New Year Plans, Opportunities and Cyber Store

HAPPY NEW YEAR INDEED!!!!

TIME TO CELEBRATE! 

A new year gets underway in earnest today, refilling everyone's resolve to start fresh, making commitments to better choices, greater organization and new launches! 

CHEERS!!

I have a HUGE announcement to make!

Today marks a big-start indeed! 

Let the old waves roll out to sea and a whole new blank slate appear ~~ fresh + available for opportunity. 

From the very beginning of the inception of this blog, my driving enthusiasm was to bring excellence in the field to greater visibility, offering support and encouragement in the process. We make continual progress on that front by increasing readership here and inviting an ever wider slate of authors to contribute. 

Today marks a new day indeed! DRUMROLL>>>>>>>
PreK+K Sharing has now launched our own dot com for resources. We have our very own sweet, super cyber-store! We have just this morning cut the cyber-ribbon and opened our............. 

EARLY EDUCATION EMPORIUM

EEE is a gathering spot under one big polka-dotted umbrella for resources of all sorts! Books in every format and focus: professional, picture and e-style, CDs, DVDs, parent support materials, and digital products are already gathered together for your centralized shopping. 

Our authors here at the collaborative blog and some of our bestest friends have worked together to open up shop under one cooperative umbrella. By working together we plan to shine light on each other's projects and products and gain greater visibility for all in the process. EXCELLENCE! That's what its been about from the very beginning. 

As I type we already have our first dozen early adopter shop keepers and over 40 products gathered under one roof: EEE!!! I'm betting that by the end of the day we have oodles more, with new additions arriving day-by-day all week long. 

There are numerous surprises up our sleeve for door prizes for our early customers. What do you suppose will happen with our 13th sale in the year 2013? What if YOU are LUCKY number #2013 to make a purchase? I know you'll be happy if we contact you with the news that you are the fortunate one to support the excellent endeavors of your peers!! There are give-aways, thank-yous, surprises and rewards up our sleeves. 

What can you do to help? 

• Come over to the EEE and take a look around!
• Come back often to see what's been added.
• Shop to your hearts content ~~ we're built to accept credit cards.
• Tell your friends!
• Consider opening your own emporium-shop under our umbrella! (Special incentive plan offered NOW! Get up to 6 months of listings for FREE! Free to have your own shop set up thru June 30th.)
• Pin our umbrella image above to your fave-o board. I wonder what the 113th pinner will receive? 
• Tweet the news. Send it out in Google +, Sulia.... Use hashtag #EarlyEducationEmporium for a chance to win!
• You get the idea: BANG THE DRUM!! JOIN THE PARTY!!

Getting Organized for the New Year? Look no further!!

***If you came over today in search of organization ideas, we have them from many perspectives. Our #5th read article of all time was FILLED with links to organizational ideas, click here to see all of those ideas. Deanna Jump's sense of humor is chronicled here as she battles back the stuff that makes for shrieking into a system for success. Kaci Hoffer has a year's worth of insight there. Pam Bergman shares her secrets for keeping all of those felt storyboard pieces just where you need them at this click. 

***If you're determined to start the new year thinking on health issues and searching for insight into the epidemic on childhood obesity, I gathered statistics and resources in this article exactly a year ago. If you need a coach to outline your own personal health goals, seek out our own Dr. Ellaine Miller's insight here and there. Or look to Rachel Suppala's journey to health in this personal article.  




***This has been a BIG year for me on so many levels. In addition to now holding the keys to the front door of our EEE, just a couple of weeks ago I cemented my own professional milestone by delivering my first NATIONAL keynote. Yes. Debbie did Dallas. I spoke for the Annual Parent Institute for the National Head Start Association. 

Heart-felt Empowerment for Goal Reaching

If you're looking for an article on making your dreams come true, particularly when they seem to be taking for-ev-er to materialize, you'll wanna take a look at my insight, over at RainbowsWithinReach. It's a heart-felt letter of encouragement. I've been told its appropriate to have a tissue near-by, particularly if you've ever dealt with the "MeanGirlsClub." 

