True Life: I am a Preschool Teacher

Well hello! I have been debating on whether to write this post or not because it will become pretty "uncensored". Basically, I want to bust a few assumptions that some other people have about preschool teachers and I also want to share a few of my personal ups and downs so far. I guess I will just jump right in (grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine..this is a long one!)

My Story/Experience

So, in 2009, I graduated high school. I, like most 17 year olds, had no clue what I wanted to do. The only thing that was for sure was that I would be shipping off to Ohio in August for college. At the time, my major was Hospitality and Tourism Management..that was fun and all but it wasn't my "calling". I finally chose to listen to my heart and switched to childcare. I moved back to Florida and started applying for jobs right away. Being that I had no teaching experience and had only babysat the neighbors children, I assumed I would only be able to be a "teacher assistant". To my surprise, I went to an interview for a TA position but landed a spot as the lead teacher in a 2-3 year old room. 

Busted Assumption #1: Preschool Teachers do NOT just sit around all day and play

When I told some of my friends how surprised I was that I got hired for a lead teacher, they acted like it wasn't a big deal and that it wasn't a very strenuous or demanding position (insert grumpy cat face)

I will admit, when I was first hired, I did not think that I would have had to do as much as I did but, I was quickly corrected. 

Preschools-at least in Florida- are held to pretty high standards. I had lesson plans to do each week following a specific curriculum and also tying in each developmental area, emotional support, spanish and sign language lessons and, a special interest area. Now, I am not saying it was "hard" or looking for a pity party but, it was a decent amount of work and I did actually care and want to put a lot of thought into my plans. 

Continuing on, the director that hired me, told me that she too started the way I was and became somewhat of a mentor to me. I immediately registered for classes to obtain my CDA certification (child development associate).  With this, you are looked at more seriously than a teacher with the minimum requirements from DCF and you are most likely to get a higher pay rate. 

busted assumption #2: preschool teachers didn't go to school/ it is a "cop out" career

You're right, you do not need any form of a degree to be a preschool teacher. All that is required is a 45 hour course through the Department of Children and Families. Now, let me clarify, I have a bachelors in Hospitality Management. I have my CDA. I am completing my Bachelor's in Early Childhood and will be finished in Fall 2015. There are several preschool teachers I know with Masters degrees. Yes, there are some preschool teachers that do not have formal schooling but, they are qualified to do what they do and there are many courses and certificates that they can take. However, not every preschool teacher chose that route. 

So, the first director that I worked with..we will call her "S"... seemed to be the perfect boss. She guided me, offered advice on various issues I had while obtaining my CDA and, it got to where I was promoted to the assistant director. I worked at this particular center for just under two years. Being a "newbie", I was definitely biased and thought my center was perfect until I started to talk to my professors at school a little more. I will not go into extreme detail but, it turned out that the center I was at was not exactly to code-the children were all very well taken care of and it was nothing to do with neglect or the well being of the children but, the bookkeeping end of the center was a disaster and that can get a place shut down. In Florida, if the center gets fined or shut down for any reason, it will go on the record of all of the employees. When I learned that things needed to be fixed at this center, I approached "S" and she didn't take kindly to what I was saying-in fact she showed her true colors and get extremely defensive. I decided shortly after to put my two weeks in and find a different-more legally proper-place to work. 

The second place and most current center I worked at was amazing! It was an 8 room preschool, 18 teachers, 98 children and all up to date! The director and I really clicked during my interview and she said something to me that I will always take with me

"You will only be as good as the center you work at"

this may not make sense to all but, if you are ever a preschool teacher, this will speak volumes. 

At this center, we have monthly inservices, staff meetings, center wide projects, weekend team building projects, course requirements, and mandatory conferences we have to attend...

busted assumption #3:...you're not a real teacher

ugh. excuse my french but bull shit! Nothing..N O T H I N G makes me more mad than hearing this...and I have heard it from teachers in the school system, parents, friends, etc. The only thing I really have to say to this is PLEASE spend a day in my shoes. You have anywhere between 6-12 little two-three year olds running around for 8 hours a day. You have to conduct state mandated assessments, follow a specific curriculum guide, plan for the theme, teach through play, and hit 7 developmental areas each day. 

What People Typically Won't Tell You:

-If I had a complaint about preschools vs. school boards, there is no real chain of command. It is teachers and director. If the director is doing something wrong (like at my first center) you can talk to them but if they don't agree, you are pretty much SOL. Yes, there is a labor board; yes, there is DCF; yes there are private lawyers but, it is pretty damn hard to swing people to see it your way if you are a new teacher with limited experience- believe me, I tried. 

-No, you will never get rich. In fact, you will end up spending A LOT of your own money. I started at $9.50p/h and currently am at $15.50p/h. I am fortunate enough to work somewhere that reimburses the teachers for classroom supplies but, that is not the norm. I spend at least $30 a month and around back to school/August, I spent $375. 

