I have a great team; probably one of the best in our agency (though at this point, I'm also kind of bias). When a Lead Preschool Teacher position opened at one of our other sites, I didn't have to think twice about speaking with one of my Assistant Teachers about interviewing for the position. My supervisor said, "Why don't you think about it over the weekend and let me know." Weird, I thought. Then she added, "I don't want to break apart what you've been building."
I wasn't going to need the weekend. When there's a possibility that a teacher (any early childhood professional really) can grow, why wouldn't I want to share that rich experience with her?! Because it means my coverage is going to get a bit wonky until I can hire a new team member? I worry that people are being pigeon-holed in positions because their supervisors don't want to let them move forward because of comfort and desire to maintain the status quo. I think it would be incredibly selfish and unprofessional of me to keep such an opportunity from someone who is ready & willing to step up to a challenge.
I've long believed that professional development and overall growth sometimes requires a gentle nudge; I'm not sure if this teacher would have sought out the position on her own and I'm not certain it wouldn't have been because she was worried about hurting feelings or rocking the boat. That's not the message I want to send to my team. If your goal is to be a Lead Preschool Teacher, I'd really like to help you find the resources you need to meet that goal. We all need to grow. Without a goal, there's little joy in teaching and early childhood is a field in which people burn out quickly because they have spirit and energy and it's under appreciated.
So let's celebrate those who have made the decision not only to stay in early childhood education, but also to move forward, to champion for the education of our youngest learners.
I'd like to think I'm growing the next generation of early childhood warriors.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
STEM: A reflection on intentional teaching
“Unless the schools of the U.S. find the tools to bring students up to the highest level of accomplishment, it places the nation at risk in the international economy of the 21st Century.”
—Bill Gates
As our agency begins to think about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) focused programming in early childhood, I'm forced to reflect on my beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices as well as intentional teaching. It's no big secret that as a nation, we are outperformed by 30 countries. My great struggle with this is that STEM seems to have become a buzz-word. A phrase that makes people immediately look at their classroom and create lists of more
The big idea with STEM is thinking paths. As early childhood professionals, we should be striving to help children sharpen their critical thinking skills and become divergent thinkers. Why must there only be one way to solve a problem? I know that I want my students to become problems solvers who can explain how they came to a solution rather than throw back terms and memorized responses. We're supporting children's engagement and enthusiasm for learning so they can carry that enthusiasm into public schools (sigh) where it will likely be tested on an on-going basis. In short, I want my students to be lifelong learners.
Children aren't going to find passion and love of learning in worksheets, I know that for a fact. Worksheets do nothing more than suck the soul from children and perhaps bide the teacher a moment of quiet. Imagine the in-depth learning that takes place when a child manipulates, investigates, and learns the way things around her work. That kind of learning lasts a lifetime. Worksheets last until the
In conclusion, focus must be directed less on the materials and more on the teaching necessary to develop children's passion for learning, particularly in the areas of STEM. Before we order another piece of "stuff", I suggest we turn our focus to the teachers with whom parents leave their children and provide them with the tools, resources, support, and professional development they deserve when charged with such a precious task.
Surely I'm not alone in this belief...
How are you working with children or teachers to develop enthusiasm for learning and/or focusing on STEM?
Reading list ----
Sources:
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/pepg/PDF/Papers/PEPG10-19_HanushekPetersonWoessmann.pdf
Related articles:
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/beyond/seed/katz.html (LOVE LOVE LOVE this article)
http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/06/stem/
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/blogs/the_podium/2012/03/sparking_a_childs_interest_in.html
Monday, August 27, 2012
Falling Apart
** Originally written July 10, 2012 **
Sometimes good things fall apart so greater things can fall together.
Sometimes good things fall apart so greater things can fall together.
-Marilyn Monroe
Oh, if she only knew how tightly I would be holding on to those words when she said them... wow. It's been an incredibly stressful summer for me as I prepare to make huge programmatic changes within our site. I took on the role of Site Director because I fully realized the stress that not only the parents, but also the staff, would feel during this expected transition. I recognized that they would need a familiar face to help them through this time. I also recognized that my own personal connection to the site (I began my Chicago teaching career at this same location) would benefit me in working with the staff and families.
