It’s Elementary!!
Introduction
When thinking about this assignment I began to dig deep into what it takes to teach five and six year olds. A kindergarten teacher sets the foundation for a child’s future. If anyone would have told me that I would land in the world of kindergarten, I would have politely laughed and ran to the nearest exit. Most days in room 2 our day unfolds uneventfully. We learn to read, we write, we sing, we develop new friendships, we discover life. Where children are given the opportunity to let their imaginations spin incredible tales and stories. I have the privilege to be at the beginning of a child’s education and watch them bloom, often untouched by the negativity of the adult world. I love watching little faces light up when they discover their possibilities and listening to their laughter, conversations, questions and thinking. When you listen to a child reading for the first time, you feel like Babe Ruth hitting a homerun. These lightbulb moments are what I live for. Fireworks happen everyday in the land of Kindergarten and I love my view from room 2.
The Intention of This Document
This document is a statement about my beliefs on teaching and the educating of young children. It’s intention is to stimulate discussion, thinking and action. This manifesto serves as a ‘snapshot’ as to what I have learned so far, in regards to creating a positive future. In a world that is consumed with uncertainty, and the increasing change in our education system, how do I ensure the success of my practice? How do I keep evolving? Learning how to learn with the increasing development of technology, and it’s connecting of people through social media, the ability to evolve as a teacher will be important.
What This Manifesto is Not
My intention is not to write a document that defines teaching or a guide on how to fix the challenges that exist inside and outside the education system. Because if nothing else, nothing in life is permanent. Life and teaching is a cycle. You win some and lose some. Sometimes you fail, but you always get back up.
“The successful do not pursue what’s probable, the best pursue the heart pounding, exciting, really big, difference making dreams”~John Eliot
Daily Goals
1. Inspire
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”~William Arthur Ward
Why did I decide to teach? As long as I can remember I always wanted to be a teacher. I strayed from this path for a few years but eventually came back home. When my little learners enter my room, I am given the chance to create change in their life. I don’t strive for an administrative position, because my strength and joy are in the classroom, teaching my students.
Most teachers decide to enter into this profession because they themselves were affected by an inspirational teacher. Ironically, the teacher that had the most impact on me was in kindergarten. She had all the qualities of a great teacher, so the inspiration was passed down through her, to me.
According to the Open Journal of Leadership “Leadership comes in many forms and its effectiveness can inspire others to achieve organisational goals and visions.” (Hudson, P. 2013. What Makes School Leaders Inspirational and How Does This Relate to Mentoring? pg. 87). Engaging students can be a complex process. I believe for my students to be successful I will need to lead, innovate and inspire.
2. Be patient, kind and caring
“Kids are like a mirror, what they see and hear they do. Be a good reflection for them.”~ K. Heath
A child’s kindergarten experience is often their introduction into the world of education. For my day to be successful it requires an extraordinary amount of patience, kindness, enthusiasm, and love. This experience is often a first for parents as well and it is important to understand the needs of both. “As children enter kindergarten, they are connecting with the world outside their family-meeting friends, and feeling independence. They continue to need boundaries and discipline.”(Bostrom, M. 2002. Hearts and Souls and Minds: An Analysis of Qualitative Research Regarding Communicating School Readiness and other Child Development Policies). Children develop at different stages throughout the kindergarten year so it is important to remain patient, especially with those that are struggling.
3. Be a Good Listener
“The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention” ~Rachel Naomi Rem
Listening is key to having effective communication. When I listen to my students with full attention it validates their ideas and what they are thinking and feeling. One of the key findings of a research report done by the Department for Education and Skills cited evidence on the impact of listening to young children. “At an individual level research indicated young children experienced increased self esteem and social competency, together with an insight into decision-making processes.” (Clark, A, McQuail, S, Moss, P. 2003. Exploring the Field of Listening to and Consulting With Young Children. Pg. 5). Through the act of listening I can connect with my students on many levels. Active listening allows them freedom to express, safety to tell and share thoughts and ideas, and promote understanding that helps to strengthen the student/teacher relationship.
4. Promote Active Learning
“Learning is like rowing upstream:not to advance is to drop back”~Chinese Proverb
For deep learning to occur my kindergarten students need time to think and manipulate materials and interact with others. Children learn through play. Because of their desire to explore and discover they learn how to problem solve, ask questions, and learn about the world in their own terms. Kindergarten classrooms are drastically changing and with so much pressure to teach important literacy and math skills, teachers are finding less time for play. In the book, Crisis in Kindergarten Why Children Need to Play in School, the authors recognize the importance of play in kindergarten. “Kindergarteners need a balance of child initiated play in the presence of engaged teachers and more focused experiential learning guided by teachers.” (Miller, E. & Almon, J. 2009. Crisis in Kindergarten Why Children Need to Play in School. pg. 11). The inappropriate expectations that can be placed on such young children can become very stressful-play can be a major stress reliever.
