Mammamel
06-12-2007, 07:49 PM
Some things on my mind.
As some of you all know I used to teach. I taught newborns to age 3. I did some temp work in “regular” school and chose to teach preschool.
I chose to give smaller children a better start. To potty train, teach table manners, kindness and all the other stuff mother’s normally teach.
Here is what bugs me. On more than one occasion when asked I tell folks I taught preschool, I can almost see their respect drain from their faces. Why? We now know that the more a child is encouraged and helped to love learning at an early age (studies I have read say by age 5 is prime) the better chance they have in life. That means by the time the “real” teachers get them their window is already closing for future development.
Preschool is an important place. Granted most of the preschool teaching should be done in the home by the parents, but in cases where mom works this is not always possible.
Preschools need to switch focus from glorified babysitting (not the way I taught, tv was limited and lessons learned through physical play) to actual teaching. Yes a toddler can be taught numbers, colors, to sit and listen while reading a story and letters. I had a class of 19 children from the ages of 15 months to 35 months. I had them taught to stand in line, quietly, not to push or run, to sit in a group while we read stories. They were learning table manners, how to sit and eat properly, they could color and recite letters and numbers with prompting. We did 1 letter a week and 1 number. We added in colors. We had music and we learned to play nicely together. The children in my class were not the ones in the reports on how daycare increases violent activity. Violent activity was not allowed in my room.
Over the course of 20 years I raised my boys while their dad worked long hours, sometimes not seeing them at all for a few days. In that time I alternated between working in daycare centers and working out of my home.
I did not want to teach “real” school; because I saw the road to building a love of learning began way before age 5. I never made a fortune, but I did share a lot of love, and a lot of myself. I got to meet some fantastic young minds along the way as well.
I did not go to college for years to get a teacher license. Just because I did not attend a university does not mean I did not learn on my own. I chose to learn things I knew would help me teach the age group I chose to work with. Plus day care providers have multiple classes to take each year to keep their licenses current. I did not need trig, dance, Latin or other higher based education. Higher education does not make one a better teacher. Yes in some arenas, such as above grade 4 you may need extra training. Good teachers though are not made by much learning. Good teachers are the ones who love learning and love sharing in new ways what they already know. Good teachers are the ones who, like George Washington Carver, can take junk and make science, or math or what ever else they need. Good teachers are not the ones saying we need more money. Good teachers realize creativity is more important than money. Now true, good teachers should be decently paid. I vote we reverse the pay scales between athletes and entertainers with teachers. However a good teacher is one who would teach for free. Just like a good preacher is one who loves the WORD and so desires to share that he will do so, paid for it or not.
Those are the kinds of teachers we need in preschool as well. Those who teach, not for the pay check, but because they have something of value to share with the children in their care.
Go ahead and lose respect for me because I didn’t teach in a “real” school if you wish. You were not the reason I spent 20 years teaching. You are not the reason I would teach again if I was able. The little ones that come into my store are the reason I taught, and the reason I will teach in the store if the occasion arises. I did not teach so I could tell people I was a teacher. I taught because it was what I wanted and needed to do.
As some of you all know I used to teach. I taught newborns to age 3. I did some temp work in “regular” school and chose to teach preschool.
I chose to give smaller children a better start. To potty train, teach table manners, kindness and all the other stuff mother’s normally teach.
Here is what bugs me. On more than one occasion when asked I tell folks I taught preschool, I can almost see their respect drain from their faces. Why? We now know that the more a child is encouraged and helped to love learning at an early age (studies I have read say by age 5 is prime) the better chance they have in life. That means by the time the “real” teachers get them their window is already closing for future development.
Preschool is an important place. Granted most of the preschool teaching should be done in the home by the parents, but in cases where mom works this is not always possible.
Preschools need to switch focus from glorified babysitting (not the way I taught, tv was limited and lessons learned through physical play) to actual teaching. Yes a toddler can be taught numbers, colors, to sit and listen while reading a story and letters. I had a class of 19 children from the ages of 15 months to 35 months. I had them taught to stand in line, quietly, not to push or run, to sit in a group while we read stories. They were learning table manners, how to sit and eat properly, they could color and recite letters and numbers with prompting. We did 1 letter a week and 1 number. We added in colors. We had music and we learned to play nicely together. The children in my class were not the ones in the reports on how daycare increases violent activity. Violent activity was not allowed in my room.
Over the course of 20 years I raised my boys while their dad worked long hours, sometimes not seeing them at all for a few days. In that time I alternated between working in daycare centers and working out of my home.
I did not want to teach “real” school; because I saw the road to building a love of learning began way before age 5. I never made a fortune, but I did share a lot of love, and a lot of myself. I got to meet some fantastic young minds along the way as well.
I did not go to college for years to get a teacher license. Just because I did not attend a university does not mean I did not learn on my own. I chose to learn things I knew would help me teach the age group I chose to work with. Plus day care providers have multiple classes to take each year to keep their licenses current. I did not need trig, dance, Latin or other higher based education. Higher education does not make one a better teacher. Yes in some arenas, such as above grade 4 you may need extra training. Good teachers though are not made by much learning. Good teachers are the ones who love learning and love sharing in new ways what they already know. Good teachers are the ones who, like George Washington Carver, can take junk and make science, or math or what ever else they need. Good teachers are not the ones saying we need more money. Good teachers realize creativity is more important than money. Now true, good teachers should be decently paid. I vote we reverse the pay scales between athletes and entertainers with teachers. However a good teacher is one who would teach for free. Just like a good preacher is one who loves the WORD and so desires to share that he will do so, paid for it or not.
Those are the kinds of teachers we need in preschool as well. Those who teach, not for the pay check, but because they have something of value to share with the children in their care.
Go ahead and lose respect for me because I didn’t teach in a “real” school if you wish. You were not the reason I spent 20 years teaching. You are not the reason I would teach again if I was able. The little ones that come into my store are the reason I taught, and the reason I will teach in the store if the occasion arises. I did not teach so I could tell people I was a teacher. I taught because it was what I wanted and needed to do.