Struggles of Teachers in Dealing Preschool Children

A RESEARCH PAPER

Submitted to the Teacher Education Department of Southern Leyte State

University- College of Teacher Education

In Partial Fulfillment of the Subject Requirement in PRES 307

(Research in Preschool Education)

To the Professional Development of Southern Leyte State University- College of

Teacher Education

Tolibas, Jaicah F.

Cupat, Malou C.

Hinunangan, Mary Joy M.

Ranque, Maria Geraldyn A.

1. Rationale

The study claims that teacher faces different struggles that can losses in their

personal and professional life-whether material, physical, and emotional losses,

they all matter and affect the teacher differently. Every struggle has something to

teach you: a renewed mind, compassion, kindness, a more positive perspective of

life.

Preschool teachers nurture, teach, and care for children who have not yet

entered kindergarten. They provide early childhood care and education through a

variety of teaching strategies. They teach children, usually aged 3 to 5, both in

groups and one on one. They do so by planning and implementing a curriculum

that covers various areas of a child’s development, such as motor skills, social and

emotional development, and language development.

Preschool teachers often work with students from varied ethnic, racial, and

religious backgrounds. With growing minority populations in most parts of the

country, it is important for teachers to be able to work effectively with a diverse

student population. Accordingly, some schools offer training to help teachers

enhance their awareness and understanding of different cultures. Teachers may

also include multicultural programming in their lesson plans, to address the needs

of all students, regardless of their cultural background.

Preschool education is education that focuses on educating children from the ages

of infancy until six years old. The system of preschool education varies widely, with

different approaches, theories, and practices within different school jurisdictions. The

term preschool education includes such programs as nursery school, day care,

or kindergarten, which are occasionally used interchangeably, yet are distinct entities.

While pedagogies differ, there is the general agreement that preschool is responsible

for providing education before the commencement of statutory education.

The proliferation of preschool education in the twentieth century can be connected

to advances in developmental psychology, such as in the work of Jean Piaget which

revealed the nature of psychological development that occurs in the early years

of childhood, and from the educators such as Froebel who recognized that children

need stimulation, particularly that provided by play and role playing, from a young age

in order to develop their full potential, as well as from the needs of large numbers of

working mothers to provide a good environment for their young children during working

hours. Thus, preschool environments vary depending on whether their main focus is

care of the children such as in a daycare program, which nonetheless acts as

a socialization experience that extends beyond the family and prepares the children for
school, and those which were specifically designed to provide early educational

experiences for young children, such as the kindergarten.

Being a teacher is one of the most stressful jobs a person can have, and if

you’re a teacher, you will know that one of the most stressful periods during the

job occurs in the first year. With shifts and changes in the social and professional

context of 21st century education (Clandinin, Downey, & Huber, 2009), however,

beginning teachers are especially challenged by conflicts between their personal

beliefs and the reality of teaching, in addition to the struggles first-year teachers

often encounter(Brown, 2006;Day, 1999; Veenman, 1984; Vonk, 1993).

Being a teacher is a much bigger struggle that people think. Not only do

teachers have to deal with constant scrutinization from their friends and families.

They also have to deal with the constant societal stigma that teachers only teach

because they cannot do anything else. Being a teacher means that you will have

to face the struggles and difficulties that all new jobs have, as well as having to

deal with the high stakes of education; it’s a lot to take on. In this study, you will

find the common new teacher struggles that every new teacher has to face, as

well as the solutions to make that first year a little easier.

 As most teachers and teacher educators would concur, the journey of

becoming a teacher is not always smooth. Beginning teachers bring their personal

experiences and beliefs with them into teacher education programs (Beijaard,

Meijer, & Verloop, 2004; Clandinin & Connelly, 1996; He & Levin, 2008; Levin &

He, 2008; Lortie, 1975; Richardson, 2003).

With this study the researchers will be able to determine the specific concept

on the struggles of teachers of what strategies they used to help their self to face

their concerns. Identification of their concerns and especially the strategies they

used as they better understood their students and their students’ families and

became more aware of their identities as teachers also shed light on reforms in

current teacher education efforts.

Objectives of the Study

The study will determine the struggles specifically the study will find answer in

the following objectives:

1. Determine the struggles of a preschool teacher.

METHODOLOGY

The study will use descriptive survey method. Purposive sampling is design

for this study that was appropriate for the findings of the specific objectives. The

study will use a guide questions about the Classroom Management as a gathering

data used to help the teachers who struggles in handling Preschool Children in

Malitbog, Southern Leyte.

The respondents were randomly selected from barangay Malitbog,

Southern Leyte who have a school from Preschool. Two major research questions

guided the data collection and analysis in this study: (1) what, if any, are

participants’ concerns and struggles as they develop from student teachers to

first-year teachers? And (2) what strategies did participants utilize to face their

concerns or struggles and sustain their passion for teaching?

Research Instrument:

Guide Questions:

1. What are your strengths in dealing preschool children?

2. And what are your weaknesses?

3. What are your struggles in dealing preschool children?

4. How did you cope up with your struggles?

5. How many years you are teaching in kindergarten?

6. Since the day you teach what the hardest part that you encounter is?

7. How did you deal the students beyond your struggle?

 Theoretical Framework/Concept

Theory

Struggles

Beginning Experienced
Preschool Teacher Preschool Teacher
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