I used to be a teacher. I was still a teacher when I started this blog. I used to spend my days/nights/weekends doing teacher stuff. My last day of teaching was Friday, January 4, 2008. Reggie was born on Monday, January 7th. At 39 weeks pregnant, I was more than ready to be done teaching. The administration at the school was awful, the teachers in my kindergarten group were involved in a junior high kind of squabble, and frankly, the 16 adorable kids in my class couldn't overshadow my excitement at just having one baby to take care of. So I walked away and never looked back (except when I went in 2 weeks before the end of my maternity leave to formally announce I was quitting).
But now I have a 3 year old. A preschool aged kiddo. And he's smart, capable, and interested in doing some learning kind of things. And I am stretching my teacher brain and creativity. It feels good.
I've put Reggie on a summer reading program, complete with a sticker chart to mark our progress. It's amazing how getting in 15 minutes of reading each day is hard when you've got TV, the Wii, and Whack A Mole to distract you. :) We even tried Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, but his little 3 year old body and mind needs something a little more colorful, creative, and fun for now. We'll try that again in the winter or next summer.
I've also put all of us on a daily schedule of activities. Sounds intense right? Nah. Everyday after Penny's morning nap we do something until lunch time. About an hour and a half of good quality time. Monday we bake. Tuesday we craft. Wednesday we get out of the house (usually to the library). Thursday we clean (Yeah, not the most fun day, but it has to be done and I have two great dusters at my disposal.). And Friday we hit the pool or a splash pad. We just finished week 1, and I think the schedule worked well.
And it wasn't enough to just think it all through like a normal mother. Oh no. The teacher in me put it down in an old, green plan book. And then I transferred it to the computer in a table. I stopped myself before I made some sort of formal lesson plan.
What are you doing this summer?
9 comments:
I am always thankful for the good mother you are to those two little kiddos. Sound like summer will be lots of fun!
That's too funny! I keep trying stuff with Bailey, trying to remember stuff from my student teaching and stuff. She's still just too little. Fun times...
That's funny, my husband is doing the same thing. Now retired from public teaching, he's pouring teaching energy into teaching our toddler. The fact that the toddler is too young to appreciate it doesn't seem to matter much.
schedules make me so excited! that's funny you almost wanted to whip out lesson plans.
this summer marks the halfway point of my grad program and I'll be doing an internship.....teaching ...adults though.
Fun times, we will most likely be hanging out with you on Fridays! :)
You're awesome. I want to see pictures of the plan book. I need some ideas!!
sounds like fun! I'd like to do that with my kiddies. Can you give me some examples of what you do on craft days? I'd love some ideas!
You are such a fun mom!
I wish we lived closer! We could switch off! BTW, there's nothing wrong with making a lesson plan . . . :)
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