Bring on the Snow...

Hello Friends!

Well, last week we had a teacher workday on Monday for President's Day. Then, Tuesday & Wednesday there was no school because we had ice. So, on Thursday & Friday we had 2 hour delays because it was cold!

Needless to say, the kiddos REALLY wanted to get a little of the white stuff. Sadly, they were left with none...boo!

My own personal 4 year old was SUPER excited when his 14 year old sister PROMISED him that snow was on the way...only to be sadly disappointed. :(

What's a mom to do???

Pinterest to the rescue!!

We made our own snow & it was a huge hit! 

 I was actually pleasantly surprised that this worked. Lately, I've had a lot of flops from these homemade concoctions!

This one was great! It actually packs together so you can make stuff, it's cool to the touch so it feels a lot like real snow, it smells nice, & it's an easy clean up.

We call that a win!  

Here's what I used: 

foil pan

2 boxes of baking soda

2 trial sized conditioners (try to get white so the snow will be white)

I spent a whopping $3 for this! That's my kind of fun! 

He was entertained for about an hour & 1/2 on this- too cold to go outside, going stir crazy, come on warm weather day! 

 BINGO!! 

This is probably the only snowman that we will be making in NC this year! 

If you are going to use this in a sensory table, this would be enough for 2 kiddos to play together. You could also add plastic spoons, lite brite pegs (that's what you see here), sand molds, etc...the possibilities are endless. 

I stored mine in a whipped topping container..I'll let you know whether or not it stays good. 

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

Hello friends!

So, some of you will recall that my school has begun using Conscious Discipline as of January. I will admit that while I do like the program, it has NOT been easy to transition myself & my kiddos to this new way of thinking. We are certainly on the right path, but the path is VERY long! 

Here are some of the things that I really like so far:

1. Everyone is beginning to feel like they are a part of our "school family". The premise behind CD is that everyone should feel safe at school. With feelings of being safe children can learn & not feel threatened in their environment. 
2. I am seeing & hearing so many more kind things. Remember how I mentioned before that my kiddos are just plain mean? Well, not so much anymore. There actually are some sweet little hearts under that tough exterior.
3. I see my kiddos starting to turn into little problem solvers. I have been teaching them the words to use to help them talk through situations. They are transitioning from flying off the handle with one another to actually having conversations that are productive & respectful.

Here are some issues that we are working through:

1. CD is VERY time consuming. I have to stop frequently to talk with a student or students about how to solve problems, make smarter choices, and how to talk to people without hurting their feelings, etc.
2. Some days I feel really defeated because CD takes so much out of you. I am 1 teacher in a room of 20 kiddos that are constantly a challenge. Sometimes I think this is just not working. 
3. It is hard sometimes to find the right words to say to a kiddo to get through to them. Sometimes it is hard to think of the natural consequence for a behavior. Sometimes I just don't feel like talking to the SAME kid about the SAME thing for the 10th time that day!

I do know this:

1. I will not give up.
2. I will remain calm & breathe.
3. I will do my best for my kiddos! They are the reason I am there in the first place!!