Personal philosophy?

When i was studying to be a early childhood teacher i had already been working in and surrounded by the industry for some time. Because of this i already had some ideas on how i felt about it all, most of which i thought were the 'right' ones to have at the time, however when ever i went on practicum or was faced with the question of 'what is my personal philosophy?' i froze up. thinking about it now when i have the time to reflect it was posibly because this questin seems so daunting...MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY, it sounds so final. what if i got it wrong, and if i go too P.C then its not really mine, i don't think I'm really a P.C kind of teacher ( not saying i run around being racist or sexist or any of the other 'ists' that come to mind when P.C comes up) I'm talking about the fact that sometimes the world is hard and i do not think that sheltering our children by covering them in bubble wrap is going to prepare them for what happens in the real world. Even the school playground is a dangerous place, all the mixes of personalities there is bound to be a few clashes. Children should not have to like every one in their class, as an adult we are not expected to like every one we meet so why should they (not giving permission to be mean just thinking that no one has to be buddies if they don't want to). Also sharing......if one child had it then they had it, making them share with someone is just teaching the other child if you kick up enough fuss then you get what you want with out waiting. what about teaching children the idea of waiting for what they want, half the time i have discovered it is more about the fuss than the want of the actual item. sharing has a time and a place, group activities where children are aware that sharing is going to come up, rather than someone interrupting their solitary play. My true issue is how can all of this be said without coming across as a rude ignorant and uninformed? i have done the study i have observed interactions and i have come away with these things.......MY ROLE AS A TEACHER THE WAY I SEE IT:

I AM THERE TO SUPPORT EACH INDIVIDUAL IN THIER GROTH AND DEVELOPMENT, I AM THERE TO PROVIDE ALL THE INFORMATION THEY COULD WANT AND MORE TO GUIDE THEM THROUGH THEIR YOUNG YEARS IN LIFE. I AM THERE AS A ROLE MODEL. I AM THERE TO ENSURE THE WHOLE CHILD IS CATERED TO. I WILL BE THERE AS A SCAFFOLD OF INFORMATION, LOVE AND INTEREST IN THEIR LIFE AS I AM PART OF IT. I AM THEIR TO PROVIDE EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING, INTEREST, EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY. I AM THERE TO BE OPEN TO THEIR IDEAS AND THEIR NEEDS. THEIR FAMILY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN EACH CHILD'S LIFE, I AM AWARE OF THIS AND AM THERE TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR JOURNEY TO GROWING GREAT ADULTS.

research

Get Ready for Back to School with NAEYC!
Ten Tips for Involving Families through Online Communication
It is crucial for families to be involved in their child's early education. While there are many traditional forms of home-school partnerships, this list from NAEYC's Spotlight on Teaching Preschoolers 2 book will help you improve communication with your families.
1. Create a classroom website. 2. Send individual emails to families to share positive information about their child's activities and accomplishments. 3. Post photo stories on the class website. 4. Provide at-home educational activities. 5. Create a family response link or form on the website to elicit comments, questions, and feedback. 6. Establish and moderate a family support discussion forum. 7. Communicate logistical information through group emails. 8. Ensure families' access to technology. 9. Provide opportunities for families to increase their technology skills. 10. Set aside time for technology-based communication.

learning activities, programmes and assessment.

My planning wall: linking our values of our centre to activities and experiences. also bringing in family and whanau, the importance of learning and sharing together.

Current Theory/ ideas

Meeting and greeting key part of the day at childcare
By Elizabeth Binning 4:00 AM Saturday Apr 17, 2010 Share


Rod EmmersonThe first 30 seconds when a child is left at daycare are the most important in making them feel emotionally secure for the rest of the day.

That's the finding from visiting Australian child psychologist Dr Robyn Dolby, who says those first few moments can make a huge difference in the child's emotional wellbeing and in teaching them to understand and organise their feelings.

"In the first 30 seconds of coming into daycare children are looking for someone to connect with. They are asking, 'Am I on your radar, do you see me?'

"Our research has shown that greeting parents and children in a way that focuses on how the child actually feels and including the parent in that conversation makes both of them feel more relaxed and included," she said.

Dr Dolby is in New Zealand this week for a one-day conference for childcare professionals, caregivers, social workers, nurses and other professionals who work with children and families.

Speaking to the Weekend Herald, she said research had revealed that when children arrived at preschool with their mum and dad, they look around for someone to connect with.

Failure to find that connection straightaway meant the child might take longer to feel they had a place in the daycare. Taking longer to settle in meant it could take longer for them to learn.

The research comes from a 10-year project called Attachment Matters - From Relationships to Learning at Preschool.

Part of that project involves creating "play spaces" where staff sit down in a place in the playground conducting an activity and don't move from there for the first hour of the day.

Dr Dolby said an example might be a teacher always being in the sandpit each morning so when children arrived they could seek out their favourite carer and go straight to them. It also created an opportunity for parents, carers and children to interact.

The philosophy has recently been taken up by a playcentre run by the Anglican Trust for Women and Children in Auckland, which is hosting Dr Dolby this week.

Trust clinical director Michelle Ball said the model was working well, with significant changes noticed by both staff and parents.

Children seemed more settled and happier.

By Elizabeth Binning | Email Elizabeth

Teaching and Learning

Conference 2010, this was my fist conference where i was helping to present, it was an opportunity or me to teach others what happens in my centre and share ideas on a national level. it was also a great learning curve for me as a teacher, usually i am surrounded by infant and toddlers when i teach not teacher that have trained and worked in the educaton sector for years (many more than myself). It was a great experience and i have now gone further from it, presenting our ideas and practices of ICT IN ECE to several different groups, training groups and other conferences. i look forward to extending my knowledge through interactions with other teachers.