At the heart of early childhood education are young children. I thrive on the notion that education is a lifelong process and the building blocks of learning are developed in the early stages of life. I believe that life is all about gaining knowledge and sharing what we have learned with others. My philosophy of Early Childhood Education is based on research that indicates that a child’s growth is developmental. Each and every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness and cultural heritage. Teachers in early childhood programs must integrate knowledge about the development of children, the importance of families, creating a healthy and stimulating environment, about child-centred curriculum planning, and about …show more content…
I thrive on core knowledge base from within our field and evaluate our effectiveness. It gives us a framework within which to work and serves as springboard for improvement. I believe that as Early Childhood Educators we must be able to understand child development and demonstrate the implication of this knowledge in practice; provide an environment that is safe, healthy and nurturing and is trustworthy, consistent and secure for all. We must also plan, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate curriculum to enhance all areas of children’s learning and development including physical, intellectual, creative, and language, emotional and social. As a Teacher Educator, we are guides for student-teachers , who in turn guides our children and should model and facilitate supportive relationships by utilizing developmentally appropriate techniques. As early childhood educators it is indicative that we support the development of individual children, recognizing that children are best understood in the context of family, culture and
Chapter two discusses various theorists that helped to mold and shape early childhood education to where it is today. There are several different theorists that contributed to the development of early childhood education. Some of these theorists include Alfred Adler, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey. Each theorist developed a unique theory that has caused early childhood guidance and education to flourish like it has today. Without learning and building on these theories, early childhood guidance and education would never develop or change. The chapter explains how some theories may seem strange to the contemporary families, but these theories are the foundation of how early childhood education got to where it is today. The book goes
Early childhood is a time of curiosity, a time for play, and a time of rapid development. Every child is unique and deserving of an early childhood education that facilitates academic, social, and developmental growth through a variety of enjoyable experiences. Differentiated instruction adapts content, products and processes to meet the diverse learning needs and preferences of students (Thousand, Villa, & Nevin, 2007). Friedrich Froebel, the creator of Kindergarten, believed that children grow and learn as they play (Bruno, 2009). Play-based instruction not only enables young learners to have fun, but it also encourages interactive and cooperative learning, passion for discovery, and a foundation for later learning experiences
Being an early childhood educator provides me with the opportunity to share my love of learning while guiding my students to also become a lifelong autonomous learner. Being part of a great education system allows me to provide my students with what is needed most, a secure strong individual who cares not only for the academic success of my students but for the heart of my students as
I believe that as an early childhood educator my goal will be to promote the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of each child. I also believe that play should be the base of learning since children learn best by doing. I believe that a balance between teacher-directed and child-initiated activities is essential balance can be developed by using the developmentally appropriate practice approach, which means that activities should be “appropriate for each child and relevant to the child’s ability, needs and interests, also including the child’s family and being respectful to the child’s culture.
My philosophy of Early childhood education is based on research that indicates that a child’s growth is developmental. Every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness, and cultural heritage. A high quality early childhood program that provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education process
Early childhood education often focuses on learning through play or a center-based approach to learning. Jean Piaget was a philosopher who placed great importance on the education of young children. Piaget believed that learning comes from within and that children construct their own knowledge of the world through experience. “The research and theory of Jean Piaget concludes that play meets the physical, intellectual, language, emotional and social needs of children.” (wikipedia.org)
As a graduate of the Child, Youth and Family degree program from the University of Guelph, I have my certification as an Early Childhood Educator. As a result, I have been thoroughly taught a deep understanding of developing curricula for children that considers government regulations, developmental appropriateness, and learning environments that fosters growth in multiple areas of child development. Additionally,
The 2010 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Initial and Advanced Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs provides standards that set guidelines for what and how early childhood professionals prepare themselves to be efficient educators and caregivers. Professional development tools and strategies are critical assets for providing high quality early childhood education and care that meets the needs and interest of all learners. Today’s early childhood settings are filled with a diverse group of learners. Efficient educators must use a broad range of approaches, tools, and resources to ensure success for all learners. The NAEYC Initial and Advanced Standards demonstrates particular strategies for early childhood educators to prepare themselves to be successful and effective teachers. For this brief composition I chose to highlight the initial standard #4: using developmentally effective approaches.
