In class on Friday, I did a directed draw lesson where I taught the class how to draw a stocking. These lessons are great for my kinder friends because it helps them to develop their skills with following step-by-step directions and listening. It also allows them to work on problem solving such as if they make a mistake while drawing they can figure out how to fix it and correct it on their own. They all did a fabulous job following my directions in drawing their own stockings at their seats. When we were done drawing the stockings, I had all of my kinder friends take a sharpie marker and outline all their pencil lines on their paper. Next, we met on the rug and I showed them how to add detail to their stocking by using a white crayon. I modeled how to do this with the class. I shared with them how when they use a white crayon with pain something magical happens. I explained to them how crayons are made out of wax and wax repels water or watercolor paint. When I was done drawing with a white crayon on my stocking, I painted my stocking with watercolor paint. They were "wowed" when they saw what happened when I painted over the crayon and they say my design peek through the paint. It was so fun! When I was done modeling what to do, they went to their seats and followed my directions. Their stockings turned out AMAZING! I can't wait to hang them up in the hallway outside of our classroom for all of Olive to admire when they walk down the kindergarten hallway. Mrs. Martens and I have created a fireplace on our kindergarten hallway walls along with a mantle. All of our kinder stockings are going to be hanging from the mantle above our paper fireplaces for the month of December. They look so cute!

In the morning class we had music and gym so we had time in our school day to do a little bit of handwriting where we learned how to make 2 more lowercase letters with the correct letter formation. The class did a fabulous job writing the letters in their workbooks and I was so amazed with how nice and neat they are all writing! 

In the afternoon, we didn't have any specials so we did some whiteboard practice where we practiced writing words by sounding them out and writing them on our own. The class did a fabulous job and I am amazed with how much better they are hearing the sounds and plugging them in when writing words on their own! Each time we practice, they are getting better and better! For the last part of our afternoon, we met with our 5th grade buddies for the first time. The afternoon class is buddies with Mrs. Muhr's 5th grade class. For our first buddy time, we got to meet our buddies and do a get to know you activity. I will be putting these sheets together to make a class book for our classroom where they kids can look at it in their free time. We had such a fun time with our buddies and it is so cute to see how much fun my kinders and the 5th graders have with one another! We are looking forward to a fun year with our buddies. The morning class is paired up with Mr. Edstrom's class and we will be meeting with them next week for the first time.

We had a "fun" Friday in K-1 and K-3! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!