There is nothing like 16 – 20 preschoolers to scare the heck out
of a teacher in their first preschool classroom. Even teachers of older
children – in school, church or camp – are rarely prepared for that
first day of preschool. Thankfully there are a bunch of pros out there
who are writing about it including A Teacher's Mind, and Literacy Launchpad. One of these pros is Trish at Preschool Playbook.
She is a seasoned teacher with 20 years experience who just published a
post about what her classroom looks like right now. She seems to have
developed distinct areas with developmentally appropriate labeling of
materials. This practice supports literacy development and a child's sense of order and safety in the classroom. "Everything has its place, even me". 

In the post she talks about how a course she took informed how
she decided to change her block and family center. It is this kind of
reflective practice that really differentiates high quality from low
quality. What many folks don't get about teaching and preschool in
particular is that teaching is not something that only happens in
classrooms. Being an effective teacher requires you to process what is
happening in your classroom, each day. You can't do that with kids
needing you all day, so you do it at night, on the weekends, in the
summer, and even … on vacation. Then when you talk about this process
you are able to change a fleeting, 3:00 a.m. insight into a credible
action plan that creates better learning for children. Some teachers do
this with a spouse, other with teachers, and some do it with blogs.

Whose blogs are you reading right now about the incredible process of "being" a teacher?

Image: http://www.preschoolplaybook.com/2009/08/updating-my-centers.html