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May provides so many opportunities of exploration for young children.  Themes about new life, gardens, farm animals/life on a farm, Mother’s Day and more are all exciting and interesting.  One theme that I like to do during the month of May is about First Aid and Nurses. May 12th is International Nurse Day and May 21st is the 133rd anniversary of the American Red Cross. What a perfect time to reinforce safety and first aid for the children in your class!
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Marcy’s Message

With First Aid on my mind, it makes me think about some advice I got as a young teacher from a seasoned teacher. She told me that I needed to always make sure my “First Aid” kit was well stocked. Of course I took her literally at first thinking that I needed to make sure that band aids, antiseptic ointment and other items needed to be handy for use.  When I commented on this, she shared that she meant that I needed make sure I had a “kit” or toolbox of things I could fall back on that would help me cope with the stresses of the teaching job.  Over the years, I have seen how wise that advice was and have used that analogy many times.

Here are 5 things that I think should be in your “First Aid” kit:

1. Passion: Our jobs are stressful; dealing with enthusiastic, cranky, tired, active, (the list goes on) children everyday, along with parents, other teachers and administrative staff takes its toll.  In order to handle all of these stressors, passion and love for the job are a must.  If we let our frustration or anger come to the job, who pays the biggest price?  The children.   Some days we need to reach into our first aid kit and pull out that passion that brought us to this job in the first place. Gaze upon those adorable and innocent faces and recall those times they said and did heart-touching and funny things. If you love your job, you can tolerate just about everything that it throws your way.

2. Sense of Humor: Along with passion, a sense of humor goes a long way to being a great teacher. Being able to laugh at yourself along with the things that happen during the day, help to keep your stress levels lower and can make the job fun.  Even in the midst of chaos and temper tantrums, funny things happen.  Your laughter also reduces the stress for the children!  They sense when you are getting upset, so a good chuckle defuses the situation and teaches the children that laughter can be the best medicine. When you feel your temper rising, reach into your First Aid kit and pull out your sense of humor.  Find something to laugh about – even if it is just yourself – and feel yourself relax.

3. Going with the Flow: I think that early childhood teachers are great at going with the flow – we have to be!  Our ability to shift, change and adapt to all the things that occur during the day make this a necessity. When working with young children, accidents, fatigue, energy, interest and more get in the way of our plans and projects.  Being able to read those signs and make the appropriate changes makes a positive difference for everyone.  When things are not going well, reach into your First Aid kit and, taking a deep breath, remind yourself that you’re here for the kids and the best plans are ones that respond to the needs of your class!

4. Patience: Many people seem to recognize that we teachers have a lot of patience. Parents often comment about their bafflement that we do not lose our cool with all of the behaviors and temperaments we deal with everyday.  There are days though, that this is a challenge!  In my opinion, this has more to do with us than the children and/or parents. Some days I seem to have less coping skills. Perhaps I am tired, have a headache or am worried about things and, as a result, my coping skills are reduced.  That is when we have to reach into our First Aid kit and pull out a deep breath, a quiet count to 10 and to visualize how much I really do enjoy these children. Again, who pays the price if I lose my patience? It’s the children. I must always remember that a comment made in anger or frustration may leave a long-term scar on a child – and I NEVER want that to occur. 

5. Desire to Learn: As many of you know, I have been teaching for 35 years and still feel like there is so much to learn! I think that a quest for knowledge is so important in our field as philosophies, standards and practices are always changing. I like being “in the know” when it comes to these education trends.    I want the parents of the children I serve and the administrators of the program to feel confident in my teaching abilities and continual learning is a good way to ensure this. I know that many of us are resentful of all the training hours we need each year to stay certified, but if we embrace this as an opportunity to gain insight into ways to instruct, manage and assess our children, this can be a tremendous asset rather than a detriment. Once a family member said that I have a “teachable spirit” and I realized that that was a wonderful compliment.  Being willing to learn is a positive asset. When you are feeling overwhelmed by the job, reach into your First Aid kit and pull out that desire to learn. With the technology today, it just takes a few key search words to find out more on whatever we want to know!

Do you have a First Aid kit? If not, why not think about creating one.  What would you place in yours?  I suggest that you tuck in a few attitudes and/or beliefs that will help you to go to work each day with a positive outlook and all the tools you need to manage your day.

Words of Wisdom!

“A teacher who loves learning earns the right and the ability to help others learn.”

 Ruth Beechick

“A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else.”

George Savile

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