I believe the purpose of education is to facilitate the optimal development of the whole child; it should enhance the physical, social, emotional and cognitive growth of children.
I believe that children learn best when they are taught under certain conditions and in certain ways. Some of these are providing hands-on experiences to enable them use all their senses; allowing children to progress at their own speed and having activities which are interesting as well as meaningful. Children should also feel loved and accepted.
The curriculum – all of the activities and experiences – of my classroom include certain “basics” that contribute to children’s best possible development in all domains. These basics include literacy/language, drawing, writing, math, dramatic play, sensory (water/sand) play, science, music and movement.
Children learn best in an environment that promotes learning. A good learning environment is safe, well/neatly organized, and offers a variety of materials to accommodate different learning styles as well as offer creativity. Also learning materials should be easily accessible to the children.
All children have certain needs that must be met if they are to grow and learn at their best. Some of these basic needs are food, safety and security, love and acceptance, and self-esteem.
A teacher should have certain important qualities and behave in certain ways. These include: patience, caring attitude, passion about children and teaching, flexibility, respectfulness of children and their families; ability to collaborate with peers and parents, creativity, authenticity, high energy, love of learning and a sense of humor. Over the years of my teaching career, I have learned to be reflective about my teaching and learn from my successes and my mistakes. As an early childhood professional, I play an indispensable role in the educating of young children; I see my role as a gardener, who cultivates the students' minds by nourishing, enhancing the climate, removing the weeds, and then standing back and allowing growth to occur.