5. Organization
“In a sense, clutter is the end result of procrastination”~Jeff Campbell
I am indebted to whomever created the “sticky note”. Throughout my day there is so many things to remember, questions to ask, and I have so little time to do it all. The point of being organized is not to loose creativity but to not become overwhelmed with small details associated with the everyday life of being a teacher. A big part of being organized is being prepared. When I am prepared I feel more confident. Being organized and having an organized room is a personal endeavor, but it helps to eliminate delays, disruptions, and confusion.
6. Classroom Management
“An assertive teacher (is) one who clearly and firmly communicates her expectations to her students, and is prepared to reinforce her words with appropriate actions. She responds to students in a manner that maximizes her potential to get her own needs to teach met, but in no way violates the best interest of the students.” ~ Canter & Canter
How I react to situations has an impact on my students. According to an article posted on the Edutopia website in 2015, “A recent report found that educators believe that the secret to effective discipline is proactively building relationships, not reacting punitively to student misbehavior.” (Schibsted, E. 2013, How to Develop Positive Classroom Management). The quality of my relationship with my students can have a direct effect on their achievement. It is very important to establish clear expectations and consequences for student behavior. To build effective relationships with my students it is important to get to know them and understand what strategy will work best for each child and each situation. Communicating that no matter what the problem is, I will always love them, goes a long way and I will continue to do that everyday.
7. Take Risks
“You only do good work when you’re taking risks and pushing yourself.”~Sally Hawkins
Great teachers go against the norm. Taking risks means to not take no for an answer when you can make a difference in a child’s education. Me and my students take learning risks together. We become partners in the learning process, where my responsibility is the role of lead learner. You build student confidence when you are willing to show vulnerability and risk taking. Even when I fail, I need to model behavior that demonstrates to my students, that even adults can make mistakes.
8. Perseverance
“There are two ways of attaining an important end, force and perseverance; the silent power of the latter grows irresistible with time.”~Sophie Swetchine
There are several days that I hear a quiet voice deep inside me saying “I will try again tomorrow.” I feel passionate about my students, and sometimes I may be their only advocate. I may not be able to control what happens in the homes of my students, but I can control what happens in my classroom. It is important for them to know that I will never stop raising the bar and always having high expectations. Edutopia discusses how educators need grit. They describe the one characteristic for success is not intelligence, physical health or good looks. “It was grit.” (Davis, V. 2014. True Grit: The Best Measure of Success and How to Teach It).
9. Always Be Authentic
Your are you. Now, isn’t that pleasant?~Dr. Seuss
I think one of the reasons I love teaching kindergarten is because my students are very authentic. I believe teaching is an art and I love sharing my passion to teach with my students. Teaching is not a one way street. When my students look at me they see a reflection of my identity and I hope they see the unique teacher that I was born to be!
10. Have a Sense of Humor
A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.”~Dwight D. Eisenhower
Learning should always be fun and nothing conveys this more than a room full of joy and laughter. What children need more of is respect, love and the ability to laugh with them, even when the joke is on me. Laughing and humor helps to create a positive learning environment by breaking down communication barriers. When I add humor into my teaching it makes learning more fun and enjoyable. Teaching requires creativity and watching my students enjoying listening to me and hearing them laugh at my silliness can be very rewarding.
Long Term Goals
My Vision for Kindergarten~I want policy makers to recognize the importance of play as a means for young children to learn and express themselves. I want the primary goals of kindergarten to focus on curiosity, motivation, creativity, and socialization.
1. Create a Vision of Technology with Kindergarten
My goal is to empower my students to become highly competent in a technological world. I would like my students to be able to identify the common uses of technology in their daily life across the curriculum. That they are able to effectively use technology to make decisions and problem solve. I have a classroom full of learners ready to explore, design and create. If I have the technology available all I will need to do is maximize this resource and then effective technology integration will follow.
2. Professional Development
Since there is no cookie cutter template for teaching, I will need to concentrate on my strengths and trust in who I am to shape my experiences. I love to read and see the need to keep myself reading quality research material based on my needs.
Being a teacher is very rewarding and the incidence of stress and burnout can be very high. For teaching to continue to be meaningful I need to:
Work towards something I believe in
Never settle for something less than I believe in
Create something of value
Make a success of falling down
Always be proud and not just content
And always stay humble!
