I have taught preschool for years, since I was 18 actually, and in those 17 years I have come across different curriculum's. Creative Curriculum, ABEKA, HighScope, My first job as a lead teacher came at the age of 19 at a daycare that had just opened. I had only worked as an aide in classrooms so this world of lead teacher was new, exciting, and a bit scary for me. I was thrown into a 3 year old classroom, no instruction, nothing, just me, my classroom, and adorable three year olds, and I was expected to do something...anything to teach them! I had the basics down; we needed to do art, we needed to have centers, we needed a schedule..but how did I figure out that art, what activities did I put in those centers, how did I go about making a daily schedule that met the needs of the kids in my class? Sadly, this daycare provided me with nothing...so I went to the off campus bookstore and looked through books for a good deal of time...and finally bought my first, of many, Mailbox books. It had everything...art, centers, tips, themes..it was a start! I was not at that daycare very long and it closed its doors shortly after I left.
After leaving the failing daycare for something better...and trust me, anything would've been better..I found another job as an assistant teacher in a 3 year old class. They provided a curriculum, materials, and monthly meetings and training. I learned so much working there and had the opportunity to be the lead teacher of the 3's for a while. I moved on when a better opportunity presented itself and fell in love with my new job as, again, a lead teacher for 3 year olds. I was introduced to the Creative Curriculum and was instantly in love with it! I had always believed that children learned through play, but now I was looking at a whole curriculum based on that belief! How awesome!! The Creative Curriculum quickly became my favorite!
Fast forward a few years, three kids and three moves later, to the opening of my own Family Child Care. The FCC uses the Creative Curriculum, so it was easy for me to fall into making lesson plans, creating activities, and setting up learning centers. Being in school to finish up my degree, I have been studying curriculum's and my addiction to Pinterest, has shown me activities based on Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and others. I am drawn to these activities because they, like the Creative Curriculum, encourage play and exploration, hands on activities that are fun, but still encourage learning. I am a huge fan of the natural approach of Reggio Emelia and think about that when decorating my classroom and when setting up activities. I put Montessori's learning trays into play when setting activities out at the table. I consider the multiple intelligences theory when creating activities.
I like to pull bits and pieces from many different options to create a unique learning experience for the kids I care for. I do not believe that one size fits all when it comes to curriculum and I think it's an important job of the teacher to research different ones to find what works in her class. What works for me and my FCC? This melting pot curriculum!
