Can anyone recommend a play-based (with some direction) school anywhere in the south bay area with amazing teachers? I've ruled out all our neighborhood preschools and have now opened up my search to the entire south bay -- Campbell, Saratoga, San Jose, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, etc.
At the end of the day, all I care about is expert and happy teachers (experts at dealing with toddlers and "manipulating" toddlers and helping them thrive), no major school disciplinary problems (I can't accept a place that has out of control kids such as biters who bite every day for several months without any serious action taken, and without teachers making it crystal clear to all the kids that certain behavior is never acceptable), good security (security in the sense that a kid can't easily escape, and in the sense that the teachers are alert and aware). These three things are deal breakers; everything else doesn't matter to me, and if other aspects are good, it would just be icing on the cake. I don't care if the place is filled with garish and grimy plastic electronic toys with a barren concrete playground, I don't care if the parents are all mean snobs, I don't care if they give the kids chips and soda for snacktime. (I mean of course I have preferences on these things, but at this point I'm desperate and willing to compromise.)
I am looking for a play-based school with some teacher direction. It's fine if they have fun academics, some reggio-style projects, or waldorf fairytale fun. I don't mind any philosophical affiliation, except no Montessori (my child is not self directed, independent, nor does he enjoy repetition), and no boring drilling.
I think the ideal school for my child would have tons of singing and dancing. Teachers who give simple queues "Hands on lap!" "Everybody make snowballs!" "Shoes!" instead of long winded explanations and vain repetition of a child's name to attempt to get his attention. Teachers who encourage independence such as putting on shoes, but will help the child if he doesn't want to do things independently one day, instead of going head to head with him. A temperament quiz online said my son was a "textbook toddler"-- so I guess he's pretty average. He can be shy at first with strangers, but in general he is very extroverted, yelling "Hi" over and over to people across the street, trying to get a reaction. When in a group of kids (and he has experienced a group for months, so I know it's not just novelty), he doesn't get absorbed in any activity or attached to any toy; he is far more interested in walking around staring at all the kids and trying to interact with them. He would need some teacher encouragement to get involved with an activity or group game. He does not have tantrums nor any kind of aggression, but he can be very calmly stubborn when it comes to doing something he doesn't feel like doing. He'd need a teacher who can compromise, and who has the kind of personality that pulls obedience out of a toddler.
I can consider any program with half-day options (no full-time 40+ hour/week preschools, please!), from 2-5 days. My toddler is newly 2, and ideally he'd start immediately, but I'll take any recommendation even if the minimum age is 3.
Heeeeeellllp me, please!
At the end of the day, all I care about is expert and happy teachers (experts at dealing with toddlers and "manipulating" toddlers and helping them thrive), no major school disciplinary problems (I can't accept a place that has out of control kids such as biters who bite every day for several months without any serious action taken, and without teachers making it crystal clear to all the kids that certain behavior is never acceptable), good security (security in the sense that a kid can't easily escape, and in the sense that the teachers are alert and aware). These three things are deal breakers; everything else doesn't matter to me, and if other aspects are good, it would just be icing on the cake. I don't care if the place is filled with garish and grimy plastic electronic toys with a barren concrete playground, I don't care if the parents are all mean snobs, I don't care if they give the kids chips and soda for snacktime. (I mean of course I have preferences on these things, but at this point I'm desperate and willing to compromise.)
I am looking for a play-based school with some teacher direction. It's fine if they have fun academics, some reggio-style projects, or waldorf fairytale fun. I don't mind any philosophical affiliation, except no Montessori (my child is not self directed, independent, nor does he enjoy repetition), and no boring drilling.
I think the ideal school for my child would have tons of singing and dancing. Teachers who give simple queues "Hands on lap!" "Everybody make snowballs!" "Shoes!" instead of long winded explanations and vain repetition of a child's name to attempt to get his attention. Teachers who encourage independence such as putting on shoes, but will help the child if he doesn't want to do things independently one day, instead of going head to head with him. A temperament quiz online said my son was a "textbook toddler"-- so I guess he's pretty average. He can be shy at first with strangers, but in general he is very extroverted, yelling "Hi" over and over to people across the street, trying to get a reaction. When in a group of kids (and he has experienced a group for months, so I know it's not just novelty), he doesn't get absorbed in any activity or attached to any toy; he is far more interested in walking around staring at all the kids and trying to interact with them. He would need some teacher encouragement to get involved with an activity or group game. He does not have tantrums nor any kind of aggression, but he can be very calmly stubborn when it comes to doing something he doesn't feel like doing. He'd need a teacher who can compromise, and who has the kind of personality that pulls obedience out of a toddler.
I can consider any program with half-day options (no full-time 40+ hour/week preschools, please!), from 2-5 days. My toddler is newly 2, and ideally he'd start immediately, but I'll take any recommendation even if the minimum age is 3.
Heeeeeellllp me, please!
