Pre-Tot Classroom
1.) Description
For the past 3 years I have worked in the same pre-toddler classroom, and thus figured it would be the perfect landscape for me to discuss.
The classroom is very small despite the amount of 1 1/2 to 2 years olds it is supposed to hold; it is licensed to hold 9 kids and 3 teachers. The room is rectangular in shape and tends to get smaller as the kids in my class get bigger. At the very back of the room there is one window, set low to the ground so the kids can reach the sill, and a door that leads out to our play ground.
At the the entrance of the room, to the left there is a bathroom (for teachers) and to the right is a sink and a mini frig with is used to store whatever is in the kid's lunches that needs to stay cold. Passing the frig you move into the main part of the room where there are two tables, one red and one blue, each as enough chairs for 6 kids at each table, and on the back of the chairs there is a name that corresponds to each child. Next to the tables is the diaper changing table which is bright yellow; above that is a shelf with 9 baskets that hold the diapers for each child. To the left of the diaper table is yet another sink, in total there are three sinks in the room.
Moving further into the room you get to the cubbies, and again there are enough for each child and each child is assigned to a cubby. Each cubby has the child's name and picture on it. past the cubbies is the main play area, which is carpeted. On the carpet to the right is a "climber" which has a stairs, a tunnel and a slide for the children to play on, and for what it's worth, it causes more trouble then is necessary.Across the room to the left is the "book nook" complete with pillows and board books.
Moving back to the back of the room, under the window is a toy shelf that holds the cars, blocks, the weebles, and whatever other toys we have. All of the walls are white, but are covered in art projects and pictures of the kids having fun.
I think that's about all there is for the room itself. The school on the other hand has been around for about 7 years now. The ages of children that attend range from 8 weeks old (the infant rooms) to school age kids that are in before and after care. The entire school has Infant rooms, toddler rooms, a 2/3 year old class, Pre-K 3 to 5, then kindergarten, but this upcoming fall we will not have a kindergarten program.
This school has a reputation for cleanliness and superb care.
This school is very important culturally because it isn't like typical daycares, it is a school, learning always takes place, and the teachers are not considered baby-sitters. (That's about as much as I have for that, I need to work on it).
2.) My Argument
I don't think I really have one yet. I'm not exactly sure what I want to argue. At first I was going to argue that the room is too small to house the 9 toddlers and the 3 teachers that run the room.
I feel that this is a pretty lame argument, I need to expend it, but I'm not sure how to do that. Suggestions would be awesome since I'm really not feeling it.
Thanks!
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4 comments:
Great description, Ashley.
As for your argument... perhaps including some suggestions for improving the classroom would help, or expanding it to show how a bigger classroom would improve the education of the children.
I was thinking maybe you could argue something about how the nature of daycare has changed over the years, from a babysitting-type environment to more of a school-based one like the one you describe.
I can see two reasons for this:
1) Parents (especially middle-class and living in the suburbs) are placing and increasingly huge emphasis on their child's achievement in school. You can see this at higher levels in the exponential growth of AP classes and pressure to get into a top college. But it also starts early, with parents wanting their kids to enter elementary school already reading and writing and having had several years of preparation. Many schools are also instituting all-day kindergarten to start kids learning more at an earlier age.
2) With most mothers in the workforce in today's society, many more children are spending their early years in daycare. More parents putting their kids in daycare, especially more highly educated, high-achieving parents, means higher standards for daycare than ever before.
You did a good job with your description. I know that you have been working on forming an argument since you posted.
I was excited to spot a youtube.com video on your bibliography!
I also work with little kids, so I understand how frustrating it is to have a small room for kids that need to move around and be active. An argument you could use is about the formative years for toddlers, and how the daycare can be instrumental in the growth of a child. You could also use your psychology background to help enhance your argument.
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