Is Pre-K Really Important?

I have not blogged in quite a long time...well since 2012 to be exact, but I have had a lot of time to think and develop my thoughts on things relating to teaching and Pre-K. I have learned many things about Pre-K since stepping into this field and still continue to learn many things.

First, I have realized the importance of why children should go through Pre-K before entering elementary school and realized there is also a strong myth that Pre-K teachers really aren't teachers.  I would first like to address why Pre-K teachers are real teachers. There is a lot that goes into teaching Pre-K and it's not just a babysitting job. We have to plan detailed lesson plans, create small groups, teach handwriting, letters, numbers, shapes, colors, how to spell their name, address, phone number, tying their shoes, properly handling toileting procedures, scraping their plates (well really eating in general), wiping their nose, working out arguments, P.E. class, Spanish, Art, keeping up with work sampling online (anecdotal notes), filing, dealing with behavioral challenges, progress reports, parent-teacher conferences, and I could continue to go on and on. So, that in itself reveals that Pre-K teachers are real teachers. A teacher is not based on a piece of paper but how seriously you take your job and the effort you put into what you do in the classroom. Teaching is more than a job it is a calling, unfortunately there are some in the teaching field who are either burnt out or not called to the profession. I believe that a teacher has great impact on children and it is vital that they take the profession seriously understanding that they have a specific calling on their life. I believe if more teachers did this you would see a higher success rate in school and education would improve overall.

Secondly, I completely believe that Pre-K or some form of prior education for children is necessary. Does that mean that have to be in a school setting, not necessarily but prior knowledge is very important for them to be able to handle something new. I believe that if it is possible for children to attend Pre-K it is better because they have that opportunity to make social connections with other children and have the opportunity to have a jump start in relation to letters, numbers, etc... There are so many things that Pre-K children can learn and it is vital to their growth and independence they need to be successful in elementary school.

I have really pondered on these particular topics because this year in particular I have had to reevaluate my desire for teaching. This year was a major change for me because I started out the year with a new assistant, a bilingual class, multiple behavioral challenges and leading our Pre-K team with meetings and others various things. With all of that combined I could not seem to get in the groove of teaching this year. I had fallen in this "funk" and couldn't get out. It has been a struggle to make the decision on whether to stay in teaching or to leave the profession completely. There is much stress and long hours involved in teaching; however positives outweigh the negatives. So with that weighing heavily on my mind and much prayer, I have decided that if God has called me to something I have to stick to it. When He is ready for me to leave he will give me a complete peace about it and I will have no hesitation in doing what He has next for me. However, when I asked myself if it was time for me to walk away I never could get a peace about stepping away from the teaching field. I knew in my heart that God still wanted me in the profession and that teaching was more than a job it was my calling. I will continue to serve God faithfully in my calling, knowing that whether others think Pre-K is important, what matters is ultimately I am doing exactly what God wants me to do.

And yes, I am a real teacher and I am absolutely in love with my kiddos in Pre-K and am ready for the adventures in the days to come!

Til' Next Time...
Best Wishes In Teaching!

Stephanie

A New Year...A New Me!

Hello to All!

It has been quite awhile since I have written in my blog but my goal is to at least post to my blog a couple times a week. My original intention was to have this as a way to encourage others and share happy and sad moments along with easy and difficult days but I fell off track. I am hoping that with the new attitude that I have tried to have that I will be more successful in posting and giving you some encouraging words.

So, here we go.

This summer I made the decision that I wanted to be a new me. I wanted to improve some things in my life and hopefully be a mentor or encourager to someone. My goal was and is to have a better attitude overall and make the most of each day. It is so easy to get caught up with daily things that can bother us but I wanted to make a difference in people's lives and be an example for others to look up to. I started off the new school year making all my co-workers gifts for the new Pre-K year. I did this in hopes to start off on a good note. I also wanted to make some better decisions in relation to my classroom.

