Parents see 45 minutes of circle time. They don't see the two hours I spent Sunday night writing developmental notes on 18 kids, so I can have one informed conversation at a conference.
This is not a complaint, idk does anyone else feel like the invisible labor is the part that's actually breaking us?
I've been teaching pre-K for a few years now and I genuinely love my kids. Like, that part never gets old. But lately I've been dreading opening my phone in the morning and I don't think that's a good sign.
One parent messaged me at 6:47am last Friday asking why her son didn't get a sticker three days earlier. I have many kids. I cannot be a same-day personal update service while also actually teaching.
How do you all set limits without coming across as cold? Do you have a system in place? Is there a conversation that actually works, or have you just accepted this is the job now?