Introduction
When thinking about this assignment I began to dig deep into what it takes to teach five and six year olds. A kindergarten teacher sets the foundation for a child’s future. If anyone would have told me that I would land in the world of kindergarten, I would have politely laughed and ran to the nearest exit. Most days in room 2 our day unfolds uneventfully. We learn to read, we write, we sing, we develop new friendships, we discover life. Where children are given the opportunity to let their imaginations spin incredible tales and stories. I have the privilege to be at the beginning of a child’s education and watch them bloom, often untouched by the negativity of the adult world. I love watching little faces light up when they discover their possibilities and listening to their laughter, conversations, questions and thinking. When you listen to a child reading for the first time, you feel like Babe Ruth hitting a homerun. These lightbulb moments are what I live for. Fireworks happen everyday in the land of Kindergarten and I love my view from room 2.
The Intention of This Document
This document is a statement about my beliefs on teaching and the educating of young children. It’s intention is to stimulate discussion, thinking and action. This manifesto serves as a ‘snapshot’ as to what I have learned so far, in regards to creating a positive future. In a world that is consumed with uncertainty, and the increasing change in our education system, how do I ensure the success of my practice? How do I keep evolving? Learning how to learn with the increasing development of technology, and it’s connecting of people through social media, the ability to evolve as a teacher will be important.
What This Manifesto is Not
My intention is not to write a document that defines teaching or a guide on how to fix the challenges that exist inside and outside the education system. Because if nothing else, nothing in life is permanent. Life and teaching is a cycle. You win some and lose some. Sometimes you fail, but you always get back up.
“The successful do not pursue what’s probable, the best pursue the heart pounding, exciting, really big, difference making dreams”~John Eliot
Daily Goals
1. Inspire
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”~William Arthur Ward
Why did I decide to teach? As long as I can remember I always wanted to be a teacher. I strayed from this path for a few years but eventually came back home. When my little learners enter my room, I am given the chance to create change in their life. I don’t strive for an administrative position, because my strength and joy are in the classroom, teaching my students.
Most teachers decide to enter into this profession because they themselves were affected by an inspirational teacher. Ironically, the teacher that had the most impact on me was in kindergarten. She had all the qualities of a great teacher, so the inspiration was passed down through her, to me.
According to the Open Journal of Leadership “Leadership comes in many forms and its effectiveness can inspire others to achieve organisational goals and visions.” (Hudson, P. 2013. What Makes School Leaders Inspirational and How Does This Relate to Mentoring? pg. 87). Engaging students can be a complex process. I believe for my students to be successful I will need to lead, innovate and inspire.
2. Be patient, kind and caring
“Kids are like a mirror, what they see and hear they do. Be a good reflection for them.”~ K. Heath
A child’s kindergarten experience is often their introduction into the world of education. For my day to be successful it requires an extraordinary amount of patience, kindness, enthusiasm, and love. This experience is often a first for parents as well and it is important to understand the needs of both. “As children enter kindergarten, they are connecting with the world outside their family-meeting friends, and feeling independence. They continue to need boundaries and discipline.”(Bostrom, M. 2002. Hearts and Souls and Minds: An Analysis of Qualitative Research Regarding Communicating School Readiness and other Child Development Policies). Children develop at different stages throughout the kindergarten year so it is important to remain patient, especially with those that are struggling.
3. Be a Good Listener
“The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention” ~Rachel Naomi Rem
Listening is key to having effective communication. When I listen to my students with full attention it validates their ideas and what they are thinking and feeling. One of the key findings of a research report done by the Department for Education and Skills cited evidence on the impact of listening to young children. “At an individual level research indicated young children experienced increased self esteem and social competency, together with an insight into decision-making processes.” (Clark, A, McQuail, S, Moss, P. 2003. Exploring the Field of Listening to and Consulting With Young Children. Pg. 5). Through the act of listening I can connect with my students on many levels. Active listening allows them freedom to express, safety to tell and share thoughts and ideas, and promote understanding that helps to strengthen the student/teacher relationship.
4. Promote Active Learning
“Learning is like rowing upstream:not to advance is to drop back”~Chinese Proverb
For deep learning to occur my kindergarten students need time to think and manipulate materials and interact with others. Children learn through play. Because of their desire to explore and discover they learn how to problem solve, ask questions, and learn about the world in their own terms. Kindergarten classrooms are drastically changing and with so much pressure to teach important literacy and math skills, teachers are finding less time for play. In the book, Crisis in Kindergarten Why Children Need to Play in School, the authors recognize the importance of play in kindergarten. “Kindergarteners need a balance of child initiated play in the presence of engaged teachers and more focused experiential learning guided by teachers.” (Miller, E. & Almon, J. 2009. Crisis in Kindergarten Why Children Need to Play in School. pg. 11). The inappropriate expectations that can be placed on such young children can become very stressful-play can be a major stress reliever.
