- Hello there! My name is Susan Saab and no, sadly, I am not in anyway associated with SAAB automobile manufacturers. While the auto industry never really spoke to me, the field of education is where I work to better the lives of my students as well as my own life. I am a Kindergarten teacher in North Bergen. There are two reactions when I tell people I teach Kindergarten. The first, "Oh my god, they must be so cute and small and you get to be like their mommy right? And you sing songs all day and play! How cute!" The second, "KINDERGARTEN! How do you do it?!! They are so small and they cry and they always want to hug! I could never deal with kids that small". Ironically, I never really think about how "small" or young my students are. My role is to teach people and my class is full of the people entrusted to me to educate. When I send my own three sons, ages 17, 14, and 13 off to school (I won't even get into the reactions I get when people know I have three teenage boys) I am entrusting that they are educated every day. That's the thing about teaching, it is in essence a trust between one and their students as well as a trust between the teacher and the parents. We (educators) are entrusted with the task of teaching our students to read (one of my most favorite hobbies) and calculate (one of least favorite hobbies) and most importantly to think (interesting fact #1...I think way too much). Then we ask our readers, calculators and thinkers to function and participate in society, hopefully to such a degree that society is a better place because of their involvement. This is my goal and what I expect to be better at as a Reading Specialist because everything is reading (we can save that topic for a future blog). I expect the course I am currently enrolled to build my array of strategies to teach literacy and critical thinking. I expect the course help me use literature to help students explore word play, ideas, concepts, principles and possibilities.
- Me and the boys
I love your thought process and approach to trust in the classroom!
ReplyDeleteYes, you sure do not look like three teenage son’s mother. When I first saw you in class I thought you probably are not even married just like few girls at the table you were sitting at. I in the other hand love working with little kids and Kindergarten to 3rd is what I got this year I was so excited to see my schedule. Though not anywhere comparing to you I do not see myself teaching higher level grades, but I have taught 4th general, language arts class and 5th Inclusion setting class. It sure is cute working with Kindergarten class because whenever I am teaching them I am thinking of my daughter who also started Kindergarten this year.
ReplyDeleteAww, you're too sweet! I definitely see the benefit in being exposed to multiple grades. I think that it is great that the kids remind you of your daughter (which you too look to young to have) because it is important for us to remember that the kids we are entrusted with are other peoples children.
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