Sound harsh? Maybe...but it's true. Preschoolers don't care what YOU want them to learn...they care about what THEY want to learn. And rarely does what they want to learn come in the form of a worksheet to be completed at 10 am. When I was a new teacher, I felt like I had two really hard years ahead of me--they would be the years that I chose all my themes, planned all my activities, and wrote up perfect lesson plans. Since most of my students spent two years in ...
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4 Things I’ve Learned in the First Few Weeks Running a Child-led, Play-based Preschool Program
Three months ago I accepted a special education job with my local district....returning to my roots after several years in the regular ed sphere. I expected to be excited about this new adventure, but with each passing day I felt more and more uneasy about it. I knew I wasn't supposed to be there. So, after a week of sitting on the decision, I turned the job down and embarked on the adventure that I mentioned as both scaring me and exciting me the most in this ...
Teaching Content in a Play-based Classroom
To one who doesn't have a deep understanding of what a play-based classroom really is, it might appear to be little more than babysitting. But to a teacher who has embraced the concept of learning through play, the classroom is a place rich with content and discovery. Through the lens of "the purpose of preschool is to prepare for kindergarten", a teacher might prepare a checklist of concepts she wants her students to learn over the course of the year. She would ...
Crossroads
Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads, not sure which direction to choose? Or, knowing that good things are at the end of each road, and you just have to decide which of those good things is the most important to you? This is the crossroads I find myself at currently. When the school year ended last month, I bid farewell to my coworkers one last time. I walked down the hallway and saw my picture hanging on the wall, knowing it would be replaced by a new ...
5 Truths I Hope My Preschoolers Always Remember
As this school year comes to an end, I'm feeling a little more reflective than usual. I am not returning to my current school in the fall, and the next step on my teaching journey is yet to be seen. But what will always remain is the hope that each group of students I teach leaves my classroom with some foundational truths. They will likely not remember much about our time together, but I hope that they always remember how they felt in my classroom. My Emotions ...
3 Types of Play
When it comes to early childhood education, the term "play-based" is often used very broadly. Play comes in many different forms and all can be beneficial, but educators need to understand what each type of play looks like and why it is important. Simply calling your program "play-based" does not really describe what parents can expect their children to be doing during the day. Let's look at the three primary types of play: Self-directed, or Free Play Some of ...