Carl Jung once said, “One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant for the soul of the child.” (Jung) Children are born ready to learn and are anxious to know everything about anything. Learning and developing these concepts helps build the foundation for the rest of your life. However as a little child you thrive from human relationships and you learn from what teachers, parents and other adults around you are doing. Positive role models will influence the child positively where as negative relationships will influence the child negatively. This is why early childhood teachers and the relationships that they make with their students are so important. Many theorists have studied children, and their behavior and why they do the things that they do. Most theorists come to the conclusion that you learn by hands on activities and by physically participating with others in activities. One of these theorists was Maria Montessori. Montessori believed and taught that children thrived from physical learning. She believed that children were there own person and could do things by themselves, if they were taught correctly. “The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six. For that is the time when mans intelligence itself his greatest implement is being formed.” (Montessori) According to the American Montessori society, Maria Montessori observed children and discovered that they do in fact learn “through sensory-motor activities, working with materials that develop their cognitive p... ... middle of paper ... ...uccessfully have social and emotional well beings. Teachers have the ultimate power in shaping a child and better preparing them for the future. Children are so precious and must be taken care of by someone just as precious. A unknown author once stated that “One hundred years from now, it will not matter what job I had, or what kind of car I drove, or how much money was in my bank account, but that I made the difference in the life of a child.” Helping a child grow socially and emotionally is such a successful and powerful feeling and knowing that you personally made a difference feels good. As a teacher it becomes your job to recognize that these children are their own people, and they are independent, they have certain wants and needs, and adore attention. It is your job to acknowledge this and use their needs to transform them into healthy people and citizens.
The relationships between children and adults in a learning environment, and among the children themselves, are the basis for building a safe, strong and caring community in which everyone is accepted, respected and comfortable. The warmth and support children receive influence the development of greater social competence, fewer behavior problems and enhanced thinking and reasoning skills at school age (Bruce, Cairone & the Devereux Center for Resilient Children, 2012). Supportive interactions occur when teachers listen attentively and displaying unwavering, genuine care and compassion to children. Young children are full of laughter, stories, anecdotes and simple tales of their lives and they love sharing their life experiences with teachers. Teachers should be aware that young children’s voice should be valued and heard. Garvis and Pendergast (2014) suggested that while young children’s voice is being heard and teachers acknowledge their feelings, reciprocal and responsible relationships are more likely to be built. The art of listening is even more important during times when difficulties are present in a child’s life. Strong relationships with young children provide insight so that teachers are able to provide prompt help when children are facing risk factors in
My goal is to teach these children that they can have self-esteem, skills to excel in school and have the confidence they need to succeed in life. Some students do not learn the same way as their peers. We have to modify and try to explain things to them that they can understand and comprehend. Since I have been a teacher's aide these few years, I have come to understand why some children struggle. I am determined to make sure that anytime I got to work with students that I would be there for them and let them know that I care
The cognitive process of child development and learning has influenced theorists such as Piaget, Vygtosky, Montessori, Bruner and Dewey to develop learning theories which highlight how the cognitive operation of learning occurs and how it is best achieved. The work of these theorists has become the foundation for much research and insight into how children develop on their journey towards learning.
Every teacher has this potential whether they are aware of it or not. I have been a teacher for nine years in early childhood education and within those nine years I have become very aware of how powerful the smallest act of caring can turn a person’s life around or even just make someone’s day a little better. Being a preschool teacher has brought me great pleasure to my life simply brightening a child’s day and knowing that I am making a difference in their life. Through my journey as a teacher I have thought about how I can advance in my career field and still be active with children on a daily basis and continue making a difference in each child’s life as well as their parents. With plenty of thought and research I have come to the conclusion and gained the interest to become a preschool and childcare director.
I believe that learning is a journey that both child and educator set out on together. This journey is a privilege that I take seriously, realizing that a child’s early years are a key formative time in their life. I believe that it is during this time that important foundations are being set in place that will not only impact them in the present but will also influence them later on in life.
Early Childhood Education is defined as education and child care services that are provided to children from birth to the age of 8. During the years of early childhood education, children take part in a lot of different education settings. When people hear that you are an Education major, they cant help but ask why do you want to be a teacher? Aren’t teachers underpaid? The answer to that question is yes; being a teacher is an underpaid profession. Teachers don’t get paid enough for the things they have to do everyday with their students. Even though teachers do not get paid as well as they should, nothing is as rewarding as when you make a difference in a child’s life. During the ages of birth to 8 years old, these children look to their educators as role models. As a role model you are responsible for loving and caring for your students and teaching them new things everyday. Intentional teachers have a purpose for the decisions they make and they are able to explain that purpose to others. They have goals that are set out for their students and they want to help them reach those...
