I often hear phrases such as...
-It doesn't take much to "WATCH" a kid
-Watching children is so easy
-You watch children for a living?
-All you gotta do is set the kid in front of the TV and thats all
-Being a teacher is terrible pay
-A monkey can watch a kid
-All you gotta do is discipline them then they will listen
-That's what you do is play all day with children?
These phrases just boggles my mind, as I try to understand where are these people getting their information from? Do people honestly not know what it takes to be a teacher of children? Yes, the preschool age group may be easier then elementary, high school, and college aged students, but seriously, you honestly think its that easy?
"Since 2002, when the No Child Left Behind law was passed, American teachers have been mandated to follow scripts found in teacher’s manuals that accompany textbooks, and to test children with standardized tests several times each year. Practically, this means teaching only the “official” text without veering from what is prescribed."
I would like to add, that if all you're doing is following a scripted lesson plan, then yes, this sounds easy peasy!!! I mean, who wouldn't want to be a teacher? The planning is done for. All you need to do is the grading, which is probably easy as well since it's all prescribed anyways.
But on the contrary...
"People in early childhood education (ECE) who teach in preschool programs are affected by the change in expectations of children about to enter Kindergarten, and people in ECE who teach kindergarten, first, or second grade are swept up in the mania for testing and pulled away from the real job, helping young children to grow and learn in ways that interest them and serve the community, to focus on “their creative capacities and their socio-emotional and physical development.”
Yes, that's a mouthful!!! but in short, this "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" is bull crap on the part of the children. Yes the thought is there to not allow children to be left behind, but in doing so, this law is leaving the child as a WHOLE out = which means it's leaving...
the adventurous child out
the athletic child out
the imaginative child out
the creative child out
the wild child out
the artsy child outthe loving child out
the squirmy child out
the celebratory child out
the loud child out
the quiet child out
the shy child out
the cheerful child out
All these aspect of a child is being left out from this one bill that only focuses on the academic. As an early childhood educator you look at the the child as a whole. In order for the CHILD as an individual TO GROW teaching according to the now is a MUST.
But this can change, this law can change.
“It will take lots of love and courage and political wit to induce our politicians to change these policies which utterly fail to acknowledge the uniqueness of each child. Our ability to effect this change will come as a result of looking with open hearts at children, parents and teachers, listening to them, and exchanging learning. Then we must find a way to convey changes that are needed to those who make policy. Action based on what our heightened consciousness and close observation show us will result in changes that benefit children and schools.”
BE THE CHANGE!!!
Focus on the child
Not what the adults want
Not what the statistics need
Not what tomorrow wants
FOCUS ON THE CHILD NOW!!!
Be the change for your child today!!
“Through observing closely and being open to new possibilities, by taking time to reflect on what we’re doing, we increase our own competence. We must abandon the idea that we already know what is here. What we know is influenced, bounded and constrained by our past experiences, and today’s new experiences give us fresh data to process, and what we see this afternoon may challenge what we believed this morning. Thinking all the time takes work, but it sharpens and develops insight — something every good teacher needs.”
The children need us. It's not so easy to raise children in a developmentally appropriate way. It takes hard work, commitment, time, energy, and most of all CARE!! in order to be an effective teacher of children from zero to eight.
Early childhood is needed, so who will be the change? What will you do? When will you do it?
Excerpt From: Clemens & Gleim. “Seeing Young Children With New Eyes.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/6f7k2.l
It's amazing what many people's views of early childhood education jobs are. They think we are babysitters....how hard can it be they ask...."I was babysitting starting at the age of 12!!" The view of a preschool or kindergarten teacher or just teacher in general for that matter is typically not a glorified position. Our jobs as educators are not always viewed as very important and this is a huge problem. I am in the middle of reading a really interesting, mind-opening book on Finland's education system. One of the things that caught my attention and really blew me away was their view of teachers in Finland! "The Finnish media regularly report results of opinion polls that document favorite professions among general upper-secondary school graduates. Surprisingly, TEACHING is consistently rated as one of the most admired professions, ahead of medical doctors, architects, and lawyers, typically thought to be dream professions (Liiten, 2004). Teaching is also regarded as an independent high profession that enjoys public respect and praise! How does this differ from most people's view of teachers in America? Would our education system look different if our teachers were viewed and treated in a more positive and professional way? Would pay for teachers be higher if the job was viewed with higher praise and importance? Would our schools be filled with teachers of high quality because they are paid more and respected as independent professionals?!
