On Becoming a Great Early Childhood Educator Essay Example for Free

On Becoming a Great Early Childhood Educator Essay One of the best professions that an individual could ever have is that of being an early childhood educator. The said profession goes far more than teaching theories and knowledge within the four walls of the classroom. It actually includes molding and shaping the future of the country through the youth. Many people are trying to become an educator of children in the community but only few of have the authentic qualifications that fulfill the requirements of becoming a great teacher. This is considered as a fact since many people view teaching as a mere process of transferring of knowledge to the students. Nevertheless, the role of a teacher is not actually bounded on these expectations. As William Arthur Ward puts it, â€Å"a mediocre teacher tells, a good teacher explains, a superior teacher demonstrates, but a great teacher inspires† (Thinkexist. com, 2010). Educators nowadays should not be limited to transferring knowledge to the students. They should serve as the catalysts of change and development of the students. The paper tackles my personal vision of myself as an early childhood educator. It discusses the factors that are considered to be essential in becoming a great teacher, which include the required training for the educator, the very definition of an early education, the model classroom, the materials and equipments for the classroom, and many others which are based on my personal point of view. On becoming a professional early childhood educator To become a professional early childhood educator is not an easy task since one needs to conform to the professional qualities that a great teacher should have. Among the professional qualities which are essential in becoming a great educator is the knowledge of the teacher regarding the subject matter that he or she will teach. It is not enough for a teacher to know his or her subject well. Rather, it is also important that he or she possesses the in-depth understanding of the discipline or lesson that he or she is teaching. Likewise, a teacher is to be considered great if he or she has the ability to relate and integrate other branches of knowledge to the lesson, subject or discipline that he or she is teaching. This means that the teacher should not be only limited to the topic that he or she is required to lecture during a particular day. For example, it is indeed advantageous to teach writing skills while at the same time teaching the values of preserving and conserving the environment. In this situation, the teacher is able to hit two birds with one shot. The teacher trains students on writing, which is one of the standards in the English subject, while he or she also integrates preserving the nature, which is a very good topic in Biology. Along with the mastery of the subject matter is the good facility of the teacher to lesson plan making. Since it is considered to be the backbone and soul of the class, the lesson plan is indeed important to assure that everything will go smoothly in the teaching and learning process. Hence, a teacher must always have a lesson plan in order to assure the success of the teaching-learning process. As equally important as the understanding of the teacher to the subject matter of the class, a great educator should also have the in-depth understanding to the most important factor in the teaching-learning paradigm – the learners. If a teacher does not have the full understanding on the growth and development of the learners, he or she will most likely fail in the teaching-learning process. For instance, to be able to become successful in educating the children, the teacher should know the different learning styles and habits of the students. Some students may learn easily with the use of visual aids; some may adapt quickly with the aid of real objects and models; and some may enjoy listening to sounds and music. It is important for the teacher to have the ability to classify the students according to their learning styles and habits since some of them maybe visual, realistic, auditory and the like. Furthermore, the teacher should have the needed knowledge regarding the different teaching methodologies and strategies to satisfy the unique needs of every learner in the classroom. Since different learning styles require different learning needs and strategies, a great teacher should have a full grasp of the different methodologies in teaching a lesson (Cole, 2008). For instance, visual learners learn best through the use of visual aid, realistic learners learn through the use of models and real objects, and auditory learners learn through the sense of hearing. In this case, the teacher should have the perfect timing and proper usage of the different methodologies and strategies on teaching the learners. A flash card, for example, is best for drill, mastery and memorization. Smartboard, on the other hand, is intended for interactive participation of the learners (Promethean, n. d. ). In relation, the Socratic Method is deemed best for initiating critical thinking among the students. Modeling, however, is ideal in assisting the students in the classroom activities like in the application and evaluation parts (Fathman Crowther, 2006). Indeed, there are a variety of methods that a teacher can use inside the classroom. The teacher should only have the knowledge on the proper use and timing of these methodologies to assure the success of the teaching-learning process (Killen, 2006). Aside from the mastery of the subject matter and the knowledge on the learning styles and teaching strategies, a teacher should also have his or her own educational philosophy in order for him or her to understand the whole educational paradigm. It is important for a teacher to know the guiding principles that make up his or her total personality. Based on the different educational philosophies, a teacher may be considered as a realist, idealist, existentialist, and the like. A realist teacher uses real objects to transfer knowledge to the students. An idealist teacher, on the other hand, uses thought-provoking questions to initiate critical thinking among the students. An existentialist or constructivist, moreover, believes that practical application is the very essence of learning (Steffe Gale, 1995). If a teacher has the knowledge regarding his or her own educational philosophy, he or she will be guided accordingly on his or her teaching methodologies and strategies while considering the learners’ various learning styles and habits. Lastly, to be able to become a great educator, a teacher must also be knowledgeable regarding the current events and advances that the modern world has to offer. Since education is described to be flexible, a teacher should know the latest trends that could help improve the teaching and learning system in the classroom. For instance, because of the technological advances that science has brought to us, most of the classrooms nowadays are using the Smartboard instead of the typical chalkboard or whiteboard. Since this technology brings comfort to the teacher and learners, it is advantageous if the teacher will use it as one of the teaching devices inside the classroom. Another example is the use of computer, LCD projector, PowerPoint and other media presentation, video, speech laboratory, Internet and many others. With the use of these technological advances, the classroom could serve as a comfort zone for both teacher and learners. Hence, on my perspectives, I need to possess the above professional qualifications in order for me to become a great early childhood educator. I must be trained on the mastery of particular subject matters, understand my students’ various learning styles and habits, understand the different teaching methodologies and strategies, know my personal educational philosophy, and discover the different technological advances in the field of education. My vision of what an early childhood education ought to be Aside from knowing the various students’ learning styles and habits and the different teaching methodologies and strategies, early childhood education for me also means knowing the very definition of Howard Gardner’s Theories on Multiple Intelligences (MI). Early childhood is considered to be the most critical stage in the life of every individual since it is said to be formative in nature. It is the stage where an individual learns everything in his or her life. Hence, it is very important that the teacher should know how to guide and assist the learners carefully and properly. It is not really enough that the teacher knows how to teach the learners to count, read, speak and write. The teacher must also know how to maximize the development of the learners into its fullest. One of the best ways to maximize the full development of every child in this generation is the consideration of the Theory of Multiple Intelligence. This theory states that every individual has his or her own intelligence based on their abilities and capacities. Based on this theory, learners may be categorized as visual-spatial, linguistics, bodily-kinesthetic, mathematical-logical, musical, naturalist, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Prior to the discovery of the MI theory, students’ intelligence is being measured by their mastery on reading and counting. Nevertheless, in the current educational set up of our country, intelligence is measured through the different dimensions of the skills and capacities of the students. For instance, a student who knows how to play a musical instrument skillfully may be considered as a genius in music. Likewise, a student who has an incomparable skill on word formation and sentence composition may be regarded as linguistically-gifted. Moreover, a student who draws or paints incredibly may be considered to be visually-intelligent. I do believe that this concept is indeed important in the early childhood education since it will help me in maximizing the skills and capacity of my students. As a great educator, I must let my students develop and progress all the aspects in their individuality in order for them to attain maximum early childhood education development. This practical application of the MI theory, furthermore, should be coupled with the different teaching strategies that will enhance each student’s intelligence. For instance, I could allow the linguistically-gifted students to play with word formation or word puzzle games in order to satisfy their needs as linguistics learners. More so, I could also let those who are mathematically-intelligent to solve problems and equations as part of their motivation or application and evaluation activities. The interpersonal-intelligent students, on the other hand, can have debates, group discussion and other activities which entail speaking and communication. Indeed, early childhood education is not an easy task in comparison to other levels of education. The teacher in this level, aside from serving as the â€Å"loco parentis† of the learners, should be intelligent, careful and wise in choosing the proper teaching methodologies to suit the various learning styles and multiple intelligences of the learners.

