I just finished a summer of teaching PreK, and it was a crazy ride! Little kids say the funniest things, and when they are at school for the first time, there is no telling what they might try. It was the most chaotic job I’ve ever tried. However, I learned a lot through it. While you might think I learned about 3 and 4 year old academic needs, I actually learned the most about meeting physical needs. If you have PreK students or think you might in the future, this is for you!
Number one, bathroom breaks are essential! If you dont schedule many, long bathroom breaks for what seems like half of the day, you will learn that the nurse doesn’t have an endless supply of outfits to replace wet clothes. Also, in regards to bathroom breaks, don’t stress too much when kids are standing on top of toilets, locking stall doors and crawling out, or making hand soap mountains. They will live 🙂
Number two, rest time is the best time. After lunch and recess, our little ones asked to sleep. Back in the classroom, we scattered sleeping mats on the floor and the students curled up and slept for 2 hours or more! They clearly needed sleep, but the quiet was a gift straight from heaven. So, when needed, schedule rest time strategically with the circadian rythm, play some lullaby music, rub some foreheads, and magic will happen. But, as soon as a child stirs to waken, take them to bathroom!
And lastly, in addition to bathroom breaks and rest time, I learned that mealtime in the cafeteria requires super powers. Four-year-olds can’t open packaged food by themselves, and if you arent fast enough, other activities take priority in little minds. Like getting lost behind the trash cans, making straw sticks, crawling under boxes, and blowing gigantic bubble-milk snakes that turn into mini lakes.
So to sum it all up, meeting physical needs is important. Stay tuned for what I learned about actual academic PreK learning, AND to read about what I am doing in Ghana right now!
Learning Missions with Miss M. 