Pathan Sayma

“Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best” – Bob Talbert

I love being a preschool teacher. I love seeing little faces light up with a smile when I open the door to the classroom every morning. I love it when all of a sudden I feel my leg being hugged and I look down at a child smiling up at me telling me they love me. I love listening to a room full of kids laugh just because they like how it feels. I love the “difficult” children who say no to everything and test me to see if I mean what I say. I love it when my students are so excited about a topic that they ask a million questions and don’t want to leave the rug for our next activity. I love creating a sense of community by encouraging the parents and caregivers to linger a bit at drop off and pick up and chat about what’s going on in our room and in their lives. And what I love most about being a preschool teacher is that I see the difference I make in my student’s lives, every single day. To me, teaching preschool is very different from teaching older grades. Once a child reaches kindergarten the focus becomes academic – it’s time to learn to read, write, “do” math and take tests. The “soft skills” like learning to deal with frustration, make a plan and follow it during play, taking turns, making friends and dealing with conflict, are rarely taught and often not supported.