Mrs. Catherine's Kinders

EDSD 7080- Childhood Development in the Critical Early Years

Module 1 Discussion 1

What does it mean to be an early childhood professional?

In the past when I have been asked this question I tell individuals that being a teacher is hard work.  It isn’t just playing or babysitting all day.  We have to reach into the minds of little ones and prepare them for the future.  We have to build the foundation for learning.  An early childhood professional is someone who loves children for who they are.  They nurture them in ways that the child knows they care for them.  They teach them skills for lifelong learning and give them an abundance of experiences to enhance their learning.  These professionals work with children from birth through age 8.   It is important for me to share my beliefs about early childhood education and my expectations of the field when I am asked such a silly question. 

I believe…

1. All children will learn to some extent.
2. All children should be loved.
3. All children should be taught.
4. Teachers and parents must communicate.
5. Teachers should work together.
6. Teachers should be qualified and they should keep credits up-to-date.
7. Community involvement is important for success.
8. Teachers should be encouraged and supported.

Research says that, being an early childhood teacher requires you to be willing to wear many hats.  As an experienced teacher, you are already prepared to be flexible.  In most cases, your role as an early childhood teacher will be very similar to that of a guide.  A guide leads others down new paths, walks beside a person on a journey, not in front, and keeps others safe from harm. (Childcare Institute, 2016) An effective teacher or family child care provider chooses a strategy to fit a particular situation.  It’s important to consider what the children already know and can do and the learning goals for the child.  “By remaining flexible and observant, we can determine which strategy may be most effective.” (NAEYC, 2009) Singing songs, painting pictures, building with blocks, listening to stories, dramatic play, and puzzles are all areas of “play” in an early childhood classroom. “Unfortunately, for so many people, education is about memorizing facts and figures. And it starts when a child walks into a classroom on the first day of first grade.” (Britto, 2015) During the early years children need to engage in types of play to enhance their language, social, cognitive, and emotional areas of development. Early childhood professionals need to provide what it takes to meet these areas of development.  They need to be provided with fun, engaging opportunities for learning. Learning needs to be fun for all involved!

References

10 Effective DAP Teaching Strategies | National ... (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2016, from https://www.naeyc.org/dap/10-effective-dap-teaching-strategies

Britto, B. R., Britto, B., & Nesbitt, B. (2015). Play: The building blocks of lifelong learning for children - UNICEF Connect. Retrieved November 30, 2016, from https://blogs.unicef.org/blog/play-the-building-blocks-of-lifelong-learning-for-children/

Teacher Roles and Responsibilities. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2016, from https://www.cceionline.com/newsletters/August_08.html