Meet Mrs. Davis, lead preschool teacher here at Tutor Time on S. Alma School Rd. in Chandler, AZ. After 20 years of working in medical administration, she finally made the career switch a year ago to obtain her associate’s degree and follow her passion of teaching little ones. Read on to learn more about Mrs. Davis!
Why did you decide to switch to a career in education? Specifically, early education?
I prefer working with younger children. I feel with the younger kids, you have the opportunity to mold them and instill in them certain qualities that they’re going to need when hey reach elementary or secondary school. And if you came across anyone that knows me, they’d tell you I love children. I like to be engaged and keep them happy because I feel like learning should be a happy experience.
What has it been like adjusting to this new job?
Honestly, this is the first job I’ve had that I look forward to coming to! I enjoy my babies, I really do. I touch base with the families, we communicate all the time. They’re very trusting with me with their babies, and that’s important.
Can you take us through what a typical day in your classroom looks like?
Upon my arrival I get the curriculum out and make sure I have everything that I need so that right after breakfast, we can get into the lesson. We go over our calendar and days of the week and we also go over our sight words, our vowel and consonants. After that, we sit at the table and I initiate the curriculum, whatever the lesson is for the day. I touch on all subjects for the day as much as possible. Once curriculum is done, if there’s extra time we’ll go have playtime in a couple of centers prior to getting washed up for lunch. We have lunch together, we sit and discuss food that’s healthy and unhealthy, I might ask a quick question from the curriculum just to see who was paying attention. I just keep them engaged during lunch time. I eat with them. After that we get ready for nap time. I have a structured class with a consistent routine. They know exactly what to do after a few weeks of being there. They follow the rules and protocol very easily.
Could you share a memorable moment that you’ve had since being at Tutor Time?
I’ve had so many! The Halloween bash that we had here was really fun. The teachers got to dress up with the students. We had really great festivities, we took photos, and what I liked about it was that each class had a different activity so any child could go to any classroom and do the activity. A lot of socializing, you got to meet the parents, mix and mingle more, it was just really welcoming and inviting. I had a blast!
If your students could describe you in one word, what would it be?
They always say, “Mrs. Davis, you’re so funny!” or “You’re so silly!” I really like to be on their level and have fun. They’re kids and I’m a kid at heart. We can learn but we can still have fun at the same time.
How is the overall work environment?
The staff, coming, in, they were welcoming, very warm hearted. You could see the respect they give to one another. It is diverse here, so that was another major factor that I was looking at, as well. The overall work atmosphere, the hours are perfect, location is perfect. Everybody’s friendly here. That’s a big plus.