What Does A Typical Day Look Like?

There is no doubt about it but I feel like I have the best job in the world! It can be stressful but part of what I enjoy are seeing my  ideas and creations being loved, implemented and enjoyed! Everyday is different and the children add their ideas and interests so every year is new and exciting. So how do you start and not feel so overwhelmed? Here’s how I think about my day….

Setting up the Environment

During the first term I have quite a simple set up to the class. It is easier to show children where things belong and teach them how to pack away. As the term progresses I will add Dramatic Play Centers as the children develop their interests. I start the year with the kitchen and creative areas all ready to go. To make things easier everything is labelled. Boxes are easily stored away and new play boxes can be created. Each week I have a new “Letter of the Week” display set up for the children.

Setting up Outdoor Play

I am really excited about the outdoor area developing this coming year! We are getting a fence to keep bushland snakes out of our outdoor play area- (a huge plus!!!!). This will at the least help my nerves 🙂 There is not alot of room so this is where creativity is going to kick in! Larger play items are going to be used in my PMP program, the bicycle track is great for skipping, hopping and including as part of their fundamental movement program. Outside I like to make sure there are gross motor skills happening, creative spaces. Next year I want to develop a musical space and spaces for loose play and small world play!

Getting Organised for the Day

Children will come to class and place their belongings into boxes I have labelled outside. Space is at an absolute premium so children place their pillows into a box. Each child has a labelled drawer to place their recess box, lunchbox and hat. Water bottles go into a separate box.

Session 1  – Literacy & Numeracy Focus

We  start out day with singing, instruments, movement and devotions (we pray and are thankful). We sing our name song and each child practices identifying their name and writing on their chart. This is all done in a fun way that is quick and involves singing! We then have our Starskills 40 Week session.

We watch a little video read the weekly story. Activities follow this session that tie in with the program. There is a sensory, fine motor and numeracy focused activity, art and craft and a literacy focused activity that all tie together with our weekly theme. I ask parents to print off the weekly cards as photos at the beginning of the year.

Each week these photos will go home. The children LOVE collecting their cards. There is a literacy focused card with weekly words, numeracy cards to practice counting and I like to have some play that ties in with each week. I love that parents are kept informed with what we are doing in class as well as what they can do at home. One of my favourite things is giving parents weekly “homework cards” with quality literature suggestions as well as highlighting what we have done in class. They have such an amazing collection by the end of the year. I place the cards in $1 photo albums

Play Time 1 & Recess

Before we have recess I set up a circuit that will develop fundamental movement skills. This can changed or kept the same depending on how the children are going.

Always read the children, if you need to have an earlier play it is important to be flexible! Go with the flow of the children.

Teaching the children to get their recess, open their boxes, find their water bottles can take more time than expected. So I like to take this in to account especially as the children need a good outdoor play session.

Session 2 – Play Centers & Interests

I love to read when the children come in. This is the session I focus on Beginning Sounds. Following this we have our weekly art and craft from Beginning Sounds. These activities are simple and collected in an A4 folder. I love it is a great weekly memory for families.

You only get these early years once and part of my privilege is collating these memories for families! I love it!

Play Centers will vary depending on the children however this will be the time where I demonstrate, model, act how to play. Talk about roles in each play center. Talk about the children’s ideas and so on.

This is also the time for observations! Watch, listen and hear what the children are talking about. Play takes time to develop so allow time for children to get to this place. It really is amazing to watch.

Step into the play and join in. Model a new role the children may not have thought of. Jot down your ideas for how this play can be extended or changed in the coming days and weeks. I also have Literacy and Math Center Play boxes I have set up for each term.

During this session is where I will take photos and observational notes for our Kindy Learning Stories, Learning Journey Folders and Portfolios.

Play Time 2 & Lunch

Before play time our environment is tidied. I try to teach my class the skills for cleaning. So we learn how to use a dust pan and brush, baby wipes are great for cleaning paint of easels and cleaning tables! Sweeping is taught and packing away. At this stage pillows are put out and ready for when they come back inside for rest time.

 Session 3 Play Time

After rest time we have a story. Some children will sleep longer and that is fine. It is important to chat to parents and see what they would like for their child.

I love to have some sensory play, play boxes and dramatic centers “open” for the children at this time. making the most of outside is also wonderful for this session.

We finish our day with oral news. News follows our letter of the week and children place items on the “Letter of the Week” display table.

We pack bags……leave plenty of time for this 🙂

After news we finish like we started! SINGING!

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