Children are Children

Some common statements…
“the children now are different from the children in the past…”
“is a challenge to teach little children…”
“the children nowadays are hard to discipline…”
Agree and Disagree.

Very often, my little ones have the ability to make me smile simply just by looking at them - their looks, actions, reactions, conversations...
Seriously speaking, in my years of teaching, I have never experience a hard-to-discipline child or child that is out-of-my-control.

I just cant help it but to laugh (loudly in my heart) whenever I see my children “freak out” after just a stare from me or “fidgeting with fear” when I’m talking to them after they did something wrong or peeking at me whether I’m looking as they want to talk/play with their friends.

This kind you must really see the children’s expression live. Haha!
With this, I always find it a "challenge" to hard-discipline them cause most of the time their innocent and adorable face will just melt my heart.

I wont say that I am fierce or good in discipline children but rather believe that most of the children (at least in preschool) accept and respect authority. Very often we will hear from parents that the children value our words more than theirs.

Putting discipline aside, I’m glad that despite of all this, the children don’t find their Miss Lim unapproachable. They are smart, they know when to play with Miss Lim and when not.

I love “working” with children!
May this love and passion never die off…

-_-

Not too sure due to work load or just tired, been lacking the joy at work.
Requirementsss? Expectationsss? 
No matter which, I thank God is never the children!
I always enjoy every moment with them.

Smile Miss Lim Smile! 

Multi-Roles

“Being an early childhood teacher requires you to be willing to wear many hats.” Saw this quote from one website.

Some says preschool teachers are like nanny, caregivers, babysitters…
Some says preschool teachers are an important character in the life of a child… What say you?

I say… A teacher. An educator.
One who facilitates. One who scaffolds.

After an incident late recently, I would like to add - Policewoman! Haha!
A “big” incident that happened between two children.
Both Principal Tan and myself conducted “investigation” on involved and witnesses. Chance given and advised to be more careful.

Together with Principal Tan and VP Tan, I had a session to “wrap up” with one of the parents. After which I conducted “counseling” and “lecture” to entire class. Thank God the case closed in peace.

With that, it got me thinking - a teacher’s job is more than just during the school hours. There are couple of things we need to do/look into even after school hours.

Since mid Term1, I have been msging Child L’s mum everyday to give a daily summary of what been done in school, what the Child had for snack and Child’s update - as to assist Child L’s early intervention.

When Child CS was hospitalized… a trip made to visit. 
When Child CY’s brother’s was hospitalized… follow-up need to be done (still ongoing). When parents msged after school hours… as much as possible to reply promptly. 

Not forgetting the visitation we have to make after school hours.
Minimum one or maximum three in a day.
Was just telling my colleague recently… is one thing to visit, is another to put the visitation in words in our visitation report.

It is Time!

Thank God for a great success to our school’s annual event, Sports Day.

And for the first time this year, we had "Fun"-Raising as well. 

Putting aside the games, the most challenging should be the "Fun"-Raising. I have lost count to when it was first started?
Maybe since late Term 1 but intense was from late Term 2.

First, the Art and Craft masterpieces.. which probably started the earliest.
There are items like “Jellyfish”, “Photo Frame” and “Clay Ornament”. And all these items have little details that can be pretty “challenging” to be accomplished

Some of the process of making the "Jellyfish"..

 

As much as the masterpieces were done by children, there bound to be little final touch by us. Being in the upper level, I don’t have the an Assistant Teacher thus most of it were done by me over days/weeks. And over here, I’m talking about ~50 children.

Things started to heat up when Sports Day approaches.
I have to tally the Art and Craft masterpieces to make sure that every child has all. If there absentees, we have to find time for them to make and the whole procedure will start again. After which will be packing everything together in one plastic and labeled the price on. 

Next, the books - the most challenging and stress
The children went from draft to draft.. wrote, drew and colored. 

Some of the books on "Grandparents" and "National Leaders"..
Writers/Illustrators: Children

Next, the teacher’s job!
Same, we have to ensure every child has a contribution to either one of the books.
 
Prior before.. photos-taking, photos-sorting, photos-selection for the Science Activity Book. 

Though the process was tiring, very tiring.. and is not the end yet, post-activities will be sorting out the $$, follow-up with the children and trip to St XXXX Hospital. 

But guess everything was paid off when you see how proud the parents were on their children. And not forgetting the smiles and excitement on the children’s faces when their parents make their purchase - they having to raise their own $$$ for charity.