We have blocks, stuffed animals, toy cars, and a few hard toys that are really more for babies rather than one year olds.
They get bored very quickly. The toys are in a toy box, but I rotate them every 15-30 minutes. But it's just the same stuff over and over.
There's no organization but there's really not much to organize.. just the two tables for snack time and the toy box.
As for crafts, we do those one at a time.. mostly handprint type crafts. And I only do crafts when I have someone there, but it's still quite chaotic.
They don't get to go outside much because I normally don't have the help to take them outside. We have a gym that they go to for thirty minutes in the morning.
Let me add that this is one of the "nicer" daycares in our area.. or so people think. It's definitely one of the most expensive, yet it's in debt. It's a huge daycare, two floors, and it's in a church. If it weren't for the church backing it, it would have gone out of business already.
Originally Posted by preschoolteacher:
First of all, I don't mean anything I am going to say to be about you personally. You seem like a very caring teacher who is willing to go the extra mile for your kids. Your director and daycare center, however, have a lot of problems.
There is a reason the kids are acting up. It's not because they are bad. 14 1-year-olds to 1 adult is insane, illegal, and likely contributing to most of the problems. I seriously would report it. You can do that anonymously.
It also sounds like you have very few materials for the kids. 1-year-olds can't be expected to sit long and be on task. I can't imagine they will stay at those two tables long to do anything. What kind of toys do you have? Are they all just thrown into boxes? Are they easy for kids to find and play with? Is there any sort of organization in the room?
It also sounds like there are some inappropriate expectations for the kids. 1-year-olds can't do crafts. They can color, maybe finger paint... but I'd be wary to introduce any art materials if you are alone supervising 14. How can you be sure Jimmy isn't eating glue if you have his 13 hitting, biting classmates to supervise by yourself at the same time?
Are they getting outside? Do you have a gym or a large motor place for them to run around?
The first thing I'd address is the fact that you're illegally understaffed. Like others said, nothing will improve until you get the help you need.