Steemiteducation Homework: Least favorite subject to the lessons of which I am most passionate!

At my preschool, we don't have subjects, but we do have six domains to cover. These include cognitive, language, physical, literacy, mathematics, and social-emotional. My least favorite of the six is the social-emotional domain.

Three and four year old children are like walking time-bombs. They don't know what they're feeling. They don't know why they're feeling it. All a child knows is: Jordan took my blue block and now there are no more blue blocks and I really wanted a blue block and I don't know how to ask for it back or share it or trade it for a different color so I'm just going to snatch the blue block back! And: Jacob took my block and I'm going to scream because I don't know why but I want it back and I don't know how to get it and the teacher is coming so I'm going to scream louder...

These forms of explosions happen on a daily basis to the children. As a teacher, solving such issues requires teaching social-emotional skills, and this requires total sappy, mushy talk and modeling. Here is the helpful guide that is posted in my room:

It is posted in my room because it is the most unnatural phrases known to adults. Do you realize how ludicrous it sounds to say "you look frustrated" to a 3-year old? It is natural for adults to solve it. It is natural to simply tell Jordan to stop his screaming because Jacob had the stupid block first. You could also come out of adult mode and stoop to their level by telling Jordan, "You started it!" Or best yet, you can walk up, take the blue block from Jacob and say, "Now nobody gets the blue block." This is usually when you haven't had your coffee.

THOSE things would be awesome. But I cannot do those things. Hence, social-emotional support must be provided and I must say, "I can tell you're angry." It takes a calmness and strength to dig down deep to your best acting ability to help the little lambs sort out all their big feelings. This is my least favorite area of teaching.

This leads me to the BEST of the best. What else would I be more passionate about than literacy!?!? So I absolutely love large group time with a big, fat sharpie and Post-It chart paper! I ask them questions, they raise hands to give answers (or when I've had enough coffee, just go ahead and shout 'em out), and I gleefully write what they say. This is SO important when teaching children this domain. It lets them know words have meaning. It lets them know letters have sounds. I also illustrate, so they are then corresponding the pictures with the text ... uh. I'm in heaven.

Here, we were beginning the insect unit. Just seeing what they know ... thorax was added later that week. At the end of the unit (next week), we will bring it back and add all the new stuff we learned.

Next was how to safely catch a bug. This was quick, but really made an impression. Two four-year-old children were actually referring to the chart the next day, discussing which item would best hold any valuable bug possessions they may find on the playground. The bag didn't have a top, and an insect would go through a net. It was a toss-up between the jar and the box. OF COURSE we took them BOTH outdoors to see! C'mon! This is gold!

And when discussing insect body parts, how could we not use non-fiction texts to explore a proboscis and mandible? Then ask the kids what they enjoy eating and if they were a bug, which mouth could they use? We had so much fun with this, I took the chart to the writing center so they could color the food.

These are all over my classroom. The children refer to them throughout the week. It is definitely my favorite. Thanks to @steemiteducation - this is my first homework assignment after graduating, and it felt good to write about something fun!

emo photo cred
the other photos are mine (so fancy!)