My emotional side will ultimately help me as it will show my humanity as well as my humility. I am occasionally accused of being too emotional but I can't help but think that's not a bad thing. It shows that I am a person too. How I show my emotions is something you can picky about; I fully agree that there is a right and a wrong way to share/display your emotions, especially within a professional workplace... where you're the supervisor. So let's agree on that and continue with this saga.
Passion
One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.
-E. M. Forster
Often, long stretches of time go by before I think to update this portion of my blogging life. Until today I haven't really wondered much about it, just accepted it. I know that I sometimes feel like I have nothing to share, nothing special to say and that keeps me from posting because no one likes a rambler.
But you know what?
If I'm rambling about something I'm passionate about, does it really matter?
I had a realization today that maybe I need to stop thinking about WHAT I want to be when I grow and more about WHO I want to be when I grow up. After a lengthy conversation tonight with a parent about trends in early childhood education and my background of being from Wisconsin (Go, Pack, Go!), he ended by asking where I thought I might "end up." It caught me a little off-guard. I truly hope to never feel a sense of ending within my career as it would signify the end of my passion, the snuffing out of my flame.
My goal in life is really to be a warrior, an advocate, a role model for early childhood education, developmentally appropriate practices, and infant & toddler development. As the Site Director of an infant/toddler center, I've come to realize just how little people know about the development of our youngest learners. Today, we had a monitor from a funder auditing our files and when she heard an infant crying for more than 1 minute, she insisted that she go into that classroom to "help." I totally just used air quotes there because her great contribution to the situation was this: "Well doesn't she have a pacifier?"
I began to explain that today is Monday and it can be tough sometimes. Her candid response was, "Well, babies shouldn't have Mondays." Ma'am, unless you've somehow magically reworked the calendar and not shared this news with the world, all humans have Mondays. Infants are human beings. And after spending the weekend at home with those she loved and being no-doubt held and cuddled all weekend, one can assume that the first day back to the classroom environment (regardless of the day of the week) might be stressful. Suddenly, there are other children with their needs being met before the teacher might be able to cuddle me. My teachers are phenomenal at what they do and I have no doubt that this child was not in danger, not being neglected, likely not even being denied any form of verbal attention -- she simply wanted to be held. She was overtired. She had her diaper changed and was ready for sleep.
I think one of my biggest pet peeves is when the grown people forget that those cute, cuddly, warm little beings in their world, in their vicinity, in their arms is in fact a human being with the full range of emotions and needs as an adult. They simply don't have the words yet to share those needs and emotions.
But seriously, if you've indeed found a way to eradicate Monday, please send me a quick email... I'm all ears.
-E. M. Forster
Often, long stretches of time go by before I think to update this portion of my blogging life. Until today I haven't really wondered much about it, just accepted it. I know that I sometimes feel like I have nothing to share, nothing special to say and that keeps me from posting because no one likes a rambler.
But you know what?
If I'm rambling about something I'm passionate about, does it really matter?
I had a realization today that maybe I need to stop thinking about WHAT I want to be when I grow and more about WHO I want to be when I grow up. After a lengthy conversation tonight with a parent about trends in early childhood education and my background of being from Wisconsin (Go, Pack, Go!), he ended by asking where I thought I might "end up." It caught me a little off-guard. I truly hope to never feel a sense of ending within my career as it would signify the end of my passion, the snuffing out of my flame.
My goal in life is really to be a warrior, an advocate, a role model for early childhood education, developmentally appropriate practices, and infant & toddler development. As the Site Director of an infant/toddler center, I've come to realize just how little people know about the development of our youngest learners. Today, we had a monitor from a funder auditing our files and when she heard an infant crying for more than 1 minute, she insisted that she go into that classroom to "help." I totally just used air quotes there because her great contribution to the situation was this: "Well doesn't she have a pacifier?"
I began to explain that today is Monday and it can be tough sometimes. Her candid response was, "Well, babies shouldn't have Mondays." Ma'am, unless you've somehow magically reworked the calendar and not shared this news with the world, all humans have Mondays. Infants are human beings. And after spending the weekend at home with those she loved and being no-doubt held and cuddled all weekend, one can assume that the first day back to the classroom environment (regardless of the day of the week) might be stressful. Suddenly, there are other children with their needs being met before the teacher might be able to cuddle me. My teachers are phenomenal at what they do and I have no doubt that this child was not in danger, not being neglected, likely not even being denied any form of verbal attention -- she simply wanted to be held. She was overtired. She had her diaper changed and was ready for sleep.
