Keepers of the Future - Essay Example

Keepers of the Future Early childhood is a magical time. Parents marvel at the growth and development of their children and appreciate them for thewonders that they are. In just a few short years, human development during this time runs fastest, as children rapidly develop in all aspects from the time they are born – physically, cognitively, and socio-emotionally. This particular stage is most sensitive because foundations are being put in place for the person the child will grow up to be. Education for very young children has been researched to be specialized. One cannot just adapt elementary education and dilute it to something simpler for younger children. It has been attempted before in the likes of behaviorist approaches, as exemplified by direct instruction principles, but experts have found out that young children’s minds cannot just be forced to learn by rote. Hence, many theorists have studied the nature of young children and have conceptualized developmentally-appropriate programs that provide high quality education for them. The articles I have read have reflected how preschool education may benefit children. Not only for the short term of their development, but for lifelong influences. The one by Barnett and Lamy documented a number of longitudinal studies on the effects of attending preschool on a person’s future success as an adult. People who underwent preschool programs were compared against a control group who did not. Those in programs were adjudged to have better, more successful lives in general – had more motivation to finish school and take further studies, got employed in better jobs, etc. The article by Schulman & Barnett more specifically studied its effects on personal responsibility and social behavior. Perhaps, positive experiences derived from early experiences in school contribute to long-term positive social personalities. However, Schulman & Barnett’s as well as Herzenberg, Price and Bradley’s (2005) articles lament the deterioration of the availability of high quality early childhood education. One major factor is the professional training and qualification of teachers of very young children. The shortage of well-trained, credible teachers who possess the right personal qualities necessary for preschool teachers is becoming widespread. Government funds simply cannot provide the proper training for them, much less, the salaries and benefits they need. Hence, it is a sad reality that many children miss out on the benefits of quality care and education. More basic than education, health of children all over the world, is likewise at risk, as reported by UNICEF (2008) in its report on the State of the World’s Children 2009. These articles have impressed upon me a sorry future for today’s young children if people will not move to make it better for them. Third world countries may suffer a more dire reality, depending on the people’s priorities. In the Philippine setting, education is seen as a major priority and investment of parents. Hence, many families believe in preschool education. At least in the metropolis, the country’s growing profiles of dual-income earning families is pushing more and more parents to enroll their young children in preschools instead of leaving them with the household help. As children turn two years, many parents already go out to choose the right preschool for their toddlers. This choice must be seriously made since a wrong choice of preschool may cause more harm than good for the children. Like in the articles, many teachers in the Philippines are not appropriately trained to handle very young children. Traditional approaches such as lecturing and expecting young children to learn from mere workbooks and rote still prevail. Although there are a lot of preschools in existence upholding more progressive methods and developmentally-appropriate practices, their market is very limited since such schools tend to charge higher rates. And even if training is available for teachers in carrying out progressive methods, it is a common complaint among them that administrators of their school are just not open to implementing it because of their resistance to get out of their comfort zones. For them, traditional methods have been conveniently accepted by most parents and to suddenly shift to a new alternative in teaching methods might just be too risky. It is pathetic that it is mostly the concerns of parents which are considered and not their main client, the children. Lilian Katz’ (2003) report on “What is Basic To All Our Children” discuss ways for people to cooperate in delivering quality early childhood programs to children worldwide. Katz advises the bottom-up perspective, meaning children’s perspectives and experiences must be taken in consideration. What are the concepts and skills they need to learn relative to their life stages? What kind of environment would they thrive best? How do they learn best? Instead of always complying with what adults around them believe in when it comes to their own welfare. I believe if we desire a better quality of education for our children, we must begin with ourselves. Aspiring educators should thoroughly study what it entails to be a great teacher of young children. If play is the most natural thing for them, then how do we use play as a learning avenue for them to gain skills they need to learn? How can we make learning more fun instead of a drudgery? How can we inspire them to be lifelong learners? It is a fact that there is a number of Filipino teachers who have the privilege of taking their studies abroad but not coming back to their homeland to apply what they have learned. Also the exodus of good teachers to other countries who offer them better pay for their services is becoming a loss to the Philippine educational system. This in itself should be a wake-up call to top officials who are in a position to fight for equity of Filipino teachers. Of course, it would greatly help if people at the top of the ladder believe in the same things idealistic teachers do. Government has the power to influence schools and administrators in implementing developmentally appropriate practices in education, so it is the officials who need to be educated on it. Once they are in, they can become strong allies. Dedicated teachers may offer their services to train younger and less experienced teachers. It may take a whole nationwide campaign to awaken everyone’s awareness of the issues involved. Likewise government funding should prioritize education, as it is indeed a legacy we leave to the future citizens of the land. On my own efforts as a future early childhood educator, I shall take to heart everything I have learned so far and do my best in delivering quality services to children. I shall not limit this to my students, but to other children I can reach as well. Those who badly need quality education are those who cannot afford it… the street children. I can organize storytelling sessions with a group of children during the weekends in the hopes of them spreading the word and inviting more children to avail of my free service. In doing so, I can infuse good values and other academic concepts in my stories. After which, I can do more learning activities and games with them. Not only will I provide them with something to feed their minds, but also the joy of being with other eager learners. In the future, I may be able to solicit free food from sponsoring organizations and generous benefactors who believe in the same causes I do. The spark I create may grow into a burning fire of advocacy for quality education for young children. However, should that dream be unreachable due to time and energy constraints, I shall make do with providing quality education in my own circles. To make a difference in others, I can start with what I have within my reach. I shall end this reflection paper with a poem that has inspired me to be the best early childhood educator I can be. If every teacher takes it to heart, then I am sure it will spur them to likewise be the best they can be. The Hand Holders: A Tribute to Caregivers By Dori Rossmann There is no job more important than yours, No job anywhere else in the land. You are the keepers of the future; You hold the smallest of hands. Into your care you are trusted To nurture and care for the young, And for all of your everyday heroics, Your talents and skills go unsung. You wipe tears from the eyes of the injured. You rock babies brand new in your arms. You encourage the shy and unsure child. You make sure they are safe from all harm. You foster the bonds of friendships, Letting no child go away mad. You respect and you honor their emotions. You give hugs to each child when they’re sad. You have more impact than does a professor, A child’s mind is molded by four; So whatever you lay on the table Is whatever that child will explore. Give each child the tools for adventure, Let them be artists and writers and more; Let them fly in the wind and dance on the stars And build castles of sand on the shore. It is true that you don’t make much money And you don’t get a whole lot of praise, But when one small child says, “I love you,” You’re reminded of how this job pays. References Barnett, W.S. & Lamy, C.E., “Estimated Impacts of Number of Years of Preschool Attendance on Vocabulary, Literacy and Math Skills at Kindergarten Entry” Herzenberg, S., Price, M. & Bradley, D.(2005), “Losing Ground in Early Childhood Education Declining Workforce Qualifications in an Expanding Industry, 1979- 2004” Katz, L. (2003) “What Is Basic To All Our Children: A Contemporary Perspective”, Paper presented at the OMEP World Council and Conference, Kucadaci, Turkey, October 5-11, 2003. Rossman, D., “The Hand Holders: A Tribute to Caregivers”. Schulman, K. & Barnett, W.S., “What Impacts Does Preschool Education Have On Personal Responsibility And Related Social Behavior?” United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2008) The State Of The World’s Children 2009: Maternal and Newborn Health Read More