Looking backwards
Throughout my life, my parents have been the people that I have always looked up to. They are more than just my parents; they are my hero, my asylum, and my biggest supporters. I watched them happy and sad, watched them when they succeeded, and when they failed, and even though life threw different challenges on them, I never saw them giving up. Further more, because they showed me what really life is all about, all I am I own to them.
I have always been interested in teaching and taking care of children. This passion never left me and only grew more profound with time. That is why after high school, I decided to become a teacher. The purpose of school as a place where young children are offered a toolkit to navigate their world successfully was what really drove me closer to teaching. I have been working in Reggio inspired classrooms for seven years, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. One step at a time, as I was absorbing and trying to find sense in it, this approach to teaching changed my values as an educator and my views regarding children’s needs, interests, and abilities. …show more content…
Through years of my education and working with children, I have developed my own teaching philosophy. At the foundation of my teaching philosophy are my passion, respect for children, my dedication in helping them succeed, and my understanding that all children are unique. I am a firm believer that successful teaching begins with a safe and nurturing environment, a positive attitude, and a caring teacher.
Looking inward
Throughout the years of teaching, my way of thinking about myself as an educator has changed many times. Mostly it changed after meeting inspiring people, families, and children that forced me to reflect on my teaching helping me to grow and change as an educator. “What is well begun is half done,” the quote from Peabody embodies what has become the core of my teaching: above all, I believe a good start in education, young child’s environment should provide safety and be nurturing where teachers possess a positive attitude, empathy, and caring manner. With years, I came to realization that as an educator, I should instill in the children skills that will implement optimism, trust, and respect for others. In this case, the relationships in the classroom and the teacher are the most important “tools” in optimizing the child’s comfort and non-cognitive skills. I have always prioritized children’s emotional needs before anything else. When a child feels safe, the world around him or her is nurturing, the child’s emotional needs are fulfilled; the children let their curiosity lead and they become more open to explore. I think that we, as grown-ups, can relate to it as well, as we feel more comfortable in a welcoming environment. A sense of safety comes from consistent, attentive, nurturing, and sensitive attention to each child 's needs. How can a teacher provide this? The most powerful tool is the teacher’s personality. A smile, a voice, and touch make children feel safe. Face-to-face interaction, attentiveness, respect, and time are essential in this process. At the same time we should avoid being a hypocrite and remember that lecturing does not work. Children are very close observers and learn from what they see. Educators should keep in mind that these little children look up to them and they influence the children in more than one way. Being a role model means that we need to practice honesty, fairness, and be caring ourselves. It does not mean being perfect all the time. For our children to respect and trust us, we need to acknowledge our mistakes and flaws as well. It is also important to respect children’s thinking, listen to their perspectives, and be fair in judgments. Furthermore, these simple but important characteristics come free and from within us. To implement non-cognitive skills in children we do not need money, and it does not matter if you are in a private setting or public system. These take so little, but yet they make a huge difference in every child’s life. When I think about myself as an educator, my goal is to inspire students to think beyond the confines of existing knowledge and become thoughtful, insightful critical thinkers. I want the students to challenge what they
Throughout my life, my parents have been the people that I have always looked up to. They are more than just my parents; they are my hero, my asylum, and my biggest supporters. I watched them happy and sad, watched them when they succeeded, and when they failed, and even though life threw different challenges on them, I never saw them giving up. Further more, because they showed me what really life is all about, all I am I own to them.
I have always been interested in teaching and taking care of children. This passion never left me and only grew more profound with time. That is why after high school, I decided to become a teacher. The purpose of school as a place where young children are offered a toolkit to navigate their world successfully was what really drove me closer to teaching. I have been working in Reggio inspired classrooms for seven years, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. One step at a time, as I was absorbing and trying to find sense in it, this approach to teaching changed my values as an educator and my views regarding children’s needs, interests, and abilities. …show more content…
Through years of my education and working with children, I have developed my own teaching philosophy. At the foundation of my teaching philosophy are my passion, respect for children, my dedication in helping them succeed, and my understanding that all children are unique. I am a firm believer that successful teaching begins with a safe and nurturing environment, a positive attitude, and a caring teacher.
Looking inward
Throughout the years of teaching, my way of thinking about myself as an educator has changed many times. Mostly it changed after meeting inspiring people, families, and children that forced me to reflect on my teaching helping me to grow and change as an educator. “What is well begun is half done,” the quote from Peabody embodies what has become the core of my teaching: above all, I believe a good start in education, young child’s environment should provide safety and be nurturing where teachers possess a positive attitude, empathy, and caring manner. With years, I came to realization that as an educator, I should instill in the children skills that will implement optimism, trust, and respect for others. In this case, the relationships in the classroom and the teacher are the most important “tools” in optimizing the child’s comfort and non-cognitive skills. I have always prioritized children’s emotional needs before anything else. When a child feels safe, the world around him or her is nurturing, the child’s emotional needs are fulfilled; the children let their curiosity lead and they become more open to explore. I think that we, as grown-ups, can relate to it as well, as we feel more comfortable in a welcoming environment. A sense of safety comes from consistent, attentive, nurturing, and sensitive attention to each child 's needs. How can a teacher provide this? The most powerful tool is the teacher’s personality. A smile, a voice, and touch make children feel safe. Face-to-face interaction, attentiveness, respect, and time are essential in this process. At the same time we should avoid being a hypocrite and remember that lecturing does not work. Children are very close observers and learn from what they see. Educators should keep in mind that these little children look up to them and they influence the children in more than one way. Being a role model means that we need to practice honesty, fairness, and be caring ourselves. It does not mean being perfect all the time. For our children to respect and trust us, we need to acknowledge our mistakes and flaws as well. It is also important to respect children’s thinking, listen to their perspectives, and be fair in judgments. Furthermore, these simple but important characteristics come free and from within us. To implement non-cognitive skills in children we do not need money, and it does not matter if you are in a private setting or public system. These take so little, but yet they make a huge difference in every child’s life. When I think about myself as an educator, my goal is to inspire students to think beyond the confines of existing knowledge and become thoughtful, insightful critical thinkers. I want the students to challenge what they