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.
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary definition of the word “educate” is to develop and cultivate mentally or morally; train; instruct; teach. I would like to be that individual who educates because educators, or teachers, encourage a child’s developing curiosity through active learning, values, problem solving, language development and positive self-image, which help to benefit the child’s success in life. A teacher is someone who is respected and looked up to by others. As an early childhood educator I can have the opportunity to assist in positively influencing a young child’s life and mind. I can contribute to the growth and development of the individual child as they mature and evolve into a young adult. My genuine interest in children motivates me to pursue not only a career in education but also a commitment to life long learning experience.
I believe that emerging
To understand the whole child you have to understand the pieces which create a whole and balanced child. Development of social and emotional needs, physical needs, language learning needs, and cognitive development needs all come together cohesively to create a whole child. The best way to encourage and educate the whole child is through play because all needs for developing the whole child can be met during play. The keys to creating a whole child play environment is by incorporating age appropriate toys and materials into centers created by using development appropriate practices. The DAP’s (development appropriate practices) are created by investigating and identifying the child’s current stage of development. Once you identify where they the child is developmentally, you encourage and aide the child in learning and growing through play by using the DAP’s. Each part of the whole child’s needs must be investigated and identified before you can create a successful whole child environment. The child’s present cognitive abilities and struggles must be identified, you should know what physical abilities or struggles the child is facing, the child’s language needs must be identified, and last but definitely not least is the social and emotional needs. To
In summary I believe to be an Early Childhood Educator one has to be able to keep up with everything. There is no single purpose to educate, but if I had to choose a soul representative it would be to shape our world. Children’s needs must be met in order to do that. To be am Early Childhood Educator one has to be patient, patient, and patient. Putting all of these things together gives one the end product of a successful
The NAEYC statement on developmental practice indicates change and continuity and change in the early childhood education field is vital due to the fact that their main commitment is excellence and equity. Nevertheless, all new knowledge gained over time has been advanced and increased. This means that with understanding, it has allowed us to revise and refine ideas for promoting children's development and learning. With developmentally appropriate practice, meeting and enabling the children are required. This means that teachers should get to know them well and push them to reach goals that may be a challenge but are achievable for them.
Saumya Patel is 5 years old. He attends Kindergarten at Sumter County Primary School in the Sumter County School System. Saumya is very intelligent, and is very far ahead of many of the students on his level. He is very independent, and he is very capable of doing many things on his own. Saumya sometimes questions why he sits in a kindergarten classroom with his intelligence. He does not understand why some of his classmates act their age.
I first found my passion for early childhood education soon after my son was born.
I am a student at Florida Atlantic University studying early childhood education. I am enrolled in EEC 3214 class this semester; the class is called designing and implementing a blending curriculum: birth to age eight. I am required to complete a field experience assignment at a preschool. I will observe young children ranging from three to five years old. I assure you that I will keep all information confidential. In addition, I reassure you that I will not share the information collected outside of my course and that no identifying information will be shared. I will respect and follow all the school’s policies and procedures in a professional manner.
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 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
According to U.S. Department of Education, Early Education teacher means “any professional working in Early Learning and Development Programs, including but not limited to center-based and family child care providers, infant and toddler specialists, early administrators, Head Start teachers, Early Head Start teachers, preschool and other teachers, teacher assistants, family services staff, and health coordinators.” Some reason why people want to become an early education teacher persist of good education programs, wages/benefits, and the skills people need to have for the job.
As an early childhood educator I believe each child is an exceptional unique individual that needs to be provided a secure and loving environment in which they are able to grow emotionally, physically, socially and intellectually. My longing is to help each and every one of my students explore their creativity, understand their emotions and learn self-regulation along with social skills and the best of academics that I can possibly provide. The role I have as an educator is to guide my students while allowing them to explore their curiosities about the world around them and academics to blossom while teaching respect and caring for others.
Most of my life I have been surrounded by children especially my cousins, nieces and nephews.
“Play is developmentally appropriate for primary-age children and can provide them with opportunities that enrich the learning experience” (Copple & Bredekamp 2009). Early childhood education holds two main focuses; a child-based focus and a family-based focus. Early childhood education has positive outcomes on the child through their learning experiences, and their growth and development. Based on the family, the results of early education happen through the communication that the family has with the educators and by the encouragement they get from within themselves, and also from the educators.
“Early roots of play as a best practice for early learning was documented by Plato, a Greek philosopher, who insisted that play is considered a natural activity of childhood.”(Ingrid Crowther, 2011, Pg. 2) Early Childhood Education is a term that refers to educational programs that are devoted to children from birth to the age of eight. “Children of this age learn by exploring and investigating; therefore, their environment should support and encourage this process.”(Rebecca Isbell and Betty Exelby, 2001, Pg. 11) Early childhood environments should be attractive and exciting. These environments should allow children to work and play using proper resources, materials, and tools.
Early education for children is very crucial as it helps shape up the foundation of their knowledge and behavior development process. Children begin to develop the sense of curiosity from the age of two. And from age 2-8, children go through a very crucial period of mental development, which shapes up their future mindset (Grayson, 2016). Early children education (ECE) has been listed as the number one priority of the National Association of Education. The teachers or educators at nursery and primary level are responsible to for developing young children’s sense of knowledge and education. In this paper, we will assess the roles and skills that are vital for an early childhood educator. Moreover, the paper will also present a
When It comes to a classroom full of kindergarten-aged children (5-6 years of age), it is crucial that they are given the greatest opportunity for a positive, eloquent, and valuable education as possible. It is no secret that young children enter Kindergarten with diverse backgrounds as a result of having varied home and life experiences. Nevertheless, what education should focus on is the child as a whole. Their emotional, social, physical, and cognitive needs must be weighed to develop and maintain a well-balanced program fit to provide an effective experience for each child. With that being said, I have had the pleasure of becoming more familiar with the many different teaching methods, philosophies, theories and concepts that contribute to early childhood education. I have come to the point in this course in which I have been able to determine which preferred curriculum bases my future classroom would be arranged as, and I am very excited to share! For my classroom, I plan to utilize and practice a play-based curriculum along with Reggio-Emilia and Montessori influences, ensuring that the academic areas of math, English, science and fine arts are appropriately introduced and concentrated on within my kindergarten classroom.