Ooops....Things They Didn't Tell the Preschool Teacher!

I remember my first job working in a classroom of 3-5 year old kids.  I was fresh out of college with my degree in hand and confident that I knew what I was doing.  I also remember the long hours I spent getting my room just right for my first group of kiddos.  Everything was going to be perfect!  I survived my first day with a few battle scars.  I quickly learned that while I knew what I was doing with young kids...I did not know all the little details that you simply cannot gain without experience. 

Fast forward to today...I teach college age students how to work with young kids...do I tell them everything they need to know?  Probably not...experience is so important.  Many great "lessons" are learned spending time in early childhood settings with real live children.  Some of those great lessons are learned from mistakes and a lot of trial and error. 

Over the years I have compiled a list of some of those things that no one tells the early childhood teacher.  I am going to share my list here.  It is broken down into 3 sections:  "What to do", "What to know", and "What to have".

What to do:

1. Check children's file (without prejudging)--although I swear boys whose names begin with a "J" are out to get me.
2. Send a note/email to introduce yourself to the families--tell them who you are and why you are going to be so awesome!
3. Send a note to the new children--kids love to get their own mail!
4. Let parents know what to save throughout the year (toilet paper tubes, grocery store bags, baby food jars, coffee cans, egg cartons, etc.)  NOTE:  You may have to request storage space for all the "junk" that filters in.
5. Remember to greet children and families each day!  We get wrapped up and sometimes forget this one.  Oh...and be cheerful!
6. Make labels for everything--cubbies, shelves, cots, supplies, your personal books, your extra kleenex stash (#7 on a later list).
7. Stock up on supplies--this may lead to hoarding but if the things are used I figure it all balances out.
8. Tour the building with children for emergency drills and exits before the real drills. 
9. Introduce all staff to children--so they have a name for the "trash man".
10. Plan as many displays as you can early on--bulletin boards, documentation panels, etc.
11. Make early and positive contact with families.
12. Tell families, "I won't believe everything your child tells me about your home life, if you won't believe everything your child says happens at school".
13. Start a newsletter and make it a regular--keep track of ideas on your calendar for future editions. 
14. Join an early childhood professional organization--it doesn't have to be a national organization but it should act as a support group.
15. Get enough rest, eat well, and exercise (activity on playground counts).

What to know:

1. That is it okay to mistakes...and how to laugh them off!
2. Parent-Teacher Conference dates.
3. How to defend play...this is important to remember in conjunction with #2.
4. Other important program dates--professional development days, program wide celebrations, Dr. Suess' birthday!
5. Where to go for advice...program director, mentor, friend, university advisor, web site.
6. Rules about field trips, fundraising, holiday parties...what do you mean we cannot pass out Valentines?
7. Dress code--avoid things that require dry cleaning or Spanx.
8. The whereabouts of the licensing regulation book and accreditation materials
9. Keep lesson plans from year to year.  You may want to do them again or use as a reminder that it sucked the first time so don't waste your time.
10. Planning is great and very important but flexibility trumps planning!

What to have:

1. A first aid kit for your classroom in addition to a program wide kit--I am not going to the main office for a bandaid for an invisible boo boo on little Jeremy's finger.
2. A personal emergency/beauty bag:  headache medication (for rhymthn stick days), allergy/cold meds, cough drops, toothbrush/paste, deoderant, hair ties, hair brush, mirror, feminine needs. nail file, lip gloss/chap stick, etc.
3. A lotion that takes you to your happy place--your hands will be so dry from all the washing and sanitizing!
4. Baby wipes--works wonders for stain removal and for removing crusty snot from preschoolers noses.
5. Extra underwear and clothes in children's sizes--garage sale finds and clothes left over from previous kiddos work well here.
6. Teacher's smock/apron--don't say I didn't warn you!
7. A stash of extra kleenex and toilet paper--I'm not saying you will run out and have to use construction paper...but you will run out!
8. A camera and a fully charged battery!
9. Disposable combs/brushes and hair ties or barrettes...for the kids!
10. Cheap toothbrushes and kid's toothpaste--in case someone gets sick or they need a quick brush--either they keep or toss the brush.
11. Extra shoes for walks and rainy days...Mr. Roger had the right idea when he changed his shoes.
12. Sweater, sweatshirt or jacket for when it gets cool outside or chilly at naptime.
13. A stuffed animal or pillow for a child who may have had a rough night.
14. A spot for your things--it will make you feel more at home.
15. Two days of emergency lesson plans or backup activities--great for a substitute or when the current days plans don't go well.
16. A teacher's seat, stool, bench, rocking chair...we all need our own spot...and kids think it is extra cool to be able to sit in our spot.
17. A pretty picture or fake floral arrangement to brighten your day!
18. A class photo with all the kiddos in it...this may change frequently!
19. An emergency stash of chocolate for the teacher...enough said.
20. An emergency stash of Smarties or gummies for the kiddos...you will thank me later!
21. Bag or box of rainy day games, puzzles...special things that are not out all the time.  This is when a bag of jacks comes in handy!
22. Writing instruments and post its placed strategically around the room for jotting down observations or for reminder notes...you just have to remember where you put all the notes.
23. A notebook to jot down funny comments from children--we all could write a book someday!
24. Creative storage space. 

