Preschool Knowledge

"Miss Jill I have to go to the bathroom!" This simple sentence is what I hear all day, everyday. It is not my favorite sentence to hear, but it comes with the job. I am a preschool aide at the Saint John Fisher School in Chicago, IL. My days consist of singing about letters, opening juice boxes, stuffing backpacks, and of course walking to the bathroom. This is what my Monday through Friday has become, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

From the day I entered kindergarten I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I loved everything that the job entailed and after my student teaching and 2 months at St. John Fisher I know that my kindergarten self had the right idea. I love interacting with children and school supplies. My kindergarten self however did not know about grading and writing lesson plans. When I first found that I would be in preschool I thought it would be quite easy. That thought was not the case. The job requires a person to have a great deal of patience and energy, both of which I can lack at times. Yet I have found that I can be patient and energetic when I need to be for those little faces. They rely on me and I rely on them. 

Although the job can at times be challenging it is also extremely rewarding. I have learned to appreciate the little things more through the little ones. Watching Margot cut out a circle all by herself, watching Joey put his backpack in his locker, and watching Tessa open her juice box have all made me beam with pride. I am so happy that I have met all 53 preschoolers and I feel that they are apart of my family. I feel that I have learned a great deal from the preschoolers I work with everyday. They have taught me to not take things too seriously and to have fun. I have began to look at the journey rather than focus on the destination, and what a journey it has been. And although the bathroom breaks may be a pain, I would do anything for those little ones. 

Jill Ameral 

Chicago, IL 2011-2012