I taught preschool in the US and Ukraine. Here are 5 key differences I noticed.

• I've been a preschool teacher for over a decade and have taught in the US and Ukraine.
• The US relies heavily on monthly themes, whereas in Ukraine the topics are wider.

As the world gears up for back to school, with upbeat shopping ads for new clothes, backpacks, and school supplies, I can't help but feel nostalgic. I taught preschool for 10 years, and back-to-school time still reminds me of the excitement of the season. Setting up my classroom, preparing cubbies and nametags, and getting ready to welcome the new students was the highlight of this time.

Lately, as the war in Ukraine continues to press on, I've been looking through old photographs from my former classrooms in Kyiv and started reflecting on how attitudes toward education differ in both countries.

Here are five key differences that have changed how I approach student learning as a teacher for you.

Themes

One of the biggest differences I noticed between teaching in the United States and Ukraine was the use of curriculum themes.

In every school I taught in in the US, September was centralized around apples and back to school, October was pumpkins and Halloween parties, November fluttered with harvest decor, and in December, we cut snowflakes and decorated sugar cookies. Themes were seasonal, and while cute, it didn't give me much room as a teacher to create lessons based on what the children were actually interested in.

Since I worked at an international school in Ukraine, themes were much broader, such as "Who We Are," and "Construction." Since the themes were wider, I could observe the children and discover what their interests were, whether it was the three little pigs, zoos, or cities. O

Having broader themes allowed me much greater freedom to create units that were guided and catered to follow the students' interests. This gave the children much more voice, choice, and agency, allowing for deeper learning opportunities since we weren't changing themes weekly or monthly and could go into a singular theme more deeply.

Curriculum

Both the schools I worked at in Ukraine, and the US held very high standards for curriculum and student learning. Yet I always experienced more pressure teaching in the US to make sure that the students had covered all of the core curriculum areas and were advancing even if they weren't developmentally ready.

Parents in the US were much more concerned about how their students were progressing academically, especially in math and language, whereas in Ukraine, parents kept asking me if their children were eating soup, sleeping well during nap time and if they were playing well with other children.

The absence of pressure gave me space and time as a teacher to help focus on the children's social and emotional well-being while making learning more of a game and a fun positive experience.

Play

When I first started exploring the city in Ukraine, I was shocked by how many designated play areas there were for children in the city: pony rides, face painting, and climbing structures were everywhere. This emphasis on long, uninterrupted periods of play was extremely important at the school I worked at in Kyiv.

During my lesson planning, I carefully thought out, prepped, and prepared learning engagements that would enhance student play and learning. For example, when the children showed interest in animals, I set up a zoo area for my students with different land, sea, and jungle animals. Since we had at least an hour and a half of uninterrupted play in the morning, students could have time to explore the different centers we had prepared. We always made sure to have activities that covered fine motor, sensory, language, math, building, and dramatic play available for our Play Exploration block. While supporting student play, we were still able to make sure the students were able to cover all of the core curriculum areas.

Whereas while teaching in the US, lessons came first, and play was allotted to a 30-minute block of time for either recess or free play, where all I had time to do was empty a container of blocks on the table.

Teacher appreciation

My first year in Ukraine, I was shocked when my 40-something Australian director who rescued stray kittens told me, "Clare it's the weekend. Stop working." Coming from the US, where I had already been teaching for three years, I thought it was normal to work 12 months of the year, 60 to 80 hours a week, with the occasional week off for the winter or spring break.

In Ukraine, I was able to have regularly scheduled vacations throughout the school year and at least two full months off each summer to rest and recharge and come back ready to teach again for back to school. I would also get planning periods in Ukraine and would be able to take coffee breaks twice a day in the morning and afternoon and have a small lunch break. Whereas in the US, I was lucky to get a 15-minute lunch break, where I would microwave my frozen Amy's gluten-free meal, go to the bathroom, and then return to the classroom to eat with the children.

Professional development

One of the biggest differences I also noticed between teaching in Ukraine and the US was the level of professionalism and professional development that was provided to teachers. For example, in Ukraine, I was paid a normal salary, which allowed me to pay for rent, food, utilities, and the occasional vacation. When I worked in the US, I was barely able to cover rent and food. When I started teaching in New York, I remember people asking me how many other jobs I had besides my teaching one. My jaw dropped.

Professional development for staff was important in both the United States and Ukraine. One of the biggest differences that I noticed was that in Ukraine, the school had a dedicated teacher resource section in the library where I could go and check out books to help me understand how to implement reading and writing programs or discover how to implement Reggio Emilia play based learning practices in the classroom. I would also receive opportunities to attend conferences at other schools where I could learn from other professionals how to support play and student learning better.

The only way I was able to have access to most professional development materials in the US was because my mother was the director of a teacher education support center in New Jersey, where her staff would help me find books, materials, and show me the die cut machines where I could cut out shapes and prepare classroom materials on weekends. After moving back to the States, I remember being annoyed that the majority of our professional training in the US were state-mandated courses, which covered how to put on a Band-Aid, disinfect toys, and always push chairs under tables to prevent students from tripping in the classroom.