Kindergarten Orientation

Today I spent the day cleaning up my room, tucking things away, clearing the surfaces, and wiping off the glitter.


 All because tomorrow is Kindergarten Orientation (also known as Teacher Shopping). Not really. We don't let parents choose their teacher. We aim for a balance of boys and girls, early birthdays and late birthdays, and ethnicities. One class does not get all of the high children, for example. We stopped doing the summer testing at my school several years ago. We all felt it was better to get a mix.



 Anyway, tomorrow, the registered students for next year and their parents are invited to come observe in our classes. We limit their visits to about 20 minutes, with about 5 students and their parents in each classroom. They are not allowed to visit all the classrooms (although I am pretty sure some of them do). They are not supposed to engage us in conversation (since we are teaching) but every year they try ("So, do you teach phonics here?").


 It is fun to see the younger siblings of students I have taught. I love the little ones and how shy they are. They are all so cute! We just don't like feeling like we are a show for them to watch (and judge!) so it is not our favorite day.



 On the plus side, I have finished most of my end of the assessments. We practiced our songs today and the kids sound great. I am almost done with the end of the year slide show. I cleared out a few drawers in my file cabinet and threw lots away! Such a good feeling! Fifteen more days of school!