Day 5

Today was my last day :( we planned for me to come back twice next week so it wouldn't be a sad day. The rain almost got the best of us! We had a good 30 minutes on the playground until we were forced to come inside due to lightning watch. We then proceeded to have snack and story time and then centers. Instead of assigning each kid a center, we let them pick and choose where they wanted to go which went surprisingly well. I lead the ocean in the bottle craft which everyone completed and for the remainder of the time I got out paper and markers and opened up a coloring center. Since next Wednesday is their last day, we decided to just let the kids play with each other and enjoy the remaining of the year together. After motor lab it was time for closing circle then carpool as usual. The only thing that I noticed was that all the kids were playing with each other instead of off in their usual groups. It was really great to see them all getting along and playing nicely with one another.

Day 4

Today we did a lot of work with numbers, days of the week, and the weather. During circle, we counted to 19 because today was the 19th of May. Then we counted how many "friends" were at school today. There are 16 total in the class and today we were missing 1. "If we have 16 friends in the class and we're missing 1, what's 16 take away 1?" The majority of the classed yelled out "15!" While few added 1 instead of subtracting. Adding and subtracting is still an incredibly hard concept for them to grasp. There are few that really understand it. If you ask one of the kids to name the days of the week they can do it no problem. But if you ask them what comes after Wednesday they really struggle. So we worked on asking them random days and what comes after. Then we went over how the weather was today and how it has changed throughout the week. Luckily, we got to go out to the playground today. Tomorrow we probably won't be so lucky. So to prepare for this misfortune, we have planned several crafts and activities. There are still some people who have yet to finish their crab, we're starting the ocean in a bottle project tomorrow, and we checked out lots of books from the library. If the kids get too rowdy during their centers we have them sing songs full of dance moves. It helps drain out some of their built up energy. As for having them understand religion, the chaplain comes in once a week and tells a Bible story using props. This helps them visualize what she is talking about. Today was very laid back but it's going to take all the energy I have to make it through the day tomorrow.

Day 3

The best part of this job simply walking into the room. Every time I come in, I feel like a rockstar. I get mauled and fought over and apparently it's the biggest deal in the world to hold my hand. I'm absolutely in love with the kids. Today was a very relaxed day. We spent extra time on the playground due to the weather forecast for Thursday and Friday and then we just had religion and music. I learn more and more everyday about child development. When someone makes a bad a choice I've learned the best way to ensure they won't do it again is to look at them with a sad and disappointed face and ask, "why did you do that?" They never know how to answer and you can see the regret on their faces for what they did. Regarding the behind the scenes question... The amount of time that goes into preparing the lesson plan for the week depends on what the main craft is. For example, making the crabs takes a lot of time. We made cut outs of the crab, spent a lot of time trying to think of what to use for the eyes (we decided on clove oil spices), and then actually making an example. The kids had to trace the body of the crab then cut it out. Then they have to cut out eight legs, fold them to make them look "crabby," then make make two big pinchers, and finally glue everything on including the eyes. But for the ocean in a bottle project, that took no time at all. You simply put the sand in the bottle, then some shells, then the water dyed blue, and finally the oil. For extra safety we hot glue the lids on. Today wasn't a busy day and didn't involve as much interaction with the kids as usual. Tomorrow and Friday will require all three of our full attention since there will most likely be no playground time (God help us).

Day 2

The schedule varies from day to day and a lot of times we end up having to just go with the flow. Today went like this: opening circle, chapel, playground, snack/story, centers, motor lab, and finally carpool.

I lead opening circle once again this morning telling the kids their jobs for the day such as line leader, door holder, special helper, caboose, ect. Then we take attendance, talk about what day of the week it is, go over the schedule for the day, count the calendar, discuss the weather, and water the plants. Walking to chapel was a challenge today. It was as if every kid drank 5 cups of coffee this morning and forgot how to talk in their "inside voices." I learned a lot during playground time by just observing how the kids interacted with one another. Some prefer to use their actions rather than their words to express their anger, some were off in their own world entertaining themselves, a couple clinged onto the teachers & myself, and the rest played nicely with one another. Today's evaluation test involved the swing set. They were "graded" on their ability to pull themselves up onto the swing, get themselves going by pumping their legs, and being able to keep themselves going using the pumping motion. Snack and story time went smoothly and then it was time for centers. I was helping each child make their crab while the others played in their assigned centers. As I was observing, I noticed how smart some of them were. To make the crab, they need to put eight legs and two pinchers on it. It was amazing how fast some of them could add and subtract without me even asking. During motor lab the teachers have somewhat of a break and leave the kids for about 20 minutes. During this time we cleaned up, prepared for carpool, discuss some highlights of the day, and made plans for the tomorrow. Carpool was carpool and finally the day had come to an end. I helped them finish cleaning up and then day two had ended.

Day 1

Within the first five minutes of being in the classroom, it was clear that I had not mentally prepared myself for the high-stimulate day ahead. I had spent numerous early mornings with the three year olds trying to keep them occupied and entertained long enough for the teachers to prepare the projects for the day. Today I wasn't a volunteer for Hillcrest Fellows that would come in her uniform, play with the kids for about an hour, then leave promising to return in a week. Today I was the teacher. I prepared the crafts, lead opening circle, read stories to the class, and guided them through their crafts. 7:30-12:30 may not sound like a long time but when you become the center of a three year olds world, that seems like a lifetime. I came on a good week. Assessments of each child are being done this week. They don't receive grades or take hour long tests like I do. They are "graded" on their motor skills, able to identify letters and numbers, and how they interact with others their age. Who knew climbing the monkey bars was the ultimate accomplishment? I've only begun to learn about how vital it is for a child to think about doing an action then being able to make it actually happen. I can't wait for learn more about "what makes someone Pre-K 2 ready" and what does not.