The School Year is Coming to an End...

A. and Jackson, December 2008

Lately I've been revising my contract, beginning to advertise and getting a head count for who is returning to preschool next year. I realized today that I only have 3 more months with my 4-year-olds and they will all graduate to Kindergarten!

I am SOOOO going to miss Z., L., S.M., and A. so much! They are such great helpers and so obedient! They are always willing to help me with anything I need.

Poor Z., since he and I spend the first hr just the two of us, he helps me with all kinds of things! He helps me set up the tables and chairs for snack/lunch. He runs things around the house for me all the time. ("Z., could you go put this in the sink for me?" "Z. could you go get Jackson's baby wipes for me?") That kid is so sweet! The other day, he saw me picking up some toys in the living room that Jackson had gotten out the night before and HE asked ME, "Mrs. Colleen, do you need some help?" He is also such a peaceful child. The girls can be quite dramatic at times and he is such a calming influence on them! When they boss him around, instead of getting all bent out of shape about it, he just ignores them and does what he wants to do. Plus, he is so sweet with Jackson. Jackson has really come to look up to these kids and Z. will let Jack climb all over him and never gets upset when Jackson gets in the middle of his play. He even encourages Jack to come play with him when Jack is particularly annoying one of the other kids!

Then there is A. She has such a voracious appetite for knowledge that I can hardly keep up with her! Today in my 4 year old small groups, we were working on telling time to the hour, writing the months of the year and addition. We just started time last week which all the 4's picked up quickly, and addition this week, and after I do the example problem for them, A. is always the first one done. She is also probably the closest to reading. She can read all the word family words we have practiced and is hungry for more, but we only do 2 word families a week. Next week, we will start learning a few sight words and I have no doubt she will be the first to memorize the words and be able to read them without hesitation! She has such a spunky personlity and is THE dominant female in the room and lets everyone know it! The funny things that come out of her mouth crack me up! I will really miss her next year!

S.M. has a very similar personality to A., but she has a deep creative mind and a very caring heart! She loves to create new scenarios in dramatic play that amaze me. She is also very quick to learn. She loves to write "words". She is like a big sister to Jackson. He runs to her and hugs her when she gets here every day. She has a little brother about 6 months older than Jack, so she knows exactly how to handle him when he gets her toys or bops her on the head. She is such a little mother!

L. we don't see much, but she is a little sassy spitfire! For someone so sick, she will tell you how it is! You just don't mess with L. She has got more attitude in her little body than most adults I know! She is a sweetie though. Eveyone gets along with L. and we miss her when she is gone.

Sigh, I guess this is how it is every year. As a teacher, you work so hard to accomplish and surpass the goals you have set for your group and when they are doing it and you are SO proud of them, they leave you and you have to start all over. That is the good thing about in-home preschool. I have a whole group of 3 year olds that I already know just as well as my 4 year olds. Next year, I won't have to waste any time figuring out what they can do. We can just start from where I know they are at!

My main worry for this summer is that without such a structured day, Jackson will lose everything. Right now, his temper tantrums are minimal (although he does throw them on occassion and he throws some whoppers sometimes!) because there is no question about why we do what we do. For instance, I've never battled him to put his shoes on because he sees that before we go outside, that is what all the kids do, so that is just the way it is! What will happen when, in addition to losing the structure and play buddies to entertain him, he'll have to share my attention with a new baby!? I fear we will have meltdown central this summer and that starting back to school won't be much easier. I know we'll get through it, but anyone have any ideas?!