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Abstract

thought to myself,<blockquote id="6bcd">“Awe, this is what it’s all about.”</blockquote>He then brushed his nose against my leg and took off running. I looked down and there was a long snot trail, like a snail had just crawled across my leg. He wasn’t giving me a warm hug. He was wiping his nose.I learned a valuable lesson. We may be caught off guard by unsolicited acts of kindness. Unfortunately, they don’t always reflect altruistic intent. Sometimes people are kind to us to get us into a position to take advantage of us.<h2 id="34e4">Fits happen just before nap time</h2>Every day around 12:30, a child drops a toy, or one student touches another on the leg, or someone’s backpack falls over. This sparks a complete tantrum, a veritable existential crisis. Crocodile tears drop from their face, and they wail for their mommies inconsolably.This has made me realize that often we act a certain way for many complex reasons, one of which is the simple biological consequence of being tired.Nap time has become a cherished time for me. I can only sleep for 15–20 minutes, but if I don’t, I am cranky and irritable. Two characteristics that are not good when dealing with 3-year-olds.<h2 id="d568">Toy time is longer if we don’t wet our pants</h2>This is a lesson I am currently trying to teach one of my students. He will play and play without mentioning he needs to go to the bathroom. He proceeds to pee in his pants. Then he loses a considerable amount of free playtime because he needs to be changed and dried.We do dumb things as adults that slow us down on the paths toward our goals. If we took the time to do things the right way the first time, we would avoid countless setbacks caused by our hasty enthusiasm.<h2 id="0b17">We all have complex emotions</h2>One of my students in my first year had a reputation for biting. He left teeth marks on every student in the first few months.Over time, my coworker bonded with him, speaking to him in Mandarin and asking him questions. What she learned was he was very anxious and got embarrassed very easily.This unlocked some memori

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es from my youth. I too had very complex ideas about the world, even though my life was so simple.Over the next several months, we worked with him to help him overcome some of the things that made him anxious. We also taught him better ways to express his emotions.We were proud in the last months of the year, he never bit anyone again and became a kind, caring, and thoughtful classmate.Sometimes we need to recognize that the behaviors expressed are not always representative of the emotions that cause them. We need to drill past the surface to find out the true motivators of a person’s behavior.<h2 id="b897">You never know who is paying attention</h2>The other day, one of my student’s moms sent a video to the class group. It showed him singing every day of the week, pronouncing them perfectly.She asked him where he learned them, and he said,<blockquote id="0546">“Josh taught me.”</blockquote>I didn’t even know he was paying attention. He plays with his classmates during circle time, never repeats anything I say, and can’t answer any questions I ask him. I was surprised, to say the least.Sometimes we think no one is watching, but we never truly know who is and who isn’t. It is best to perform our tasks and carry ourselves with professionalism and tact.We never truly know who is paying attention.That’s five little life lessons I’ve learned from 3-year-olds in my short time as a preschool teacher.Teaching children has been such an unexpected blessing. The most valuable thing I have learned about myself is:I have an endless supply of patience for children.This is a refreshing superpower I didn’t know I had and will come in handy when my son is 3 years old.We have so much to learn from children. They are pure and all surface. They show you what they want and are not afraid to take chances and live in the moment.<figure id="b320"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*nP5eBe14CPWxT1oKtMwGnQ.png"><figcaption>Image of my Son edited in Canva</figcaption></figure></article></body>

5 Life Lessons I Learned Teaching 3-Year-Olds

I am a few weeks into my second year as an ESL teacher at a preschool in China. I never imagined my life would turn out this way.

I thought I had found my bliss as a merchant mariner. I made great money, traveled all over the world, and had 5–6 months off a year. When I was single, it was perfect.

Once I met my wife and we both wanted to spend more time together and start a family, it became less appealing.

My heart still hears the siren song of the sea.

I wrote about my work transition here:

Half the Pay, Twice the Life

By age 33, I hit my stride. After smoking away my 20s in the delusional attempt to become a rock star, I decided to go…

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At the moment, I am experiencing another amazing and enriching work opportunity.

I want to share some of the fun and pragmatic life lessons I have learned from teaching 3-year-olds.

We often assume as educators that we are the ones imparting knowledge, but all too often, we learn profound lessons from our students.

5 Life Lessons I Learned Teaching 3-Year-Olds

When a child warmly nuzzles you, it may seem sweet… it’s snot

One day, one of my favorite students came up to me and warmly gave me a huge hug. I thought to myself,

“Awe, this is what it’s all about.”

He then brushed his nose against my leg and took off running. I looked down and there was a long snot trail, like a snail had just crawled across my leg. He wasn’t giving me a warm hug. He was wiping his nose.

I learned a valuable lesson. We may be caught off guard by unsolicited acts of kindness. Unfortunately, they don’t always reflect altruistic intent. Sometimes people are kind to us to get us into a position to take advantage of us.

Fits happen just before nap time

Every day around 12:30, a child drops a toy, or one student touches another on the leg, or someone’s backpack falls over. This sparks a complete tantrum, a veritable existential crisis. Crocodile tears drop from their face, and they wail for their mommies inconsolably.

This has made me realize that often we act a certain way for many complex reasons, one of which is the simple biological consequence of being tired.

Nap time has become a cherished time for me. I can only sleep for 15–20 minutes, but if I don’t, I am cranky and irritable. Two characteristics that are not good when dealing with 3-year-olds.

Toy time is longer if we don’t wet our pants

This is a lesson I am currently trying to teach one of my students. He will play and play without mentioning he needs to go to the bathroom. He proceeds to pee in his pants. Then he loses a considerable amount of free playtime because he needs to be changed and dried.

We do dumb things as adults that slow us down on the paths toward our goals. If we took the time to do things the right way the first time, we would avoid countless setbacks caused by our hasty enthusiasm.

We all have complex emotions

One of my students in my first year had a reputation for biting. He left teeth marks on every student in the first few months.

Over time, my coworker bonded with him, speaking to him in Mandarin and asking him questions. What she learned was he was very anxious and got embarrassed very easily.

This unlocked some memories from my youth. I too had very complex ideas about the world, even though my life was so simple.

Over the next several months, we worked with him to help him overcome some of the things that made him anxious. We also taught him better ways to express his emotions.

We were proud in the last months of the year, he never bit anyone again and became a kind, caring, and thoughtful classmate.

Sometimes we need to recognize that the behaviors expressed are not always representative of the emotions that cause them. We need to drill past the surface to find out the true motivators of a person’s behavior.

You never know who is paying attention

The other day, one of my student’s moms sent a video to the class group. It showed him singing every day of the week, pronouncing them perfectly.

She asked him where he learned them, and he said,

“Josh taught me.”

I didn’t even know he was paying attention. He plays with his classmates during circle time, never repeats anything I say, and can’t answer any questions I ask him. I was surprised, to say the least.

Sometimes we think no one is watching, but we never truly know who is and who isn’t. It is best to perform our tasks and carry ourselves with professionalism and tact.

We never truly know who is paying attention.

That’s five little life lessons I’ve learned from 3-year-olds in my short time as a preschool teacher.

Teaching children has been such an unexpected blessing. The most valuable thing I have learned about myself is:

I have an endless supply of patience for children.

This is a refreshing superpower I didn’t know I had and will come in handy when my son is 3 years old.

We have so much to learn from children. They are pure and all surface. They show you what they want and are not afraid to take chances and live in the moment.