One thing I learned about kids is that kids need to be cared for, loved, and taught many things in life which are the three things I highly value. One of the many reasons that led me to follow the dream of being in the early childhood education field is the kids that are around me in my everyday life. My nieces and nephews inspired me to help other kids and gave me the reason and thought to become a pre-school teacher and help a lot of kids all in once. I want to be able to give them a better mentality on certain things in life and I also want to be able to care for them like if they were my own. Caring and loving is one of the most important things when it comes to a child. And the way I love and care for my nieces and nephews has pushed
What separates a good teacher from a great Teacher? “First and foremost a teacher must love working with children. No matter how well you teach, there is always room for Improvement ” (Killen,2009.p.100) .In this Essay I hope to show some of the key attributes, that I consider essential to becoming an effective early childhood teacher. Those key aspects are communication, building lasting relationships, engaging students effectively in the learning process, and encouraging and appreciating diversity in the classroom.
As early childhood educators, we have many responsibilities to countless people and institutions. The most important responsibility that has been reinforced to me over the years is the responsibility for the well-being of children. Not simply the ones in my care, but all children everywhere. This can be accomplished in many ways such as advocacy. Organizations such as NAEYC, of which I am a member, engage in collective public policy advocacy which involves speaking out for and participating in activities that support and protect vulnerable populations such as children (Freeman, Decker & Decker, 2013). By volunteering at the Judy Center and after-school enrichment programs such as Bridges, I have had to opportunity and privilege to meet and collaborate with many wonderful social workers, advocates, and others who toil so diligently to improve the lives of children. “Helping young children become what they are capable of becoming is what the field of early childhood is all about,” (Colmer, Waniganayake, & Field, 2014, 103). In order to accomplish this, early childhood professionals need to continue to grow and develop as professionals. And so, the professional development of every early childhood professional needs to be seen as a lifelong task (Livingston, 2014). Research shows that teachers with more preparation for teaching are more confident and successful with students than
Successful teachers develop the whole child by making integrated efforts to promote their student’s academic, social and emotional learning. Children need to be aware of themselves and others; make responsible decisions, and be ethical and respectful of the people around them.
She believed that children could learn to use real tools safely. Materials should not be kept out of the children’s reach instead children should be able to reach materials when they needed them. Montessori believed that this will help them become responsible for their own learning. In addition, she believed that for children to grow and develop skills, adults should let them do everything they are capable of. This will foster children’s independence, and will allow children to take responsibility. Finally she thought that careful observation was the key to determine what the children were interested in or need to learn [Mooney, page 33]. Teacher should take the time to observe children and reflect to better prepare the best possible environment, and to plan curriculum.
Many people on this earth grow up saying they would like to make a difference in this world. However, half of those people do not feel like putting in the work in order to do so. As an elementary education major, making a difference is one of the main goals. There are many benefits of becoming a teacher, and students benefit as well. In order to have many students successfully graduate from one grade to the next a teacher should be willing to put in as much work that is needed. Elementary school is where children are set up for the rest of their education. It is important to understand how to go into this career field, becoming a teacher has its own benefits, and the children are able to benefit from teachers.
...child needs and deserves a secure, caring, and inspiring environment in which to blossom and flourish emotionally, intellectually, socially, and physically. It is my desire as an educator to provide my students with the learning environment necessary to motivate and inspire each and every one of them to become to their fullest potential. For myself, teaching is about giving; giving the students support and security, giving them respect and dignity, giving them opportunities to succeed and a quality education, and not only giving them my time and effort but also giving myself. Our society requires its children to not only receive a solid education, but that they are taught by a highly qualified educator who is sensitive to their individual needs and deeply committed to their success. I am such a person and will always strive to do the very best by my students.
I have decided to become a teacher because I love children. I enjoy watching them grow, and I want to make a difference in the lives of my students. As a teacher, I will do everything that I can to ensure that each becomes a productive, successful citizen in life. In order for me to obtain this goal, I will create a loving, positive, respectful, and safe learning environment where each student will be treated equally and be encouraged to do his or her best. Keeping this in mind, there are four elements that I must remember which includes (1) how young children develop, (2) what they should know and be able to do, (3) instructional strategies that I have learned, and (4) my feelings regarding parent involvement.
A teacher holds the key to knowledge, success, and fun. Every child deserves a teacher that understands and accommodates different