25. Patience, eyes in the back of your head, four sets of hands, and a lot of love!

'Twas the Night Before the First Day of Preschool

'Twas the night before the first day of preschool...and all through the houses are anxious parents getting their little ones ready for their big preschool debut.  Our preschool begins for the year tomorrow and I know everyone is excited...parents, kids, and staff (maybe not the janitor)! 

Open house last week was a success!  The room looked great and we had all but 5 families visit.  Parents were looking around and asking questions.  The kids were checking things out as we explained that there would not be so many big people and loud voices on Monday. 

As a parent, I have dropped off my kids for many first days--child care, preschool, and school.  And because it is my parental duty I have in my head how I want my "little" one taken care of in my absence...so this blog is dedicated to my descriptions of how we as early childhood professionals will take care of your little one.

"Hi, my name is Mrs. T.  I'll take [insert child's name here] from you and we'll have a great day.  Tell mom/dad bye and let's go play."

I promise...

• to get your child engaged quickly as you leave so they don't notice (too much) that you are gone
• to console and wipe your child's eyes as they briefly cry after you leave...I will even hold him/her on my lap...or pat their back while they lie on the floor
• to call you and let you know that your child calmed down right after you left and they are now putting a puzzle together with a new friend

• to serve a yummy snack that makes your child think this is the best place to be...pudding and graham cracker sticks should do it...we'll save baby carrots and hummus for a new day
• to read a bazillion books to your child to make them feel special and help them learn to love books...we may even read the same book twice
• to teach your child a song that he or she will sing for the rest of the day...a song that you might not know all the words to and your child inserts his or her own version of the words in the car on the way home...you can ask us about the song tomorrow...we'll be happy to write down the words for you to sing with your child

• to allow your child to use things you shy away from using at home:  glitter, paint, playdough, scissors, and markers...we welcome messes at preschool...it is hard to scare us
• to stop the tire swing and let your child get off before he or she gets "spin sick" and vomits
• that the dirt and markers will wash off with a bath...we like to leave evidence of the good time experienced by your child
• to have so much fun that your child who didn't want to come to preschool doesn't want to leave to go home
• to have so many activities planned that your child crashes out cold right after dinner...unless they are still singing the song
• to love your child while he or she is in my care!

I ♥ Junk!


This is the first week of the fall semester and I did one of my  favorite activities with my early childhood curriculum class.  Since these students are aspiring early childhood professionals they are aware that most jobs in this field are not going to make them multi-millionnaires.  Since they are aware of this fact I can show them how to be creative (even if they swear they are not) and cheap when it comes to creating wonderful learning materials/activities for children.  It is also a great activity to reinforce the ideas of recycling and repurposing. 



What can I do with a handful of caps?



As an early childhood person I am always looking at alternative purposes for basically everything I see...that empty applesauce cup...a random unused door knob...storage containers (my favorites)...you get the idea.  So for this activity I bring in a bag full of junk!  Each student selects an item and brainstorms all the possible uses of the item in relation to young children.  After a period of time we share the results and everytime I get new ideas...and I have done this activity for more than 10 years and have used every item in the bag with young children.  I actually think that a field trip to a dollar store or garage sale could be a fun useful activity for my student teachers. 

If you are wondering the kinds of things in the bag of junk then click on the "Wordle" gadget on the right hand side of the blog screen.

Smells like Back to School

I think I have an addiction...to school supplies.  I know that my love for school supplies began with my first cardboard school box.  I remember for many years during elementary school getting into my new school supplies to organize them in my cardboard school box.  I loved the feel, smell, and excitement that the new school year brought.  I still to this day enjoy it!  I am probably the only person that while in graduate school still got excited for new pens and notebooks.  I often joke that I got into education for the supplies.

