My first official job in education was as a teacher assistant at a bilingual preschool in Venezuela. Over the years, I became a classroom teacher and a hungry learner. I was still in university when I started that job, so you could say I had the grand opportunity to practice what I was learning in class. I’m not sure though, that’s how it went. My memory might be failing me, but what I mostly remember is learning by watching colleagues, doing, failing, and reflecting in the preschool classroom.
The culture at that place was one of constant collaboration, mainly because we Venezuelans quickly become friends with others around us, and sharing is at the core of who we are. A bold statement, I know. Still, everyone shared what they did and invited others to try new things. This also allowed the school to maintain some level of consistency across classrooms, something I didn’t see as valuable back then.
This school was in a huge house modified to make space for classrooms, common areas, and playgrounds. The kitchen was the center of it all, the place where teachers would gather in the morning to get some coffee or iced tea and have a brief check-in before students arrived.
In there, we had two computers and printers to share. We all followed some sort of schedule or used them whenever they were free. The computers were used for creating invitations, print photos, and design/print worksheets. In my first year as a teacher, I started making my own worksheets and saving them in a folder; this was way before Pinterest. Sometimes, other teachers would go in my folder and print worksheets for their classes, which inspired me to make even more. This was a preschool, so we were making a ton of cute worksheets for ages 3-5.
I start with that story because perspectives matter. When I look back, I remember feeling like I was the best teacher ever, making these wonderful activities on paper for students to learn shapes, letters, numbers, patterns, etc. As I said earlier, I was learning as I was doing, and at that moment, I believed that worksheets and flashcards were the best way to teach.
You must sense where I’m going with this and you’d be right; I no longer believe in worksheets or flashcards as I used to. I had a list of things I thought were best practices in preschool and lower elementary, but I’ve since moved to a “Why? ” list. Here are a few, in a very random order:
- Homework
- Traditional calendar time
- Using erasers during writing activities
- Desks in rows
- Reading logs
- Assigned seats
- “Letter of the week” to teach the alphabet
- Recess time-outs
- Calling on students during a lesson
- Behavior charts
- Line leaders
- Seeing recess as the only period when students play
- Talking to parents only when students misbehave or are failing academically
- Choosing the books students “should” read
- Having a classroom library by levels
- Restricting writing topics
This is an evolving list for me; I’ve learned is that I must always ask myself, “Why are you doing that?”, “How does it benefit students?”, “Am I doing this because I’ve always done it this way?”
As I said before, perspectives matter. Years ago, I would have come up with an eloquent reason why worksheets were necessary or why it was important to assign homework to 4-year-olds. Back then, I was doing the best I could. Today I am also doing the best I can, which is why I started that list. A list that can be controversial for some and a list about purpose and reflection.
In one way, I am the same teacher I was when I walked into that preschool back in 2004. I am still hungry for learning, and I know that there will always be something new for me to discover.
Start with a Story 