Ahh! Winter. The time of year that many preschool and primary teachers dread... at least those of us who must battle broken zippers, dirty slush tracked into our classrooms, and the rat race of getting a group of little ones dressed for the cold and out the door on time for dismissal. (On second thought - do I really want to go back into a Kindergarten homeroom? Haha! Just kidding.)
Anywho - here are two quick tips to help with the insanity:
1 - Bundle-Up Buddies: I have my students choose one partner to assist when it is time to bundle-up. They are taught to focus on one another and then line up. This really speeds up the process; you can even make it a race of sorts.
I highly recommend allowing the students to CHOOSE their own partners. The first time I did this, I assigned them partners based on my observations: one student who was able to dress themselves quickly, paired with one student who struggled to get the job done in a timely manner. Welllll - the buddy system goes down the drain if they are not truly motivated to help their (assigned) buddy. So then, what's the point? Just let them choose. For those little ones that still struggle or dawdle, that is where you come in (or your educational assistant, if you are lucky enough to have one).
2 - "Put the banana in the monkey's mouth." - Ha! Do you have students who say, "I can't do it!" when it comes to zipping their coats? (I am sure you do.) Turn it into a game. You know that little metal, skinny piece on the zipper? Well, that is the "banana." The open part on the bottom of the zipper is the "mouth." (Do these parts have names?) Anyway, most students eat this idea up. Give it a try!
(This is totally not my picture, by the way. I take no credit for it; I snagged it from my BFF - Google.)
Hey, do you have any other tips to help our little ones get out the door faster?! I would love to hear what you have to share! As always, thanks for stopping by! :)
