Guest Reb3 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hope your final days with your classes are going well (Mine are off the wall!!) & you're looking forward to a well earned break. I've been a Year Two teacher for 7 years and in September will be moving to Reception. I'm really excited by the move and loved my 2 induction days with my new class but as the Summer holidays approach a dgree of fear is starting to set in as I think about getting me head around a new way of teaching, planning & just what to do with my class to help them settle and give them the best. Any top tips would be greatly appreciated, things you wish you'd known when you started out, good places to look on this site, handy activities etc. Thanks for looking at this and enjoy your Summer, Rebecca xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_79 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hi Rebecca and welcome. I am sure you will love reception although it may be a bit of a culture shock! As a successful year 2 teacher you will already be aware of many of the tricks of settling children into your class which are easily transferable to new entrants to school. Be prepared to show them and tell them how you wish them to behave several times a day and establish your rules and routines quickly and consistently and spend time getting these in place to enable other learning to take place! Be as prepared as you can be but also make sure you get plenty of rest, you will be very tired in the first few weeks in particular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wolfie Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 A warm welcome from me too, Rebecca! Enjoy your new class! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hello Rebecca, welcome from me too. Sound advice already from Susan. I am in preschool so don't know much about year 2 experiences. Last September we had some successfull getting to know you activities; Each child made a life size picture of themselves which we hung from the ceiling for a whole term. They loved to talk about who they were 'hanging out' with. They drew around each other, I added a photo of their face, then they decided which materials to use for their clothes. We also made small toilet roll size puppets of each child. They used them in our pretend TV. We played hide and seek with the puppets, giving clues like Roxanne is hiding near the books, Finley where the glue is kept etc to help them learn where to access various resources. Have a restful summer and be prepared for nits, colds, worms, and every bug thats going Most of all have fun, I personally think under 5's is a fantastic age to be. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_8466 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Fantastic ideas Peggy. Will definitely borrow the puppet idea - and would love to do the life size ones but I'm afraid it might be a step too far for our Parish Council. However, there are one or two children I might like to suspend from the ceiling sometimes... Welcome Rebecca - enjoy yourself in Reception! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_4544 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hi and welcome Rebecca. Lots of good advice already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hi Rebecca Welcome! Like you, I am also making the move from Year 2 to Reception in September. I'm really looking forward to it but as you say there is a lot to think about. My biggest problem at the moment seems to be clearing all of my 'stuff' from my present class cupboard ready to take to my new room. Not a lot of storage in my new room which maybe a bit of a problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hiya - love the life-size kids!!! Make sure you know your phonic programme (whichever one your school is doing) inside out ready for September as you will want to do it fast and first. Make name cards for the kids. Mine have really liked having photos on their pegs - they love to look at each other's pictures and it also makes it much easier for kids to hang each other's coats up. Get a bell to ring at tidy up time - works really well in our unit of 60 - they all stop dead still! Do a self-register- great for learning to read names. Do some kind of initial assessment - very useful to know where your children are at to plan work. Establish rules early and take no prisoners! (I do work in a 'rough' school though so this is v.importante!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Reb3 Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Thank you all for your ideas and support. Present Reception teacher is being lovely as well and talked through planning with me after school. Like you Annie I'm fantically trying to empty my current classroom & the reception class doesn't have much free storage for all the bits I've collected over the years!! Role on Friday when I can take a break and try and get my head together! Hope your last few days are all going well & keep any top tips coming Thanks, Rebecca xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 I'm going to try to have a bit of a holiday, but I know I'll be in school sorting and organising things. There seems to be so much to do. Have a good summer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 We sent the children a letter and a picture to colour and bring with them on the first day.Timed to arrived a couple of days before admitance.To a little one those visits in June/ July seem so long ago! Dear XXX It will soon be time for you to start ‘Big School’. We have been busy getting everything ready for you and your new friends. You have a peg and pump-bag waiting for you in the cloakroom. The classroom walls are very bare. We thought you would like to colour this picture for us and bring it on your first day. We will put it on our classroom wall to make it bright and cheerful. We are excited about you being in our new class and we hope you are too. Love from (staff listed) We had pre cut mounts ready and the pictures were immediately displayed in the cloakroom making an instant display.Ownership by the children from day 1. When parents left their child on the first day we gave them a letter thankyou them for entrusting their child to our care with a small present with prayer/tissue/tea-bag which created a positive relationship from the off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Gosh, some lovely ideas and a lovely one with letter to the parents/carers on the first day - along with a tissue so when they leave and burst into tears they ahve something to wipe their tears away and if they havent already they will when they receive the letter/card to say thank you for allowing us to care for your child. Lovely - I am going to put that in my memory bank too - along with Peggy's idea with the bog rolls and photos - great exercise for pse skills if they fall out and want to chat about their friends. So lets try and remember all those ideas Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Hello Rebecca, welcome from me too. Sound advice already from Susan. I am in preschool so don't know much about year 2 experiences.Last September we had some successfull getting to know you activities; Each child made a life size picture of themselves which we hung from the ceiling for a whole term. They loved to talk about who they were 'hanging out' with. They drew around each other, I added a photo of their face, then they decided which materials to use for their clothes. We also made small toilet roll size puppets of each child. They used them in our pretend TV. We played hide and seek with the puppets, giving clues like Roxanne is hiding near the books, Finley where the glue is kept etc to help them learn where to access various resources. Have a restful summer and be prepared for nits, colds, worms, and every bug thats going Most of all have fun, I personally think under 5's is a fantastic age to be. Peggy Peggy is that you? Let me know - two photos today - Hali and maybe you - gotta track this too - I didnt have you as being blonde - funny how you build an image - got let me know Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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