How did you spend your days when you were three years old?
Who did you spend your days with?
Did you go to school?
Were you in a large group of same age children?
How much time did you spend outdoors?
How regimented were your days?
It is remarkable to me how things have changed for preschoolers
since I was young.
Imagine, in school all day long!
I wonder about this all the time.
Teaching in a public charter elementary school,
I feel almost continual tension between
"institutional" rules, regulations, goals, and
children's developmental needs.
Public education for preschoolers is
such a great opportunity for families.
We need to ensure it is a great opportunity for preschoolers.
In my teaching,
I try
to never lose sight of the individual needs of the children,
to let children have considerable flexibility in how their day goes,
to try as much as possible to follow the child's lead.
I truly believe that preschoolers
- three year olds -
should
more or less
follow their own drummer,
to pursue and develop their own interests,
to learn through play that they themselves choose.
Every day,
every day,
as much as possible,
I let the children
choose what they want to do,
dress up in costumes,
leave up what they build, to return to again at a later time,
get snack when they want,
get messy.
Every day,
every day,
as much as possible,
I let the children
run and run and run,
immerse themselves in great stories,
take off their shoes,
talk, sing, get loud,
play outside,
hide in special nooks,
laugh and be silly,
play with abandon, immersed, captivated,
experience the magic of learning.
Every day,
every day,
as much as possible,
I follow a routine but ignore the clock.
Every day,
every day,
as much as possible,
I try to be present with children.
I try to be alongside.
I try.
I am convinced
it is possible
to create learning experiences
that meet all the institutional rules, regulations, goals, and
also meet
children's developmental needs.
I wonder about it all the time.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be absolutely wonderful to share this with other pre-school teachers, Maureen. I do love it when you explain with illustrations! I especially like this:
"Every day,
every day,
as much as possible,
I try to be present with children.
I try to be alongside.
I try."
Thank you so much -- this kind of teaching is the reason I brought my daughter to her new school! My memories from when I was little are of everything being very regimented -- I was extremely curious, and it got me in a lot of trouble :). I remember so many times wanting to touch or explore some object and being afraid to do so, and having to sit for what seemed like interminable amounts of time. To be able to give my daughter an environment that encourages her curiosity and helps her learn in organic ways means everything!!
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