I have always had a healthy apppreciation for all members of the teaching profession. I believe that a career in education is one of the noblest professions of all, regardless of whether the career is spent in the elementary, secondary, or post-secondary level. Despite my admiration of teachers of all levels, I have to admit that I haven't understood much of what is involved in teaching some age groups of students, such as Kindergarten.
I've had the pleasure of working on staff with many terrific Kindergarten teachers, people who work long hours and seem to have a genuine warm attitude for the young students in their care, but I've never had a true appreciation for the work that goes into the job until recently. You see, for the past month I've had a chance to "walk a mile in a Kindergarten teacher's shoes." My job assignment for the month of September was unusual to say the least; I taught Junior Kindergarten in the morning, and grade 6/7 in the afternoon. Anyone who has performed a double duty such as this knows how tricky the job can get.
District reorganization has resulted in me being reassigned to a grade 5/6 class for the rest of the year (I'm quite happy about this!), but one thing that I've taken away from my original job assignment is the amount of work that goes into a Kindergarten teacher's day. I was shocked by the amount of time I had to spend to get the room ready for the start of school, not to mention the amount of time I spent planning and preparing every single day once school started. I am being completely honest when I say that I was more exhausted after teaching 4 year olds than I was after teaching the grade 6/7's! Teaching young children requires an enormous amount of patience, especially when the students are brand new to the routines of a structured school environment.
This was a great opportunity and learning experience for me, and I can honestly say that it has made me a more well-rounded teacher. Most of my time has been spent with older students, but I take my hat off to all Kindergarten teachers. I admire and respect the work that they do, and they deserve to be recognized for their contribution to the education system. They are special people!
I've had the pleasure of working on staff with many terrific Kindergarten teachers, people who work long hours and seem to have a genuine warm attitude for the young students in their care, but I've never had a true appreciation for the work that goes into the job until recently. You see, for the past month I've had a chance to "walk a mile in a Kindergarten teacher's shoes." My job assignment for the month of September was unusual to say the least; I taught Junior Kindergarten in the morning, and grade 6/7 in the afternoon. Anyone who has performed a double duty such as this knows how tricky the job can get.
District reorganization has resulted in me being reassigned to a grade 5/6 class for the rest of the year (I'm quite happy about this!), but one thing that I've taken away from my original job assignment is the amount of work that goes into a Kindergarten teacher's day. I was shocked by the amount of time I had to spend to get the room ready for the start of school, not to mention the amount of time I spent planning and preparing every single day once school started. I am being completely honest when I say that I was more exhausted after teaching 4 year olds than I was after teaching the grade 6/7's! Teaching young children requires an enormous amount of patience, especially when the students are brand new to the routines of a structured school environment.
This was a great opportunity and learning experience for me, and I can honestly say that it has made me a more well-rounded teacher. Most of my time has been spent with older students, but I take my hat off to all Kindergarten teachers. I admire and respect the work that they do, and they deserve to be recognized for their contribution to the education system. They are special people!
Photo Credit: Kindergarten in Session http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2885861465/
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Good read.
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