Some people think a kindergarten teacher is an easy job.
We often get asked, “Why are you so tired?” by well meaning relatives that usually have office jobs.
Well, let me see.
I was interrupted over 20 times in the span of five minutes. I was too busy to eat lunch or use the bathroom. My principal observed me right as one of my students was having a major melt down. Need I go on?
Yes, I will.
The beginning months will kill you.
Teaching is tiring. But, the first few months of the school year in a kindergarten classroom are downright emotionally and physically ex-haus-ting!!
They cry.
They have no concept of waiting for a turn.
And, that’s just the parents.
All kidding aside, herding cats is the only realistic way it can be described.
Students must be taught how to walk in line, use a pencil and cut in a straight line. Procedures, procedures, procedures need to be modeled and practiced.
By early afternoon, everyone is ready to pack it in. A kindergarten teacher is asked, “When are we going home?” every two minutes until the final bell rings.
Multitasking is an understatement.
The word multitasking doesn’t do justice to the feats a kindergarten teacher undertakes. Doing one thing at a time is impossible with 24 five and six-year olds.
As soon as you begin to help one student there is a swarm of little people asking you to tie their shoes, sharpen their pencils or get them a band aid for a cut that isn’t even visible to the naked eye. Then, there are the helpful students that bring you a staple they found on the floor or show you that their book has a tiny tear in one of the pages.
Fighting the urge to hide in the supply closet, we patiently solve each problem. Other times, we scream, “I am only one person,” as our students look at us like we have lost our ever-lovin minds.
Testing is a disaster.
Yes, almost every kindergarten teacher is expected to test students now on a computer.
Who came up with that idea? Well, definitely not a kindergarten teacher. Students scream they don’t understand what to do. They cry. They click through every problem without listening.
Why? Because they are five. They are developmentally not ready.
The results are never accurate. In my opinion, kids at this age need to be tested one on one. They need to be given examples beforehand on what they are being asked to do.
What is even worse is that teachers are often evaluated on these highly unreliable scores.
Parents hover.
When we talk about helicopter parents there should be a picture of kindergarten parents with their noses pressed to the window.
They want to know how their children interact, perform and function, in often times, their very first school setting.
In future grades, parents will have this information from us, the kindergarten teachers. But for now, every academic or social issue elicits after hours texts and requests for conferences.
A first born child’s parent is the stuff nightmares are made of. I know because I was Freddy Kruger with my first child. The second one, I sent off with a kiss and a smile.
Unrealistic expectations are enforced.
I started my teaching career in the early 90’s in first grade. If students came into my classroom knowing their letters and sounds, the kindergarten teacher was deemed a rock star.
Now, mastery of letters and sounds is expected in the first months. 50-100 sight words are necessary by the end of the year.
Creativity and play have been replaced by more rigorous common core standards. I gave my play kitchen set to Goodwill. I kind of want it back.
There needs to be structure???
Structure is essential in the kindergarten classroom. Students at this age notice everything.
They notice new decorations. They notice the slightest change to the schedule. Unlike your significant other, they notice your new haircut or new shoes. Kids at this age are hypersensitive. So, a strong routine is essential.
The problem is all the fun holidays or weather conditions that interfere with the routine. Sure, they are exciting and memorable for the students. For the kindergarten teacher, they suck every last bit of energy you have.
I enjoyed them when I was young. Now, not so much!
Full day kindergarten is mandated in most states.
We have five and six-year old students longer now. The goal is that more time in class will produce kids that can read, write and have strong number sense when moving on to first grade.
While I do think they learn more than when I taught half day kindergarten, it comes at a price.
The students are very tired by the afternoon. This often results in poor conduct and kids being labeled behavior problems.
According to the Rand study, kids who attended full-day kindergarten had lower levels of self-control and a more negative attitude toward learning.
Some kids just aren’t ready for a full day of school, and the classroom environment suffers.
They are impulsive.
By their very nature, every thought that pops into their tiny heads, they feel the need to have it come out of their mouths. It is very hard to teach anything when you are interrupted with:
It is my Uncle Frank’s birthday today.
My cat died.
My Nana is picking me up after school.
I lost a tooth last night.
We love it anyway.
Despite the drawbacks and job hazards, there are many reasons we chose this profession. Sometimes we forget, but it is not only the hardest but also the most rewarding job out there.
