I am a 22 year old African American female, and this background became the root of my desire to be engaged in work with young children. It can sound strange but I see racial tension in the USA today. This fact makes me recall the events of Civil Rights Movement. Although official segregation was abolished more than half a century ago, this shameful phenomenon still exists in the American society, albeit in latent form. I understand how important good education is for every child, and especially those from dysfunctional families, racial minorities, living in the areas not covered by gentrification. Education is the only possibility for such children to use ‘social lift’ in their lives, and I would like to help them in it. Proper education for these children should start from the early childhood; they should be given the opportunities to shape themselves as personalities and citizens starting as early as possible.
In my work with young children, I will definitely try to adhere to high ethical standards, as I have to be an example for children. The best way of education is own behavior of parents or teacher – it teaches much better than any lectures. The personality-oriented educational process is based on the approach when the teacher addresses the student as a subject of educational activity, as a person striving for self-determination and self-realization. This most important pedagogical task determines the priority, strategy, and main directions of research in the direction of the development of my own teaching methods that can be applied within the established curriculum.
In addition, readiness for changes, mobility, the ability to take non-standard actions and make decisions independently, responsibility fully apply to a teacher, as characteristics of a successful professional’s activity. It is impossible to acquire these qualities without developing pedagogical creativity. I see my core task in creating the most appropriate conditions for disclosing the specific abilities of individual students and forming in them the skills of conducting educational activity independently, in particular, with wide application of information technologies. In addition, I believe it necessary to achieve excellence in creating interesting tasks in frames of competence-based education, as well as to take active part in communication and knowledge sharing within the professional community.
Today, it is becoming essential to shift the focus to self-control and designing own professional path. The teacher must implement a project of own professional development, which has a long-term nature, corresponding to the modern ideology of lifelong learning. It is the concept of an incessant, voluntary search for new knowledge, which is inspired by both professional and personal reasons. Such a lifestyle contributes to professional growth and competitiveness of a person in the labor market, and, at the same time, it is an essential part of personal growth. At the moment, it is still difficult for me to clearly define all areas of my interests in further professional education, but I try to constantly be acquainted with new trends and concepts offered by early childhood educators. Modern teacher working with young children needs permanent update and enhancing of knowledge, being adhere to the culture of excellence.