5. What To Do With Your New Class List

Chantal 0:02

preschoolers don't really come with a manual, do they? You want to spend your day helping them grow, and enjoying the magic of learning through the eyes of a preschooler. You also want to help them deal with all the big feelings that come with being three or four. But real talk, you don't have a lot of time. We need to prep for the day with confidence, and ditch the stress that sometimes comes along the way. I got you. Welcome to the preschool Made Easy podcast. I'm your host, Chantal, a kinder teacher turned curriculum designer, and preschool consultant, and I'm here to help you make this school year. The best one yet. Let's get to the show.

Are you thinking just got a new class list? Now what? What do I do first? Listen, don't stress that to do list because the truth is, it'll still be there when you get back. But I do have some tips for you that I think will really help you get your tasks prioritized, and keep your overwhelmed down to a speck of dust. That one's for other Horton Hears a Who fans.

Hey, Hey, friend, you're listening to Episode Five. And we've got quite an exciting episode lined up for you. Were talking about what to do with your new class list, how to get your curriculum and lesson planning done stress free. And a little advice for all the preschool teachers getting a new classes this back to school season. Speaking of back to school, if you're looking to get your littles ready for kindergarten soon, I have just the Kinder readiness checklist you need in the shownotes that is perfect for knowing exactly what they need help with, so you can prepare them for an amazing, kinder year. All right, let's get to it.

So you've got a new class list. The first thing you need to do is take a deep breath and get excited about the fresh start ahead, you may notice the number of students that you have. It could seem low in the beginning of the year, but expect to get new students throughout the year. This is very common practice, especially for preschool, kinder, and even first grade. It definitely should not pass district or state regulations. So if you notice that your class this has maybe a bit too many students in it, go see your administrators right away. These lists should be curated with a good mix between girls and boys demographics, and documented Special Needs unless you specifically teach a special education class.

Then, you want to carefully review your class list to familiarize yourself with your children's names, their ages, and any specific needs or accommodations they may have. This will really help you get a sense of each child's individuality even before the school year begins. Imagine how impressed the parents will be.

The next step is to connect with the families of the children on your list. You can reach out to each family to introduce yourself, maybe welcomed them to the preschool community, or just gather any additional information that might be helpful for you to know about their child, it's crucial to establish a positive and supportive relationship with the parents or guardians. Right from the start. This will really set the tone for all future conversations with them throughout the school year. building a rapport with families is everything. This is a lesson I learned in my very first year teaching. My co teacher already had 35 years of experience in the classroom. And she had me sit in on her meetings with parents. So I can see how she modeled a parent teacher conference. Not so great phone call, and even a meeting with the administrative team.

You know what else you can do that will really set you up for success planning a back to school event or maybe an orientation for the families. Now, I know this may seem like it'll take all this extra time. But chances are your school will already host an event like this. All you have to do is show up, allow the parents to meet you or the other teachers and invite them to familiarize themselves with the preschool environment. It's also an opportunity to share really important information about the daily routines, expectations and policies, easing any anxieties parents or children may have.

Now let's talk about some of your immediate priorities for a minute. One of the first things I prioritize is creating a warm, warm and welcoming classroom environment. I carefully look at the space. I visualize each area and I make sure that it flows well. Now I'll talk more about this in episode nine because I'm seriously obsessed with classroom layout. Then I organize the space right making sure that it's conducive to learning play and exploration. I also try to create visual displays for all the air Here's like displaying a classroom schedule the Learning Center signs and rules, and displaying student artwork to make the environment visually engaging and exciting for children. Oh, and this will definitely get you bonus points with your admin for creating a print rich environment. Oh, yeah.

Okay, so we've talked about what to do when you get your class list. But what about curriculum and lesson planning, these are two of some of the most important components. When teaching. As a preschool teacher, I created a flexible curriculum that aligned with all the developmental needs of the children in my class, I carefully designed engaging activities and lessons that promoted their social emotional learning, cognitive skills, language development, and their fine and gross motor skills. It's super important to remember that at this age, learning happens through play, and hands on experiences. So I made sure that my lessons reflected all of that. I know what you're thinking, hold up Shanti. No one said anything about me having a create any curriculum, they just said, Here you go, this is what we're using. So what do I do with it? I've got to my friends. Believe it or not, this actually makes your job a whole lot easier. You just have to see it that way before you get overwhelmed about what is expected of you. Now, let me explain. If you're given a curriculum set with a pacing guide, a teacher's edition back in the day, we call them basals. And all the works, all you have to do is add what your teacher edition tells you to teach that day in your lesson plans. Here's a quick note. I've seen this so many times when I was gray level chair, and I may even get in trouble for saying it. But I'm here for you. So here we go. Just because your teacher edition tells you to teach a phonemic awareness lesson a phonics lesson, a shape, a color, a number lesson, a comprehension lesson, and a vocabulary lesson all in one day does not mean you actually have to teach all of that in one day, the district may come and tell you what to do.

And heck, your admin may even tell you the same, but it is your class. And those babies are your responsibility. You know them best and it is your job to teach them at their level and their pace and challenge them as needed. If you can only get through some of those lessons in a given day with your allotted time, then pick and choose the ones that are most important to your kiddos and teach those as best as you can. Seriously. Don't let overwhelm get to you or get in the way of you planning fun and meaningful activities with your children. Because you'll end up teaching what you were told, being miserable, and your kiddos won't have any fun. Therefore, they will likely not consume the content the same way as if you would have taught it your way. I promise it'll all be worth it. I

It's time for a little friendly advice from your fellow preschool consultant and teacher bestie. To all the teachers getting that classes soon. Embrace the uniqueness of each child and celebrate their individuality. I honestly wish there was more time to do this in the schedules. But make it a point to do it when you first meet them. Get to know them on a personal level. The bond you share will last a lifetime. Always maintain open lines of communication with parents. I used to have an open door policy with mine and invite them to come and talk to me whenever my students were either not in class, or I was still physically be at work. update them regularly on your child's progress and involve them in their child's learning journey.

Remember to be flexible and adaptable. Preschoolers thrive in an environment that allows them to explore and make their own choices. So be prepared to adjust your plans based on your kiddos interests and needs. Oh, one last thing. Keep it simple. your to do list does not have to be three pages long. And you definitely don't need to spend an entire month preparing things at home for back to school, one to three tasks a day and prioritize.

If you're still not sure what you need to do to get your classes. Or maybe you need more help on simplifying or prioritizing your to do list. Send me a DM on Instagram at Shanti dot Macias and let me know how I can help. That's all for now. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. I love creating content to support you on your preschool journey. So if you enjoyed this episode, reach out to me on Instagram and let me know what resonated or any questions you may have. Let's keep the conversation going. So we can support more preschool teachers and parents, just like you see in the next episode.

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