Today was the first official day with my students and I started out the day with a positive attitude. I knew that there would be moments that stressed me out and other moments that I would just have to laugh but I wanted to end the day on a positive note. As the day progressed we were doing great. Of course the kids were having to adjust to the daily schedule and a new environment but we were making it. Well things began to change around lunch time. Alot of the kids were ready to see Mommy or Daddy or they were hungry or wanted to take a nap; they were not interested in discussing anything at circle time. I asked them what were some things that they wanted to know about Pre-K and they looked at me like a deer in the headlights. I said, okay well what are some things you like about Pre-k. Finally, I started to get some answers but still most of the kids were squirming around, going to the bathroom, untying their shoes, playing with legos, or whatever else you can think of aside from listening. I looked at my co-teacher Tabitha and said "Can you remind me why I love Pre-K so much?" She replied, "We are almost through the day just a little while longer." It was encouraging to me and helped me to get finished with circle time. I had her support with the kids and we finished discussing what we liked about Pre-K and then went to eat lunch.The kids ate lunch and then layed down for a nap. This gave us a break, but before we knew it they were up and raring to go again. We ended our day and as they were leaving I was pleasantly reminded of 19 reasons why I teach Pre-K. Each of their faces were reminders of why I do what I do. They may not always have the best day and neither may I but they are the reason for why I do my job. I don't teach Pre-K for the money, the glamour, the prestige, or cleanliness and simplicity :), but rather I teach for the simple fact that I have the honor of playing a major role in each of these children's lives. I can impact their lives for eternity. I want them to come in to my classroom excited about learning and leave having gained knowledge and inspiration from what we have done throughout the day. I teach Pre-K to be a model for future leaders of our nation. No, I am not perfect but I do have talents and gifts that I can share with my students and hope that at least one word I say will impact them forever.

So, yes I have carried on for a little while today but I have opened my heart up and shared with you my desire. I hope to be some kind of encourager or mentor and that you will be able to see something different in me. I also hope to remind you that the children should be the reason we do what we do. Nothing else matters if we do not do it for the children!

Til' Next Time.
Best Wishes In Teaching!

Stephanie

I'm Back!

I know it has been a long time since I posted lasted but I have been busy. Well all the holidays are over and we are back in the swing of things. I have a new assistant who is absolutely wonderful. She is organized and always willing to do whatever I need her to do. She has helped me in so many ways. She has so much experience and it comes in handy in the classroom. I have also received a new student in class and he is doing great. He has adjusted well to our classroom and is a great example to the other students.

Then, there are of course those that always want to add more excitement in the classroom. I have some who love to be the center of the show and always want to share, be the teacher all day long, and others who just love to talk, talk, talk! I also have a student that has just been diagnosed with autism and ADHD. We knew something was going on but needed a diagnosis. He is such a sweet boy but this is again something new for me to experience.

So in the last couple of months I have experienced many new things. Some days are absolutely rough and make me never want to teach again (like today) and then there are other days that I LOVE what I do and wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

What we can take from this is that there will always be new things going on in the classroom. It is dependant upon how we respond to everything that will help us look at each day. Our attitude will help us to make it through each day and give the children the best experience that they deserve.

So sorry for the long delay in posting but I'm back!!

Best Wishes In Teaching!

Til' Next Time...

Stand Up For What You Believe

Well... It has been a little bit since I last blogged. I finally have a chance to sit and write for a little bit. As many of my fellow co-workers know this week I have been quite outspoken about the fact that I think it is quite ridiculous that we cannot say Christmas at work. We can talk about every other kind of religion or philosophy or whatever you want to call it but heaven forbid we say the word Christmas. I believe we will stand in judgement as Christians for not standing up for what is right and for Christ. As I shared in my post on Facebook that Christ is everything. He is our reason for living. How dare we denounce His name and act like He has not given us everything that we need. The "Holiday Season" is only in existence because of Jesus and His birth.

So with all of that said, stand up for what you believe in and don't back down! There will be questioning from others but stand up for what is right. In the end if we as Christians follow what is right and stand up for what is true God will bless us. It is not easy but it is worth it.

Best Wishes In Teaching!

Til' Next Time...

A Much Needed Break...

