I'm currently student teaching in a 4 year-old classroom. I completely love it and can already tell that I am doing exactly what I want to do the rest of my life... Be greeted each morning with hugs, be spilled on during lunch, and dance to silly songs at the end of the day. After being at my placement for a few weeks, I've realized that I am not the only one teaching in that room. The children have taught me many life lessons in the short period of time. So, I thought I would share a few things I've learned from these cute, innocent, and energetic 4 year-olds (going on 30).
Be open to new people:
It's funny, I'm never nervous to walk into a new classroom that are filled with young children because I know that they will be so excited to see someone new and instantly be your best friend. I think that this can show us (adults) just how important it is to accept everyone. Yes, we all may be a bit different, but no one wants to feel left out or awkward when being in a new place. The warmth and comfort that these children show you when you are brand new is so calming. For example, a little girl walked up to me on my first day and said "who are you?" I realize that as adults, if we said this it might not be as cute, but it's the fact that she was wondering....so, she asked. She didn't go and gossip about the new girl. & fifteen minutes later, I had 20 kids on my lap wanting to hear a story. I love that about children. Their acceptance.
Say what's on your mind (to a certain extent) :
When you talk to a 4 year-old...you're going to get the truth. They don't necessarily have a filter. For example, we had a guest in our room the other day and one child walked right up to her and said, "Why is your face funny?" I over heard it from the other side of the room and couldn't help but giggle. Only from a 4 year-old. I think it's important for us (adults) to take note. Obviously, we have a filter, but I don't think we should be afraid to say when something is bothering us, or we shouldn't just say what people want to hear. It's important to speak the truth (while filtering a little of course) :)
Give:
One of the most rewarding things about teaching young children is the wonderful pictures you receive as gifts. It completely warms my heart. To the child, that picture means the world. They took a lot of time to create this perfect image and are even more excited to explain it to you. This shows us (adults) that even the smallest thing can make a huge difference in someone's day!
Share:
One of the hardest things for a child to learn is sharing. It's difficult to give something to someone that you really really want to play with. For children, it can be as simple as sharing a doll during free play. For us (adults) we're still learning to share as well. It can be something as simple as sharing a pencil in class, sharing a smile in the hall, or sharing your money for those less fortunate. I find that the more you practice it, the easier it gets.
It's the simple things:
Last Christmas my mom brought this to my attention. In my family we have a tradition of playing a $1 game before opening the "real" gifts. Once the $1 game was over and the "real" presents had been opened...we noticed that the kids were playing with the dollar whoopee cushion over the $50 video game. Same goes for many things in life. I spent hours planning this lesson plan and making sure each part was perfect. Then, the next day I ran out of time and quickly put a different lesson together and I found that the children got more out of the second lesson where I didn't stress, or even lose sleep. As I grow up, I'm slowly learning that simple is okay---in many aspects of my life.
Don't care what other people think:
The other reason I love teaching young children is because they will do the silliest things and not even think twice about it. The other day we were singing a song where we had our tongues out, or eyes shut, and our knees together. I thought to myself...if someone walked in right now...they would wonder what in the world we were doing....but with children....they go right along with it. They love being goofy and laughing. So, we (adults) need to take note that life is a lot more fun when we can let go and laugh!
With all of this said, I highly recommend going into a classroom full of young children for a day. Yes, you'll be exhausted by all of the love, energy, and chaos, but more than likely you'll leave with a smile on your face. (& marker on your hands) :)
