Teaching Pre-K

I never signed up wanting to teach Pre-K. I found my way into Pre-K after I was hired as a Kindergarten teacher and then when not one single student enrolled, I was moved down to Pre-K. I switched schools by moving into another Pre-K classroom in hopes of eventually moving into Kindergarten. Yet moving into my second year I find myself no longer hoping to change but rather loving my Pre-K job. I wasn't sure if I was good at teaching Pre-K. I didn't know if I could cut it. It was hard, it was repetitive, and I cried probably as much as my kids did towards the beginning of the year (just at home of course). I felt as though my students were not grasping the skills that I was teaching and I hated how I had to repeat everything over and over again..... but it worked.

When I teach I pull every trick out of my bag that I can. I act silly, I act like a kid, I dance silly, and I sing off key. Why? Because the kids love it... And they think I sound beautiful despite not being able to sing. We play beauty shop, build ramps, race cars, and just have a blast while we learn various skills and concepts.

The downfall is that other teachers see me acting silly with/for the kids and they make fun of me. They don't realize that the teachers that understand what I do always report back and so I hear all of these comments. While it does hurt my feelings at first to hear people are doing that, I know that they just don't get it.

I act silly ( or as they say stupid) because it works. It keeps the children focused on me, it gives them another connection, and it helps them learn.

Do I care that I looked "stupid" on stage with my Pre-K team members jumping on a pretend bed with monkey ears on? No. Do I care that the whole elementary saw? No. Do I care that the rest of the older elementary kids said "Hello Monkey" the rest of the day? No.

I care that my kiddos loved seeing me on stage. I care that my kiddos formed a new memory and a connection to the work in class. Why would any child want a teacher that is afraid of looking stupid?

This week I worked 10-15 hours each day for my students, their families, and my coworkers. I realized some coworkers will have my back no matter how little they know me and others will continue to try and push me down because they don't know me. The love my students have for me, the love the families have for me, and the proven data of my students growth is enough for me to know I am doing exactly what I should be doing. If that means it takes looking "stupid" to get the kids to learn, I'll do it.

I am here to help the kids learn and I'll do what it takes to make that happen.