Blog Hoppin' - Meet the Teacher Monday

Tell us a little something about you...

My name is Karen and I'm tired!  It's amazing that I go to school early every day, stay late every afternoon and work every night , but I still can't get it all done!  Having said that.... I absolutely LOVE teaching Kindergarten!  That sounds kinda crazy, but I wouldn't want to be doing anything else!

How long have you been teaching?

This is my 26th year!  That sounds crazy (and makes me sound really old) but every year goes by SO fast!  Things have changed so much in Kindergarten over that time.  I love reading professional books, going to GOOD conferences and keeping up to date on the newest things!

You might not know...

I'm a terrible singer!  I love to sing, but I'm really bad.  One of the great thing about Kindergartners is that they don't know it!  They think I sing beautifully!  My favorite song for school is Jack Hartmann's "Silly Rock Star!"

What are you looking most forward to this school year?

I truly love every day with my students!  We have a great time!  But, I guess my absolute favorite thing is our end-of-the year program.  I feel such a sense of pride as I watch them stand on that stage and sing their hearts out!  

What do you need to improve?

I really want to work on my Math centers this year.  I'm determined to get it right!  Last year, I never got all the pieces to fit!

What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?

I LOVE my wireless headphones!  I had given up on the listening center (UGH!  All those cords!) until I found these!  The CD/iPod is right next to my small group table, so I can control it without getting up.  The kids are listening to the story WAAAAAY across the room, away from my small group.  They are expensive, but well worth the money.  Get them!

I'm a real geek, so some of my other favorites are my iPod, my Mac, the Elmo and LCD.  If my magic wand really worked I'd also have a SmartBoard!  Some of my less technical favorites are colored Sharpies, huge Post-It chart paper, my smelly markers, and of course all my books.  I have a thing about books.  Oh, and glitter!