I think one of my biggest pet peeves is when the grown people forget that those cute, cuddly, warm little beings in their world, in their vicinity, in their arms is in fact a human being with the full range of emotions and needs as an adult. They simply don't have the words yet to share those needs and emotions.
But seriously, if you've indeed found a way to eradicate Monday, please send me a quick email... I'm all ears.
Friday, April 13, 2012
The Day After Tomorrow
I'm not a big "politics" person. I often get my news from Jon Stewart. I already know who I am going to vote for in November. I find myself at an interesting point in my personal and professional life.
Chicago is corrupt. The state of Illinois is in turmoil. And those who stand to lose the most don't have the voice to fight back.
Our neediest of children stand to lose their only access to early childhood education & care. The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is in jeopardy. With an obvious $16.6 million cut proposed, the actual devastation comes in at nearly $85 million.
I have no children. My husband & I have been trying for some time to add children to our family, but for the first time, I'm somewhat relieved that we haven't been successful. Not because we're not ready, but because of how evident Illinois' (and the nation's) disregard for early education has become. Let's forget that parents need the child care to be able to work to support their families. I get it. We all have to work, we have bills (and diapers are certainly not cheap). Our children need us to speak up and advocate for their right to quality education. Anyone can babysit. We are paying teachers to teach children so that we can close that ridiculous gap that exists within our socioeconomic groupings.
True, I may selfishly be advocating because my own profession depends on having this funding. We cannot pay our teachers without child care funding.
But how will we look our children in the eye when they're dropping out of high school because we failed them before they even walked through the doors of a Chicago Public School building?
Speak up. Even if you're not from Illinois. Why?
Because this is coming down the pike & is sure to find you and your children. And if you're fortunate enough to shower your children with every thing they need for future success, say a special prayer of gratitude tonight. Somewhere in your neighborhood, there is a family so consumed with today and living paycheck-to-paycheck that they can't begin to see tomorrow.
Chicago is corrupt. The state of Illinois is in turmoil. And those who stand to lose the most don't have the voice to fight back.
Our neediest of children stand to lose their only access to early childhood education & care. The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is in jeopardy. With an obvious $16.6 million cut proposed, the actual devastation comes in at nearly $85 million.
I have no children. My husband & I have been trying for some time to add children to our family, but for the first time, I'm somewhat relieved that we haven't been successful. Not because we're not ready, but because of how evident Illinois' (and the nation's) disregard for early education has become. Let's forget that parents need the child care to be able to work to support their families. I get it. We all have to work, we have bills (and diapers are certainly not cheap). Our children need us to speak up and advocate for their right to quality education. Anyone can babysit. We are paying teachers to teach children so that we can close that ridiculous gap that exists within our socioeconomic groupings.
True, I may selfishly be advocating because my own profession depends on having this funding. We cannot pay our teachers without child care funding.
But how will we look our children in the eye when they're dropping out of high school because we failed them before they even walked through the doors of a Chicago Public School building?
Speak up. Even if you're not from Illinois. Why?
Because this is coming down the pike & is sure to find you and your children. And if you're fortunate enough to shower your children with every thing they need for future success, say a special prayer of gratitude tonight. Somewhere in your neighborhood, there is a family so consumed with today and living paycheck-to-paycheck that they can't begin to see tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
I Better Learn Italian Quickly...
Because I'm going to Italy!
Yes, after years of dreaming upschemes ways to get myself to Reggio Emilia, Italy, I have finally found success! I recently applied with our agency to be a part of the Chicago-Reggio study group and as a result, I am headed to Italy at the end of March. I am excited because this trip has many potentially amazing outcomes:
I get to go to Reggio Emilia. That in and of itself is amazing enough for me. I will be able to really explore and discover the methods used in Reggio to make their early childhood education so functional and engaging. Listen, I practically cried the day they dismantled the Wonders of Learning exhibit here in Chicago and then wandered around like a lost soul for months (actually a year), looking for that same sense of inspiration and enlightenment. It's hard to inspire others when you are looking to be inspired yourself!