I believe all children are worthy of a secure, attentive, and inspiring school environment in which to thrive, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. It is my objective as an educator to assist students in meeting their fullest potential in all of these domains by providing an environment that is safe and encouraging. As an Early Childhood Special Education teacher, I am passionate about the initial growth and development of children and have dedicated my life to this discipline. I agree children are born with a clean slate (tabula rasa) yet, are born into a particular set of circumstances such as, their own individual culture. Along with that culture come a certain set of perspectives regarding
arly childhood educators have deep faith in the principle that all people deserve the opportunities and resources to fulfill their complete humanity. Moreover, we have a unique role in making this principle real, in promoting all children’s chances to thrive and to succeed in school, in work, and in life. A basic principle in early childhood work is that when educators treat children as if they are strong, intelligent, and kind, children are far more likely to behave in strong, intelligent, kind ways. They are more likely to learn and thrive and succeed. Read more from Chapter 1 of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves.
It is important for early childhood teachers to plan ahead to create an atmosphere for young children that is conducive to meeting all of their developmental needs and set them on the track for success in school and later life. In this paper, I will define my developmentally appropriate classroom management plan for the preschool age group of three to five year olds. My plan will reflect my individual personality, teaching style, and philosophy of education. It will also define my goals as an early childhood educator and reflect my ability to fuse the knowledge and skills gained throughout my college and work career.
Children understand and learn about the world through the eyes of an early childhood educator. During the early years, the brain is extremely malleable and can be changed by environmental influences and relationships with caregivers (Louv, 2012). An early childhood educator needs to understand that these are the most crucial years in brain development and will set the stage for all future development. A positive relationship between early childhood educator and child in the early years will build a strong foundation for future brain development (Lipkowitz, Poppe, 2013). Showing children love and care protects them from the negative effects of stress (Lipkowitz, Poppe, 2013). Adverse experiences can deter the brain from developing properly (Lipkowitz, Poppe, 2013). If a child is facing difficulties outside of the classroom, it is the job of the early childhood educator to offer support and assistance. If you show love and care to a child in the early years, it will have a lasting effect on future brain development (Bertrand, 2007). Since the brain is extremely plastic and can be changed, it is the job of the early childhood educator to shape the brains of young children in the best possible way. An early childhood educator should send messages of peace, love, mental excellence and for creative social harmony (Jenae, 2011). The early childhood educator’s role is to provide nurturing and stimulating environments that foster children’s developing brains, while at the same time developing positive and meaningful relationships with the child (Lipkowitz, Poppe, 2013). The experiences that a child gains in the first few years of brain development will set the stage for what kind of person the child will grow up to be (Wesson, 2010). There could be no other job more important than being an early childhood educator (Jenae,
Students prepared in early childhood degree programs use their knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for each and every young child. Students understand the
The Early Childhood Education program at Carlow University focuses on educating children from birth to grade four in any context—school, family, or community. As a signature mark of the program, students learn how to honor diversity and form strong inclusive relationships between child and caregiver/teacher. They learn that a child’s environment needs to be rooted in trust; physically and psychologically safe. They learn that the caregiver/teacher relationship needs
Early childhood is a time full of curiosity, exploration, creativity, excitement, and rapid development. During these formative years, children develop attitudes about education that remain with them for the rest of their lives (Kostelnik, Soderman, & Whiren, 2011). High quality early childhood education programs and highly effective, passionate teachers or care providers will not only promote young children’s development and academic achievement but will also foster a lifelong passion for learning. ECE programs and educators utilize learning centers to contribute to young children’s acquisition of literacy, numeracy, creative thinking, problem solving, and motor skills as well as a number of other skills and knowledge (Jarrett, 2010).