Upon first entering the YWCA, I was immediately swept into the play of the children. No sooner had I set my coat down then they asked me to join in their games. After a brief round of introductions we were all soon caring for children donning dresses and heading to a birthday party. The openness of the children to new comers at the YWCA was remarkable and really speaks to the staff's ability to create an environment in which the children feel safe and comfortable enough to talk to someone they hardly know without a trace of shyness. So, while I was unable to observe the children during this portion of the day, I was able to study the children as the participated in Preschool classroom.
As I observed in the classroom I noticed how structured and regulated the daily schedule for the children was. Each student was given a job rotation for that day from snack-helper to line-leader. This in particular gave each student a sense of individual purpose within the classroom. After the jobs were announced for the day, each student was counted by a peer and a letter in the alphabet was discussed. This task was followed by a short story, some exercise, free-time, snack, an enactment of a story chosen by one of the children and music before heading out to lunch. These events occurred in a fairly sequential order everyday, giving the children a sense of normalcy as they knew what to expect at any given moment. I must admit that I personally was surprised at how closely this regimen was adhered to, as I always imagined preschools to be more unregulated; however, upon observing the children at the YWCA I realized how important this sense of rhythmic normalcy is, as it enables them to focus on the task at hand rather than worrying about what was going to happen next.
Overall, my first trip to the YWCA captured my interest as a future teacher as I was able to observe a point in development that all my students will have to go through. By observing them at this stage, I will be able to better understand the factors that influence my future student's behavior and interest in a given subject.
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