Teaching Preschoolers - My 19 Day Masterclass

This July I took a sort of MasterClass.  Really it was a job, but it was completely out of my norm and I was learning rapidly every day.  I accepted an offer to teach preschoolers English.  For 19 days I learned; through trial, error, and observation, how to teach 3, 4, and 5 year olds.  Please enjoy my new-found wisdom.  Since this was only a 19 day experience, you can also enjoy my persisting ignorance where present.

3 to 5 year olds are super sweet when they are calm.  They take your hand, they tell you stories that mean something to them but seem meaningless to adults.  They love to play make-believe with other kids their age.  And they tend to take care of each other when they are in the mood to be nice.  

On the reverse side, 3 to 5 year olds do not understand mutual respect or really mutual anything.  In 19 days I was told I smelled like cheese, commanded to leave the class, frequently ignored, and shot to soaking by water pistols/balloons.  I also repeatedly watched kids actively involved in a water fight game start to cry because they got wet.  They would try to spray their friends, get hit, and come tell me with tears that someone got them wet with a water gun.  

5 year old boys, from what I take away this month, are only impressed by brute strength and sheer bravery - both of which are pretty easy to demonstrate since adults have more strength in their arms than preschoolers have in their bodies and we are willing, when necessary, to kill spiders or chase bees out of the room.  3 year old girls seem to only be impressed  by absolute kindness.  So, working with the two groups of kids at the same time can be quite challenging.  

Preschoolers are also shockingly well behaved when they are entertained and will even help you clean up or prep supplies. But as soon as they get bored they will sabotage your class with foolishness. I regularly had someone laughing while they tried to run away from adult supervisión, laughing while they climbed the playground fence, or laughing while they tried to hide from the teacher in 100 degree heat.

Finally, preschoolers are impressive humans. They have formed souls and minds exploring the world and trying things out.  They can remind us how special it is to be alive.

I am writing this sleep deprived from my crazy month of employment.  What would you add to my findings?