The Sweetest Things

Working in a preschool is hectic. It's crazy. It takes a certain amount of energy that I never realized I had. From the moment I walk in the school, my day is non-stop…. until nap time. Nap time is that small break in the day where the children calm down, the noise stops, and the energy is turned to a low level, and if I'm lucky, they all sleep and their energy level is off.

At nap time that I am able to talk to each child as I lay next to them, patting their back and helping them fall asleep. It took months to earn their trust when I first began the job; months for them to feel comfortable and safe falling asleep next to me. But now, after almost eleven months, some of them are so comfortable they like to fall asleep on me, holding my hand, or they won't sleep until I am close to them.

It is during these moments where the day slows down, that I am able to look at them and really appreciate the tiny people that they are. Each child has something so incredibly special about them, and their lives are only just beginning. Being in Aurora reminds me of the beautiful innocence only childhood holds, and how as we become adults we lose that. The world becomes complicated and hard and the things that once seemed so simple, are lost in a memory of the past.

Spending all day with tiny kids is a reminder of the excitement that life holds, the fact that each day is a new start, a refreshing beginning. It's a reminder that life is sweet and sometimes the simplest things are all we need.

Happy I Love You Day!

February 14th was Valentine's Day, an American holiday which dedicates the day to celebrating the people you love. This holiday isn't just for romantic partners, although it's often marketed at this audience. As a child, my parents always gave me small gifts on Valentine's Day, to remind me that they loved me just as much as they loved one another. At school, every child would bring a box full of Valentines for their classmates and teachers. We would have Valentine's Day parties and everyone would go home with a shoe box full of cards, candies and small gifts.

I wanted to share this holiday with Aurora, so this Valentine's Day I made them each little cards that came with a candy bar. I wanted to share this day with them because I love the kids in my class and I love working with them.

We also spent the day making Valentines cards for the people they love. I explained the holiday as, "I Love You Day," to simplify it for them, rather than trying to explain the real meaning behind the holiday and the history that this day celebrates.

I told everyone in Aurora that, "to love someone is to like them a lot a lot a lot; A very big like is love." Then I let each child tell me who they love and gave them a chance to share something nice you can do for those people.

We spent the rest of the morning making I Love You Day cards that they took home to their families.

Christmas Trees: Round Two

More fun with Christmas trees!

Future of The World

The theme for last week's English topics in my preschool class were occupations and When I Grow Up. Miss. Yuki and I introduced a range of occupations to them with flash cards we made, and explained what jobs are and how most adults go to work. We had the class sit in a half circle, and as we went around from child to child, each student was given a turn to share with the rest of the class, what they wanted to be when they grew up. The children were allowed to choose from the flash cards if they didn't have an immediate idea of their own, because we didn't want them to feel pressure from being put on the spot. We explained that it was their decision in what they wanted to be and the choices were limitless. We didn't want to restrict their dreams or goals in anyway, and no answer was too silly or too fantastical. We allowed children to answer superhero or Spiderman, because being three years old,  they don't need to think seriously about future careers. What we were really looking to see is what they found interesting, or who their heros were. We were curious to know who they would like to imitate, and what reality they imagined for themselves at this age. It was also just an activity to reinforce some of the occupations vocabulary that we had introduced, as well as allow them to add to the list of vocabulary words with their own career choices. 

 When asked what I wanted to be when I was in preschool, I responded the owner of a pet shop. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved animals, and I guess at four years old, I figured that owning my own pet shop would be the best way to always be around them. Over the years I have bought a dog of my own, as well as adopted countless other animals that have needed homes.  At twenty-five years old, I can say with certainty that becoming a pet shop owner is a career choice I no longer desire, but there will always be a soft spot in my heart for all animals.

After the children shared with the class their dreams for the future, they were given a piece of paper with their occupation on it, and they drew pictures of their future selves. Among some of my favorites were the children who said that when they grew up they wanted to be like their mothers and fathers. It was sweet to see how much they loved and idolized their parents. While we change our minds throughout life when asked the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", as of right now, Aurora is a classroom full of future astronauts, fire fighters, dancers, superheroes, photographers and even a mermaid.

One of the occupations that we introduced was a doctor, and on Friday we had a physician come to the school to give the children a quick checkup. It was the perfect way to wrap up a week of talking about career choices, plus one of our children aspires to be a doctor when she grows up. The children were beyond curious of everything the physician did, and they were so well behaved. Miss. Yuki and I are so proud of our little Aurora professionals.