Hello Everyone!! I am enjoying my first weekday of my Thanksgiving break. I counted down the days until this break and it is finally here. I am planning to get alot of organizing and cleaning done on my break along with spending quality time with my hubby.

 I was sitting thinking about the blessings that are in my life and how too many times I can get so focused on the problems in life rather than the blessings of life. Yesterday I heard a story at church about Corrie Ten Boom and her sister when they were in the concentration camp. She was infested with fleas and thanked God for being able to be infested with fleas because none of the soldiers would enter the camp to do searches which in turn allowed her to keep her Bible. Then the preacher said, "Too many times the things we complain about are the things that God wants to use to help us draw closer to Him, but rather we need to take those things and use them to help us draw closer to God just as Corrie Ten Boom did."  I sat thinking to myself of how many times I choose to complain about those things in life that are not easy and yet those may be the moments that God wants to use to draw me closer to Him.

So with that said, I am going to enjoy my much needed break and bask in the goodness of God. I will enjoy the moments and memories that I can make this week and rejuvenate myself so that I can be prepared for a fresh start on the Monday when I go back.

So, remember even when things don't look so great and you want to take the moment to complain remember it may be a moment that God wants you to take to draw closer to Him.  Take this week teachers and relax and rejuvenate yourself to prepare for the Monday when we all go back to our little munchkins.

Best Wishes In Teaching....

Til' Next Time!

Find The Silver Lining...

Today was a new day for me. I decided that I would make the best of what I have and have a better attitude about my day. My husband helped me with this along with some other people in my life. My husband was encouraging me to either decide to like what I do and enjoy it or find something that I can enjoy and like doing. I have always loved teaching but sometimes it can get very overwhelming when things are piling up and the paperwork never seems to end. However, when I took some time to get things in perspective I realized that yes, days are going to be rough, but there is always a silver lining in everything.

Today, one of my friends at work gave me great encouragment and it reaffirmed for me that I am doing what I am suppossed to be doing and I just have to keep going. Even when things get rough I need to remember to find the silver lining.

It will always help when we stop and evaluate our situation and find the positives and ultimately we may be able to encourage others. I hope that I can be an encouragement to others around me and that I will be able to inspire those to do better or just keep going.

So, I say all of this to really say, be an encouraging friend. Even when your friend may feel like giving up, be encouraging. When your friend is having a rough day, be encouraging. When they feel like giving up, be encouraging. When they need to shed a few tears, be encouraging. You never know what kind of impact you will be to others around you by the simple words that you can say that will change their life forever.

Best Wishes In Teaching!

Til' Next Time...

Struggling...

Today marks week two of my class having so much difficulty. I leave everyday feeling like a complete failure because my kids do not seem interested in what is going on in the classroom, some don't seem to be progressing as quickly as I feel they should be and their behaviors are flat out outrageous at times. I have kids who want to lay all over the floor and scream, jump up and down and cry because they didn't think it was fair to miss outside time, throw toys across the room, paint all over the easel while looking at me and laughing, students telling me that I can't do anything to them so they can do whatever they want, and do I need to go on...
 Again, the class is in the transition of having another teacher come to work with us and this does not set well with them. They cannot handle any inconsistency; however things like this have to take place. I have been told that I do not speak up loud enough and yell at the kids enough and I have been asked to meet with a set of parents so they can give me some strategies that they have used with their other children to see if they will work with their daughter that is in my class.

Needless to say, each week that I am working in the classroom this year seems to be increasing in difficulty. I want to know if there is something that I am doing wrong or if it is just the batch of kids that I have this year that are the way they are. I never want to deprive my class of something that they need to learn because I am not teaching it to them. I want to be aware of each child's needs and be able to help each one of them individually.

I know God has called me to teach and to work with children and to educate them for their future. It just seems difficult many times when there seems to be no solution for the behaviors that are happening in class.

So, rather than giving any advice I am asking for advice and prayer during this time to help me to be the teacher I need to be for my students now and in the future.

Best Wishes In Teaching!

Til' Next Time...