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of things that people say about educators. A lot of them also believe that all the children do is play and that we are a babysitting service, which is how I feel some of the parents think of us. If not, they feel we should be TEACHING their children because they feel what we do isn't teaching and their children aren't learning. I have heard adults say they are paying all this money just to send their kid to some stranger to watch them play all day. I sometimes just have to ignore the comments and believe what I am doing is benefitting their child[ren]. Amber mentioned, "surprisingly, TEACHING is consistently rated as one of the most admired professions, ahead of medical doctors, architects, and lawyers, typically thought to be dream profession." I like to keep in mind that we are helping them to a good start in life, we are helping them to become successful adults and if not for us most of these dream professions may not have been attained for not the help of us teaching them to learn how to learn and want to learn. How might we help others see how we see what we do is of great importance?
ReplyDeleteHi Jadelynn,
ReplyDeleteSo far in each of the blogs I have been reading, there seems to be a common theme -- the child as capable. What changes in classroom practice and the choices teachers make, when children are viewed as capable? If you consider current practices (which you do throughout your blog posting), are these limited because children are viewed as incapable? Is child as incapable the common practice defining teachers and practices? A great example is the presence of prescribed curriculum -- teachers are not viewed as capable enough to teach and why would you need teachers to be capable, if children are incapable? All just need to be told what to do. How sad. As a teacher and an agent of change, how will disrupt what is commonplace and create spaces where children are listened to and honored as capable?
Cheers,
Jeanne
Before I forget this, I have to say, even though a teacher may have all lesson plans already scripted out, that does not necessarily mean that it is “easy peasy.” One of our classmates recently talked about the difficulties of following a scripted/preplanned lesson.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, its amazing to see how little people know about the importance of early childhood education, let alone what it is, and what we as teachers of young children actually do. I love the quote you added to your post about it taking more than just the knowledge we have as educators and the passion we have for what we do and the kids we work with, but that it would also take “political wit to incude our politicians to change the these policies which utterly fail to acknowledge the uniqueness of each child.” Do you know anyone or are you someone who would stand up to our politicians to be the change we want and need? How would you go about doing this? What would you suggest we as educators do to prepare ourselves to educate others about our field?
And always remember, FOCUS ON THE CHILD NOW.
Hello Jadelynn,
ReplyDeleteI often here the same things in my day to day lives. Watching children is so easy, being a teacher is terrible pay, that's what you do, is play all day? At first I found it difficult in the beginning when I realized I wanted to be a ECE teacher. I constantly asked myself, will I be able to support my family, my husband with the pay? Then I realized that my husband makes great money but he HATES his job. My brother makes good money he HATES his job, my cousins make good money but they HATE their job. Every family BBQ that's all they did was complain about their job. I came to a conclusion and said hey I may not get paid much but guess what I LOVE MY JOB, every day I go to work is fun for me, and exciting and although it may take up all my energy I am proud of what I do and who I will become, no one else it my family can say that they love their job as much as I can.
Aloha,
ReplyDeleteIn your post, you stated, "Do people honestly not know what it takes to be a teacher of children?" Is teaching in early childhood really easier than later years? How does teaching on our level differ from teaching grade level? How can we help educate families and people in the community of the importance in the learning and development of this part of children's lives? Is there any significance in helping people understand the work of being an effective partner with children in learning?