Break out the Crayons!

As a way to hold my "summer bliss" guilt at bay I privately tutor 5 to 6 kids over the 2 1/2 month break. A part of me wants to completely veg out and plea that my salary covers the whole year, and honestly, isn't getting the summer off one of the perks of being a teacher? Isn't it one of the reasons we put up with the whining, messes, and everything else that comes with being an elementary school teacher? As much as I want to say yes to all that, I also realize that I would feel lazy and guilty doing nothing, which brings me back to tutoring. I do like to work one on one with kids and be able to focus on their needs since teaching a whole class can be a balancing act. Plus, I'm done by noon and have Fridays off. I won't anger any more full timers out there by continuing to whine.

This particular summer I happened to pick up 3 preschoolers in addition to a couple older ones. I admit that the idea of tutoring a 4 year old seems kind of silly, especially since none of their girls are academically low, but hey, if the mothers want to pay me to give their kids an edge, I'm not going to complain! 

After my first day with 2 of the 3 preschoolers, I am loving it! There is something so great about teaching these little babies something new! They have the attention span of Dori from Finding Nemo (about 5 minutes)...but luckily I brought a lot of stuff for us to do. We stamped letters, talked about sounds they make, blended a few sounds together, learned what adding and subtracting was, read a couple books, and worked on writing their name without using lowercase and capitals every other letter. 

The line I kept hearing every 5 minutes was, "Okay, can we do something else now? I want to pick in your bag." Rummaging ensued with a little guidance from me. I think they thought I was there to play with them, and they are still used to being the boss. I guess I'm used to the second graders who have realized that they don't get much say in what comes next or how long they get to spend on things. I think the "all about me" attitude is kind of funny when it is innocently done. 

So here's to a great summer of keeping up my teaching skills and getting in a few laughs along the way! Bring on the 4 year olds!