Nothing in this world can be likened to teaching children as young as 2 to 3 years old… It is definitely tiring, but also unbelievably gratifying! 10 years ago, I’ve never thought of myself as a teacher… 3 years ago, I would have said no to teaching babies… And about 2 months ago, I would have opted to go back teaching older kids… But now, as fate would have it… I am again trekking the same path as I’ve done in my last year in BWS.
It was not forced upon me… it was just because among the three new Noblesse Early Years teachers, I was the one with the experience. I stepped into the Toddler classroom with 2 bubbly and easy to handle children… After almost 2 months, the Toddler class population catapulted to a whooping 12 students! To add to my growing incredulity, the task seems to get more challenging each day.. 12 different children- all egoistic, territorial, and with vague awareness and compliance to classroom rules! Moreso, being gifted with an enormously sized classroom proved to have its own disadvantages- to them, they have before themselves the crude rendition of a playground where they can run, jump, and play to their hearts’ content!
However, beyond the day-to-day physical exhaustion and endless motivational strategies, I cannot cite any other profession that is as utterly gratifying… The pleasure comes from seeing their faces beam with joy and appreciation after a wonderfully planned activity, laugh like there’s no tomorrow over your clown-like antics, and sing and dance without inhibitions… Wow… dang, I sound like a newbie…
Well, anyways, I am applauding all the noble Preschool Teachers of the world… It takes a great deal of commitment and dedication to engage in this kind of profession.. Regardless of whether the job is a calling or forced upon us (mostly because of the growing unemployment rate)… the rewards are true and the same for all us… more than the financial and material gains.. we leave indelible traces of ourselves to these children… we make them learn while being happy and secure… we give them moments to appreciate the joys of being young and carefree… Hey, having said this, I just realized that they, too, do the same for us… hmmm….
anyway,...
Do you have learning centers? How do you manage the routine in order to make sure the very young children are spread out into different centers or areas of the room so that they will not fight while you are doing potty training and diapering? Or do you do a lot of large group activities? I am a new 2-3 year old teacher trying to figure out the best way to negotiate room management. Any ideas or tips would be helpful!
Hello! its been a while since I last checked my site! Yup you are right… in my case, you can say that I do have more large group activities. Babies are very difficult to contain. When they become comfortable with the classroom setting and have somehow developed a sense of routine that’s where I try to slowly diversify and break them into smaller groups. We do not have learning centers per se but we do set up our classrooms in a manner that suggests something like small learning centers (i.e. reading corner, play area, etc…) I am a stickler for organization that’s why I try my best to balance ‘freedom’ and ‘rules’. What I do is we go through each activity as a group or give them a choice among 2 or 3 activities (if I want to break them into small groups). But then again, it is really a challenge to avoid baby quarrels, knowing their normal selfish nature at this stage. I suggest having enough materials for everybody in each center. Also, an assistant teacher is very much helpful, especially if you want to pull out a group of students for other enrichment lessons…
I am surprised, though, because you still have to do potty training and diapering. I let my assistant handle this for me- they usually go to the bathroom in big groups and at a somehow pre-determined time (say before concept teaching time). I then look after the students left in the class. Please do email me again so we can learn from each other… Thanks!
Thanks for the reply! In our room we have two teachers who essentially function as co-teachers with equal authority. We have 12 2 year olds and the room is set up like other preschool rooms in that we have a science center, blocks center, home living center, manipulatives center, art center, music center, etc. The children are free to go to any center, but there is a limit to the number of children that can be in any one center. Also they have to clean up in one area before going to play in another. It is alot to expect a 2 year old to learn. We are just starting to teach them this routine. In the meantime I am trying to lead small group activities with a few at a time at a table to cut down on squabbles on the floor in a crowded area. We are a daycare so the children can be there from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, which is a long day. Are you there all day or in mornings only? If you have more insight about your management strategies, I’d love to hear!
hello again! our toddler classes are only for 2 and a half hours a day. Day cares are not that in demand in our country since these babies have somebody to take care of them at home. We do however maximize the limited hours we have with fun and engaging activities… Our plan in the coming months is to instigate the ideas behind the creative curriculum, particularly, that of building for ourselves real learning centers. In this event, we will really extend our class hours.
I understand the need for you to do toilet training and the like… It is good that you have an assistant or two with you since that is quite a big responsibility you have! I am not an expert in teaching toddlers. Actually, I have been, most of my career, a kinder teacher. The transition has been hard, but rewarding. I have learned many lessons in this phase of my teaching profession… Among them is that these babies need plenty of love, patience, and understanding. I concentrated on letting them develop their trust in me without undermining the need for authority. I lowered my expectations, academic wise, and focused on ‘depositing’- expose, expose, and expose them to plenty of vocabulary, sightwords, pictures, and all sorts of bits and pieces of information… In consideration of their limited attention spans, each activity should range from about 10 to 30 minutes max… Sing, dance, and play with them a lot! Do not take their whims, tantrums, and misbehavior seriously… Smile and laugh because in my opinion, this is the greatest job in the world!
Do not fret, teacher, because I think you are doing a great job at this stage. Do not expect a lot from them- eventually, they will learn in their own time.