The Triangle...

After doing the scenarios that were provided in the textbook, it really made me think about how I would handle these situations. I have been in situations like this, where the teachers did not like one teacher. Also, when the staff started to turn from the director because they did not like the way she approached us. I have felt like I was being attacked all the time when the director was talking to me, that was the reason why I have left after being there for 1.5 years, it was tough letting go of the children and the staff, but because I felt like I was always being targeted, it was really not healthy for me to be there.

When I was working on the scenarios, I had a hard time differentiating which issue belonged in which category. Mostly because I felt that all the issues somehow applied to each of the categories. The main issues that I saw were that Mary Beth and Katrina did not like me as a director because they are used to doing what they usually do. This leads me back to the taking risks assignments that we have done. Because I am a new director, they felt that I would change everything and they are resistant to change. This could be why they did not want to listen to me and ignore me, also why they voiced out to Doreen about not liking me and telling the other staff to go about doing what they usually do. I think that the main thing that Mary Beth and Katrina have a hard time with is accepting change. They are used to doing the same curriculum every year, where they do not see that the children learn nothing from the activities that they are providing them because it does not interest them at all. As much as it is great to have a curriculum in the classroom and have things planned for everyday, with a focus on what the children will be learning, the children's interests should also be hugely considered in the planning situation. Although it may be hard to find something that all the children are interested in, the children learn more when it is something that they want to know or want to learn more about. A strategy that I thought would be good would be to have a meeting with the staff about what their goals are for the children and the program. Maybe have evaluations and ask questions about why they wanted to become a caregiver. I also think that it is a good idea to let the staff know that I am there to make the program the best it can be, and that I am open to suggestions and know that I make mistakes too. I want to be able to let the staff know that I support them in any way possible rather than them feeling like they need to be reserved with what they do.

With the issue with Michael, I think that it is a safety violation because the food that is in the cubbies, it causes roaches which would leave droppings and the children would be touching it. I maybe suggest that, yes his philosophy is great, but the way that he is approaching it needs work because the children are just putting things into the cubbies. I would suggest that he have different areas for the children to put different things. For example, art boxes for the art that they do, cubbies for their clothes and personal belongings, and for the toys, if they are not done playing with them, he could have a "Save Tray" with their names on it, where they put the toys that they are not done playing with on the tray for later on. Even though Michael is resistant, I will have to put my foot down on the topic because it is a safety hazard for the parents and the children because it is the main walkway where the parents and children are being dropped off and picked up. 

How do you know...?

As I reflect on the past few days of work and all the things that I have been reading about "risks." The first thing that comes to mind is special education children. I have a child, who we think is special education. The child sometimes has very violent outbursts, and by the middle of the week, all the staff members are burnt out. How do you know when it is time to talk to the parents about the behavior and how would you approach it? It is never a good thing have to talk to a parent about how their child is behaving...... I feel that this is a big risk because the parent might take it wrong and become very upset.

Is your personality someone who is willing to take criticism? Sometimes, when I know that I am trying and working hard, when someone tells me something negative about my work, I get very offensive and it just bothers me. I always want things to go smoothly, but I know that it never happens that way. Everyone also has their own opinions about things and I know that sometimes my boss is just trying to help me become a better teacher. However, sometimes it's hard to listen to her opinion on something that she saw happen, because she doesn't understand why it happened, or what the purpose of something was. Sometimes she would see something and later bring it up and suggest something, it is a good idea if I was able to give that child that one-on-one, instead of having to give 12 other children the same attention. I have a hard time just saying that I would try to do what she wants to do. Do you have that issue too and how would you handle it?

Taking Risks

My personality in general is that I do not like changes. I always get really nervous when things are different or things are changing. I like consistency and routine, which is why I think I work well with children because they need consistency and routines. From a personal point of view, I always thought change was scary because sometimes, I don't know the outcome of things, and I want to make sure that if I did a certain thing, either something good comes out of it, or just the fact that I will be okay. Also, when I am comfortable with something, I don't really like changing it. I like to come up with ideas and think of new things to do too. I am willing to try new things if given the chance, however not much of a risk taker.

The text asks "are you satisfied with how things are in your program, in your profession, and in society at large?" Well, I have to say that nothing is perfect, but I feel that our program has its ups and downs. It may not be as strict as other preschools, but because of the families that we cater to, I feel that we give more leeway to them. In my profession, I wish that we could be taught more things about what we can do in the classroom, activity wise, dealing with children, and other things that we can apply in our daily routines with the children instead of learning so much about theory. In society, there can be so many changes that can be done, but there is only so much that a person can do to change society unless they are someone who is watched constantly under social media.

I always thought my dream was to become a preschool teacher, and now that I am living my dream, I wonder, is this where I am at forever now? Have my dreams finally come true? But I feel like I haven't succeeded yet because I have yet a lot to learn about being a preschool teacher. I always wanted to be one teacher that I worked with, she was really good at what she does, her children were always engaged and she always knew the right thing to do. I have a long way to go to become that perfect teacher, but when will I know when I have reached it?

A question that I thought of while reading the paragraph was, how do you even start to think of a perfect program? Where do you even begin? There are so many things that need to be done that it seems like endless amounts of work. I feel that my director always has so many things to do and it never gets done because there is always something else that she has to do at the same time. I feel that way about us teachers too, these past few weeks have been so overwhelming that the other teacher that I work with is also losing his mind too.

Overall, I feel that the perfect program is different in every program because of the different backgrounds of children that they cater to. With the program, with the perfect staff that work well together and are able to handle the amount of stress and take on responsibilities, I feel that the program will do well. 

Taking Early Childhood Education Seriously...

The text talks about how the early childhood education field is predominately female. At the preschool that I used to work at, it was all females. At the preschool that I work at now, we have a male teacher and an male aide, which is quite different. However, I feel that gender does not make a difference in anyones passion in teaching. The way that my fellow teacher teaches is really amazing and he handles situations well. I feel that sometimes, he does a better job than most teachers that I have worked with. So what does that say about gender roles? I feel that it is offensive for people to say that teaching is a woman's job. Why does it make it a woman's job? I feel that I work just as hard and it is very tiring just as any job there is.

Do you ever think that when you tell someone that you are working in the education field, that it is expected of you because you are a woman? Women are always known as being the caregiver at home and the ones who take care of children, nurture the children, and care for the home. However, roles are changing now where men are starting to be the ones who care for the children because their wives are the ones who are the breadwinners. The male teacher that I work with, he is the primary caregiver for his 4 year old daughter because his wife is the one who makes more money. Does this mean that society is changing? Does that make it wrong for men to be the primary caregiver? 

Week One

Many times, I wonder how I could become a better caregiver. As I am starting my new journey as an early childhood educator, I am often intimidated and scared because of all the responsibilities that are involved in this position. I am glad that my director and the teaching staff believe in me, but the question I always question myself is "do I think I can do it?" Do you often feel like you are not fulfilled enough to be the teacher? Sometimes I feel like I do not do enough or I'm just so scared of doing everything wrong. However, without error, I will not be able to learn from my mistakes. As caregivers, the children look up to us for guidance and for answers, what if we do not have the answers? I want the children to be able to look at me and say "that's my teacher!" Although often times it is not that way, because I am still learning and co-teaching with a senior teacher, it is quite difficult at times actually voice out that I am in charge also because I also run to him for help. If you could, please tell me how you handle your classroom and or take care of your classroom and how you give confidence in your teaching skills?