I survived our first week of school with 32 kindergartners and no, I do not have an aide. For the next two weeks I will have all 32 of them together. After a quick round of parent teacher conferences, beginning next week, I will divide my class into two groups of early/late. My schedule will look like this
8:15- 9:30 16 Kindergartners
9:30 Snack/Recess
10:00 Late Kindergartners arrive
10:00-11:45 ALL 32 together
11:45- 12:45 Late Kindergartners go to lunch
11:50 Early Kindergartners go home
12:00-12:45 LUNCH FOR ME Lots of caffine
12:45-2:00 Late group 16 Kindergartners
2:00-3:00 Prep, clean-up
Today, I made a list of who I thought could handle the late group, based on my observations from the past few days. I've only been able to assess about 12 of them on letter, number and shape Identification. It went real quick for most :(
Then, I separated them into two groups based on their birth-dates. Older kids into the late group, Younger in tot he early group. Guess what? Almost every kid I thought could be in the late group was older. All the kids I thought just couldn't handle staying later and eating lunch- well, hmm they are very young 12 of them are still 4 years old. It just shows what a HUGE difference there is between four and five year olds. For those who are reading this far and are wondering what our cut-off date is. This is the last year it will be December 2nd. Next year it will be November, each year then moving back a month. As for our class numbers 33 is the maximum. I get paid overages after 32 kids. So, because I have two kids over - I get $3 per kid each day $3 x 2 = $6 a day which = a lot of coffee money for me.
5 comments
That is so interesting! When I read the part about the cut-off date being pushed back I wondered if you were in CA and then I saw that you are! I CAN NOT WAIT for 2014!!! hahah
Wow! I am in awe that you get paid extra for being over the maximum. I also can't believe children that are only 4 can go to kindergarten. It's so interesting to learn about policies in different areas of the country!
I am in Arizona and we take kids that turn 5 before December 31st. CRAZY!!! I have some kids in my class that will be turning 6 in the next few months and some that will be turning 5...makes for craziness!
Georgia's cutoff date for school is September 1. We still see children who should wait due to late August birthdays. A county close to mine does a Kindergarten entrance exam and suggests that some students wait another year. If parents choose not to wait, they go into Kindergarten readiness. They will go to Kindergarten the following year. When the time comes for first grade, if they are not ready they go to First Grade Readiness. I think their plan is awesome! Wish my county would do that! It would make teaching second grade sooo much better!!
Wow - I am going to think of you whenever my schedule seems frantic :) I teach Pre-K and find myself telling parents that after all, the kids who are about to turn 5 right after school starts are 25% older than the ones who barely turned four in time for school. It makes for such a huge difference in maturity and what they are ready for in terms of school!
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