I love my little side job. Being a teacher is unmeasurably rewarding, but if I had to describe the benefit--/which I attempted to do with a parent/friend just last week--I'd say it's exhaustingly empowering. The three hours a week I spend as Mrs Meg are like having a "really good mom day", every week. Every week I see progression, growth, understanding, exploration, and a growing love for learning. They tell me stories, share all their big news, show me their owies, and ask me their one hundred questions. And they trust my one hundred answers.
And since they are not my children 100% of the time, this learning comes with only a minuscule fraction of the heaviness of teaching my own child as their parent. I get that, too, with my own preschooler enrolled in my class each year, but managing my own classroom is like...it's like all the break through mom-teaching moments, without (most of) the heartaches and battle of wills and patience struggles that accompany the typical mother-child teaching interactions. As a teacher, I invest in these people and gain respect their love and respect as I cultivate our relationships. I get to help enhance and enrich, but I'm really only decorating and embellishing a perfectly baked sweet treat. So thank, parents, for creating great people, and for sharing them with me. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to apply a little frosting and sprinkles these cupcakes. I am dog tired by the time I crawl into bed on Wednesday nights. But the dessert was totally worth it. Every week.
Today was rad. I greeted the children wearing a top hat and scarf, holding sticks, and my nose painted orange. Some guessed the riddle right away. Others took a few hints to figure out They'd have a snowman for a teacher today!
Dramatic Play: lots of props and orange noses my little snowlearners today.
Literature:
Gross Motor: we skated like the mice on ice and made snow angels and snow tracks with Peter in The Snowy Day. I gave each of the children a "snowball" of their own to protect during circle time.
Art: sneezy the snowman
Handwriting: letter W and drawing snowflakes on the aqua mats
Practical Life Skills at Play: Winter Weather Olliblocks
What do you wear to stay warm in winter?
Fine Motor: snowflake stamping
Motor skills: 4 season floor puzzles
Sensory: Insta Snow!
I can't wait to pick up my big kids from school, today. Every Wednesday, they run downstairs to see what preschool excitement is left out for them to explore. Then they reminisce about their own days as a Young Learner with Mommy/Mrs Meg. I make insta snow with my students every year and my children get SO excited to have a turn with it after school. I also added ice cream dishes and spoons this year. I'm sure the basement will be converted into a frozen tung snow shack at 3pm.
My side job is fun, but my full time career as a mom has its perks too. It's not uncommon for me to receive mothering inspiration for my own children while I am teaching someone else's. That happened to me today and I'm anxious to try out a new idea. I'm grateful to my creator for the spiritual gift of teaching, and for the variety that Wednesday mornings add to my life.
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