Before and After

In August I wrote an article after my first week of working at my preschool. I saw a lot of changes that needed to happen and some of the changes I wanted to effect. I wanted to look into how many of those I made happen to date:

Things I would like to continue to improve:
More books (Ironically enough we needed less books not more books, we had a lot of books but they weren't effect in their display. The children were using them to make a mess rather than pick them up and read. I moved the books to buckets and then proceded to make a library where it became exciting to read books.
A more up to date (preferably technology involved) calendar (The calendar I ended up with wasn't technology based but I was able to make it mimic the pattern and colors of that month so that became very effective. 
Newsletters (Once a month I sent a newsletter home and letters home (good, bad and informational) when needed)
Hands on learning (We try to do lots of hands on learning or tactile learning. We make crafts, practice our manners, practice our school rules, work on our letters in sign language and our numbers on our fingers, we even sing songs with different movement and beginner sign language.)
Parent involvement activities (We did a few of these. Mainly for holidays, I wanted parents to feel welcome in the classroom. We will be having a graduation ceremony June 3rd as well.) 
School assemblies (I think I meant field trip like things here. We went on a couple field trips (aka went to the first floor and watched some shows), our school is not open Saturdays, but some Saturdays we have different programs we put on like magicians, egg hunts, etc
Classroom rules, playground rules etc. (with visuals) (It took me a while to get this one accurate, I had a few rules I bought in the states, and I just got a lot more. I wanted not only rules but behavior and manners etc. This has yet to make a big impact, but it is better than it was before.)
Positive reinforcement (This is my big thing. I am very positive at school except in those instances I can't be. I can bounce right back to being positive however. Some of my teachers need ot work on this a lot. THey seem to always nag the students, this will be changing in the next month)
Art projects (This was one of the first things I changed. I wanted parents to see their kids create things and accomplish things they could be proud of .Worksheets are a bit too boring to do every day.) 
Teaching writing (We teach how to write names and letters, I am starting my Kindergarten Readiness class on beginning reading and CVC words)
More musical involvement (This we are doing well at and starting to get even better. We have some decent cds with some great movement songs, also we are incorporating KinderJam into the program as well.)
Less paperwork at one time (I got rid of worksheets for a LONG time, and did mostly just art projects. Slowly I brought worksheets back, we may do one or two a week. Nothing like the 6 they were doing a day)
Movement activities (With KinderJam, plus the different gross and fine motor skills and games, this has increased wonderfully. We no longer climb on equipment and we follow the rules on how to act, how to run etc)
Themes-monthly and weekly (I decided on bi-weekly and for the summer we are going to have 2 pretty intense themes. I am trying to push my students a little farther than we have been so we don't get too comfortable. I think that may be some of the reasons some of my students are acting out.)
Guided lessons (I am working on making this even better, we do this a bit now. But my teachers are more repetitive then exciting.)
Creative lessons (I love this! We are doing so much more for the students and pushing them to be better students and stronger thinkers)
Bathroom breaks (After snacks and lunch we go to the bathroom. With only 2 kids bathrooms in our facility (one boys, one girls) it is hard to have bathroom breaks without losing kids attention. If kids gotta go, they gotta go)

Things I would like to look into: 
Teacher's backgrounds (My teachers and I have made goals and are working on strengthening our teaching skills. I am pretty impressed at this and it helps me know where they feel strong and where they feel weaker)
Prices (I have had a few impacts on this some to better students, some to better the company)
New curriculum. (Thank GOD I did this)
Book selection we do have (I would like to arrange these eventually by theme so we can rotate them. BUT with how these books barely survive these kids, it may just be easier to let survive of the fittest handle that)
Money allotments we could use (I got some petty cash, not much, and have made things work to my benefit in some ways.)
Teacher meetings (weekly?) monthly, and by the teachers job title, not all together.
Spelling? CVC and Sight words, this part is seriously brand new. like maybe a month max we have started this.
New teacher problems? Getting the new teachers to the same level of my old teachers is a struggle. But one I can take on. For now, i need to get my teachers to focus on all students, handle their own problems and be MORE positive.)

Things I like:
Lots of children interactions
Lots of play-time
Good time-out structure edited this still and might change it some more.
Lots of learning activities
Flexible schedules
Amount of rules for teachers Kept this, didnt realize most of my teachers have never taught a day in their lives. In Japan they don't do babysitters, so they haven't even done that.
Teachers and staff willing to learn new ways
Wanting the children to succeed
Works with children in English

The Schedule they have:
7-8 movie
8-9 play time
9-915 welcome time
915-11 school time (calendar, weather, letter, shape and color)
11-1145 lunch
1145-1230 playtime
1230-1 story time
1-230 nap time

A Schedule I'm playing with:
7-8 table time/centers
8-815 bathroom break
815-830 welcome time (calendar, sharing, colors)
830-915 playtime
915-945 school time (number and letter)
945-10 bathroom break
10-1030 story time (theme based)
1030-11 art time
11-1145 lunch (following lunch silent reading time)
1145-12 bathroom break
12-1230 playtime/centers (every other day)
1230-1 story time (naptime based)
1-230 nap-time
Totally edited this as well. But it looks pretty good. We have 1/2 hour increments and a good selection of activities.