My observation time for this blog was very short. But I will be back in the class this week so I am sure my next post will have more info. I was in the Kindergarten class. I brought the kids in for the morning and tried to give them instructions on how to start their day. It was a challenge to give them the instructions for entering the classroom with the wind blowing, the kids chatting and anxious to get into the room. I also noticed no matter how specific I thought I was... one or two totally missed the instructions, even when I know I told them. Ohhh 5 year olds! I also shared a story with them, they loved it and we had a good time reading it together.
Addressing the topic: Important/challenging roles of a teacher.
Specifically in the Kindergarten classroom there is a lot of refereeing and teaching social skills. There are many kids who haven't had a lot of classroom experience and need help knowing what is acceptable and what is not acceptable among their classroom friends. There are lots of reminders to use kind words, please and thank you, asking for things from our friends - not just taking things, etc.
I think this is both an important and challenging role.
Being a patient teacher and being willing to repeat directions for the few who are just going to miss it the first time, is also a challenging and important part of the teaching process. I know I told the students exactly what was expected coming into the classroom, but some just missed it! I think some of these younger kids have something specific on their mind, something they want to tell a friend or tell the teacher, and until they can get that out of their head - they struggle to "absorb" any direction that is given to them. It was interesting to see.
In conversations with the teachers I have been observing, they have shared some of the challenging parts of their jobs. The number one challenge I have heard is working with parents. Some of the things they have mentioned are: getting help from home with students who are struggling, parents who are not willing to accept their child is having classroom behavior problems, etc. They also say it's hard to sometimes see the hard lives some of these kids have. I think that will be tough.
The other thing I have heard for challenges is the amount of time that goes into their jobs. While every single teacher has said it is worth it... they all agree that a lot of after school time goes into getting things done.
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