It's amazing because I will be accompanied by a teacher from one of our sites. This individual is someone I greatly admire and respect, as she has recently changed her focus from the upper side of the early childhood spectrum (third grade if I'm not mistaken) and has really become an outstanding preschool teacher. Her openness to the concepts and principles of Reggio have made me feel as though the site is ready for this kind of adventure into the study of Reggio. I feel we are embarking on a magnificent journey and cannot wait to see how it unfolds over time. This is exactly the spark we (I) needed.
I feel as though I'm tying myself into the fabric of our agency. It's been almost four years that I've been at the same agency (a small miracle apparently) and I am passionate about changing the culture of the early childhood community in the city of Chicago and within our agency as well. I'll tell ya, the day I first heard a teacher explain to a parent that her child was a "tiny human" with "feelings and experiences that he wants to share with us," I was beyond the proud mom moment. When I saw the mom stop and realize out loud "Huh. I guess I never really thought of him as having feelings..." I wanted to cry. Not because she hadn't realized it before this moment, but because I saw her ah-ha moment. I saw the way she looked at her son in a new light for the first time. That moment made all of the other not so fabulous moments seem insignificant.
Things are starting to shift and as long as I can maintain this momentum, I truly believe we can make the difference. We can be the advocates for our youngest learners. We can empower others to share the same message. We can save childhood.
Yes, after years of dreaming up
I get to go to Reggio Emilia. That in and of itself is amazing enough for me. I will be able to really explore and discover the methods used in Reggio to make their early childhood education so functional and engaging. Listen, I practically cried the day they dismantled the Wonders of Learning exhibit here in Chicago and then wandered around like a lost soul for months (actually a year), looking for that same sense of inspiration and enlightenment. It's hard to inspire others when you are looking to be inspired yourself!
It's amazing because I will be accompanied by a teacher from one of our sites. This individual is someone I greatly admire and respect, as she has recently changed her focus from the upper side of the early childhood spectrum (third grade if I'm not mistaken) and has really become an outstanding preschool teacher. Her openness to the concepts and principles of Reggio have made me feel as though the site is ready for this kind of adventure into the study of Reggio. I feel we are embarking on a magnificent journey and cannot wait to see how it unfolds over time. This is exactly the spark we (I) needed.
I feel as though I'm tying myself into the fabric of our agency. It's been almost four years that I've been at the same agency (a small miracle apparently) and I am passionate about changing the culture of the early childhood community in the city of Chicago and within our agency as well. I'll tell ya, the day I first heard a teacher explain to a parent that her child was a "tiny human" with "feelings and experiences that he wants to share with us," I was beyond the proud mom moment. When I saw the mom stop and realize out loud "Huh. I guess I never really thought of him as having feelings..." I wanted to cry. Not because she hadn't realized it before this moment, but because I saw her ah-ha moment. I saw the way she looked at her son in a new light for the first time. That moment made all of the other not so fabulous moments seem insignificant.
Things are starting to shift and as long as I can maintain this momentum, I truly believe we can make the difference. We can be the advocates for our youngest learners. We can empower others to share the same message. We can save childhood.
{Classroom Reorganization}
I taught preschool for four years. Four amazing years. Some days (like today), I find myself wishing I had stayed in the classroom; usually for various reasons: Administration has a lot more responsibility and paperwork, I miss the kids, I miss the families, I miss the classroom.
Today I got the opportunity to rearrange one of our classrooms. Seems there have been some behavior problems and before I move forward with anything, I really want to see how the environment change impacts the behaviors. I know that sometimes our classrooms are over-stimulating for children, so I went through and took out clutter and tried to group objects to make them easier to use and put away.
Here's a peek at what I accomplished today with my 2 hours in the classroom....
Blocks:
Dramatic Play:
Sand & Water / Discovery:
Art:
What do you think?
Today I got the opportunity to rearrange one of our classrooms. Seems there have been some behavior problems and before I move forward with anything, I really want to see how the environment change impacts the behaviors. I know that sometimes our classrooms are over-stimulating for children, so I went through and took out clutter and tried to group objects to make them easier to use and put away.
Here's a peek at what I accomplished today with my 2 hours in the classroom....
Blocks:
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