Rules, rules, rules

We talked a lot of rules today. Along with rules, we talked about ways that we could positively follow them. The Octopi made a promise to me that they would follow these rules. We signed them and they are posted in our room for a reminder.
Our three rules:
1. Take care of yourself
2. Take care of your friends
3. Take care of your environment

Painting with a purpose

Part of the Responsive Classroom Approach is opening the classroom together, building that community, and understanding each center (how to play, clean up, and share materials).  Monday we opened the art easel together; we learned to paint! Preschool is a messy beautiful place! There are a lot of steps to deciding to paint-the best part was creating our first pictures (many of them painted me-so flattered!) Now that the easel is open the children can choose to paint everyday if they want. Each theme change the paint colors change but also the materials might as well (i.e. temper paint, water color, dot paint, finger paint, rollers).

New year, new room

I am so excited to start the year, meet all the new Octopus friends, and see my returning Octopi. I moved classrooms over the summer, so getting the room ready has been a work in progress, but I think it is almost there-just missing the busy bodies of the preschoolers!
The classroom has many different centers, that we will explore together in order to open up the classroom for free choice throughout the year. This is part of the Responsive Classroom Philosophy that we do "guided discoveries" together in order to model how to play and interact with materials safely and appropriately, and how to take care of the environment and clean up when done exploring.