Tips for having a classroom visitor come to your preschool

We had our first “official” classroom visitor come to preschool last week.. Our visitor was Coyote Chris from Silly Safari and he came with a bunch of little critters – boy did our kids love it!…

Where will the visitor present and where will the children sit?

Since I had seen Chris share his critters before, I already knew how to prepare for Chris’s arrival.  First, I set out chairs for the children to sit in rather than having them sit on the floor.  Because Chris would be bringing animals, I wanted to be sure the children had a specific place to sit. I knew if they sat in chairs, they would be less likely to scoot closer and closer to Chris while he shared the animals. The chairs provided a boundary, if you will, for Chris to easily and safely share his animals with us…

Know what the visitor plans to bring and do…

I also knew that Chris would have lots of unique animals to pull out in front of the children.  It is a good idea to discuss with the children what to expect and what they should do (or not do) while the visitor is present. If you don’t know what the visitor is planning to talk about, bring, or do – be sure to ask your visitor some good questions ahead of time so you and your students are prepared…

Know how long the visitor will stay…

You want to know exactly what time the visitor will be arriving and approximately how long his presentation will be. This will help you know if you need to adjust your schedule for things like snack time or center time…

Know if the visitor has experience talking to young children

Chris speaks to early childhood groups all the time and he does a terrific job keeping children engaged and keeping things moving along. If your visitor is not skilled at speaking with preschoolers, chances are you will have to help him or her out. It is a good idea to get references from other programs, like yours, on the visitor if they are available. If references are not available, then be sure to ask the visitor what kind of experience he or she has in presenting or talking to young children…

Don’t make the children participate

A visitor can sometimes make young children a little uncomfortable at first. In this case, Chris was immediately liked by the children but some of his critters were a little less inviting.  Some of our children did not wish to touch the animals and we respected their wishes. Don’t coax or make a child do something out of their comfort zone when a visitor arrives. If a child wishes to be just an observer, rather than a participant, then let that be okay. On the other hand, we had other children that were more than happy to hold or pet the animals Chris brought with him…

Know how much the visitor will charge and have a check ready…

Chris makes a living out of visiting schools and sharing his animals, so naturally, his visit was not free. Make sure you are ready to pay the visitor before he or she leaves. Confirm the amount, time, and date of the visit before hand…

Do you need a permission slip?

And in some cases, you may need to send home permission slips informing parents of your visitor and making sure that there isn’t any reason a child should not take part in the presentation. Perhaps there is an allergy, or extreme fear of animals, or other issue. By sending home a permission slip, the parent can decide if they want their child to participate or not in the presentation…

Will you charge the parents a fee?

I know some childcare programs pass the cost of the visitor along to the parents. A visitor such as this is viewed just like a field trip would be viewed, only it would be referred to as an in-house field trip.  If you plan to pass the cost along to parents, then be sure to include that information in your permission form plenty early so parents have time to prepare…

Our first visitor was a great success! My students loved the animals and Chris did a wonderful job keeping his presentation fun, engaging, and age appropriate.  I hope you enjoyed our visitor today too and learned something in the process…

Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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