Some Thoughts About Teaching....

Some random thoughts, really.  

• I don't know if I've said this before, but I really love my job.  I teach small children (3 and 4) in a lab school setting at a university.  I realize that in some ways, it's an ideal situation--for example, I have lots of help in my classroom in the form of an assistant every day, work study students who  work with us for several years at a time, and volunteers who are usually education students getting practicum hours, but kids are kids, and this age is really awesome.  They constantly surprise me with how excited they are to learn.
• I've been looking around online for some resources, and I have to say, I am very disturbed by what is out there that is completely inappropriate.  Some of it is cute...but that doesn't make it appropriate.  Or real.  I'm a big fan of "real" in my classroom.  For example, we are working on an apple project right now, and we have real apples to count, sort, compare, weigh, sink or float, paint, draw, write about, observe, cut open and whatever else we come up with (to include my class of three-year-olds, me, my assistant, and the college students).  No worksheets.  
• I love the people I work with.  We are all in sync and work together well.  
• I love to do presentations.  
• I am not a good singer.  A little pumpkin in my class went home and told his parents that I am the best singer he ever heard.  I think I've said before, what I lack in talent, I make up for in enthusiasm.  Unfortunately his parents believed him and asked me to sing something for them.  They won't be making that mistake again.  
• When I got divorced (10 years ago or however long ago it was), I got a job at this great preschool in the office, part time.  The day I walked in there, I fell in love with the place, and told my boss that I hoped she liked me because I was never leaving.  And I haven't.  I changed to full time, became the office manager, went back to college, got a teaching degree and license, and now I'm teaching at the school.  
• We all learn together in our classroom.  That again includes the children, me, my assistant, work study students, volunteers and anyone else who might want to join us.