Last weekend, I was standing in line at a public event. Two people in the line behind me were having this conversation:
“What class did you get assigned to? Is it true there aren’t enough 5thgrade classes to keep you there?”
“True story. I am in 2ndgrade this year. I feel dumber already.”
Both of them laughed in agreement.
I feel sorry for her incoming 2ndgrade class. They don’t deserve someone who thinks they are of no intelligence and cannot challenge her as a teacher.
Two weeks before, I was conducting a Professional Development session for a group of teachers. One teacher told me:
“I don’t know how I will manage this year. I’ve taught 6thgrade for 2 years and have never worked with kindergarteners. I have the certification but never wanted to teach anyone younger than about 5thgrade.” “Why were you moved to kindergarten?” I asked. “I don’t know. Drew the short straw, I guess,” she replied.
Here’s one more quote from a conversation I heard when waiting to speak to a school administrator:
“I know she isn’t doing well with the 3rdgraders. Let’s put her in PreK. What harm can she do there?”
Plenty. Sigh.
The early Childhood years are the time when the foundation for future learning, self-worth and socialization is taught. We now know that experiences literally determine the architecture of a child’s developing brain. A public emphasis is being placed on the importance of early childhood education. In the United States, funding for and the implementation of quality rating improvement systems (QRIS) is a nationwide movement. Every day I hear about another state increasing funding for public preschool because we know that every child needs access to a quality early childhood education. The world looks to countries like Finland to see how they have done it so well. We study Reggio Emilio methods, project based learning and other newer teaching methods because we know that how we educate in preschool is of utmost concern.
And yet…
I still keep hearing about the early Childhood Years which span from birth to 3rdgrade being a place that we put extra people or inadequate people. You might say, “These are professionals and they will act like professionals in the classroom.” Do you think children aren’t aware of our attitudes? We believe what we see and feel. The children can feel when someone is not comfortable with their age group, doesn’t value their potential and is overall ill equipped to handle their particular world view.
I have heard these sorts of stories my whole career. You would think that by now, we would understand that impact of early childhood teachers is infinite. A child who has had a negative or substandard early childhood experience will carry that with them always. The early childhood years are far too important to the children, their families and ultimately our society to treat it like a dumping ground.
You may also want to read If You Want to Be a Teacher and Understanding Teaching as a Skill Set
“Teach the Whole Preschooler: Strategies for Nurturing Developing Minds,” my book, is available NOW from WW Norton (publisher) on Amazon, Barnes & Noble.
Subscribe to the podcast “How Preschool Teachers Do It with Alison Kentos and Cindy Terebush” on iTunes, Google Play, SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and more!
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This post first appeared on Helping Kids And Families Achieve With Cynthia Ter, please read the originial post: here
