November 19, 2009

I Could Never Be a Preschool Teacher

This morning I was lucky enough to have time to volunteer at my daughters' preschool. I'm glad I have these chances, because I know there are parents out there who would like to do the same thing, but can't take the time off from work. In the three hours I spent at preschool I came to the conclusion that I could never be a preschool teacher.
In some ways, being a preschool teacher is like being a mom to toddler multiples, but on a much grander scale. At home, when one of my daughters needs to go potty, the other three need to go. This morning, when one preschooler needed to go potty the other 15 needed to go. When one wanted a drink, the other 15 wanted a drink... and so on and so on.
I had the chance to observe the teacher during her lessons. She has the right personality for the job. No matter how many times she was interrupted by a child, she simply stopped what she was doing and answered their questions or commented on their stories. She never raised her voice or lost her cool. She has a five-year-old son, so it's not as though she gets away from "toddlerhood" when the school day is over. Clearly this woman is a saint.
I spent three hours in the classroom. I'm exhausted. Thank goodness my daughters have a teacher who is able to do this day in and day out with a smile on her face!

8 comments:

Stephanie Barr said...

Teaching is not for everyone any more than parenthood is.

Quadmama said...

I think I could actually enjoy teaching... just not at the preschool level.

maryanne said...

Preschool teachers are saints - especially those with young children of their own at home!

Quadmama said...

At the end of the day, most people want to get away from their jobs. While there's a difference between being a parent and being a teacher, I think I would crack!

Sadia said...

No kidding! There are only 6 kids in the girls' class, so the volume is bearable. In their old class, there were 14, and I got a headache from the sheer volume of the kids' voice within 15 minutes of being in the classroom!

I could maybe hack teaching high school, but college is more my speed. There aren't really discipline issues. I expected my students to be adults and capable of dealing with a failing grade as a consequence of not showing up to class ... not that I didn't have a student or two who thought they were entitled to passing grade without making an effort.

Quadmama said...

I think I could handle teaching anything above the "potty training" years. I've had enough potty training to last me a life time!

Polly Chrome said...

I've regularly noticed that the teachers who work with kids up until at least 2nd grade all seem to be made of hearty, sweet stuff. They are even tempered, kind and caring.
It definitely seems to require being a very special kind of person.

Quadmama said...

I once read an article about preschool teachers and one of them said her biggest pet peeve is being told she has a "cute" job. Sure, there are lots of cute moments, but it's pretty messy and stressful, too!

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