Using My Teaching Skills

This week I decided to do lessons with my kids everyday. I do have my MEd in Reading so it would make sense that I would apply some of this knowledge and these skills to my parenting. I shared this with my loving husband and the conversation went something like this:

Me (In need of positive reinforcement and kudos): The kids had so much fun today doing the activities. Isn't it great? (Translation: Tell me how amazing I am as a mother and educator)

Hunk with a big mischievous smile: It's about time you use your masters.

Me: Seriously?

Well, that didn't go exactly as I hoped but at least he acknowledged that I am using my degree.

Anyway, we have dappled in journal writing this summer but I am not terribly consistent with activities of this sort and haven't a clue where the journals are at this point. So, this week I scrambled each morning to come up with a fun activity to do with the kids that would some how be multi-level since Buddy is on his way to kindergarten and the ladies are only going to be in 3s at preschool. It actually brought me back to my days of teaching when I would not have planned as well as I thought leaving me  scrambling at 7 am to put together the best lesson possible. Just like when in the classroom, I was surprised by how much the kids and I enjoyed it. It was fun, stress free and gave me that charge that teaching always did. We did songs, pictures, practiced writing, made pom pom animals and read many books. The first day went something like this:

Me: Who wants to read a book with me?
Zaz: Why is it time to go to sweep (sleep)?

Okay, I must admit that in my mind I am thinking that this is not off to the best start. Surely, I read at other times throughout the day. Don't I?

So then we read a very basic book about bugs which Buddy was able to help read. The book had lots of picture cues and was great for an early reader. Next we made pom pom animals which required using a hot glue gun which I let Buddy use on his own. I know! I know! It is dangerous and the package of the gun probably said that it wasn't to be used by children under 10, but it makes him feel like such a big boy. And it doesn't hurt that much when you get burned. I should know; while gluing Zaz's beautiful ladybug's head on, I burned myself:

Me: Doggone it (don't judge me, folks. I know this is an absurd expression but I nearly said something that was very offensive).
The Zaz: There's a dog on it?

Day 2 went very well also. We did a song about bugs and colors which  provided practice with rhyming, colors and writing. Each of them had a chance to pretend to be a bug hiding under the rug (a blanket) which they came up with on their own. These type of activities are such a great reminder to me that my kids are all so different. The Bear and Buddy both understood that their pictures and sentences were to be from the poem but sweet Zazzy doesn't really understand rhyming so the whole time she kept saying the bug was under the carpet. Now, carpet is a great vocabulary word but doesn't rhyme with bug.  Since she is so cute, I just let it go and her colorful bugs were hiding under the carpet.

Day 3: Aidan was over it. When I said it was time to "play school", he melted down and said he didn't want to do it. I didn't feel like fighting the battle but reminded him that type of behavior was not cotton ball worthy. The girls practiced writing letters and I read books (tons of them and it wasn't even time to go to sweep!). Then I became the student and they became the teachers. Aidan peered in regularly to see what we were doing and finally joined us.

After he was in the playroom for all of 10 seconds, I realized he had no interest in what we were doing. He was trying to lovingly talk me into letting him use my computer.  I told him he could use the computer after he did one activity for me that involved reading and writing, and 15 minutes of computer games of my choice. Once he completed these tasks,   he could go to the Legos website and stare at all the Star Wars ships he wants. It worked well, he surprised himself by reading a few of the words I introduced to him on Day 2 and he even earned a cotton ball or two for his effort.

Today we are taking a mental health day from mom's school.

Have a great weekend!
A