-It is hard work and can be heart breaking. I have now had to talk to DCF three times about a child's well being. obviously I would never want to see a child separated from their family but, you are a state mandated reporter when you are a teacher. Toddlers and any child really, will be children but you know or will learn the signs of abuse and neglect and it will never get easy to make that call, write the statement or bring it to a 'higher ups' attention. But, it is your job to ensure the well being of the children. 

-It is R E W A R D I N G! It is W O R T H IT! It is F U N! Each and everyday with these children is different and you can do your best to plan but, sometimes you just go with the flow. 

The bottom line is that teaching children from birth-5yrs. is extraordinarily rewarding but it is also a time consuming commitment. Some of these children have little to no stability in their homes and look to you as the one constant so you can not bounce in and our of classrooms from center to center because these children need you. Watching a two year old come out of his or her shell and start to develop 2-3 word sentences is a feeling that is indescribable. Walking into your classroom of 6-10 little ones on a monday to get attacked with hugs and "hey hey guess what I did this weekend"s will bring a wave of emotion you didn't know was possible and hearing the tiny soft voice of a toddler saying "I did it!" "I love you Miss Sarah" or "see you tomorrow" brings so much joy into your day. Regardless of what is going on in your personal life, it is impossible to be sad around all these smiling faces. 

I know that this is very long but, thank you for sticking with it! I appreciate you stopping by. 

I will now leave you with a photo montage of some of my favorite moments:

Playground Time!

Snuggles!

Water Day

Name Practice

Fire Week!

Ringing in the New Year

Classroom Hop Scotch

Strawberry Shortcake

Reading time!

Night crawlers!

Sensory Boxes!

Hey y'all! If you've followed me for a while now, you'll know that sensory play is a big thing for me. Some of the teachers here that are "anti-mess" teachers (as I like to call them) look at me like I have three heads because I will do anything with my class! 

We have made our own playdoh, oobleck, galaxy slime, sand play, water play, shaving cream, frosting, cool whip, noodles, you name it, we've probably done it! 

I know that not every teacher approves of this kind of play but it is important to me and I like to include it in our lessons every day so, if I am out of work or sick, I have made a few easy "cheater" sensory bags.

Basically, these are premade sensory experiences that will keep your children entertained and clean. 

My plan with these are to just dump the bags and then add something simple such as blocks, cars, little people,etc to add different textures.

Easter Grass 

Mardi Gras beads-cut into smaller sections 

Colored confetti 

Yarn 

Textured and patterned ribbon 

Rice 

Rocks-obviously A LOT of teacher supervision is needed here 

Paper shreds 

Sand dollars. 

What do you use for sensory experiences in your classroom? 

Community Helpers Unit

During the whole month of September, my toddler class worked on their community helper unit. We broke it up into four weeks. 

Week 1: grocers/chefs/bakers

Week 2: firemen and police officers 

Week 3: doctors, nurses, and dentists 

Week 4: construction workers, postal office personnel, and teachers 

I love community helpers month because for me, it is an awesome way to get my classroom parents involved. 

At back to school night, I sent out a flyer explaining that this unit was coming up and if we had any 'community helper' parents that we'd greatly appreciate them coming to talk as a guest speaker or to do an activity. Y'all are going to want to sit down for this next part... ALL of my parents..ALL signed up AND ALL of them actually fulfilled their commitment. -I don't know about you but, I almost never get all of my parents to get involved and it is always a hassle involved with multiple reminders and flyers. Not this time! I was floored! 

Anyways, we had parents from all work types come in a speak, read a story, or help with an art project and it was awesome! 

Here are a few examples of projects that we did over the course of September: 

What do you do for your community helpers unit? 

And On Weeknights...

We cook!

J and I are big foodies but, when living in a city like ours, it's hard not to be! As much as we love to go out to eat, it can get pretty pricey so we came up with an agreement. 

We are trying to save money for a down payment on a house together and budgeting is going really well for us so far. We decided that we/I would cook Monday-Friday and then Saturday would be our date night out and Sundays are "family dinner night" with my parents. It works for us and I LOVE to cook-J can throw down in the kitchen as well! I also decided to start mean planning and taking my lunch to work everyday so I am not spending money on crap food at the place around the corner. 

A few food related budget tips that have really worked for us is to: 

#1 plan plan plan! Being a teacher, you should be used to having a ton of sticky notes with random thoughts and countless lists of things posted everywhere so, add one more! 

I am not a couponer. I've tried and it just doesn't work for me however, the grocery store we shop at puts a weekly ad out every Thursday and I do take advantage of those deals! I typically spend part of my Thursday break making a grocery list. I also plan our menu for the upcoming week. I am lucky because other than seafood, anything is fair game for J. 

#2 Set a MONTHLY budget for groceries and don't go over it!! 

J and I split everything equally. Rent, utilities, vet bills, groceries, etc. We each budget $175 per month for groceries. I know that $350 may seem high for a two person grocery budget but it is what works for is and what we don't use each month we treat ourselves to fro-yo dates or some kind of special treat. We usually make a grocery trip once a week and follow our list closely. Since we have started budgeting, we haven't gone over the $350! 

