This teachers Wishlist

1. Take your kids work home! They work hard on it and are proud of it. To leave it in their box or worse not acknowledge it at all means they won't try at all next time I don't make up this work to make a mess at your house. They are learning skills by cutting, pasting, gluing, and being creative. Even if you have a trunkful of it make a fuss out of it and then go hide it somewhere. They will forget pretty soon about the artwork anyway then you can throw out the random bits.

2. Books! At both centers I've worked at I would have LOVED to seen current books! Most of them were older than me and way to advanced for my class. Instead of cupcakes and goody bags at holidays how about some new toys or books. Same price, but they will have a longer life and bring more joy to your child. Not tommention less of a sugar high.

3. Your old food containers, water bottles, toilet paper rolls, dial up telephones, and other random useless crap you have around your house. We love to make art projects out that stuff. And the old rotary phone you where going to chuck in the trash will bring hours of amusement to your kid at school.

4. Quit saying "GOOD JOB!". Good job on what? Tell them what you think is good about the project they did, ask them questions about it, and most importantly tell someone ELSE about it in front of your child. When your kid knows your proud of them they will make it a point to keep making you proud. 5. We love supplies! I think these websites are my favorite places to look it's like my crack. Seeing a bag of googly eyes just fills my brain with ENDLESS possibilties. Science equiptment, BALLS, bug catchers, stamps, hop a long bouncer balls, and a bag full of feathers just make me giddy. I know the kids love playing with that stuff. If I could buy it all I totally would, but alas childcare providers aren't paid very well despite the soaring costs of childcare.

5. Know that we love your kids too. You can tell by how your kid acts around the teacher and how the teacher smiles at your child. I'm not sayingEvery preschool teacher is in it for the love, but a majority are. We research on the internet, in the library, advocate for supplies, toys, and your child on a daily basis. I wouldn't do that if I wasn't interested in making sure your child had a good time in my class. I wouldn't dance around doing the chicken dance, the macarena, and the hokey pokey if I didn't want your baby to laugh. Granted I'm not mom and I don't try to act like it, but I do love your kid in a teacherly way and I'm on your side.

Edited to add: The fronts of Old Christmas/ Birthday/ Anniversary cards. THey are fun to cut out the pictures and glue.