San Francisco, CA
Stepping Stones Preschool

Teachers Are:

OVERALL RATING: (4.4)
Full of energy and seemingly happy in job
Patient and affectionate with children
Talks with children and listens carefully when they are talking with him/her
Praises children for accomplishments and good behavior
Provides feedback on what my child does during the day
Shares insights on my child that are helpful and accurate
Identifies my child’s strengths and weaknesses
If necessary, provides additional support to my child during pickup and drop-off
Resolves disputes quickly, calmly and fairly in a manner that allows children to learn from the dispute
Notices children who are not on task and/or engaging with other children appropriately and quickly reengages them
Manages the energy level of the children so that all children feel safe and able to learn
Provides additional support to a child when s/he is clearly failing in her/his efforts
Strikes the proper balance between active and quiet play for children

source:

Parents' Comments on Individualized Teaching

Parent #1
Felt uncomfortable answering the questions for one of the teachers because it can make the teacher 'look bad' when in reality she is great. Her personality is more of a calm influence (does not appear to be 'full of energy' as the other two teachers) but does seem happy in the job. Also, because the other two teachers are more extroverted, they 'socialize' more with the parents to provide feedback and insights, so the third teacher is a better as a 'do-er' with the kids. This actually is a great balance of the teachers' styles but the survey questions and computation might not show it. The teachers at the preschool are wonderful at adapting to the needs of each individual child, being conscious of special situations and needs. Whether dietary restrictions, current family issues, a particular 'phase' the child is going through, they are more than willing to work with families on them. Teachers have gone the exra mile to even do research, advise on issues, and shared techniques, whenever we encountered problems with our child. They care about the whole family, not just the child, knowing what is going on in the family can affect the child. It feels like a partnership between the parents and teachers in helping the children. The school is also great at listening and accepting input and suggestions from parents for improvements.

Parent #2
Most of the teachers at this school are wonderful. However, some seem burned out.

Parent #3
The teachers at S.S. are truly wonderful. With children this young, you don't just want "teachers," you also want them to be CAREgivers...as in, giving love and affection. In my opinion, the teachers strike a wonderful balance between these two roles. Children are more receptive to learning if they sense that their teachers care about them. My kids come home singing cute little ditties about the "Months of the Year" or farm animals and the sounds they make -- the teachers really understand how to teach to very young children, by making it FUN and interesting!

Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based?

What school type is right for your child? Is one model better than another? What does the research say?

View an example from the Savvy Source guide to learn more.

Make sand at home! Half the fun is creating, and half is playing with the material. Mix all listed ingredients together in a plastic bin, and then give your child small containers, shovels, funnels so that they can dump and fill. Toy cars and bulldozers are also a lot of fun.

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