All has been well, and I have learned a lot about myself this semester. I have been working with the two and three year olds often in the past couple semesters during Foundations and Observing and Interacting, as well as at my previous job. So, while I love the older children (that I am working with now and hoping to teach professionally), I need to brush up on their developmental stages.
The Developmental Profiles book helps a great deal, and I also have previous classes' texts books to review. Nothing beats the education you get in the classroom, though!
I would say it took three to four weeks for me to feel fully comfortable in the classroom. By then, I was confident in my guidance and discipline strategies, and could also successfully implement the philosophy of the classroom.
There have been a few times that I did not know what to do with a child that went "limp" and would not make eye contact with me or respond to any verbal communication. I said to the teacher, "I do not know what to do here. I need help," and she came over to talk with the boy. He responds better to his teacher, even though I have tried to fulfill that role with him.
I quit my job at Whatsoever Community Center two years ago in order to go back to school full-time -- it was an utterly bittersweet moment. I knew I would be able to provide for my child in the long-run, but I was walking away from my classroom aka my passion. I am grateful to be back in the classroom, and I have enjoyed every minute -- good or bad, IT'S ALL A LEARNING EXPERIENCE!
I like how you have learned to take a deep breath and let it go. When working with children the teacher has to do that. You are an awesome mommy for thinking about your future and your child's future! Great blog! =)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about Head Start being a great experiance to get practice working with older children! I was thinking the same thing. And I too, had to brush up on my pre k development. I also think that that is great that you take the time to, "take a deep breath and let it go" I think that is one of the best qualities of a teacher to be able to calm down and re-evaluate the situation. Not so much during student teaching, but often a work I would find myself getting frusturated and so overwhelemd. It is so important to practice those relaxing techniques when working with young children.
ReplyDeleteI have to say it is nice to finally use and apply the information we have learned in all of our classes to student teaching. It is a good quaility to be able to take a breathe, step back and then jump in again. I find myself doing this all the time at work.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what we need to do is just to take a deep breathe for five minutes and then go back into the problem and solve the problem. That's what my teacher at Head Start is teaching her children that if another children hits you go and tell that child to "please stop", and if he doesn't then you walk away and take a deep breathe and count to five and then you should be fine. I believe we should teach children that they need to take deep breathes when they are getting angry at their friends, or even at their teachers.
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