Balanced Challenge: Day 3

Yes, I am posting more than one day today. I confess, I already read most of the book before deciding to join the challenge so really...who cares.
Today's challenge is Get the Kids Involved
How can you get your kids involved in what you’re working on? How can they experience what your job is like and contribute to it? For me, that meant allowing my kids to come with me on research trips or to meet people I was interviewing. Write a blog post about different ways you can involve your kids in your job, then stop by others’ blogs to see if you can use their ideas with this task!

Well. That is actually quite easy. Wyatt helps me with teaching every day. I experiment on him a lot. ;o) When I see a good way to have the kids in my class work on the alphabet I try it out on Wyatt first. If he can do it (at two years of age) then certainly the kids in my class will be able to. One would hope.

I also love going to the book store to check out great books to use in my classroom. Of course I try them out with Wyatt first. As well as nearly every other book in the book store. And a stop at the train table.

Wyatt also comes to school with me for after school functions. He comes to family game night, craft night, science night. Our school is really good at creating activities for all ages to participate in. We recognize the little brothers and sisters at the events will be future students and we want them to be involved, too! Wyatt benefits from me working at the school and being able to be involved with these activities.

I also find a ton of great ides while searching for teaching ideas that just wouldn't be feasible with 25 five and six year olds, but are perfect to do with one!

Teaching kindergarten has also helped me see how durable kids are. I know Wyatt won't break if he goes down the slide by himself. I know he will want to jump off of tall things. I know nearly everything washes off and can be cleaned up later. I know he needs to get messy and explore the world and play is much more important than keeping his white shirts looking good.
Although Wyatt is technically my first child, it is more like he is a second or third because I have been around children so much. I don't have many of the first child fears. I think this will be beneficial to him in the long run.
Also, one of the huge benefits Wyatt will receive from me being a teacher was actually pointed out to me by my school's fabulous (and godly) music teacher. The students our children will interact with in school are the same people they will be interacting with in the real world. By being there with them when they are young to see how they are interacting with and treating people of various socioeconomic and culturally diverse backgrounds I will actually be able to have conversations with Wyatt about his actions and how to treat people as a Christian. The music teacher at my school has already had several opportunities to correct and shape her daughter's actions and behaviors. Seeing this firsthand has really opened my eyes to the importance of taking an active role in my child(ren)'s social interactions.
My school also has our state's largest Good News Club each week. Nearly half of the students in my school attend this Christian organization once a week. Students bring their Bibles to school and see their teachers teaching lessons from the Bible.
Every teacher in my building is a Christian. I have yet to meet a student who is not a Christian (at my current school). By seeing who goes to Good News Club I know who I can talk to in class about Jesus. It is pretty much as close to a Christian School as we can get in a public school setting. Not too shabby if you ask me.