My first teaching experience at kindrgarten

My first teaching experience at kindergarten

Almost twenty years has gone by since the first time I entered a kindergarten classroom as a teacher. Currently, I can proudly admit that nearly everything I learned about teaching young learners, I learned it in that room among twenty eight 4-and- 5-year-old children. I can also confess that through listening and sharing experiences and knowledge with colleagues and acquaintances I survived those first in-service years. As Gil (1991) and Torre (1997), comment not only knowledge is required for teaching. Unquestionably, it was really not trouble-free to put into practice everything I had read fin books, booklets, set of copies and ideal lesson- plan designs.
My first in-service experience was truly breathtaking and dreadful at the same time. I had logically planned all the tasks for the lesson and I paid very much attention to timing because as Harmer (1991) points out Young Learners (YL) have limited span of attention so they can not concentrate for longer than 5 to 10 minutes. And that was exactly what I cared about. I prepared plenty of activities to keep YL active.
Unfortunately, neither did I have the opportunity to share my material or ideas with any single experienced teacher nor did I experience or analyze any sole critical incident before I went into the classroom, as suggested in Gonzalez et. al. (2003). Therefore, I courageously embarked upon the adventure.
I thought of running away from the very first minute I entered the room. They were too many, too young and so noisy that it was really difficult even to open the lesson. The lovely plan I had organized had the slightest trace of meaning and value at that moment. Each and every class management technique I read about was far from being handy. I survived the first day, anyway. But after that day there came another fearsome day.
I knew I needed some help and advice and I was definitely open to suggestions. Later that same afternoon I met some colleagues and shared my first day at kindergarten. It was there, at that very moment that I realized how valuable gathering together to grow is. I noticed that there were so many things to learn from the others and that I was really learning from experience that I decided to keep meeting my partners and reflecting upon our divergent classroom situations.
Presently, I know that my decision at that moment deeply influenced my practice and my understanding towards what really implies to grow professionally. Consequently, from that moment on I accepted peer observation and informational feedback. Sometimes I help others and share my experiences as well. I keep receiving feedback and not only form partners at work but from my own students. This really helps me monitor, self assess and adapt my every day learning and teaching experience.

References

Fernández González, J., Elortegui Escartin, N. & Medina Pérez, M. (2003). Los incidentes críticos en la formación y perfeccionamiento del profesorado de secundaria de ciencias de la naturaleza. Revista universitaria de formación de profesorado, 17- 001. Zaragoza, España: Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrieved December 2007, from http://redayc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/scr/inicio/ArtPdfRed.jsp?iCve=27417107

Harmer, J., (1991). The practice of English Language Teaching. (New ed.) New York: Longman Group.