Early Childhood

         Have you even imagined on being an early childhood director or what the job would be like? An early childhood director puts in a lot of work in for the children and the classrooms and the teachers. Making sure that everything is in the right room for the right age group. The areas that the early childhood director works in is babies till kindergarten.

            The early childhood director out at Christ Wesleyan Church works there. Mel is a easy going woman she knows what she is doing. Her tone of voice makes you feel welcoming and inviting to be either a child, parent, and even a teacher. She would never trade the job for the world. The church that she goes to is also a school. During the week for school the teachers already have what they need for that day in the classroom. Mel is responsible for the preschoolers that are there for the half day. Mel makes sure that the teachers have snack ready for the kids when it comes time for snack and the teachers have all their teaching supplies in the room. On Wednesday night activities at church Mel makes sure that the helpers are there before the kids get there and also to make sure that the check in system is set up for parents to check in their children before going upstairs for the activities. Sunday for church Mel and another helper have everything set up and overlooking the volunteers that help out on Sunday mornings. As they are getting into the room a teacher tells Mel “I look forward to seeing the kids come here every Sunday with their smiling faces.” In a soft tone voice.

            There is a lot of responsibility when becoming an early childhood director. Mel handles all the paper work that needs to be done for the teachers every week she has someone copies the papers and cuts out the papers as well as Wednesday night and even on Sunday morning for church. The rooms that Mel points out that she helps in is the safari room for the infants. She enjoys having the babies every week for school and on Sunday morning for church when she is here. She works every day during the week, on Wednesday night she comes back to church from 6:30 at night till about 9 pm. On Sunday she comes in at 6 am to make sure all the rooms are unlocked and to double check everything is done before 8:50 am before the kids come upstairs. There are other rooms that she helps out in and makes sure that the teachers have everything that they need. The circus room are for the 1 to 2 year olds the room looks like the big top. On the walls are painted with horses, bears, people that work in a circus,  and the toys that the children play with are building blocks, baby dolls, puzzles. The fire station room  the 3 years old the room is pained like a fire house having the bunk beds that the fireman use, the fire gear that fireman use. The toys they play with is a big stuffed dog, blocks, toys that go along with the theme of the room. The last room is for the 4 years old are in the airport room it is painted that has different types of plans on the wall the toys that they place with is kitchen area, dress up, and the plan theme toys. Then they move up into where the children do more activities. All the rooms are painted to look like each area that she works in. The different areas she has accomplished with working at the church and being the early childhood director is having the kids work together as they get older and grow. Having the teachers show the kids how to help each other and to share with one another. Training the teachers to have a good heart, and make sure that they know what they are doing when working with children. Showing the children love is a big one that Mel tells the teachers and helpers.

            When working in each of the rooms of the different age groups teachers  have the love for the kids the passion to be able to work with them. There are different training that Mel reprimands for teachers to take and even herself. The training include behavior, first aid, and special needs training. For herself she took childhood training, and she also helps train the teachers and helper to make sure the rooms and children are safe when they come to school. Even on Wednesday night activities, and on Sunday mornings.  Mel makes sure that the teachers have background checks to make sure that the children are going to be safe with the teachers and helpers. So someone doesn’t have their background checks they wouldn’t be able to work with the kids until they have that done. It is a safety reason for the church so nothing would happen to the kids and the parents would feel more comfortable with taking their child to church and also school.

            Being an early childhood director can be a stressful job but its how someone would  handle the job. But the children can change the way you feel that day. The kids know when your not in a good mood or having a bad day. They will try everything to please you to show that they want to be there for you. The children love to give the teachers hugs and want to help them. They get all excited when teachers or even helpers ask that child to do prayer or even be the line leader and even work with them with their bible verses.  Mel tells a story about when she was having a bad day “it was a Wednesday night and there was two brother, the little brother went to the bathroom and came out and said he pooped, Mel asked him if he washed his hands and the little boy said “yes” then his older brother asked him if he whipped and the little boy said “no” and went back into the bathroom to do that.” everyone was laughing because of how cute it was. This is why when working with kids they know how to put someone in a better mood. I even work with the kids on Wednesday and Sunday mornings. When Mel was asking the kids on Wednesday night each of the teachers names to the kids learn them Mel came to me and asked the kids “what my name was and one little girl said I don’t know her name but I love her and came up and gave me a hug. The teachers were laughing and it made my night even better.  “It is all how you handle the stress of the job. It is very rewarding as well when being a teacher or even being an early childhood director” quoted by Mel.

            Some kids have a hard time getting use to a new room when they move up in years. Some of the babies that turn a year they move up to the circus room. The rooms help the children development. The most important to Mel is giving the kids the love they need, showing them how to play with other children and to learn how to share with one another.  Watching them grow and move up is the best feeling to have being a teacher. When they children don’t share with another child a teacher steps in and helps them share and play together right. A teacher in the circus room was teaching children a song and making noise with the interments that was for the lesson. When the children first come into the room the go to the toys and play with the toys. The TV is also on so if they are having a hard time coming into the room its suppose to help them get distracted. When it is time to clean up and the teachers give they something to color and then they go into the lesson.  The children are yelling and marching around the room. Some are going around the teacher and smiling and laughing as they do. Two children are watching as the teacher and their friends march around the room yelling a song. The children are having a lot of fun with being around the teachers. There is a child that is hitting the drums on the table she is looking around at everyone, she is special needs. She smiles up at the teacher. There are babies crying in the other room, I am a helper in the rooms. I hold one of the babies and start putting the baby to sleep. Mel asked me to help with the babies since most of them were crying and needed help with holding them and comforting the ones that were cry. I have a story to share “In the safari room I had two baby girls crying I held one and the other little girl was still crying once I put down the baby to pick up the other one the one I put down would start in on crying. I had my hands full that day.”  It was a fun day that Sunday.

            As you think about being an early childhood director its best to see what you can handle and what you can’t. All the hard work does pay off in the end when being around the children and seeing them grow up.