preschool teacher...............

HI there,
I have a few questions for you...

Have these children been attending playschools or play groups before this? How long has it been since school started this academic year?
Do you have a teaching assistant/aide?

I may be talking through my hat here but since you say preschool, my assumption is separation anxiety. Is that the feeling you get? What exactly do the parents expect? Is it time to confer before/after the school day? Is it interms of what they learn? Is it about behavior?

Either which way, can you use communication notebooks for the parent teache communication? That will give them the opportunity to clear their chest without taking away your planning/prep time.

As for kids, do parents walk them to your class in the morning? If you have an aide, can you leave her with th class while you collect the student (with separationg anxiety) near the gate/or entry area? It is much harder to see parents leave the class...

Have these kids formed friendships yet? Even if it is not a full fledged id, can you go with a peer to pick up the student?

Another strategy-glue a phot of the kid on to a paper and laminate it. Write with a dry erase marker...Today's job for ABC (name of the kid) is .... In the afternoon, just before the kids leave, sit with this particular kid and ask him to pick a special job he wants to do as soon as he/she comes in. Give him a choice of two. Of course, emphasize how much his doing this job will help you run the class and what a great helper he is. send a photocopy of this with him. hI sparents should also talk about this-as a means of getting him to look forward to being an active participant. Usually as children begin to form relationships and the group gels together, you won't need these supports.

Do you assign classroom helper jobs? (table cleaner, librarian-to shelve books, calendar helper, weatherman, etc) Assign one of those for jobs for a week and see how much that motivates the kid...

Hope this is not too vague for your needs....
R

 

It depends on where you live. Teaching pk, can require less education than kinder. To teach in a public school in most states you must be a certified teacher which takes 4 years and you'll need a bachelor's degree.