A day in the life...

Everyone who attended our kindergarten winter concert yesterday, was charmed by the cute kids in their matching shirts and decorated headbands. The kids sang sweetly. The teachers were all smiles. Here was my day behind the scenes.

20 minutes before concert:

student one arrives, quietly non-compliant, and crying, as working mom cannot stay for show. I hold him. (by the way he wasn't the first in the door, just the first in my little 'story.' I have 27 students.)

student two arrives, has been absent all week. student two is very young developmentally and is often confused by what is happening around him. Dad does not walk him into classroom to orient him after being gone. I catch him up.

student three arrives via before school care. I am told that he (extremely difficult student) has been out of control physically all morning and that before school care is taking him right to the principal, bypassing the classroom. 5 minutes later he is back. Principal not in office. I hand student three to my student teacher and take back student one, and sit him on my lap to start the day.

5 minutes before concert.

I resend student three and student teacher to office, with student three's favorite books for time being.

student two steps on stage. Say's 'NO!' and throws off headband. I decide he can sit to side of stage until he is ready. Halfway through the show he is.

During concert.
I see student three's dad in audience, I had asked him to come yesterday to help his son. I feel bad he wasn't able to perform.

After concert.
After much coordination, student three is sent home.

Students four and five, become hysterical, that their parents have left. I lead class with them on either side of me, rubbing their backs. We talk about our feelings about parents, the fun things we will do at school today, and ultimately both girls choose to make notes for their parents, sitting on the carpet on either side of me, sobbing the whole time.

Student one is non-compliant and won't move from under an easel. Principal stops by and takes student one for a walk, and calls his mom. Asks if mom can come to tomorrow's show.

Student two asks to go to the bathroom (right outside the room), and then stays in there to play. I send students to ask him to come back. (Student teacher is out of room meeting with supervisor).

After lunch.

All students have calmed down. Students four and five are happy and back to normal.

Student two, however, again asks to go to bathroom (in print in becomes so clear I should have had a better handle on his 'pattern' but there was so much going on that I'm not even including), he then wanders over to the office to visit. Principal returns him.

After school.
Talk with parent of student two for a long time about how we can support him.

whew! We'll see what today brings! Happy Friday!