But if what you REALLY need for tomorrow are some ideas for winter-time projects, I just gathered together one of my famous seasonal RoundUPs over at my place. You're just a click away. There are five different winter bulletin boards awaiting your selection.
 
Dreams really do come to fruition. It takes willingness. It takes time. It takes perseverance. It takes baby steps. I can't wait for the 2014 report, twelve months hence. How many store-fronts will be under our polka-dot umbrella by that point in time? How many products? We should start a poll now!!! Thanks for being part of it all. Thanks for your support and encouragement. Leaving a comment of congratulations, might just enter you into one of our 13 contests. Go ahead. Help us spread the word! 

-- Debbie --

P.S. Forever and for always the link to our Emporium will be that tab on the far right, at the top of the blog!

This article is the very first to be added to Denise's very first Show & Tell Tuesday!

Encouragement, Inspiration, Motivation + Empowerment

Need some encouragement? 
Need some inspiration? 

Looking for a pep-talk for your latest brainstorm? 

Look no further. 

Click right here and go over to RainbowsWithinReach! 

I had the amazing honor and responsibility of giving the keynote for the National Head Start Association's Parent Institute in Dallas earlier this week. 

It was the culmination of my professional career.... and I'm so excited to share the 'process' of having a dream and watching it come to fruition over time with you. 

Come and take a look! I have been told by more than one trusted reader that they were brought to tears.... so bring a tissue and pour yourself a cup of cuppa! 

It's time to fan the flames of your dream and move them forward. 

-- Debbie -- 

Team Motivator

Hello All, My name is Shannon Harris. I have been involved in childcare for the last 23 years and now own my own center, ABC Academy LLC in Montgomery --www.abcmontgomery.com, ---Texas with approximately 230 children currently enrolled. I met Debbie Clement in Las Vegas and was immediately captivated by her and knew this was energy I wanted in my life. Debbie recently came to our area to conduct a full day “Lyrics to Literacy” training and we had some down time to visit. Debbie shared some of her ideas with me. I told her I loved her blog and would hope to see more management and infant blog post (I feel there is just not enough out there on those two topics). She invited me to write for her blog once a month, so, here I am!

So, this is it - my first EVER Blog POST… I have built my business by looking for “out of the box” ideas in every aspect of our center and team. We have recently started a new TEAM MOTIVATOR at our center. The idea behind it is that praise gets positive results. I believe that when the praise comes from peers and management it just makes for a happier center. So, how do we accomplish this? Well, I went and bought each classroom a cheap container, with a lid to avoid spills and little hands getting in the container; bought some small marshmallows…cheap, $1 a BIG bag at the dollar store … considered M&M’s but wow they are expensive (candy corn/seasonal candies and peanuts are good ideas too)!  Then made little baggies with the teacher’s names, a sticky to tally where they hand out the treats, and filled each baggie with 50 treats each. Then handed them out with this little note…

 

We are excited to announce our first Team Motivator – be the first to have your container filled from OTHER staff members outside your classroom for them seeing something wonderful being done in your classroom, on the playground, transitioning, helping others, etc.  – Administration will add to your containers too!  Winner gets an hour on the clock to go do whatever they like while Administration runs your classroom!!

Each staff member will be given a “baggie” of 50 items to use to fill other classroom containers.  You put 1 item in a classroom container each time you see them doing something wonderful!  Write down the class that you complimented with your item!    Classroom containers will be picked up at RANDOM!  There is no “cut-off” date or “due” date.  Items in containers will be counted and the winning teachers in that classroom will each get a “Get Out Of Your Classroom – 1 Hour Pass” from Administration! 

I decided to have them quickly tally which class they gave it to so that we could ensure they were not playing favorites and always giving to their “favorite” teacher. We really wanted it to be about building up each other and to get them to compliment some classes they may not otherwise take the time to do.