During the past few weeks the stores have been stocking their back to school aisles.  For many this signals the sad end to a short summer.  For me it signals the excitement of a new semester.  I truly understand the whole academic calendar idea...for me a new year truly does begin in August.  I have been picking up a few items that I might need for the new semester.  My kids groaned when I finally got my hands on a supply list for their district.  For the most part I had all the supplies on hand for my new 3rd grader.  I was disappointed that my new 7th grader is list-less...time has come to determine his own needs and sadly he does not share the "supply gene" of his mother.  I was also made fun of because I stocked up on tape for my label maker so my kids supplies can be beautifully labeled...well at least the 3rd grader...I have learned that it is embarassing for all your supplies to be labeled when you get to junior high.  On the same note we are only shopping for one new lunch box...junior high kiddos brown bag it. 

I suppose I should squeeze the last few drops out of my summer vacation...and I will...but I will be on the look out for cool post-it notes and stickers (yes, my college students still get stickers).  I will be posting more as my semester begins...signaling a new year to "wake up and smell the crayons."

Smells of Summer...from the nose of a child!

I am a smelly person...let me restate that...I am a person who identifies with smells around me.  I am the person who stands in the health and beauty aisle at Target and smells 10 bottles of shampoo before I can make my choice.  I can catch a whiff of Victoria's Secret Vanilla shower gel and be transported to my summer in England.  While I was enjoying my third day of my summer vacation a smell wafted through the backyard and took me back to simpler times...the smell...honeysuckle.  I started thinking about when my identification with smells began...I have to believe that my love of certain smells began in childhood...which made me think of my favorite summer smells that take me back to those easy breezy summer days as a kid.  So here are my favorite summer scents in no particular order:

1. honeysuckle
2. cotton candy--freshly made...not the bagged kind
3. firework smoke
4. incoming rainstorm
5. fresh cut grass
6. hamburgers/hot dogs cooking on the grill
7. dust from:  drive in movie or ballpark
8. chlorine--not a favorite smell but it evokes good feeling
9. sunscreen--particularly thick goopy zinc oxide--layered right on the nose
10. peonies
11. lemonade
12. Popsicles

I am sure my list could go on and on...but my time is short this evening...I get to go and enjoy some of my favorite smells while at the little league ballpark tonight!

Starting Small

Today my early childhood curriculum class finished watching "Starting Small" a video about teaching tolerance in early childhood classrooms.  I just wanted to share the link and the idea behind this program.  The program is available free to educators from Teaching Tolerance--A Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center http://www.tolerance.org/ (temporarily out of stock).  Though the program is more than 10 years old it still has wonderful ideas about how children learn about how to live in our society.  The video makes me smile, laugh, and tear up all in the same hour.  I highly recommend this program. 

Along the same idea of helping children learn about themselves and others is another great resource for early childhood educators...one of my favorite books...Roots and Wings--Affirming Culture in Early Childhood by Stacey York.

Preschool Planner or Hoarder?

My experiences as an early childhood teacher have turned me into a semi-hoarder.  For the past few weeks I have been assisting the clean out of the storage cabinets and drawers in the preschool and it has helped me come to the conclusion that early childhood people hoard things.  We don't hoard in the sense that we are going to get a documentary show dedicated to us...but we are hoarders all the same...actually I would watch a show like that because it would give me ideas on what I need to "save" for preschool use.  Those of us in the field have even trained our significant others to watch out for the good stuff for us...my husband has held up empty food container and asked if I needed it for school...the receiving office on campus has called to see if I wanted the boxes that held the music department's new tubas...mmmmm....yes please! 

Early childhood people are not typically listed on the Fortune 500 list...so we may be a little on the frugal side.  I actually find it thrilling to come up with new uses for what others may think of as "crap".  I have a workshop presentation that I frequently do at conferences that is dedicated to creative ideas that can be done with inexpensive items...often junk or recycled items.  I also come from the school of people who like to make games and activities for kids...that way it targets exactly what I want it to.  While I was looking through a Lakeshore catalog the other day I actually marked a page with a sticky note that read "make this".  As an opening activity in my curriculum course I take in a bag of random items and have my class brainstorm things they could do with the items in a preschool classroom.  It is a fun activity that opens our eyes to the possibilities that ordinary items hold.  My student teachers have fully caught the preschool hoarding bug because they are forever asking each other to save water bottles and toilet paper tubes.  I feel that I am doing my small part in saving the environment by encouraging hoarding by future early childhood professionals.  Plus...now all the money that they will be making (ha, ha) they can tuck under their mattress because they can teach for cheap!