Day 8

After picking Natalie up at day care, we were in the car getting strapped in. I usually give her a toy while we drive. I have her her cell phone, and she politely said no. I gave her we book, no. I gave her a shoe, no. I gave her a stuffed animal, no. I reach into my lunch box that has an empty plastic snap ware. She grabbed that and gave me a huge smile. I think I chose right 😄

Day 7

Today Natalie sang in the car. Or at least it seemed like she was singing! The radio was on, her voice was louder and softer, and had different pitches. It was too cute! 

Day 6

I went back to work yesterday. It is always hard, but I just count down to the next break (in two weeks). 

Natalie loves to climb the stairs, and we have a fun "I'm gonna get you game." Yesterday she was climbing up the stairs, and I was chasing her, saying I'm gonna get you! She laughs hysterically, and starts to crawl because she can no longer walk. She is too funny! 

Day 5

Today while we were out to lunch a young girl came up to us and told us we were good parents. It made our day! :) Especially because taking a toddler to a restaurant is quite possibly the hardest thing you will ever do. You typically wish for the days when your child would sleep in the car seat and you could actually talk to your spouse.

Also, I took Natalie to the park today with our neighbor and our dogs. The dogs would run very fast and she would crack up! It amazes me what she finds hilarious. 

Day 4

Lately Natalie has loved to share everything. Today she shared all her food with me and her baba. Two nights ago she shared her toothbrush. What is with her and licking me tonight? Yuck! She even shares germs too! Eew! I hope this sharing continues- maybe not the toothbrush & germs one though. 

Life with a toddler

This year Natalie is now a toddler. As moms know, toddlerhood equals a crazy run around life with many melt downs. It is exhausting! 

This year, I will attempt to write down one thing she did during the day, hopefully all will be positive, though I bet some will be a little silly.

One of my coworkers told me he did this with his kids, and he loves to look back at it. I hope to be able to look back and enjoy these posts.

(Previous posts)

January 1st

Tonight while reading Natalie's favorite book, comprehension began! I said stomp your feet (and she did) clap your hands (clap, clap!), everybody ready for a barnyard dance! Bow to the horse (she bows), bow to the cow (bows again), twirl with the pig if you know how (and she twists at her waist from side to side).

January 2nd 

While taking a bath, Natalie loves to press her face against the glass and make funny faces. Tonight I snuck around the glass and boo'ed her. She laughed so hysterically. We continued in this manner till the end of bath time. 

January 3rd

This morning I had to wake Natalie up to go to daycare. I turned on the light, watch her sleep for a second, then she pokes her head up, looks at me, smiles, throws her paci in the crib, and reaches her arms for me. It melts my heart. 

Homework without Tears

The first three years of teaching, I was told by parents that sometimes the homework made them cry because it was so tough. After having Natalie, I didn't want to make kids cry any more over homework. I wanted the learning process to be fun for the family. 

There are 3 parts to my homework. First, the students read 30 minutes every night. Second, they have 2-3 math problems to do, with lessons we have done that day, or previous days. I find that doing 2-3 problems rather than 10+, where the students who don't get it, give up and just give an answer -without trying. Only doing 2, may take some kids 30 minutes, but 2 is not so scary, and they don't give up.

The last part is the final 5. The final 5 came from a Quantum Learning, and my friend Lindsay Freestone. The idea behind it, is to spend the last 5 minutes in class reviewing what we learned that day. Then, the students take the final 5 to bed with them, and read it the last 5 minutes before going to bed. There is a part of our brain called the hippocampus, which awakens right after people fall asleep. The hippocampus takes what we learned from that day and puts it into long term memory. It takes the last thing we did first, so if the students studies the final 5 before bed they are more likely to remember what they did in class that day! (Cool right?)

We spend the last 5 minutes of the day summarizing what we did. When I first introduced the final 5, I did the whole thing for them, and they copied the final 5. After a week, they started to draw the picture. After a month, they did the vocabulary (based on the topic I wrote). After another month, they do the main points on their own, based on the objective written. Soon, I will have them write the objectives on their own, based on the topics, then eventually they do will do the whole things on their own. It takes time have them do it on their own. 

I have had the most success getting students to turn in homework. I also feel like my students are actually doing the work on their own, and learning more, than when I gave a lot of homework. It's pretty amazing. I also have had many parents tell me that they enjoy homework with their kids, and parents are giving them more work and extending at home- for fun! It is amazing.