Learing FROM Preschool

Thanks to all of you who wrote nice things about my first blog. It is important to writers/bloggers to hear from their readers. If you would like to respond to my blog or let me know what is happening in your classrooms, email me at dkdouglas@hotmail.com, comment on my facebook page, or simply comment below my blog!  I LOVE hearing from you!
Also, I had someone ask if I will be posting at certain times.  Well, since I am retired I make it a rule to NOT have a schedule. So, I will try my hardest to blog every school day. BUT...I can't promise when I will do the blogging! Thanks for following me!

Today I had the privilege of visiting a preschool classroom as it was being set up for school in a couple weeks. One of my former colleagues is setting up her class for 4/5 year old preschoolers and invited me to see her room. As I toured the facility, I was amazed at what I was learning. So, here it is: what I learned from a preschool:

1. Organization is important!  This classroom had crayons in baby food jars organized by color...various shades of the basic colors. There must have been 25-30 jars. It is important for the children to think about exactly what color they want. There were baskets filled with individual things: buttons, shells, corks, stones. After each thing is introduced to the children, they THEN can choose just want they need to complete their projects.
2. Children need to set up the room. In this classroom there were picture frames on the walls. Yes, frames.  Not pictures in frames. The frames were empty, just waiting for children to create the art work that would fill them. There were bins of all sorts of things. None of the bins had labels. The children would be labeling them as to what they think the label should be. After all, they will be the ones using them!
3. Look at things with the eyes of a child. Think of where they are seeing things. How will it look from their viewpoint? On one wall there was a long mirror, placed horizonally, that was only about ten inches from the floor.  The children could sit, read a book, and see themselves and the whole classroom from that level. How does the child see it?
4. Take time to see possibilities. As a child investigates this room, there are many, many possibilities. Their imaginations will be stimulated and encouraged. This takes time. You can not rush imagination! That is true of adults, too. As teachers, we need to be sure we are taking the time to see possibilities in everything we do with children. Don't limit them!
5. Most important: enthusiasm!  I saw this today in the teacher's attitude, speach and posture! She can't wait for those little ones to enter her room. She can't wait until they are exploring and investigating. She can't wait for school to begin!

As you begin your first days of the new school year, are you ready to learn from a preschool? Special thanks to Connie and her 4/5 year old preschoolers.
Happy Learning...can't wait to come back and visit you with children there!!!