Night by Elie Wiesel and A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway Essay

The autobiography Night by Elie Wiesel contains similarities to A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. These works are similar through the struggles that the main characters must face. The main characters, Elie Wiesel and Lieutenant Frederic Henry, both face complete alterations of personality. The struggles of life make a person stronger, yet significantly altering identity to the point where it no longer exists. This identity can be lost through extreme devotion, new experience, and immense tragedy. Devotion towards another human being must be developed, it does not occur instantaneously. In the autobiography Night, Elie was not so much concerned with the welfare of his family while living in Sighet, Transylvania. Elie goes against his father when it comes to his religious studies, â€Å"One day I asked my father to find me a master who could guide me in my studies of the Kabbalah. ‘You are too young for that’† (Wiesel 4). Just as most children, Elie does not accept his father’s answer. Elie finds his own teacher, Moishe the Beadle. When forced into the struggles of concentration camp, Elie becomes faithful to his father. Elie does not have any friends or family members left. For this reason, his father becomes the reason for life itself. This devotion towards his father alters the reasons for his life’s continuance as a whole. This can be seen as life in the camp continues and Elie develops a selfless attitude. His only concern lies in the hea lth of his loving father. Elie states, â€Å"My father’s presence was the only thing that stopped me. He was running next to me, out of breath, out of strength, desperate. I had no right to let myself die. What would he do without me? I was his sole support† (Wiesel 86). This insta... ...ing identity to the point where it no longer exists. This identity can be lost through extreme devotion, new experience, and immense tragedy. Relationships with the most meaningful companions impact both main characters, Elie and Frederic. Due to the events they must encounter alongside loved ones, Elie and Frederic change completely, losing the identity that once existed. The most impactful events of any life are those that involve struggle and tragedy. Any tragic event that one encounters can significantly alter the purpose of life forever. Tragic events such as taking away what one may hold dearest, such as a loved one in the cases of Elie and Frederic. This type of loss can create a saddened, purposeless life in all humans. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Scribner, 2003. Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Hill and Wang, 2006.

