All children and youth need responsive caregivers. Describe your “role as a teacher” with your professional attitude and actions while you work directly with the students
As a teacher working directly with students, my primary role is to ensure that every one of them makes the best out of their inborn skills. I should be in a position to notice the special abilities of all the students in my class and help them focus on developing the skills even further. In this way, I will have avoided incidents of children growing up to find themselves in careers that they naturally would have no desire of being involved in. My attitudes and actions should help in encouraging students to develop the courage to explore their unique talents.
“Hope” was discussed that some students need who are in-home or life situations that are not always positive. Expand on this concept of “hope” and how you could be a major influence for a child or youth (and even parents.)
Parents by their nature are tailored to have the best interest of their children at heart. As such, they will tend to steer the children away from career paths that have led to disappointments in some of the people they have met in their lives. In such situations, the children tend to shy away from exploring desires which they know their parents would not approve of. However, it has been found that with the consistent presentation of the interest, parents eventually relax their stringent rules, allowing the children to work towards their interest. This implies that as long as the student has his hopes directed at following a certain path, he/she will finally meet the desires of his/her heart.
How can the “stress and maltreatment” of children have lifelong effects? What have you learned about this topic?
An individual’s frame of thought is usually shaped when he/she is at the tender ages of childhood. Most of the recollections that a person has of his/her childhood will to a large extent influence how is life is lived as an adult. Children who are raised in harsh environments with constant increases in stress levels stemming from maltreatment end up not exploring their potential to the fullest, as they spend their younger days trying to find a point where they can maintain some sense of tranquility. Some of the individuals who were improperly treated in their childhood end up being social misfits, as they fail to develop coping mechanisms to handle the random stressors that arise during adulthood. For instance, a child who was physically assaulted has higher chances of developing aggressive behaviors which may see him land in jail for violence.
Going back to Bronfenbrenner and the Ecological Model, how have you been able to “connect the dots” so to speak, as to understanding the relationships of the family and it’s other components as discussed several times about child care issues, behaviors, nutrition, brain development, and early intervention
I have been in a position to understand that the relationship between nature and nurture is probably the biggest determinant of the direction that the child’s life will take. Everything from family strengths, all the way to nutrition will help determine the kind of person that the child will grow up to be. Children, in their early stages of life, develop character by studying the people around them. As such, if the parents and other close relatives are drawn to constant violence, it is almost certain that the children will end up as violent individuals. Early intervention always comes in handy to properly shape the direction the children will take while growing up. Parents can ensure that their children grow up to be straight individuals as long as the correction of negative behavior is done on time.
Many negative and in-appropriate practices have been shared by Manuel through his stories. What have you learned about “that aspect” of some classroom teachers and what negative effects might it have on the children and youth in the classroom setting?
Children, while growing up, spend a big part of their time in school. Here, teachers become the adults they are most exposed to, and for extended periods. It is, therefore, prudent that teachers recognize the role-model function they serve while in the classroom and ensure that they conduct themselves in such a manner that they provide proper direction for the children. Inappropriate practices such as improper dressing will eventually be passed on to the students. Teachers need always be aware that they are sending messages to their students by how they conduct themselves.
“Ten Things Children Need” was a big topic. Tell me about one of the “10”
One of the major things that children need in their lives is a sense of security. Children, like adults, will tend to be more peaceful when they are sure that their basic needs will be well taken care of. The knowledge that their guardians are peaceful also gives them the calmness, which allows them to focus on life-bettering activities such as schoolwork. Children, who come from families with strained ties between their parents, are always in a constant state of worry, something which leads to them not taking time to adequately focus on their education. Such children find it difficult to develop proper relationships of their own, both within and outside their homes. If the situation is not addressed in time, the children grow up with the undesirable character in their bones.
How can you be an “advocate” for the rights of children in your own life or community?
There are numerous ways in which I can be an advocate for the rights of children in my life and my community. First, as a teacher, I can dedicate time to let the children who live around me, as well as their parents, understand and appreciate their [the children’s] rights. This can be done by booking some time to speak in parent-teacher conferences and school assemblies. I can also play a direct advocacy role by ensuring that I report parents and/or guardians in my locale who may not be treating their children well. By ensuring that the people in my household are fully conversant with the rights of the children, I can start a wave that will spread to the entire community, through simple word of mouth.
What is “poor quality care” in the classroom and what could be done about it?
In the classroom, poor quality care is the failure of the teacher to understand the needs of his/her students and, therefore, end up disregarding them. In addressing the issue of poor quality care, the teachers need to be constantly assessed by their seniors as well as their peers, with recommendations made as pertains to the strengthening of areas of weakness. For instance, senior administrators in a school can sit in classes and observe how particular teachers interact with their students. The nature of the relationship can easily help determine the quality of care, in such a way that corrections can be made where mistakes are reported.
Describe how your understanding of the child, family, or community has made an impact on you as a student in the ECE field
My understanding of the child, family, and community have had a reinforcing impact on me as a student in early childhood education. This is because I now understand that how I treat the children in my class might end up having a lifelong impact on them. I have also learned that a child’s character will depend on the environment in which they are raised as well as the relationships they have with their guardians. With this knowledge in mind, it will be much easier for me to help students solve issues that hinder positive growth if they are rooted in the home environment.
Moreover, I can now easily step out as an advocate of children’s rights and confidently defend my stand should I be called to. I have learned that the career path I have taken has a profound impact on the shaping of people, and, therefore, when I begin practicing, I will not handle my duties lightly.