Molly Phelps
As an Early Childhood Education major here at Lesley, thinking about the type of teacher I want to become and the education I want to provide for my students, is much more than learning how to read, write, and do simple mathematics. When I think about my classroom and what I want my students to learn, a lot of my attention and thought goes to the whole child. I believe that this is important throughout all students education, but especially in the earlier years, when character is being molded and shaped.
One area of the whole child that stands out to me is building confidence in my students, and teaching them how to own their work and be proud of what they have done and create. By building confidence in students at a young age, this will hopefully be carried with them throughout life. Building confidence in young children will take many different strategies and tools. One of the first tools that I would like to use is parent involvement. Keeping parents informed about the goals of the teacher and year of school is important for both the educators, parents, and children. Being on the same page is extremely important. Here is an article which would be useful for teachers to read when creating their classroom philosophy and system.
Another tool that can serve a great purpose in early childhood confidence building, is art. This sounds so simple and obvious, but is easily overlooked. Often times students are taught to create what the teacher created. Letting children explore with materials, and creating from their imagination and own interpretations is so important. This can build confidence by students owning their work and what they came up with. Versus comparing who's artwork best resembles the teachers work. There are many benefits to integrating art into education.
Additional reading focusing on the whole child, and the importance:http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept05/vol63/num01/What-Does-It-Mean-to-Educate-the-Whole-Child¢.aspx
Questions:
What are other tools that could be used in order to build the whole child?
Do you think the whole child is something worth focusing on and giving attention to in schools? Is this a job for parents, educators, or both?
Sources:
Topics in Education. (2012). Retrieved from We Are Teachers: Ideas, Information, Inspiration
website: http://www.weareteachers.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment