Tag: parenting

 

 

My name is Mary Lange.  I am a wife, mom of 3, stepmom of 2.  Currently, I attend ASU and substitute teach at the local school district. I was lucky and had the opportunity to stay at home for the last three years with my youngest child.  She went to preschool this fall at the old age of three.  My oldest daughter, who is now 19, went to day care at 6 weeks of age.  My son, now 16 went to an in home daycare until he turned one, then he came to the center that I worked at.  So, I have been there, done that too.    I worked in a licensed childcare facility for 14 years beginning as a toddler teacher and working my way up to academy director and I must say that I enjoyed my time as a teacher more than I did as an administrator.   I have cared for and taught children of all ages, infants to high school.  The greatest achievement as a teacher is when you see that light bulb go off above the child’s head.  I believe that teaching is a calling from God and all people are not meant teachers. 

When speaking of a teacher, yes they can be male or female, but I normally use the feminine term especially when speaking about teachers in childcare facilities.

One of first things that most people look at when they walk into a teacher’s classroom is her appearance.   The teacher should be dressed appropriately.  Appropriate is a word that can be interpreted in different ways.

This is my idea of appropriate dress for a childcare facility.  If the facility mandates uniforms for their employees, does the teacher adhere to the policy?  Is her uniform clean?  Does it look like she slept in her clothes or didn’t take a shower that day?   I feel that personal hygiene is very important in a childcare facility.  If she doesn’t take pride in or care of herself, how can you expect her to take care of your child?  If uniforms are not worn, appropriate means that they are dressed ready for inside and outside active play and bending and stretching without showing any extra skin.  By extra skin, I mean cleavage and the upper thigh area that can and will expose the booty cheeks when bending over. Is she dressed sloppy?

 Are her clothes excessively baggy or so tight that it appears that she has been poured into them?    Clothes should fit well and be easy to move around in.  Shoes should be clean and low heeled.  The only high heels that should ever been worn in a preschool is by the preschooler playing dress up or the Director.  The preferred shoe of choice is a tennis shoe or a comfortable low heeled dress shoe.   Yes, some ladies do like to wear skirts or dresses.  This is okay too, as long as they are able to sit on the floor and play with the children.   Hair should be neat and clean.  Jewelry should be kept to a minimum. 

Remember to look at more than what she is wearing, appearance goes beyond the clothes.  What does her face say when you walk in the room or when you are peeking in the window before entering;  does she look happy, tried, frustrated, or  is there a blank look on her face?   What does her classroom look like; does she take pride in her room?

 

If you are concerned about what the teacher is wearing, you can and should talk to the Director about you concerns.  I know personally, I do not want to go into my child’s preschool class and see the teacher bending over exposing themselves to the children or to other parents.  (Me either, Mary! -jess)

My name is Lisa Boyd.  I am married and have 2 grown children and 3 grandchildren. I worked in the childcare industry for 27 years at all levels.  I loved being a teacher.  Everyday was different and never boring.  I usually learned more from them than they did from me.  The number one lesson we can learn from children in that of forgiveness.  If someone wrongs them, they get mad and they get over it. If  it could only be so with adults. In the latter years I was a Director, which was a whole new ballgame of challenges. Not only did I have to deal with children, but now their parents and caregivers. There are things that drove me crazy at times but I wouldn’t change many things that happened over the years. The largest lesson I learned in all my years was that to really be successful in life we should do as Christ instructed, “you must become as a little child.

 

It is wise to allow an extra 30 minutes at drop off time on your child’s first day at preschool.  Upon arriving at the center or home, you and your child  should be greeted by the Director or another designated member of management. They should walk you through the drop off and pickup procedures for your childs age group.

 There should be happy noises in the morning,usually breakfast or snack may be occurring.   You should then be escorted to where your child will be at that time of the day. Take into consideration that preschoolers are often grouped together in early morning and late afternoons.  Infants and toddlers should never be grouped with older children.

Upon arriving at your childs classroom, you and your child should be greeted by the caregiver. At this time you will be shown where to place your childs belongings.(their name tag should already be in place)The caregiver should ask for any written instructions (generally for Infants and young toddlers) or any verbal instructions for the day.  A good caregiver will jot down the verbal to pass on to the next shift. 

Your child should be led to the group and introduced to the other children and led into the activity occuring at the time. It is always best to tell your child goodbye, never sneak away or your child may feel abandoned. You should expect a call from the Director sometime in the morning to let you know how things are going and the activities that occurred that morning.  The main caregiver should also give you a call after lunch. Be sure to call yourself anytime, it is just as hard on parents as it is on children when leaving each other for the first time.

At the end of the day, you should receive some type of progress report from your child’s caregiver.  Infants , toddlers and 2 yrs olds  should receive some type of care provided sheet to let you know about diapering and feeding times.  The main caregiver should write you a personal note about your child’s first day. 

The Director should be available to answer any questions or concerns you may have about your child’s first day.  We also must keep in mind that some times there is an adjustment period for some children. They may cry or have a tantrum depending on their age, but these go away in time. In all my years as a child care worker/Director , I never saw a child who did not adapt.