When I tell people that I’m a preschool teacher, I typically get one of these responses: “Better you than me!”, or “Oh, that must be so much FUN – you get paid to play all day!”. Before I can talk about my actual position, I feel like I have to clarify that I do indeed have a college degree, I am not a babysitter , our program is educationally based and all activities encourage learning and growth, and yes -this job does require oodles and oodles of energy. I have always enjoyed the honesty, energy and curiosity of the preschooler. Once I had solidly landed on teaching as my career path – having also given Journalism and Social Work a semester’s shot at winning my heart – I knew it was the little ones that I wanted to teach.

When I get my roster each year, I am always so excited to see my student’s names. It’s fun to read a list of names and have no idea what the little person behind the name will bring to our classroom. Which one of these tiny ones will make me laugh the most, sweat the most, repeat their name the most ? I also love to count the boys and girls – for five years straight I had a boy heavy class, which required a bit of a shift in strategy – more movement, and a lot of strategies to discourage using the room as a race track and the circle time carpet as a wrestling mat. Girls bring a different need for social strategies – the “She’s not my best friend” and “They won’t let me play with them” variety. Mind you, I have had some very dramatic boys and some very energetic girls as well. I have 18 three year olds in my class and we do indeed become a family by the end of our nine months together. Preschool, like life, will keep you on your toes.

Establishing routine and schedules is crucial in the early childhood classroom, and as this is done, social decorum is also taught. It is not OK to bite people, when someone else is talking, we are listening, and if we drop food on the floor, it probably shouldn’t be consumed (I know that this one is heavily debated, but I can tell you we definitely teach this in school – our floors get DIRTY). The volume of our voices matter, sometimes we have to do things we might not want to do, and being kind is always important. There are so many things that we do, say, and believe as adults that we had to be taught as children. For example, you don’t remember learning to stand in line, do you? Or do you remember someone teaching you how to open your lunchbox or putting a straw in your juice box? In addition to teaching colors, shapes, numbers and letters, teachers of young ones also have the privilege of teaching daily living essentials – zipping, pencil grasp, waiting your turn, sitting still when necessary, and getting to the bathroom in time. I cuddle on rough mornings, open string cheese, and help put away the toys when it’s clean up time. We work together, cheer each other on, and encourage growth all the live long day! The school day is packed with opportunities and at every moment a social experiment is being played out – patience is tested, tempers are sometimes lost and tears are shed when there are hurt feelings or fresh boo boos, although loud voices and laughter are the most common sounds heard when entering our room.

Our tiny students come to us fresh out of the arms of their parents. Most have never been in a group environment with same aged peers before this experience. We are truly an intro to education for them. They learn to trust, to ask for help, to try again, and to rest when needed. I am happy to be the one there to help with all of these important lessons. I have a job that I love and I feel that God has blessed me with the silliness to fit right in with these little ones. I get to sit around and talk with these brilliant young people. They tell me stories that are hysterical and that would make their parents blush. They give me the warm hugs that I so miss now that my own children have grown up and moved out. They give me hope for our future – they are loving, generous, compassionate and wildly capable. I am blessed indeed to be a preschool teacher!