Preschoolers

From the perspective of a teacher, I know that finding out one of your students has a teacher for a parent can create mixed feelings.  On one hand, that parent is probably going to be very interested in what's happening in the classroom.  On the other, that parent is probably going to be very interested in what's happening in the classroom.  While I have nothing to hide and am proud of (most of) what occurs in my typical work day, scrutiny is always a little unnerving.

As a teacher-mom, I try to keep this in mind with Michael and Sophie, especially when they transition to a new room in their child care center.  It's typically a tougher adjustment for me than them.  I know that.  But with every transition the ratio increases: one teacher to three babies in the infant room, one to four toddlers in the toddler room, and now one teacher to a gazillion preschoolers.  Ok, maybe it's more like one to seven, but it looks like a lot to me right now.

Just as it happened in the toddler room, I tend to pick Sophie and Michael up at snack time, all the kids sleepily moving from nap cots to the tables and chairs, one teacher doling out sliced pears and crackers with cream cheese while the other packs up the blankets and pillows.  The snack teacher in this new room always leads a song before the kids eat, and the kids participate, eagerly singing "Open, shut them, open, shut them, put them in your lap, lap, lap" rasing their hands above their heads and wiggling their fingers, ending with a "Thank you for the snack, snack, snack."  It's all very peaceful, controlled, and fine, but the number of kids (usually around 12) still shakes me up a tad.

As a teacher-mom, I've also discovered that my comfort tends to develop after these moves when I see my kids have learned something new, something bigger than they would have in the last room.  Friday night, that comfort started growing.

 

My Movie from Shared and Doubled on Vimeo.

Please forgive the jump in the video.  Just before Michael started adding spider legs, I got the dreaded "Camcorder Full" message and had to strategically delete files without getting distracted by videos of them dancing Gangnam style or shaking their baby dolls' booties (perhaps two future posts).  Luckily Michael kept making spiders for quite a while.

Here's what a portion of the kids' classroom email said that day:

We felt like scientists today as we explored pictures of spiders and discussed the types of spiders.  Today for art we enjoyed creating mini spider wind socks using spider cut-outs, streamers, and a little glue to put it all together.  We can't wait until we see them!  During our art project we engaged our math skills as we counted the legs and eyes of a spider.  We enhanced our gross motor skills as we searched for spiders in the gross motor room!

I'm assuming those spiders in the gross motor room were toys?  Hopefully.

Anyway, I believe this was the first time one of the kids' drawings actually looked like something recognizable...on purpose.  Pretty dang cool, I have to say.