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I have three core beliefs when it comes to Early Childhood Education (ECE), and they are as follows:
Education should be individualized.
Empathy is one of the most important and powerful tools in any teacher’s toolbox.
Free choice is vital for the ECE Classroom.
Education Should be Individualized.
Education Should be Individualized.
Every human being is unique and that includes children. Developmental theorist Jean Piaget found that typical human cognitive development follows a set of stages. (Lewis, 2018) It was also found that children may develop along the same pathways; however, they do so at their own pace. Further evidence of the importance of individualization was later found by Dr. Howard Gardner. Dr. Gardener theorized that humans show strength in 8 typical intelligences and the historical IQ is one of the 8 rather than the only intelligence standard. These 8 intellectual strengths are spatial, naturalistic, linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, logical-mathematic, musical, and bodily-kinesthetic. (Marenus, 2009) These drive my belief that education should be individualized. It is because of this belief that I strive to always find what sparks each child’s interest, what their strengths and deficits are and tailor my lessons to reach each child in the best way for them as an individual.
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Empathy- An essential classroom tool.
Empathy- An essential classroom tool.
I also believe that in the interest of creating a cohesive and pleasant learning experience the most important tool a teacher can use is an empathetic mindset. Seeing children as individuals means that their emotions are also their own and should be taken into consideration when responding to any situation. The benefits of this show themselves best in the classroom management system following the ideals of the Positive Discipline set forth by Alfred Alder and Rudolph Dreikurs. The system believes in using empathetic interactions for every interaction can lead to five benefits. The benefits of using empathetic interaction and positive discipline are as follows: it helps children to feel a sense of connection, it is mutually respectful and encouraging, it is effective long term, it teaches important social and life skills, and lastly it invites children to discover how capable they are. (Positive Discipline Association - About Us, n.d.) This is one of the things I advocate for the most because it is applicable in all ECE settings, grade school, higher education and in the workforce. More information on positive discipline and its application in these areas can be found on the Positive Discipline Associations website https://positivediscipline.org/about-positive-discipline.
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Free Choice is VITAL!
Free Choice is VITAL!
I also believe that in the interest of promoting individuality free choice play, indoors and out, is essential. With this said, I believe that the opportunity to choose should be more so than you’ll see in many classrooms. There is currently a debate on the safety of play, particularly in outdoor play. One side believes in the increase of safety regulations related to outdoor play, such as the removal of swing sets and playground equipment. The other side of the coin believes that the slackening of playground rules leads to better learning of internalized decision related to safety. I can see the benefits for both sets of belief. Children’s safety is of the utmost importance; however, I tend to lean towards the side of more free choice for the children. I do so because of the research findings in New Zealand where they’ve found that allowing children to participate in free choice outdoor play without a large focus on safety guidelines the children are less likely to get hurt and are more likely to on their own develop a sense of danger and how to avoid/prevent it. (Integrated Learning Strategies, 2016)
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References:
Marenus, M. (2009, June 9). Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences - Simply Psychology. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences - Simply Psychology. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/multiple-intelligences.html#:~:text=To%20broaden%20this%20notion%20of,Interpersonal%2C%20Intrapersonal%2C%20and%20Naturalist.
Lewis, C. (2018, October 3). Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development. Child and Family Blog. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://childandfamilyblog.com/piaget-stages-cognitive-development/
Positive Discipline Association - About Us. (n.d.). Positive Discipline Association - About Us. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://positivediscipline.org/About-Us
Integrated Learning Strategies. (2016, April 21). No rules recess: School encourages “dangerous” free play for better attention and emotional grounding. https://ilslearningcorner.com/2016-04-no-rules-recess-school-encourages-dangerous-free-play-for-better-attention-and-emotional-grounding/
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