In my training sessions with preschool teachers ,I often encounter that moment when I think to myself ' Do I tell them about what to expect(which might potentially scare them) or do I just let them learn it themselves?'. I try my best to ease the truth by giving scenarios of what can happen in practice ,in a way that storytelling can help to entertain but impart some hard truths!The truth is teaching young children is not for the faint hearted and to the uninitiated ,they quickly realise how tough the profession is when they feel like a truck just slammed into them on Day 1! So to my groups of students who are about to enter the working world, these are just 5 little tips that may help you through your first year of preschool teaching.
1. Come in an hour earlier for work.
You might think this is asking a lot since your day is already packed but in fact this quiet hour is when you get most of your work done . Once the children arrive, there will be hardly any time for you to do some quiet thinking or preparation. You will be 'on the go' most of the time so use the hour to settle in, reflect and set the tone for the day. And yes, leave on time. YOU HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE WORK plus you need to rest and recharge.
2.Have a survival bag on hand
I have an old pillow case in which I keep a hand puppet, a pack of animal cards, a chime, a blanket, a hat, a funny pair of spectacles , a toy microphone and a large soft dice. As Murphy Law states ' if anything can go wrong, it will' and that can happen many times in a preschool classroom! I use the hand puppet 'to talk' to the children when its one of those days when I fail to get their attention.. yes the puppet has great power! Animal cards can always be used for songs or sorting games, a chime gives a pitched audible sound for any movement activities, a blanket invites imagination of a place, a hat gives you the licence to take on a funny character along with the spectacles, the microphone will invite anyone to speak and the soft dice is great for them to count and move! Add your own flexible materials, you'll find managing 'off' days a lot more bearable!
3. Make mistakes and make friends
In most jobs, settling in time can take place between 3 to 6 months. I am a little more conservative.... if you can settle in within 6 months consider yourself SUPERB! Most are still grappling with work right through their first year. And that's normal! One needs to go through the routines of the full curriculum year at least once. You are learning a lot in the first year and the curve will be steep. So allow yourself to make mistakes and don't beat yourself up about it. How are you supposed to know everything anyway? You can only start improving your craft probably in the second year. Learn to make friends with the other teachers and ask even what seems to be a dumb question ( qualify yourself and say.. I know this may sound silly but....). You'll be surprised that the obvious may not be so obvious to everyone! Perhaps you have a mentor but make the effort to reach out to others as well. Stay in touch with your friends from other centres. You will find that it is a process all of you are going through as a new professional. Sharing with others might give you some perspective of your situation and most of all help you realise that you are not alone with your challenges.
4.Stay fit physically and mentally
In my first year of teaching I fell sick a LOT. Why? One : the job was stressful enough. Two: there's always a child coming in with a cold or recovering from one at some point. It could be worse if you are working in an air conditioned environment. Since you can't change these conditions, you need to build your body and immunity up to withstand it. So yes, eat healthy(resist that large piece of neverending supply of birthday cake), take your vitamins and in my case... always have Echinacea within reach! Although you do a lot of physical work as part of your job, you will still need to find some time to exercise or meditate for your well being. Don't be totally consumed by your job. Make sure your weekend has nothing to do with work so have a hobby or interest. You'll be a better teacher for it!
5.Read widely and never stop learning
Thankfully, I love reading and my favourite genre has always been self-help books.In short, I've learnt a lot about myself through that and it's helped me think beyond the everyday school routines which can set in rather quickly. You will also find that your active vocabulary will start to dip over time because (naturally) hanging out with preschoolers all day requires you to use more simplified words! Be interested and keep abreast of the news and events in the world. There's nothing worse than shutting yourself out to what's out there. Your responsibility to be a good teacher starts with being a good learner so find a way to maintain your intellectual disposition. Your future self will thank you for it!
Remember, teaching is a craft, we all take time to learn it! Have a great day in the classroom!
1. Come in an hour earlier for work.
You might think this is asking a lot since your day is already packed but in fact this quiet hour is when you get most of your work done . Once the children arrive, there will be hardly any time for you to do some quiet thinking or preparation. You will be 'on the go' most of the time so use the hour to settle in, reflect and set the tone for the day. And yes, leave on time. YOU HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE WORK plus you need to rest and recharge.
2.Have a survival bag on hand
I have an old pillow case in which I keep a hand puppet, a pack of animal cards, a chime, a blanket, a hat, a funny pair of spectacles , a toy microphone and a large soft dice. As Murphy Law states ' if anything can go wrong, it will' and that can happen many times in a preschool classroom! I use the hand puppet 'to talk' to the children when its one of those days when I fail to get their attention.. yes the puppet has great power! Animal cards can always be used for songs or sorting games, a chime gives a pitched audible sound for any movement activities, a blanket invites imagination of a place, a hat gives you the licence to take on a funny character along with the spectacles, the microphone will invite anyone to speak and the soft dice is great for them to count and move! Add your own flexible materials, you'll find managing 'off' days a lot more bearable!
3. Make mistakes and make friends
In most jobs, settling in time can take place between 3 to 6 months. I am a little more conservative.... if you can settle in within 6 months consider yourself SUPERB! Most are still grappling with work right through their first year. And that's normal! One needs to go through the routines of the full curriculum year at least once. You are learning a lot in the first year and the curve will be steep. So allow yourself to make mistakes and don't beat yourself up about it. How are you supposed to know everything anyway? You can only start improving your craft probably in the second year. Learn to make friends with the other teachers and ask even what seems to be a dumb question ( qualify yourself and say.. I know this may sound silly but....). You'll be surprised that the obvious may not be so obvious to everyone! Perhaps you have a mentor but make the effort to reach out to others as well. Stay in touch with your friends from other centres. You will find that it is a process all of you are going through as a new professional. Sharing with others might give you some perspective of your situation and most of all help you realise that you are not alone with your challenges.
4.Stay fit physically and mentally
In my first year of teaching I fell sick a LOT. Why? One : the job was stressful enough. Two: there's always a child coming in with a cold or recovering from one at some point. It could be worse if you are working in an air conditioned environment. Since you can't change these conditions, you need to build your body and immunity up to withstand it. So yes, eat healthy(resist that large piece of neverending supply of birthday cake), take your vitamins and in my case... always have Echinacea within reach! Although you do a lot of physical work as part of your job, you will still need to find some time to exercise or meditate for your well being. Don't be totally consumed by your job. Make sure your weekend has nothing to do with work so have a hobby or interest. You'll be a better teacher for it!
5.Read widely and never stop learning
Thankfully, I love reading and my favourite genre has always been self-help books.In short, I've learnt a lot about myself through that and it's helped me think beyond the everyday school routines which can set in rather quickly. You will also find that your active vocabulary will start to dip over time because (naturally) hanging out with preschoolers all day requires you to use more simplified words! Be interested and keep abreast of the news and events in the world. There's nothing worse than shutting yourself out to what's out there. Your responsibility to be a good teacher starts with being a good learner so find a way to maintain your intellectual disposition. Your future self will thank you for it!
Remember, teaching is a craft, we all take time to learn it! Have a great day in the classroom!