5. Organization
“In a sense, clutter is the end result of procrastination”~Jeff Campbell
I am indebted to whomever created the “sticky note”. Throughout my day there is so many things to remember, questions to ask, and I have so little time to do it all. The point of being organized is not to loose creativity but to not become overwhelmed with small details associated with the everyday life of being a teacher. A big part of being organized is being prepared. When I am prepared I feel more confident. Being organized and having an organized room is a personal endeavor, but it helps to eliminate delays, disruptions, and confusion.
6. Classroom Management
“An assertive teacher (is) one who clearly and firmly communicates her expectations to her students, and is prepared to reinforce her words with appropriate actions. She responds to students in a manner that maximizes her potential to get her own needs to teach met, but in no way violates the best interest of the students.” ~ Canter & Canter
How I react to situations has an impact on my students. According to an article posted on the Edutopia website in 2015, “A recent report found that educators believe that the secret to effective discipline is proactively building relationships, not reacting punitively to student misbehavior.” (Schibsted, E. 2013, How to Develop Positive Classroom Management). The quality of my relationship with my students can have a direct effect on their achievement. It is very important to establish clear expectations and consequences for student behavior. To build effective relationships with my students it is important to get to know them and understand what strategy will work best for each child and each situation. Communicating that no matter what the problem is, I will always love them, goes a long way and I will continue to do that everyday.
7. Take Risks
“You only do good work when you’re taking risks and pushing yourself.”~Sally Hawkins
Great teachers go against the norm. Taking risks means to not take no for an answer when you can make a difference in a child’s education. Me and my students take learning risks together. We become partners in the learning process, where my responsibility is the role of lead learner. You build student confidence when you are willing to show vulnerability and risk taking. Even when I fail, I need to model behavior that demonstrates to my students, that even adults can make mistakes.
8. Perseverance
“There are two ways of attaining an important end, force and perseverance; the silent power of the latter grows irresistible with time.”~Sophie Swetchine
There are several days that I hear a quiet voice deep inside me saying “I will try again tomorrow.” I feel passionate about my students, and sometimes I may be their only advocate. I may not be able to control what happens in the homes of my students, but I can control what happens in my classroom. It is important for them to know that I will never stop raising the bar and always having high expectations. Edutopia discusses how educators need grit. They describe the one characteristic for success is not intelligence, physical health or good looks. “It was grit.” (Davis, V. 2014. True Grit: The Best Measure of Success and How to Teach It).
9. Always Be Authentic
Your are you. Now, isn’t that pleasant?~Dr. Seuss
I think one of the reasons I love teaching kindergarten is because my students are very authentic. I believe teaching is an art and I love sharing my passion to teach with my students. Teaching is not a one way street. When my students look at me they see a reflection of my identity and I hope they see the unique teacher that I was born to be!
10. Have a Sense of Humor
A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.”~Dwight D. Eisenhower
Learning should always be fun and nothing conveys this more than a room full of joy and laughter. What children need more of is respect, love and the ability to laugh with them, even when the joke is on me. Laughing and humor helps to create a positive learning environment by breaking down communication barriers. When I add humor into my teaching it makes learning more fun and enjoyable. Teaching requires creativity and watching my students enjoying listening to me and hearing them laugh at my silliness can be very rewarding.
Long Term Goals
My Vision for Kindergarten~I want policy makers to recognize the importance of play as a means for young children to learn and express themselves. I want the primary goals of kindergarten to focus on curiosity, motivation, creativity, and socialization.
1. Create a Vision of Technology with Kindergarten
My goal is to empower my students to become highly competent in a technological world. I would like my students to be able to identify the common uses of technology in their daily life across the curriculum. That they are able to effectively use technology to make decisions and problem solve. I have a classroom full of learners ready to explore, design and create. If I have the technology available all I will need to do is maximize this resource and then effective technology integration will follow.
2. Professional Development
Since there is no cookie cutter template for teaching, I will need to concentrate on my strengths and trust in who I am to shape my experiences. I love to read and see the need to keep myself reading quality research material based on my needs.
Being a teacher is very rewarding and the incidence of stress and burnout can be very high. For teaching to continue to be meaningful I need to:
Work towards something I believe in
Never settle for something less than I believe in
Create something of value
Make a success of falling down
Always be proud and not just content
And always stay humble!