SUMMER

Wow...as I log into this account after being MIA I realize just how quickly the summer is going by. I have approximately three weeks before I have to get back in the swing of things. The first week back though is our yearly conference the agency has for all the education staff and I really look forward to it. Last year (my first as the "official LEAD teacher") some say was a breeze for me and loooking back it was. The children I had were text book and behavior was unbelievably smooth. The same people aslo are saying next year will probably be downhill from there after all how can beginners luck continue?? well to that I say ....it'll be fine. Don't get me wrong the almost four years I've worked here there have been struggles. I love what I do and if I can touch each and every child in some way then I am doing a good job. With all the puch on academics sometimes its easy to lose the true reason why you are in the classroom. These children...yes that what they are children are three and four years old. Do they need to LEARN...yes they do but the need to learn how to be a kid. They need to learn there is a place called "school" that is there to encourage and build on their strengths to provide safety and nourishing LEARNING learning experiences. Afterall how can they be expected to learn 26 upper and lowercase letters, write their full names ,and count to 100 if they aren't allowed to just figure out what happens when they squeeze everydrop of glue out of the bottle onto their paper or eat a piece of that homemade oatmeal playdough? Now I am in no  way saying academics is not important. I just think the pressures on the teachers which in turns puts pressure on the children is not a healthy way to go about it. There has to be accountability I know to be sure all these funds are not being wasted and that the children are truely benefitting from the programs. this year I want the academics as well as the free flowing of the children being able to just...well just BE....be able to use all the paint in the paint dish...be able to lay that brush down and use those little fingers that may have never touched paint before. I want while in freeplay centers to be able to allow that child that is building a castle fit for a king to be able to FINISH it and not put it away because it is "time" to move on to the next scheduled thing. That is the true beauty of learning.....! I hope to get back to blogging on this as school time nears ...Maybe I'll take you into our conference and setting up of the classroom ...until then ....