I quit my job two years ago to become a full time student working towards my degree in Early Childhood Education here at the community college. I had an infant, was directing a preschool, and taking a few classes... it was just too much. After being in classes for a couple years, I think I was beginning to lose sight of why I had chosen this path for myself. HCDC has made me realize (again) why: I am good at what I do, I love what I do, I am fulfilled by what I do, and I become a better person from what I do. What do I do? I work with young children!
The African Kingdom is a large classroom, with up to 19 children ranging from 2.5-4 years, and no less than 10 until after 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Transitions with this many children at this age are going to be interesting, but I feel like the could be less chaotic -- especially after lunch into bathroom, teeth brushing, and napping. The teachers get caught up in their side talk because one teacher is just arriving, one is getting ready to leave, and everyone needs to be caught up on the day's events. The thing is, they usually start talking about other, personal things as well. Today, for example, there was a 4-teacher conversation about IKEA while the children were eating. When this is going on, it's hard for me to keep my children engaged at the table. I had a lot of boys growling at each other until they were almost blue in the face! And magically, when the teacher side-talk ceased, I had the attention of the children.
Overall, I feel more at home at HCDC than I do at Head Start, and at the same time, I like Head Start more because I am going to get my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. The classroom I am in now needs more structure and the one I just came from needs to lessen the reigns.
As I have said before, it is all a learning experience and I am grateful for every moment of it.
I agree with you about the staff and their side talking. I was also in AK and sometimes I felt the staff was just going through the motions, biding their time until they could go home. They were almost like robots. I have been in the business long enough to know that blank expressions and going through the motions means they are not being challenged and their creativity is wanting. I blame the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about the amount of work that each teacher has and the cafeteria schedule? I do see the strain these things put on the creativity of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteHead Start has a specific goal: school readiness. It has been seen that children from lower economic level are less likely to finish high school, and especially a higher education; Head Start is based on this research.
Hiersteiner tries really hard to be creative, but the teachers are always racing the clock. You nailed it on the head when you said that they seemed to be robots. Yet their schedule does not flow. You can follow a schedule (if you can give or take fifteen minutes here and there) and have a creative atmosphere at the same time.
I like that you were able to like each placement for different reasons, and it was interesting to see the teacher dynamics in each classroom. Each classroom could be a different class with a different configuration of teachers. At least they liked each other enough to socialize. After this semester, I am anxious to get back into a classroom. It's been fun. I wish you the best of luck with your Elementary Education degree.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melissa! Best of luck to you as well.
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