I’m not sure if this post will particularly fall into my neat little category for Wednesdays, but it’s almost Thursday, and I’m tired and losing brain control, and I’ve been wanting to revisit the Joy School topic, so I’m squeezing it in today anyway! After all, it was my wanderlust for an anti-preschool preschool program that got me pulled into this in the first place. So now it’s time to review.

A couple weeks ago I finally got my turn at teaching the little brats darlings. No, really, they’re weren’t too bad, but it was enough to yet again keep me firmly avoiding a job at a daycare. The first day I taught was a bit awkward; Emma and Lloyd were sick, so since he was home from work he stayed with the kids (III slept most of the morning anyway), and I went over to one of the other mom’s house and taught the kids there. If that doesn’t already sound awkward to you, then you must have much more confidence in yourself than I do. I made sure I was very prepared. I had printed off everything I needed to and had sung the dorky songs repeatedly so that I would know them. All my props and snacks were packaged up and ready to go. It was reminiscent of teaching Sunday school in college and having one of the dads stay behind the whole time. The difference being that at least I’m a mom now, so people assume I know a little better what I’m doing.

I think out of all the days I taught, that first day went the best. Perhaps because I was so nervous, or because the kids weren’t used to me, or because we only had 4 kids instead of 5. Whatever the reason, it was about as I expected. Attention spans were short–much shorter than I anticipated. I have been so spoiled by Emma. I think by 18 months she was sitting in a corner by herself “reading” for hours. I am not used to kids who can’t sit still for one story. There was plenty of change in action, though. We went from telling a story, to singing songs with motions, to having a snack, and having some free play time as well. This was my personal favorite, as it gave me a chance to breathe and not worry if I had their attention or not. We did some coloring as well, and ended the day by going on a litter walk. I thought that part would be the easiest, but one poor little boy just wanted to sit down or go home, and I had trouble keeping us all together as a group (probably why the instructions suggested I have them all hold on to a rope together).

The other days seemed to go from crazy to crazier. I got off-schedule and ran over on time, and found myself getting impatient. I don’t know how teachers do it. Even in a group of 5 kids there is a wide range of personality. On one end, there’s the kid who just wants to lay on the floor doing nothing, and on the other end there’s the kid who is over-excitedly volunteering to do everything, overshadowing all the other kids and creating a bit of chaos. Obviously, the kid-factor will be different for every group, though. Let’s talk about the lessons themselves.

I am pleased with the focus on understanding broad concepts—learning about the earth, or how our bodies work, or how to express our feelings. I do think these are good lessons, and I like that it’s not about sitting them down and making them learn to write their names or spell words. It reminds me more of a library story hour than a school, so the kids really aren’t stressed out by it. There’s nothing in the lesson plans that overtaxes their little minds because it’s not about book smarts and testing them on it; it’s about understanding things that are right in front of them.

However . . . this stuff is old. Like, as old as I am. Not that the things they’re learning about are changing—pretty sure planting a seed and watering it has the same result now as it did then—but I’m just having trouble connecting with some of it. I guess it could also be that I’m not used to preschool thought processes. After all, the kids seem to be fine with all of it. They love the dorky songs. I can’t quite put my finger on what I feel is wrong about it all, but I do feel like I could come up with something a little more modern-feeling.

My last caveat with Joy School is entirely personal. It’s the schedule. I thought I could get us on a schedule that worked, but instead, every morning I get Emnma up at 8:30 for school, she is having weird psycho-freak meltdowns around 3, and most of the time still refuses to nap. Add to this the fact that I have been up for an undetermined amount of time in the middle of the night trying to get III back to sleep without nursing him, and you get a house full of crabby females. And on the days I teach, III gets woken up earlier than he might have slept on his own and proceeds to cry through the whole morning. It’s just not working for me. I feel terrible saying it. There is a part of me that really wants to be on a schedule with all the “normal” people of the world. But in the end, it’s just not for me, and while I know that with enough work and sleep deprivation we could get on an earlier schedule, I just don’t want it badly enough. Feel free to judge me. Call me lazy. Call me weak. At least I’m happy. Emma may stay up until 11 at night, but she sleeps in till 10. We have a schedule; it just doesn’t jive with other people’s.

Final weigh-in: if Joy School were in the afternoon, I would continue to be involved in it. Emma enjoys it, gets a chance to interact with other kids, and I get a break. It’s not awesome, and I don’t like that I have to print stuff out (and I’m out of ink in my printer), but I don’t feel that it is damaging my child in any way. It is not associated with any religion, but the creators are members of (and very strongly involved in) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Don’t think that part really matters so much, but I thought I’d let you all know that anyway.) So come next semester, I am going back to our lazy schedule, and hopefully I will still be able to instill joy in my children all by myself.

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