Office by Alex Penny
"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!"
So I was in Barnes and Noble today as as usual I went for the education books and started browsing there. The books there are interesting and some of them I have read and there are some that I would rather remember to take out of the library, but I am forever disappointing that there are none for me. The books seem to be aimed at teachers of higher grades like middle school and high school. I just want an inspiring story about teaching preschool and maybe just maaaaaaaaaaybe teaching somewhere where the students are mostly ELL while the teacher only speaks English. According to the bf, this is a very specific want and I may just have to team up with people and write it myself.
Anyone know of any books that deal with teaching preschool? or Headstart?
aauw:
But also, please focus on the fact that preschool is NOT the same as day care. I run into a lot of parents who think it is when I am trying to discuss their child’s behavior or progress in school. Sometimes they don’t care because it’s “just daycare.” Ummm no. I am responsible for your child’s learning, and I need you to be an active participant.
Amen, sister! Shockingly, some parents have the same attitude towards kindergarten. Kinder isn’t required in Texas, so many parents feel it is the year for their child to play all day while being babysat for free.
I work at a place where not only the parents but the teachers sometimes treat it as free daycare and don’t seem to care about the benefits of it. I really wish they would spend more time reading and observing the benefits rather than complaining or constantly being at “appointments”.
So today was a day. After waking up three times last night(once from the heat being too high and causing some anxiety and twice from bad dreams) I dragged myself into work. Without coffee. Because I decided to be on a path to health. After three hours of filing, I went into the classroom and there, my kids started draaaaaaaagging themselves in. They all seemed to feel that it was Monday and were unfocused, slow, and walking like zombies. One of the last ones in came in screaming and fighting, apparently because he had busted his lip open at home and didnt want to be stared at. Screamed “mommyyyyyyyyyyyy” over and over for an hour. AN HOUR. I sat on the floor for an hour rubbing his back and talking at him about anything I could think of to talk about while my zombies had lunch, cleaned up, and had circle time with my TA. Finally he calmed down, and I decided to scrap the plans for the day and take out every calm sensory activity I could think of. I filled the water table with warm water and soap, I put out playdough, puzzles, shaving cream, and paint. I put on soft slow music and it was actually successful. The kids were quiet and content, my monster was pacified, and we were able to have a good story time later on. I definitely learned my lesson though and will be stopping for coffee tomorrow.
At a Georgia preschool last week, President Obama sat in a tiny wooden chair and played a science game with a group of four-year-olds. He held up a magnifying glass and peered playfully at the little boy next to him. For a second it looked as if he was trying to figure him out.
It is an apt metaphor of where our country stands on education these days. Obama’s preschool plan builds on a decade’s fascination with studies on brain growth. We recognize the importance of children’s early years in setting the foundation for social-emotional intelligence and strong academic skills. Yet instead of bringing early learning to more children, we remain frozen with our magnifying glasses.
» via The Atlantic
So, I am reaching out for advice. When I walked into my new job in August, the teacher who is sharing a room with me said “this is how the room is set up” and that has been the tone for the whole year so far. I have a drawer and a bulletin board. I was given a cabinet but she likes to throw things in it. As in junk or things that should be out in the centers but she has taken out for one reason or another. We do not plan the same topics of studies so I make sure anything I use that’s theme specific can be taken out before my pm class starts and then put away at the end of the day. She has taken it upon herself to decorate the room in her theme this month. So my kids are distracted and asking what everything is. She comes in and reminds everyone that everything is hers (“don’t lean on that shelf that’s mine” “don’t play with that toy like that its mine”) and when I do leave anything out it winds up in her closet which she has a child lock on, seemingly as a warning to keep out.
It’s my first year as a preschool teacher and I’m finding it very hard to share the room and make sure that some of me is in it and it feels like my students classroom in the afternoons. Any advice or stories from people who have had to share rooms? I’m not really looking to cross this woman so I’m pretty determined to just stick it out for the year and try not to go back next year. But I could use a good story or something to help with the miserable feeling I get when I think about it….
Other Half
I love this so much
The Origin of Love. Beautifully illustrated.
Go ahead. Guess what I do for life.
Thanks to that I am writing on here again. Also thanks to that I am almost two months ahead in my planning :) I am working on an around the world unit that I am pretty happy with because I have had the time to research it. Its not that easy to find quality activities for the kids without them having to do with food or being questionnable. I am really really happy with the amount of resources I have found for Africa though, I have a child whose family is from that continent so I wanted to make sure to give that some special attention.I have also been walking in the snow so its nice to be physically active again!
So people have had that student that makes you so crazy you start rethinking everything right? The behavior kid who you cannot find enough resources for? The one who needs something that you feel like you just aren’t able to give because you aren’t sure what it is? maybe?? I could use some stories right about now…
I got marked down on my midterm for using pet names in the classroom. I personally see no problem with this since I’m working with 3-5 year old children. It really offended me to be getting marked off for this. Am I the only one that sees no problem with it?
I…
I know at my center we arent supposed to use pet or nicknames with the kids because they are at an age where they have to know their names. At that age part of their evaluations are how much personal information they can give you including their first and last name. So its discouraged to call them by another name. I personally dont like it because I think they can learn their names at the same time that they are occasionally called by something else that they are comfortable with and individualizes them (i had two kids with the same name so I used the nickname one of them was called at home) BUT that is the policy.