#3 Use what you have and get creative

There are several sites online that will allow you to type in the ingredients you have on hand and then will spit out a recipe. My favorite is: http://www.supercook.com

You can typically substitute items for ones you don't have. 

Even with being a teacher and working long hours, I always find time to cook wether it is throwing something in the crock pot before I run out the door at 730 am or starting dinner right when I get home at 6pm. 

Here are a few of the top "go to" recipes we use! (All of these are family recipes) 

1.

Ground Turkey with roasted veggies, brown rice and feta cheese. This is one of my favorite bulk meals. I will cook enough for five days and bring one container a day to work for lunch. 

2. 

Pan seared pork chops with an apple glaze, butternut squash and mixed green veggies. 

3. 

Sweet and tangy chicken cutlets with mashed rutabaga and balanced green beans. 

4. 

(J's favorite) Stuffed yellow peppers 

What are some of your go to recipes?? 

Fashion in a Preschool

Hello readers! 

Thinking back to when I was younger (13-14) I always dressed "ahead" of my age. I was never a ripped jeans and tube top kind of girl-I'm not saying I don't own a few pairs of ripped jeans that I may or may not rock here and there- but I just preferred dressing up! Still, at 23, I make a point to always go for jeans over sweatpants to run errands. 

One of my favorite parts of being a teacher is being able to dress "teacher-y". I promised myself that I would never be like my high school science teach who rotated the same moo-moo like shirt in 4 colors! I always strive to put together a cute, affordable, and PRACTICAL outfit! 

In August, I finally gave in and signed up for stitch fix and I fell in love! If you haven't heard if this monthly box yet, 1. Get out from under your rock 2. Click here! Anyways, I am obsessed with SF and I have kept a LOT of the pieces I've been sent! 

For this post, I just wanted to show you five of my "go to" toddler/teacher friendly outfits and I have put together. (Excuse the mirror pictures, J was working when I wanted to write this and my four legged babies are not good picture takers!) 

Outfit 1: 

Coral Blazer: Kohls 

Black&White Striped Top: Old Navy

White Shorts: New York& Co. 

Black Ballet Flats (not pictured): Target

Outfit 2:

Navy Blue Rope Print Top: New York& Co

Magenta Tank: Forever 21

White Shorts: New York& Co 

Sandals: Southen Fried Chics 

Outfit 3: 

Chambray Shirt: New York&Co. 

Gray Tank: Old Navy

Maxi Skirt: Stitch Fix 

Sandals (not pictured): Old Navy 

Outfit 4: 

Sun Dress with Coral Sash:Mint Julep Boutique 

Sandals (not pictured): Southern Fried Chics 

Outfit 5:

Red Kimono Top:Forever 21

Khaki Tank: Forever 21

Boot Cut Jeans: American Eagle

Brown Belt:Body Central

Shoes (not pictured): Khaki Sperrys

What are some of your favorite outfits?

Five for Fri-SATURDAY!

Happy Happy Saturday Y'all! I can not express what an amazing week this has been for me. I hope you all have had great weeks as well! 

I am going to jump right into this Five for Friday hosted by Doodle Bugs Teaching!

So, first, I experienced my first NFL game this past Sunday! My boyfriend is a DIEHARD.. I mean D.I.E.H.A.R.D New England sports fan. I will be totally honest with y'all, until I met him, I would wear certain team colors proudly and I would buy all the cute bows but, I didn't know squat about the game itself and before him, I didn't care. This changed because of the amount of passion J has for his teams. J goes out of his way to make a conscious effort to teach me about different plays, players, and parts of the game and I love it. I love the look he gets when I understand what he is saying and I really am beginning to enjoy it as well. 

Anyways, I bought us tickets to see the first Patriots game of the season! The Pats took on the Dolphins in Miami and although we didn't win, we had a blast! 

Second...holy baby fever! So no, we are not even close to thinking about having children but I have a serious case of the baby fever after this weekend. Ladies, I think we can all agree that seeing our men with babies/children is just heart melting. Well, this weekend, we spent a lot of time babysitting-most of the families I babysit for are super close to me and are invite J to come with. He typically does and it is so adorable.- hello photo montage:

 

These five children are all very near and dear to my heart and I am so happy/thankful/overjoyed that J takes an interest in them and their families as they all do for us. 

WHOOP WHOOP for small victories! A huge thank you to Miss Lindsey Johns- the soon to be Mrs. Lindsey Paull over at Thriving in Third for featuring me on her "Featured Teacher Friday"I now have 20 followers on Bloglovin and Blogger! 

Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

 My classroom is full of six little rock stars! This month, we are focusing on community helpers and the past week, we specifically focused on firemen and police officers. I could not be more happy with the children and parents I have this year! 

Because, it isn't a five for friday...saturday without these two. 

Oh! and to throw in a number six... I got my first cold of the year last weekend..yeah, I went to the Patriots/Dolphins game in 111* weather for four hours with a fever, sniffles, and sore throat..oh hi there best girlfriend ever! 

Dayquil, Antibiotics and lots of cough drops!