Modern Philosophy Essay

Herman Ebbinghaus has pointed out that psychology and philosophy are intertwined one way or the other. In order for Psychologists to study human behavior, as well as metal process, they must go step back and consider being philosophical. One must be rational and logical when studying this process and behavior, thus going back to psychology’s roots. Towards the end of the Renaissance period, Rene Descartes emerged and was tagged as the father of Modern Philosophy. As mentioned, Philosophy and Psychology work hand in hand in analyzing human behavior. Descartes’ ideas were formed when he said that he found formal education with the Jesuits was not enough to feed his thirst for knowledge and distraught on the lack of knowledge that was fed to him during his college or scholastic days. Because of this he opted to explore and find things out on his own. Descartes strong desire to get answers and fill his doubts with facts and certainties; he spent his time finding ways to unite all knowledge. Though a philosopher, he â€Å"for example, he combined his interests in optics and physiology by extracting the eye of an ox and examining the properties of the lens, thereby discovering the fact that retinal images are inverted (as cited, Vrooman, 1970). † Descartes had four rules: First, he would accept nothing as true unless â€Å"it presented itself so clearly and distinctly to my mind that there was no reason to doubt it† (Descartes, 1637/1960, p. 15). Second, he would take problems and analyze them, reducing them to their fundamental elements. Third, he would systematically work from the simplest of these elements to the more complex, and fourth, he would carefully review his conclusions to be certain of omitting nothing. As a rationalist, he has said that reasoning is innate in humans. The capacity to think and put logic and into, perhaps a situation or event in a person’s life is something that is natural and that people do not rely on just experience. People are given the gift to think and make decisions, and these are made and achieved because of man’s ability to rationalize and think logically. Because he was a scientist and a mathematician, he believed that one must doubt on things that has no basis and can not be explained. Cognitive Psychology deals with mental process or the mental state of a person. For instance, studying or analyzing the mental state of a child. According to Jean Piaget, a person’s mental growth had education as a key role in a child’s mental development. It is said that, it is our teachers or mentors that one develops his perception and thinking, among others. In relation to Ebbinghaus’ study of Memory and Forgetting, experiments have been made in order to analyze a person’s capability to memorize and forget. With the help of research and methodology, and Ebbinghaus’ invention of some tests for memory retention, we begin to understand how memory works and improved. What stuck me most on Watson’s manifesto is his strong point and statement that man’s behavior or contribution has been applied to different facets of life and education. Upon reading this, I realized I believed and agree to his principles and view. Psychology is about behavior and a person’s behavior is linked to how he thinks. There is an array of reasons why a person acts or behaves in a certain way. This may be contributed by life experiences, family background, culture or influences of peers. A person may act differently because of their beliefs as well and their way of living. Behavior is also an expression of one’s feelings and emotions. An art fanatic or an artist may act differently or a little bit off the edge, but to them, their behavior and ways are but normal and they are merely expressing themselves, with the way they talk, dress or even walk. Another example is a person’s cultural beliefs and practices. Because people emerged and come from different races and cultures, they act and behave differently. Cultural beliefs are formed in our minds at very young age. These were passed on to us by our parent or ancestors. And from that very young age, till the time that we grow old, those teachings will remain if not in our hearts but in our subconscious. Even though we move away from our birthplace, one way or the other, in spite the influence of the today’s generation and the ever so changing world, we still go back to our own roots and ways. References (N. A. ). DESCARTES: THE BEGINNINGS OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE (N. A.). Chapter 10: JOHN B. WATSONAND THE FOUNDING OF BEHAVIORISM

Personal Statement Ethics And Ethics - 931 Words

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