Mentor Interview

13/3/13*
*paraphrased

I have been teaching for about 27 years, before that I babysat. My mother was a teacher and attended the same college, Wheelock College in Boston. It is a teacher-specific college that has been in existence for 125 years.
A big challenge in working with kids is finding the balance between independent playtime and structured time. The kids need to sleep and eat and wash their hands, but you have to try not to limit freedom.
There is a distinction between preschool and Pre-K. Preschool generally means ages 2 to 5. Pre-K is 5 and 6 year olds and President Obama wants every child in every state to have access to this. Some of the children you've been working with in Room 5 started in September as four-year-olds and a few may turn 6 by July and August. The California legislature wants to standardize preschool and make a set curriculum for every school to follow. The politicians/government want 3 and 4 year olds to begin reading and writing - which is ridiculous - and just a bad idea. Pre-K can offer reading and writing but those children are older.
Art is important because it requires the use of all senses, and this fosters discovery and growth in itself. It is a better way of teaching these skills because the kids will remember the experience better if they make things themselves. It also is a good way of expressing emotion and relaxing. Really, it has an infinite number of useful components. For instance, when a child mixes red and yellow paint to make orange, they are actually learning science!
I have a few pieces of advice for somebody interested in this field. Each age group presents its own challenges and not everyone will like the challenges presented - i.e. changing diapers. One philosophy we practice at PH is focusing on internal pride. We also encourage the kids to make connections and go out of their comfort zone during art class. We try to stay very hands-off. If a child asks us to draw them a cat, for example, we would say, "You should draw the cat! What shape are the ears and head?
One little boy I taught a few years ago did nothing the whole year but ride a bike and play with legos. He didn't often draw, but on the very last day of school, when I was having a conversation with his mom, he sits down and writes his name! We looked at each other in amazement; neither of us taught him to (much less knew!) he could write! Looking back, this must have been because he didn't want to step out of his comfort zone of bikes and legos until he was sure that he wouldn't fail.