For an extra little twist, we gave Management Candy Corns to pass out and teachers Marshmallows so they could see the difference in their containers.

I am excited about writing this blog post monthly and hope you all find some value in seeing some administrative and infant content.

Please follow me on Pinterest: Shannon Harris

 

Until next time,

Shannon

Back-To-School Guest Post

Hi, it's Barbara from The Corner on Character and I'm already back at school. When do you start? In honor of the Olympics, I created this bulletin board; click {here} for the questions that make it interactive.

Click the graphic for a blog post about the board.

Since I'm busy at work, I'm welcoming Marissa Rex, who has graciously agreed to take my turn today. She's got an AmAzInG education resource on her counseling website {here} and I know you'll be blessed by her ideas and insight.

A New Beginning by Marissa Rex

At the beginning of the school year, our kindergarteners have a lot on their plates. This group of students must quickly learn academic and social skills, find their way around a new school building, and muster up enough self-control to last, in many cases, an entire school day. While we allow some transition time and offer support, the change of pace can be overwhelming for these students.

As an elementary school counselor, I spend a lot of time working with my kindergarteners individually, in small groups, and as a whole classroom family. My goal is to create an environment where my youngest students can feel successful. To do this, I often use games that teach important school skills while simultaneously fostering peer relationships.

One of my favorite team-building activities is called The Memory Circle. Students sit in a circle on the floor and are reminded that the better they listen, the more team points they will earn. I start with the first five students, asking what their favorite color is. Then, once each student has answered, I quiz the rest of the group: What is Jack’s favorite color? Who remembers what Sarah’s favorite color is? The entire group works together as a team to answer the question and for every correct answer, the class earns a point. I typically set a goal for 15 points (for a class size of 25 students). This way, students can reach the goal and feel excited about how far they can exceed it; often, students create a new, more challenging goal once they see that they can achieve beyond 15 points. When finished, we reflect as a group: What did we have to do to hear the right answers? What does a good listener look like? Why should we listen to adults and other kids? Throughout the year, you can play additional rounds of The Memory Circle with other topics, such as favorite animal, book, center, number, letter, etc.

Tim and I are best buds!

Additionally, I enjoy using puppets with my students. At the beginning of the school year, a great way to utilize puppets is to role play positive school behaviors. For example, ask students to brainstorm helpful ways to behave on the bus. When a student shares an idea, they can pick a puppet and a friend to act out the behavior. This continues with various locations (playground, classroom, hallway, cafeteria, etc.) until every student can participate. It may sound simple, but puppets can be magical. I love hearing my students’ giggles and seeing their entranced stares—puppets are indispensable.

Overall, I find that my students respond best when they can be part of the lesson rather than a passive observer. Students, especially kindergarteners, love sharing who they are and what they love. By connecting the essential school concepts that they need to learn with their innate desire to share and feel part of a group, school counselors (and teachers!) can make a big impact.

As I think about these team-building ideas, refreshing my school brain, I cannot help but feel excited for this upcoming school year. I love watching this fresh group of students walk through the doors, ready to learn; they are blank slates just waiting for the chance to, metaphorically-speaking, doodle and paint. I wish everyone the best of luck as summer winds down and your newest kiddos come knocking at your door. Here’s to a great year!

Bio

Marissa Rex is a licensed PreK-3 teacher, K-12 school counselor, and founder of ElementarySchool Counseling.org. She currently works as an elementary school counselor in an urban Ohio school.

In her spare time, Marissa loves to spend time with her husband, family, and friends. Also, she is active in her local community theatres, takes art classes at the Toledo Museum of Art, and volunteers at Camp Quality Ohio, a summer camp for children with cancer.

In addition to her website, you can connect with Marissa through Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.

Thank you, Marissa, for stopping by and contributing to our collaborative! Click {here} to travel to The Corner for a few more getting-to-know-you connection ideas to use with students or staff or {here} to go to the Kid Activities page for even more first-day-back suggestions. Happy New Year!