I am PROUD to be an early childhood educator, are you?
As my colleagues spoke in the previous two blogs about professional development and advocacy, I began to reflect on another related topic: EMPOWERMENT. As we advocate for children and ask our state representatives and legislature to invest in our children, it is also critical that we, as early childhood teachers advocate for ourselves and our profession. My dream for the future is to walk into a room of early childhood teachers and see a group of professionals who KNOW what they do is something to be proud of.
Most people who work with young children do so because they believe it is important. However, when asked what they do, most early childhood teachers don’t acknowledge what they do as important. Recently at an early childhood conference, I ran into a teacher that I had worked with over ten years ago. As we began talking, she told me that she was “still only teaching preschool.”
In a recent article I read titled, “We Grow Brains!” the authors speak about experiencing the same circumstances. They speak about teachers who appear to be ashamed that they only work with young children. Rike, Izumi-Taylor, and Moberly talk about the significance of early experiences and how they shape the brain. They use the base knowledge of brain development to articulate the significance of early childhood education, thus stating that all early childhood professionals should stand tall and let people know that ‘we grow brains’—a profession of great magnitude.
Changing the perception of what we do starts from within. So, as I write today, I am letting everyone know that I am confident that what I do WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the future of our world! I encourage all early childhood teachers to stand tall and proud when you say, “I am an early childhood teacher!” What you do everyday is vital and significant.
Rike, C., Izumi-Taylor, S., & Moberly, D. (2008, January 1). We Grow Brains!. Exchange: The Early Childhood Leaders' Magazine Since 1978, (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ793008) Retrieved February 2, 2009, from ERIC database.