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Philosophy of EducationCassondra HillEDU 284My personal philosophy is that children learn best through play. I’ve seen children play with strings and tie them together and then they try to do the same thing to the shoes in the dress up/dramatic play area. Children learn how to build things with blocks using problem solving skills when their structures keep falling over. And even though planting a garden and harvesting the fruits and vegetables seems like work to adults, children love to work in the garden. They ask if they can water the plants and if certain things are ready to be picked yet.I also feel that the parent is the child’s first teacher and the most important teacher they have. We can work and work on things in our facility but if we don’t have the support of the parents the child will just continue to backslide and we have to start all over again come Monday. Parents need to be partners with the teacher in teaching children new things at home as well as in the facility. For example: if a child is asking to use the potty because all of his/her friends are using it I generally allow the child to go and try to use the potty. Every time I do this I let the parents know that their child asked to use the potty so I allowed them to. The parents are usually interested to hear this because the child shows little interest at home.In my opinion it is also important to teach children about community and nature. Every person is a part of at least one community, most are in more, and we need to learn to adjust accordingly to each one. According to systems theory, “Each group has rules and roles which separate it from another group. These interrelated parts are not independent and must work together and influence one another. Through these systems subsystems are often formed (Lauer and Lauer p 20-21.)” Respecting one another and the things around us is vital. If we don’t have respect for others we may destroy things before others get to use them. Having respect for nature is crucial as well. We only have one planet and we need to learn to take care of it and the creatures that live upon it. Principal P-1.5 under ethical responsibilities to children states, “We shall support children’s well-being by promoting connections with their culture and communities (NAEYC Code of Ethics.” Having children aware of the community around them helps to teach them responsibilities for themselves and the things around them.Ideal I-5.4 under ethical responsibilities to community, society, and the field of early childhood education is: “ To increase the awareness of the public and policy makers about the importance of the early years and the positive impact of high-quality early care and education programs on society (NAEYC Code of Ethics).” This ideal means going out and advocating for children and the need for safe places for children to play and have good care when their parents are working.One of the most influential people in my early childhood education has been Rhonda Steele. I’ve chosen her because she is my advisor and has me immensely throughout my time at McDowell Technical Community College. When I first decided I wanted to take classes to become an early childhood educator I was originally only to go part time and just get a certificate. After taking three classes across two semesters I decided that I would just jump right in and become a full time enrolled student and go for my associate’s degree. Ms. Steele was incredibly supportive of my decision and encouraged it. The first semester as a full time student she had asked me if I would like a work study position in the child care center on campus and I had said yes. Two years later I am no longer a work study student in the child care center but rather an employee of the college and the assistant teacher in the infant room. Had Ms. Steele not asked me if I wanted that position I wouldn’t have a job now before I’ve even completed my course of study. Ms. Steele always makes time for her students when they have questions and has never steered me wrong when I’ve asked her for advice on an assignment, even if it was for another class. And now that I am in my last semester and will graduate with my associate’s degree she has been answering all of my questions about coming back to get my special needs certification and anything else I’ve been thinking about doing.I like the Froebelian belief that, “Educational experiences should be a child’s garden: full of pleasant discoveries and delightful adventure where the adults role is to plant the ideas and materials for children to use as they grow” (Gordon and Browne, p. 13). I believe that children in a preschool setting, or any setting where they are allowed to explore, learn through play and by doing. We have so many toys that are design for helping young children learn, if we use them as tools teaching becomes simpler. Preschool teachers also start the foundations of socialization with other children at a very young age. Teaching children to share toys and to work together to clean up the room throughout the day is a big part of being a preschool teacher.One of the most influent theorist to me throughout my experiences in early childhood education has been Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky viewed cognitive development as an “interaction between children and their social environment, with knowledge being co-constructed through social interaction (Swim p 44).” The most important part of his theory for me is the use of make-believe play. He believed that children use “higher cognitive development to engage in make-believe play that they use to act out internal ideas about how the world operates (Swim p 45).”Works CitedLauer, R. H., & Lauer, J. C. (2012). Marriage & Family the Quest for Intimacy (8th ed., pp. 20-21). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Gordon, A. M., & Browne, K. W. (2011). Beginnings and Beyond: Foundations in Early Childhood Education (8th ed., p. 13). San Francisco, CA: Cengage.Swim, T. J. (2014). Infants & Toddlers Curriculum and Teaching (pp. 44-45). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.Workgroup for the Development of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct Supplement for Program Administrators. (2006, July). Supplement for Early Childhood Program Administrators. In NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from

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