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| |    Setting the Scene for Learning by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. A good preschool teacher is many things: a nurturing caregiver, an instructor sowing the seeds of learning, a physical education coach, a guide to the creative worlds of art, music, and literature. The more you understand about what a preschool teacher actually does, the better able you'll be to look for excellence and appreciate it when you find it. One important clue to a teacher's approach to learning is evident even before her young charges set foot in the preschool: the setup of her classroom. The basic classroom layout A preschool classroom shouldn't look like a classroom for older children. Instead of desks or tables in regular rows, there should be areas for different activities: painting, block building, make-believe, reading, and an area for playing house. In a typical preschool, children have ample opportunities to move from space to space, according to their interests. An important part of their education is to learn how to decide on an activity, and then stick with it for a while. The good teacher keeps tabs on her charges, noticing where every child is and how engaged they are in their activities. If a child is having a hard time choosing, the teacher helps him settle into an activity. If a child is stuck in the same activity for too long, the teacher helps him make another choice. The classroom changes all the time Many aspects of the room also change on a daily basis. One day, the art area features finger paints. A day or two later, there may an assortment of materials for mosaics. The next day, there are sheets of paper stapled together to make books. How long an activity lasts depends on the children's interest. In addition to the regular activity areas, some parts of the room reflect projects or special areas of focus for the class. One month, there is a grocery store, with children shopping, making change and taking inventory; the next month, a post office appears; after that, it might be a bakery. The changes make sense The different areas in the room connect with other things the class is doing. For example, after a visit to a pizza parlor, the children might transform a part of the room into a restaurant. These special areas also reflect the values and concerns that the children are developing-a focus on the environment, perhaps, featuring an indoor garden and items collected on a nature walk around the neighborhood. In planning and making these changes, the teacher listens to the children. She understands that the classroom is not hers, but rather is theirs. As the children think and talk about their space and how they use it, they are learning important lessons about negotiation and cooperation. Beyond the classroom The teacher arranges the environment outside the classroom as well. All preschools need to have outdoor space for active play. A thoughtfully designed yard has safe areas for running, climbing, riding, and imaginative play. The teacher keeps track of each child, noticing who is doing what and for how long. She offers direction where needed, sometimes joins in the play, but knows when to observe quietly. The teacher also makes creative use of the neighborhood and beyond. A walk around the block becomes an opportunity to observe the different shapes of leaves, the materials that buildings are made of, or the shapes of street signs and what they mean. These observations then feed into discussions and further projects back in the classroom, making the neighborhood a useful and interesting extension of the preschool.
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