This past week it was one of the children’s second birthday. When her mom dropped her off in the morning she was so sad that she had to go to work and leave her child in school on her birthday. I promised we would make her day special and she would have so much fun. Well, for the most part I lived up to that promise. But then it was time to go play outside because it was such a beautiful day. All the kids were playing and having a good time. Then, I saw the birthday girl carrying a toy that was much too big for her. As I was walking over to help her, she tripped and fell right on the concrete. I ran to her side and blood was gushing out of her nose. I was so terrified, I took all the kids inside and tried to get her all cleaned up. After a few minutes the blood had stopped, but I felt horrible! I know that things like that happen all the time, but on her birthday? Needless to say, mom was not too happy about that one!

Everyday as I get all my students lunches ready, I put on a movie for them to watch and keep them calm and quite. I’ve noticed that when the TV is on, it is the ONLY time of the day that they can stay quite. Some people would think this is a good thing right? Well for my sanity, yes. But at the same time it makes me realize how much TV and entertainment consumes so much of this generation. A lot of kids nowadays would rather stay inside and watch a movie or play a video game rather than go outside and play. I think that is so sad because as a kid I loved to play outside. So I try to make it a point to only let them watch it for ten minutes a day while they are at school.

Whitney Houston is one of my biggest inspirations. In her song “Greatest Love of All” she says “I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.” That saying always really stood out to me because children really are our future and usually older people do not tend to give them enough credit. At work, I allow my students to be as creative as they want to be. Whenever they have an idea I allow them to do it. Every month we make a new bulletin board. Even if their ideas for the board is not they best, I allow them to do it. You have to let them explore and figure out what is good and what is bad on their own. I was able to do this when I was growing up and I am so glad because I am very creative and know how to think for myself

I have been working with one student since she came in at three months old. Her name is Neave and she is really such a joy to have in my class. Unfortunately, in June she will be leaving the daycare to go to a new school. I have lost students before but this one is really upsetting to me. I have posted about her before, and it may seem crazy to you, but she really is like my little best friend. She is so smart and so sweet and it is going to be really sad to let her go. I guess getting to attached to the kids can never be good. But I have been taking care of her for four years! It really is crazy when I think about it. So hopefully I can stay in touch and see what an amazing little girl she will grow up to be.

In every college course that I have taken, the students have to make a review for their professors. Usually, this consists of a list of questions and the students have to rate the professors on a list from one to six. Recently, my boss sent out reviews to the parents to see how happy they were with the amount of care being given to their children. Fortunately for me, I got great reviews. I think one of the reasons why I got such good reviews was because I really, truly care about each one of my students. This is not just a job for me. I love waking up and going to work everyday because I have such a good relationship with all of the children. I love to help people and make people feel better about themselves. So being able to help my children learn, even if it is just their ABC’s or 123′s, is a great reward for me. I love what I do and it feels nice to be noticed. Having someone have to “rate” you can be scary. That is why when I do something, I either put my whole heart into it, or if I feel like I can’t do that, I just don’t do it. There is just hot and cole with me. Nothing in between

Throughout my work day, I am washing my hands all day long. I hate to be dirty and that is all most kids know how to be. Whether they are playing or eating, they just always seem to make a mess! There is one little girl, Neave, in my class and I just absolutely adore her! She is my little buddy and follows me around trying to do everything I do. I guess she is the so called “teachers pet.” Lately I noticed that whenever there is a mess or she gets dirty, she makes the same reactions I do and has to go wash her hands. I think it’s so funny how much she acts like me. I guess this wasn’t such a bad thing to pick up from me, but I really do have to watch my every move to make sure she doesn’t pick up any of my bad habits!

The children I work with are three and four years old. I have to be very careful about what I say to them or in front of them because they absorb absolutely EVERYTHING! I not only teach them their ABC’s and 123′s but I also teach them about life and right from wrong. One of the problems that I have with the kids is sharing. Sometimes whey they see a toy they want that another child is playing with, they will just go over to them and take it. Then the other child gets angry and hits the other child. I make sure that I do not raise my voice when something like that happens. I go over to the children and sit them down to explain why they cannot do that. I make them apologize to one another and tell them that they have to be fair and share, and when they get angry they have to use their words and not their hands. In “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten” the Author states that some of the things you need to know about life are “share everything,” “play fair,” “don’t hit people,” and “don’t take things that aren’t yours.” And he is so right. So if I explain this to the children at a young age hopefully they will take this with them throughout their lives and apply it to their daily routines.

All of last week and the beginning of this week, I had my students getting ready for valentines day. I had them decorate the classroom and make valentines for their friends. I would have them color a picture then tell me who they wanted it to be for and what they wanted to say. I explained how valentines day was about love and showing how much you care about the people in your life. The kids wrote things from “you’re my best friend,” “I love you so much,” and “I hope you enjoy all of the snacks at the party.” So when Thursday came around it was finally valentines day, it was shocking to see how happy all the children were. All day they were filled with love and holding hands with each other. They were so happy and I really thought it was cutest thing. They couldn’t wait for their friends to open all their valentines and read to them what they wrote. I guess love really was in the air that day!

Two weeks ago my class got a new student. Her name is Grace and she is three years old. Grace has never been in school or daycare. She has one older sister and many cousins, so she has interacted with other children before. I have had new students before and it is funny how different kids react. The first few days were hard for her to say goodbye to mommy and daddy but after a while she would start to warm up. By the end of the first week, she had no problem leaving her parents and when it is time to go home she wants to stay. I think this transition was easier for Grace than it is some other children is because she has an older sister and cousins so she knows how to play with others. When I come across kids who have never been to school or ones who never had interactions with other children, it is harder for them to adjust. Even if I didn’t know Grace had other kids to play with I would still be able to know because of the way she plays and talks with her classmates. Another student of mine who is an only child, keeps more to himself. He would rather play alone than with the other children. It is crazy how different kids are from one another solely based on the number of children in their household and whether or not they have been in school or daycare before.

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