Future Teachers!

I enjoy watching children pretend to be teachers. It's typically the children in the TR class who enjoy doing this. They sometimes tell me they are going to pretend to be a teacher (maybe they think they have to get permission first...), or some children just start pretending. It's a fine line to cross. I usually stand back and watch but cautiously and only get involved if I am invited to be a "student." Yesterday the children wanted me right there - front and center. My role was the student. And I go along with it! It started out with one child wanting to do it and then expanded to more children wanting to play this important role. I had to get out the timer for turn taking. There was a lot of "Is it my turn yet?" But overall, they patiently waited until it was their turn. I think everyone who wanted to be a teacher was able to fulfill that role for at least a few minutes anyway. 
There are several things I observed about pretending to be a teacher: 1. You get to write on the white board. 2. The students are supposed to answer your questions. 3. You get to sit on the teacher spot!!

Learning about letters.

Counting the name cards
to see how many children are at preschool.

Writing numbers on the board.

"What is this?"
When we learn about the letter
of the week, we show the children pictures that go along
with that letter. The teacher usually asks individual children,
What is this? And so the "teachers" imitated that behavior.
And some were singing our letter of the week song too...
"Our letter of the week is __Q___,
the sound it makes is ____Qua, Qua, Qua_.
Our letter of the week is ____Q__,
__quack___ (show picture card)
begins with ___Q___."

(tune: Mary had a little lamb)

There were additional teachers who taught the class, but I didn't get a picture of everyone...... You might notice the hanging pocket center to the right - that is where we keep the letter of the week picture cards. Children enjoy pulling them out.  Ms. Larisa sorted about 40 different letter picture cards after the fun was over.