Starting Again

Another school year is getting underway. I have had a great time driving around Fairfield and meeting this year's preschoolers and their families at their homes. My new GPS sure has been getting a workout. As I start my 4th year in Fairfield, I am still surprised when I learn new roads and nooks and crannies in this town. It is a pleasure to drive around, see the farms and look at the scenery.

The purpose of the initial home visit is to let kids who will be in the class get to know their new teacher (me) in their most familiar environment. Most preschools believe this is the best way to get to know a new adult, but few actually have the time to accomplish this goal. I appreciate all of the parents' cooperation in making the home visit part of the preschool introduction work--though I know scheduling it in your busy lives can sometimes be difficult. The other advantage of this visit is that I get a sense of each child as an individual. I already know a few things that are main interests, and I have learned many of the kids' talents even before they have been in the classroom. This means I will be able to have meaningful conversations with them from the get-go. It helps with building a good relationship with all of the kids.  

We are getting the classroom all ready for the open house on Thursday morning.  That will be a nice opportunity for all of the parents to meet each other. The kids will have a chance to explore the classroom and meet new friends with familiar adults. We will have a couple of activities for the kids to do and maybe sing a few songs with the guitar. There will be a list to collect parents' emails and some more paperwork for families to complete. I am looking forward to teaching all of the kids this year.