Five for Friday Time!

It's Friday! So that means I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for her Five for Friday Linky!

Let's get started!

This week in KG1 it's all about families and our five senses.  If you've checked out my Facebook page then you know we have parents coming in and volunteering each day.  It's been interesting watching them bring in prepared lessons to share with the kids...very interesting.  This mom brought in these cute paper armbands for all the students.  Each armband was labeled with one of the five senses.  Wow, what a great idea! I thought.  Except all we did was spend lots of time tying and retying them on kids.  Nothing actually happened with the armbands.  But it's a cool idea if it was incorporated into a lesson somehow...except in the future I'd laminate them.  Those little buggers wound up ripped off and crumpled all over the classroom carpet.

Oh, and just so you know, every mom brought in treats (snacks and gifts) for all the students.  That's a lot of snacks and gifts every day on top of their already built in daily snack.  Here you can see the fruit cup that was brought in this day.  And of course each mom that comes tries to outdo the last mom. Because everyone talks and shares in the UAE and you cannot be undone by the last person that came. Oh no.

This picture totally cracks me up.  It was brought in by another parent (different mom than the one above).  It looks just like her daughter. I wish I could show you a comparison but you'll just have to take my word for it.  She's even wearing her sport (P.E.) clothes.

We are learning our number recognition as well.  I whipped these up because our current playdough mats have incorrect number fonts (according to my HOF - head of faculty).  So out with the old, in with the new.  This kiddo is putting the circles in the ten frame the Arabic way (right to left).  Whatever works, right?  You can find your own mats here if you are interested.

I was asked to create the science centers for this week (a new activity each day focused on one of the senses).  So being obedient, I did.  But then my co teacher ("co" being completely optional) did not utilize the center.  Or let me tell the students about it.  But I thought it was cute.  I mean just look at those colorful socks!

This is the dramatic play center.  Yes, in the UAE we are allowed to have these. In fact, they play all day (but that's a whole other story and not accurate for all schools)...  Anyway, can you see this fella in the back?  He is so funny.  This is him all day.  I love the kiddos.  Most of them.

Next week is my first formal observation/evaluation at my new school.  I'm a little lot freaked out about it.  Stay tuned and I'll tell you how it went.

Family Week in KG

This week is all about families in KG1 (in the UAE there is KG1 and KG2...kindergarten for 3 and 4 year olds and regular age kindergarten - KG2).  Today we shared a few family photos and had a mom come in to create her daughter's family tree.  It turned out really cute - see the picture on my Facebook page here.  You can also head over there to see a flower version of a family tree.

The same mom brought in a cute handmade book about the people in their family.  I tell you, the Emirati people are amazingly creative.  I mean just look at how cute this is and it has a matching bag!

Then, the kids dressed up like family members and role played having visitors come to the house.  It was so cute to see them act out the customs of serving tea and shaking hands.  One little boy even did the nose kiss to another boy.  Adorable!  I totally missed getting a picture though. Sad.

All week parents (moms) are coming to visit to work with their child and a small group.  But if it is anything like today they just might take over the whole class and we will miss our math lesson again.  Hmm....

Sunday is my Monday and to kick off the week I had a little boy hanging out in the bathroom (door to the hallway that faces the major walkway in the school building) wide open and his pants plus off.  Jeez.  Then two little girls kept asking me for the restroom and I had to tell them no.  I mean, Pantsless was hanging out in there.  What would you have me do?  Fun times in kindergarten.  Fun times.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.