People start learning from day one of their lives, but they do it differently depending on their age. At that, the purpose of learning, as well as teaching, does not depend on learners’ age as the primary goal is to help a person to develop and become an active member of human society. This paper briefly describes my philosophy statement regarding early children’s development and learning.
Young children develop at a high pace, which makes this period extremely important as this is the period of the development of central features of characters, beliefs, learning styles, preferences, and so on. I am a supporter of the social learning theory as I also believe that children (and adults) tend to learn by observing and adopting specific patterns. Educators tend to adopt a holistic approach paying much attention to the social component and concentrating on learning contexts (Cantor et al., 2019; Body et al., 2020). I think young children adopt behavioral patterns they observe in their role models and avoid certain types of conduct if the consequences are undesirable. Of course, direct learning is also a part of children’s development at that period. Modern society lives in the age of information, so children are exposed to a considerable amount of data they have to process at an early age. This information acquisition is shaped by children’s learning styles and other peculiarities of their cognitive and social grounds. Educators must understand these peculiarities, as well as each learner’s needs, and address them.
My firm belief is that no strict standards must be applied to young children as they all develop quite differently, but some stages and major milestones should still be passed within certain boundaries. As mentioned above, social context and information processing are primary areas to concentrate on, so young children should be taught how to manage information and collaborate with others (Body et al., 2020). Children should also develop appropriate behavioral patterns to interact with the teacher, other adults, peers, and younger children. I find ethical and moral aspects critical in this area. Educators must be moral models contributing to the development of children’s ethical codes that will guide them throughout their lives. Of course, academic skills are also necessary, and young learners should start being acquainted with various topics. I think young children should be taught literacy using diverse techniques and methods. Literacy and numeracy concepts and rules should be taught in creative ways to facilitate learning and enhance children’s motivation (Chigeza, 2018). All these components should be taught holistically, paying attention to all areas.
As far as exact teaching strategies, I prefer interactive and hands-on instruction, although expository instruction is often necessary for the classroom environment. I usually try to ensure two-way communication when instructing students. I want to engage them, so I need to understand whether learners are on the same page as me. I also try to make instruction collaborative, and learners share their ideas in small groups to develop a plan for task completion. I also want to help students use different senses so that they can grasp the material more successfully and manage information more effectively. Students listen, observe, and try things when learning or receiving instructions. Movement plays a vital role in teaching, and I always use gestures and body language to make classes livelier. Learners appreciate this approach; they are totally engaged during the entire class, as the teacher can see when attention decreases or students become distracted and employs a new technique to activate another sense.
Although learners are central to the learning process, and I believe that the teacher-student relationship is pivotal to ensuring a proper learning process, parental involvement is also essential. I am confident that parents should also be integrated into their children’s academic life. Parental involvement is pivotal for developing young children’s proper development as parents support and guide students. Parents are more aware of their children’s peculiarities and needs, so they should communicate with the teacher to contribute to the development of the optimal learning environment for young learners. Students spend a lot of time in the school setting, but they spend even more time with their parents, who should help children learn and develop skills. The close collaboration of educators and parents is key to students’ academic success as they are exposed to diverse learning opportunities at school and home.
In conclusion, I would like to stress that my teaching philosophy is grounded on the principles of collaboration, innovation, and moral standards. Young children learn certain academic skills, learn about the world around them, and live in the community. Young learners explore this world and gain knowledge and skills to effectively integrate into society. Teachers are the key figures in making this process successful and comfortable for each person. As an educator, I am committed to becoming a guide to my students, helping them become high achievers willing to collaborate and contribute to the growth of each other.
References
Body, A., Lau, E., & Josephidou, J. (2020). Engaging children in meaningful charity: Opening up the spaces within which children learn to give. Children & Society, 34(3), 189-203. Web.
Cantor, P., Osher, D., Berg, J., Steyer, L., & Rose, T. (2019). Malleability, plasticity, and individuality: How children learn and develop in context1. Applied Developmental Science, 23(4), 307-337. Web.
Chigeza, P. (2018). Educators’ perceptions of the Role of language when kindergarten children learn numeracy. Journal of Narrative and Language Studies, 6(11), 205-216.