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2nd Day Plans


So, you made it past Day 1. You didn't lose any kids. You are a rock star! Now you are so ready for Day 2, right? Day 2 is when reality starts setting in..... For the kiddos, they are now realizing that "going to school" didn't mean a one day trip. Some will be in love with school and ready for what you can throw at them while others will be wrapping themselves tightly around their parents' legs and hanging on for dear life. Kindergarten is a MAJOR life event. Yes, kindergarten is a wonderful experience, but the first week or two of kinder can be a difficult transition for some. It's normal and it will pass! :) As for the teacher, reality begins to set in that you are now in for the long haul. You spent probably a week or more getting your room just right.....but now.....now you gotta teach. This new group of kiddos makes you long for last year's group. This new group seems so slow, so un-trained, and you are starting back over at square one. BUT, this is your expertise - you can do it! Don't fret! In no time you will have this new group up and running like a well-oiled machine! So, let's dig in -- what do you do on Day 2? Below you will find some of the things that I do on Day 2. This is by no means the "perfect day 2". I know as a teacher I love hearing what other teachers do, so I am showing you this to rev up your own engine. Teachers can get rusty - it's been a whole year since you've done Day 2, so hopefully you can gather a few good ideas here. :)

DAY 2

7:40-8:00 Kids will arrive. I will pay attention to those who remembered where to put their backpacks, lunch boxes, and where they sit. The ability to remember those things will tell me alot about those children. On each table, I will have either play dough (which they will remember using on the first day) or pattern blocks (which they used during math centers). If your school is like mine, you will surely get another new student. This day moves almost as slow as Day 1. I double check with every parent how their child goes home. Many times, kids will go home different on the first day of school as they will the rest of the year. So, I am over-cautious and just double check! :) 8:00-8:20 Math Problem Solving I read the book Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. As I read it, I model the finger play that goes with the book. Some kids naturally begin picking up on the finger play and do it with me. This book/finger play quickly becomes a class favorite. Make big number 1 poster. Draw 1 in circle in middle -- kids help me create ways to make the number 1 (stamp, drawing, glue pic, show 1 crayon, etc).... 8:20-8:35 MM/Calendar Use counting Heidi DVD (#1 and #2 songs and counting to 100 song) Kids really love these brief videos. We concentrate on learning numbers 1 and 2 this week. 8:35-8:45 Clap Your Hands song

 We also sing to Jack Be Nimble

 Here is the first ABC song we learn:

 Read and discuss No David!  Focus on how funny it is. I'm still not discussing alot about rules yet (unless I see an absolute need!)


8:45-9:00 Review Line procedures Marshmallow Mouth and Toes - reinforce lesson I taught yesterday. Visit nurse and cafeteria again. These are places they will need to know well. 9:00-9:15 Sing ABC song and do word wall chant. Yes we sing the regular ABC song that we are all familiar with. It's something the kids feel confident in singing even from day one. Plus, I'm able to notice those kiddos that don't know it (they get put on my Uh Oh! list immediately for extra help right from the beginning of school). If you'd like to know more about how we do the word wall chant, read HERE.  I also introduce the new word wall word, "I". 9:15 - 9:35 Read the book, "Who Shares?"




 What does it mean to share something? Discuss model what it looks like/doesn't look like to share. Introduce Home center - yes I believe all kinder classrooms should have one although I understand many don't :( - make a looks like/sounds like chart for Home center. Model and have kids model what you can and cannot do in this center. One table group will go to the stationary Home center while other table will do the table centers I talked about from Day 1.  9:35-9:50 rotate centers 9:50-10:05 rotate centers 10:05-10:20 rotate centers During this "center" time - I am walking around monitoring and making informal notes on what I see kids do. 10:20-10:30 Shared Reading Read and discuss Monsters big book. (Kids can come find letters). This tells me alot about which kids have some letter knowledge and which one don't.

