot of money. If your like myself I give back over 50% that I earn into my classroom and supplies that I need to provide a better education.  

 

I just took over the School Age group this month and they wanted to do our first lesson on Ice Cream! YEAH for me its my favorite treat and sounded so exciting to learn more about the history, science, and creating crafts that look oh so tasteful. Our center uses a KWL Chart so that the class can tell us everything they know already, ask questions about what they want to know and than as we are learning we write down our answers.

 

This is an example of a KWL chart. I use poster board.

 







 Our first science lesson was so much fun we made Ice Cream Dough and after we learned about the science behind it we added it to our sensory table for a couple of weeks. I did get the idea from Pintrest and I would like to share with you the links if you are interested. This week we will be doing another experiment called Ice Cream Goo as well as using shaving cream and food colored ice cubes.

 

 

  Ice Cream Dough

Ice Cream Goo 

        Shaving Cream and Colored Ice Cubes

 

 

 

For our arts and crafts we used foam paint and added that to the top of a paper ice cream cone.

 

This was so much fun and they all loved the feeling.

 

Please come back to visit as I will be adding more ideas and pictures as we learn more about Ice Cream.

 

Since school is out and NO ONE ever wants to read our class will be having a "Build Your Own Sundae Party". As a class we have decided that we would set a goal to read 50 books both in class and at home. We keep track of them by adding a scoop of ice cream to our sundae dish that we have on our classroom door. (picture will be posted soon) Our catch phrase for our door is "I scream you scream School Age reads for Ice Cream"! Once I came up with this idea the kiddos all loved it and asked what if we read 100 books, 150 books, and  than 200 books. I had to think fast with an answer so my assistant and I felt that if they are eager to keep reading why not run with the idea of having other special days. So, that is what we will be doing. Our new rewards are at 100 we will be making Root Beer Floats, 150  cookie ice cream sandwiches, and at 200 we will have our preschool class's vote for their favorite invented ice cream that our class room made. We grouped the children into pairs and each group created his/her own ice cream flavor once we write our final copy we will post each groups invention in the hall way so that the preschoolers and teachers can vote for their favorite kind. The class was super excited for this idea and in our first two weeks of our lesson the class is at 75 books. We will have our sundae party this up coming week since we had 2 field trips last week we where already very busy.