I finally did something I have had as an idea in my head for a long time now. I get asked a lot what our actual tot school time looks like and there’s no way of really explaining it other than to *record* it. So, I set myself up in the school room and blogged as we went (writing quick notes to be edited later-now). Here is a minute-by-minute account of our Tot School hour on Wednesday, for those of you who are interested in seeing this many details! I took as many picture as I could to give you an idea of exactly what it looks like. Thankfully what I recorded is actually a very typical Tot School time for us!!
Table Tot School (set to begin at 9, we begin a little late today, so what’s new?)
9:13-Dot Paintingbegins(both boys)
9:18-Krash whines about sharing the paints.
9:21-Pac-Man gets them back and makes a triangle out of them, K names it and is pleased!
9:22-K stacks the dot paints, not much actual painting has occurred in the past few minutes.
9:23-K actually hands P some of the paints–he’s sharing intentionally!!!
9:24-sharing is over.
9:26 I make his name on another sheet, he happily identifies some letters.
9:28-he claims he is all done. Climbs out of seat
9:30-he sits back down, we switch to Counting Bears. He’s happy. P continues to Dot Paint.
9:31-P begins to stack the tops of the dot paint. K becomes interested and quickly switches from bears to tops.
9:32-I count the tops with Krash, he happily joins me.
9:34-he begins counting them on his own, I stay quiet, hoping he will just enjoy his accomplishments (even though he’s not counting correctly : )
9:37-still stacking tops, quietly and intently. They fall, he laughs, he stacks again. I try to name colors with him, he’s not interested so I just let him play quietly. He stacks, they fall, he’s mad now.
Floor Tot School
9:44-we get out our Candy Land DVD Game color mats, the boys set them up.
9:46-color stomping begins (notice he didn’t want to take his paint shirt off 🙂
9:48- Pac-Man gets mad that Krash is messing up his layout. We work on character issues.
9:50-“I wanna watch a show”
9:51-I bring out a Melissa and Doug Beginner Pattern Blocks, he grabs a clock. He claims “I don’t like it.” Meanwhile Pac-Man gets a grumpy attitude and stomps over to the couch.
9:52-K changes his mind and begins happily doing the puzzles.
9:53-P joins back in with a decent attitude.
9:55 P invents a race game and we get very loud-K loves it, we work on counting 123.
9:57-shapes between toes. I certainly can’t think of a better way to learn shapes!
9:58-he’s done. Announces he’d like to watch/play Catch You (a song on our We are . . . The Laurie Berkner Band
9:59-forced him to clean up, he was ready to run and catch you. I caught him and made him clean with me. 
10:02-begin Laurie Berkner DVD
10:05-P is sent to time out for a bad attitude. He soon comes back with a better one.
10:06-K kicks me out-invites Kirsten (the teen who is living with us right now) in. He grabbed my hand and led me into the kitchen and went and got Kirsten and said, “catch you” and gave her a little shove to get going on the catch you part.
10:08-2nd song on, 2nd song off, he requests Catch You (#1) again.
10:12-Catch you, again.
10:17-Tot School is over, Krash settles in to watch God Rocks! Bibletoons
Pac-Man and I go into the schoolroom to work.
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