MY PHILOSOPHIES I want to teach a preschool that I would be comfortable enrolling my own children in. I know that many parents like to research different schools before they make that important choice. To help make the process easier, I thought I would jot down some of my thoughts about preschool, and how to run one :).
Diversity: I have tried to expose my own kids to different cultures and disabilities from an early age because I think it is important for them to understand that although there are many differences between lots of people, there are also many similarities. I want my kids to be caring and accepting of everyone. I've tried to choose books at the library that focus on a different culture or situation every month. If there is time in our curriculum, I would like to incorporate some form of this into my preschool classroom.
Miss Monique has done a great job of making sure the kids learn sign language. Miss Robin has helped them learn so many things, and I am always amazed at how much Reese knows!
Because I know a little Spanish, I thought it would be fun to teach the kids a few songs and words from a different language :).
Alphabet, shape, and color recognition: The Basics! I know from experience that no two children are on the same level when entering preschool! This makes it a little difficult to accomodate all of them. So, when teaching the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and all of the other basic preschool principles, we will start at the bottom! There are, however, ways to teach more advanced theories without overwhelming the children who are not quite ready yet. I know Monique firmly believes in having repetition in activities as children learn their letters, and I agree. Last year, Reese (my 3-year-old) came home from Miss Monique's with a puppet everyday for the letter they had learned. Even though Reese already knew her letters when she entered preschool, the repetition and focus on letter sounds and phonics helped her be better prepared when it came time to start sounding words out. She knew that at the end of the day, she would color a puppet for the letter they had learned. I'm excited to be using Monique's curriculum for this year. Reese learned so much last year and has come a long way!
Discipline: I've had a parent ask what I do for discipline. At first, it was hard for me to think of exactly what I do in every situation! But, after some thought I think I can put a broad frame around it :).
I am sure that not every class is the same, because there are certainly no two children who will react exactly the same way in every situation! From talking with Monique and a few friends of mine who have kids in preschool or teach themselves, I've learned that they very rarely have a necessity for any serious discipline. I was glad to hear that and am looking forward to a classroom which runs relatively smoothly.
Let me just explain some of the things I've done at home with my day-care kids and my own girls. I've learned that very often kids can take care of things themselves. As long as no one is breaking our "house rules" (such as absolutely no hitting, unkind comments, or endangering someone else), kids that are around the same age will often come up with a solution themselves. Sometimes they just need a gentle reminder, such as "Remember to keep your hands to yourself." When that fails, I've found that most problems can be resolved by simply distracting the child with something else. We often have the
toys take a "little rest" at my house when the kids are having a hard time sharing. That way, there is no winner or loser. They both understand the consequences of not sharing and I don't have to leave everyone else just to put someone in time-out.
That is not to say, however, that I don't have my own form of time-out. In extreme cases (usually an act of violence toward someone. i.e. hitting, biting, etc.) we have "thinking time." It is similar to a time-out, but puts more focus on the child understanding cause and effect, as well as empathy. Usually I set the timer for a few minutes and have the offending child take that time to think about why so-and-so is crying. This helps them both cool down before we talk everything over. After the time is up, I have them both talk about what happened. Then they each have to say what they did that was inappropriate and think of a better solution for next time.
I hope that helps! I fully understand that a classroom environment is not the same as a home environment. I'm looking forward to figuring out just exactly "what I do for discipline" in every situation :). Please let me know if you have any suggestions, or problems with anything! I would love some input.
Social Interaction: Let's face it. Some parents put their kids in preschool not because they need to learn their ABC's, but because their child needs to learn how to deal with others. (The extra 2 hours on preschool day to get stuff done isn't bad, either :)). I'm one of those parents. Reese already knew most everything she needed to go to Kindergarten, but she needed to be able to leave Mom and feel comfortable in a new situation. Going to preschool has helped her grow leaps and bounds. She used to cling to me whenever we were somewhere new. Now she wants to go explore and meet new people. Honestly, I was shocked at the change in her.
Preschool is about helping kids interact with each other and their teachers in an appropriate way. Hopefully, they take those lessons and apply them as they go through life.
I am a big believer in Dr. John Gottman's book
Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child (New York: Fireside, 1997). We studied it when I was in college, and I was blown away! Basically it focuses on validating the child's emotions and helping the child understand those emotions and fix their problems themselves. Instead of discounting negative emotions, an "emotion coach" sees negative emotions as an opportunity to teach.
I believe that a child who can manage his or her emotions has a better chance of developing into a healthy, successful adult. In my previous experiences I have used emotion coaching subtly whenever there's a problem (see the Discipline paragraph). I hope to be able to teach the kids to respect others' feelings while understanding and labeling their own emotions.
Fun!! Above all, preschool should be fun!! We want kids to be excited to go to school and develop a love of learning. That's why I love thinking of new fun games or crafts that relate to topics or teach a lesson that kids might not even know they're learning! I love to play, sing, act silly (just ask my family ;)), color, paint, cut. I think that's why I want to teach preschool. So much fun stuff to do!
Please contact me if you'd like a list of my references. I had them posted here, but thought better of putting everyone's names and phone numbers on the internet!
