As I finished a lecture on Guidance last week in my Foundations of Child Development class, I closed by telling the students that if they were to walk away that night impacted by only one thing, my wish was that it would be their attitude towards working with children.  Attitude is defined as a “mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways.”  Teachers’ attitudes SHAPE their classroom.  Specifically, if we believe that each child and family is valuable and good; if we believe that every child is in the process of learning appropriate behaviors; if we believe that children deserve acceptance and belonging, we are laying the foundation for growth and development in our classroom.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s guideline for “creating a caring community of learners” supports what I am talking about in regards to teachers’ attitudes.  Creating a caring community of learners involves developing a positive relationship with each child.  It is where teachers accept all children and show all children that they belong.  In this community, teachers use guidance techniques—namely viewing children’s conflicts and misbehavior as mistaken. 

Some little things every teacher can do to SHOW that you accept all children and that they belong:

·         Greet every child as they enter your classroom

·         Get down at their level when you talk to them

·         Have a space for every child to keep his/her things when at school

·         Use inclusive language like “our class, our friends, and we”

·         Give children opportunities to interact, play with, and help each other

·         Have pictures and posters up in your classroom that are representative of all the children’s lives

·         Take time to get to know every child and family

·         Listen to what children have to say—value their ideas

·         View mistakes and conflicts as opportunities for children to learn

·         Model positive relationships

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.