Living the American dream as a pre-school teacher

The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. (Katherine , pp124) The American Dream has become the pursuit of material prosperity - that people work more hours to get bigger cars, fancier homes, the fruits of prosperity for their families - but have less time to enjoy their prosperity. Others say that the American Dream is beyond the grasp of the working poor who must work two jobs to insure their family's survival. Yet others look toward a new American Dream with less focus on financial gain and more emphasis on living a simple, fulfilling life.

Working with kids and helping them become good students might produce priceless results. However, early-childhood education is rarely a lucrative field.

I spend my days rattling off the alphabet and counting aloud to 10, smeared to my elbows in finger-paint and knee deep in four-year olds. We get to play all day. We get to paint and run, get messy, and be creative - anything a four-year-old can imagine we try to make into reality.

I have been teaching preschool for almost two years. In addition to leading classes in the intricacies of the ABCs and simple mathematics, I help young children become good students for the future. I serves not only as a teacher, but also as a role model, disciplinarian, big sister, and caretaker rolled into one, helping children clear academic and social hurdles with open arms.

And for all my efforts, my little clients embrace me- literally. One of the best parts of the jobs is getting hugs from the kids, and being part of their lives. They're always so eager to tell us things.

Preschool programs differ across the country. Some teachers go it alone before a roomful of tots, while others, like me, work as part of a team of teachers to ensure one-on-one contact with the students. However, the free-form educational experience I conducts lends itself to a multitude of small-group activities concentrating on specific subjects, ranging from reading and writing to baking and acting.

We try to stay outside as much as possible, so the kids have time to run and explore the world around them while interacting with each other. They learn more that way than they ever would from us lecturing to them.

It may sound like fun and games on the surface, but life lessons are ...