Early Childhood Philosophy Statement

Throughout the stage of childhood the attitudes and the values can be passed down to the child. When children are young they are deeply influenced by their parents and this is because their self-concept is forming. They can acquire skills that are the basic foundation for learning throughout childhood. Therefore, a strong support system in early childhood can greatly affect their development.

Teaching early childhood children is not a job that should be taken lightly. At this age, you are building the foundation of learning and setting the precedence of what they see school as. It is my role as an educator to take responsibility for every child’s educational development. Each day in an early childhood classroom is full of challenges, but it is also full of laughs, smiles, and enthusiasm to learn. I firmly believe that every child is capable of learning, however, every child learns in their own pace and in their own way. Children need to feel that their teacher cares for them and is enthusiastic about their learning. This will help motivate them and maximize their learning. From there, the sky is the limit in the classroom! As an educator, I need to be conscious of learning and social development in order to reach every child and make sure they succeed. It is my job to see that every student is growing both academically and socially.

My values and beliefs about early childhood are, that kids should be allowed to play and have fun while they are learning. Young kids need someone who will be patient, funny, and above all, they need someone who will be loving towards them. “Teaching young children is hard work” (Bredekamp 3). Children who fall under the category of early childhood, should have hands on activities, colorful visuals, and time where they get to choose what they want to do.

My philosophy of Early childhood education is based on research that indicates that a child’s growth is developmental. Every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness, and cultural heritage. A high quality early childhood program that provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education process. The National Association for the Education of Young Children states that high quality, developmentally appropriate programs should be available for all children. Bredekamp, S., and T. Rosegrant. 1992. Reaching Potentials: Introduction.

As an online learner, aiming to be a professional in the field of Early Childhood Teaching, I have learned that I need to be adaptable to changing circumstances, technology and regulations. I need to have the knowledge on how children learn and be willing to keep researching this area to give my future students the best learning experiences possible. I need to have a good understanding of what I am trying to teach my students and the skill to know how to teach these things in a way that motivates and excites them to learn. To be a successful teacher, you need to have patience, love, understanding, empathy and fairness along with the ability to listen and to be firm when needed while being supportive at the same time. Positivity is another key aspect of being a successful teacher; If you can put more emphasis on the positives on what your students are doing you can redirect the negatives and help turn these into motivation to try harder to gain a better positive outcome, such as telling the student that you know they are mature and can make good decisions, can you tell me what needed to be done here instead of what happened?

I hope that when I am a teacher that the kids will learn from me that learning can be fun and not a task. That there is so much to learn about that you should never be bored with learning. If they leave my class room knowing about that and the curriculum needed to succeed in my particular grade and subject. Than I accomplished everything that I wanted to.

Early childhood is a time of curiosity, a time for play, and a time of rapid development. Every child is unique and deserving of an early childhood education that facilitates academic, social, and developmental growth through a variety of enjoyable experiences. Differentiated instruction adapts content, products and processes to meet the diverse learning needs and preferences of students (Thousand, Villa, & Nevin, 2007). Friedrich Froebel, the creator of Kindergarten, believed that children grow and learn as they play (Bruno, 2009). Play-based instruction not only enables young learners to have fun, but it also encourages interactive and cooperative learning, passion for discovery, and a foundation for later learning experiences

My early education shaped my motivations and philosophy in both negative and positive ways. At a young age, I became motivated to read and learn as much as possible. I regularly outperformed all of my peers in school and became focused on showing everyone that I was superior to them. Consequently, I continued to perform better and became convinced that I was smarter than my classmates and friends. Despite being given chances to excel in elementary school; in fifth, sixth, and seventh grade I was not sufficiently challenged and was disappointed that my time in school felt wasted. This was particularly frustrating because I had contemplated skipping sixth grade, but was discouraged to do so. Halfway through seventh grade I had the opportunity to challenge myself again. This time it did not influence my motivation or work habits; instead, I learned self-humility and had my personal philosophy reshaped.

I have chosen to go into this field because I want to be one of those early childhood teacher that get children ready for important part of life. Having little cousins to watch growing up as well my own children and see them grow in their early education has shown me that I want to be part of that. I love the thought of being the first person to get the children started with their education by helping them along the way with fun filled classroom activities and games.

Becoming a teacher is going to be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. Teaching was never a childhood dream for me like it was with others. Some people have always known that they wanted to become some type of teacher, but I never decided to until I entered college. I’ve always loved being around children and it makes me feel great to be able to help someone, so becoming a teacher is the perfect career choice for me.

Early childhood development meant may be defined as the critical years of education for toddlers. During these years they become increasingly aware of their surrounds and the behavior. Children will adapt to the behaviors which are visual to them. During these years child absorb more information than the average adult over a 4 year span. This is because their sole purpose is to learn and grow. As parents, we have to be very aware of the surrounds and things we present them with. Behavior learned now will carry out. The question of teaching them moral ethics at this point is a controversial issue.

Early philosophers and researchers play a very important role in the important belief of child development. They have such a large impact on a child’s cognitive and social development, which may or may not affect them, during their adulthood. Many of the parenting styles, general philosophies that parents follow come from philosophers such as: John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Arnold Gesell. Philosophers such as Mary Ainsworth, John Bowlby, and Konrad Lorenz, are all philosophers that studied the different attachment styles between a parent and a child. These philosophers have an enormous impact on the lives of children, even in this age, they also influenced the individuals that raised me.

The big question teachers ask me throughout my life is “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I never had an answer to that. Going into college I didn’t have a set plan as to what career I would like to pursue. However, I knew that I wanted to work with kids; I originally wanted to be a pediatrician. That career choice was based on my family wanting me to be successful, so I put my passion for working with kids and their passion together. As I began to focus on what I want instead of what others want, I changed my major to Early Childhood Education and chose the path of teaching as my career choice. I have high hopes for this career because teachers are always needed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS), the employment rate for my career choice will increase by six percent from 2014 to 2024. In this world, education is valued and will help put people many steps ahead. The reason why I chose to be an elementary teacher is because I want to be able to motivate and inspire my younger generations.

I want to become a teacher because I believe that all students are unique in their own way. I want to teach because I want to know that I am making a positive difference in the lives of students. Also, because teaching will allow me to connect with students in ways I've never been able to. I've always felt joy when I am around kids, it brings a sense of excitement. To me it is not simply a job but instead a purpose and my mission. I believe teachers should not be alone in educating their students. Parents, families and communities need to work together to support and enrich the lives of their children. By being a part of your child's education, you are showing them that you care and support them.

When I was a child, I remember people always asking me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Every time I was asked that question I came up with a different answer. As I grew up, though, I began to realize that there was one profession that I always wanted to be: a teacher. I have always loved working with children, and helping them with their studies. Just the opportunity to teach them something that they did not know before is something that I have always enjoyed.