LUNCH/RECESS

Hallelujah!!! It's time to eat! 11:20 - listening game - just listen for sounds   11:25-11:40 Read Kissing Hand - Discuss and compare how we feel to how Chester feels. Use hand cutout and put kiss in hand to give to mom/dad. Find small heart stickers or Hershey kiss to put in palm of hand. We do many activities surrounding this book is the first week or two of school. I have a supplemental pack for The Kissing Hand. It contains many whole group activities and several center activities perfect for the beginning of the year. Click HERE to see more.

    11:40- 12:00 King or Queen of the Day - choose a child to be K/Q *show name backwards and talk about whether its a long/short name. Can it be yours? *show first letter, kids stand if it could be their name - based on first letter *Use elmo to examine name. write and cut name apart. check 1-1 matching *rainbow write * can do IW write - write a sentence about children. Here is the pack I use to do King or Queen of the Day. It's a great way to learn names and letters in a quick, authentic way! Click HERE to see more.

    11:55- 12:00 Song -- Play Five Little Monkeys song to get kids up and active for a couple of minutes.

  12:00-12:25 Do Turn and Talk Lesson  Model for kids how to "turn and talk" to a partner. Have the kids practice this activity a couple times. Quickly turn and talk - one person talks and the other listens. Then SWITCH. Do interactive writing by making labels for room. Kids can  turn and talk about what things to label or what would that label begin with?   12:25 - 1:00 Re-read No David and discuss the funny parts. Then read David Goes to School and discuss why he was in trouble at school. Later today re-visit the David books and begin discussing rules at school - What are rules? Why do we have rules at school? What happens if we don't listen to teacher? Sometimes I begin discussing rules on Day 2, sometimes I leave it for Day 3. It kind of depends on the "vibe" from the kids. Are they restless? attentive? sleepy? Each group has a different capacity for new learning. Make a circle map about how we “keep our school safe  1:05-1:50 P.E. 1:50- come in get a drink, then get backpacks and put at seats. I make sure we are all ready to go super early because you just can't be in a rush with beginning of kinder or you will never get where you are going.  So, we actually get ready before starting math centers. That way, we are ready to go ahead of time and all ready come dismissal time. Return to carpet - Discuss unifix cubes. What are they called? What can I do with them/not do with them? Make looks like/sounds like chart. Kids practice using unifix cubes and pattern blocks from Day 1.  

Time-Fillers Ideas (if needed)

kinder books - in book shelf show alphatubs toys or pics - say names only youtube songs (clap your hands, this is the way we say hello, where is thumkin, shake my sillies out)   Ok, so that's a wrap on Day 2 for me. Again - not glamorous. We work on firming up procedures and routines this week. Personally I don't throw in alot of arts & crafts (1. my district doesn't allow much of that and 2.I prefer my students to see our routine from the beginning). They really do start to internalize our routine and LOVE knowing what to expect next.  

So, I'd love to hear from you. Anything else you think is a MUST-DO that I didn't include here? Tell us in the comments. I'd love this to be a great resources for new teachers so please leave your thoughts! 

4 comments:

  1. Your day sounds a lot like mine. I do King/Queen too, I love your unit on TpT!! My first day is coming soon so I keep checking out your posts to see all of your great ideas, thanks!

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  2. I love all your great ideas. My first day is coming in 2 weeks so I will keep checking out your posts. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. I love reading your plans for a new year! Keep the rest of us teachers in line by hopefully writing out your ideas for the first week or so. It really is a wake up call on that first day--we seem to forget how much our kinders grow up in one year.

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  4. Thanks so much for sharing. Mine looks very similar with the name activity (which I may begin calling King or queen for a day) and beginning writing with a picture of self and name if can. I also use "The Kissing Hand" but also use "Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon", "The Thingumajig Book of Manners", and "Alexander's Terrible, Horrible...." the first week. I love your "Marshmallow Mouth and Toes" and will include that this year. I teach rules the Whole Brain Teaching way and begin that on day 3 after the students have been able to talk about why we need rules and some rules we need. All rules fit into WBT which is great, but I let the kiddos figure that out. Thanks again. I appreciate your openness and yes we need reminded - it's been a long time. I start in two weeks.

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