My Early Childhood Teaching Philosophy 

I believe the primary purpose of early childhood education is to lay a foundation for learning that supports children throughout their lives and developmental stages. This foundation sets the children up for success. With a strong foundation in place, children can self-regulate their emotions, problem-solve, and socialize with other children. Early childhood matters because, without a strong foundation, children will not be able to function within society.  I believe that children will not be able to regulate their emotions without being taught how to do so, which will cause them to “look” for ways to express themselves. This will look like behavior. For example, a child wants a toy from another child, so they take it without asking, or they hit the other child to get it. This is normal for the child who hit/took the toy because they were not shown how to regulate their emotions or problem-solve.  

 

In my classroom, children should experience a warm, welcoming environment. Children should be able to express themselves however they want with the materials provided in the classroom. The foundation I want to build for young children includes a safe, nurturing environment to enhance their development. For example, I will create a family wall for children's pictures and an area to display their work. I will have developmentally appropriate materials in the classroom, including child-sized furniture and tables/shelves. I will establish routines incorporated into our daily schedule. This allows children to feel safe and comfortable when they know what is expected of them and what's coming next. 

 

I choose to work with young children because I love to watch them grow and learn new things. I love how a child's mind works and how they keep us constantly thinking about the world around us in new ways we wouldn’t have thought about. What motivates me as an early childhood educator is seeing that “aha” moment a child has when they complete a task they have been working on but couldn’t figure out how to. For example, I had a student struggling to open their milk. After several weeks of showing and helping the child open their milk, the child opened it on their own by pulling both sides of the carton apart. The child's face lit up with a smile when the milk opened on its own. The most rewarding aspect of teaching young children is the impact I have left on them. I didn’t realize how much impact I have on children until I observed them doing something I had taught them. For example, I had observed two young children arguing over a dress. One of them went over to the shelf and got a timer. I had been working with a different child on sharing, and these two children saw me and decided to get the timer to share the dress. I am committed to this field because young children are our future, and we need to protect them.

 

I believe young children learn best when they feel safe and comfortable in their environment. In my understanding, children develop and learn through play-based learning. Play is important to learning because it fosters a child's creativity, problem-solving, social skills, emotional regulation, and turn-taking. During play, I model how to do something while using self-talk. For example, I said that I am getting some Play-Doh out. I am getting my Play-Doh tray. What should I make? I think I want to make a flower. 

 

To support each child’s individual learning, I will first observe them. Observing children will tell me what a young child needs, what they like/who they are as an individual. I will talk to the families and ask them about their concerns and about their child. Using both my conversations with families and my observations, I will create an individual goal for the child that aligns with the family's goals. I will work with the child in the classroom on their goal, and then I will send home activities that support the child's goal for their families to use at home. Children learn most effectively in a nurturing, welcoming environment. If a child feels unsafe, they can’t learn anything. The child will be focused on their parent's return to pick them up rather than on what is going on around them, leading to behavior problems. 

 

My primary goal as an educator is to foster a nurturing learning environment by creating a safe place where children can reach their full developmental and social potential. In my classroom, I strive to make sure every child feels safe and included by modeling. I want children in my care to feel safe, loved, and able to express themselves how they need to. For example, I want children to come to me when they need something or just want to play/talk. By the end of the year, I hope children will have a better understanding of how to regulate their emotions and problem-solving skills. I want children to be prepared for their next stage of development, whether that means returning to preschool or transitioning to kindergarten the following year. My long-term goals for the children I teach include fostering a love and curiosity for learning. I want children to ask questions to get more insight into what they are learning. 

 

In my classroom, I use teaching strategies such as hands-on activities, building language, scaffolding new skills, and building routines. I will use open-ended questions to support scaffolding. For example, I had a student in the past who loved building. They kept building, and the tower kept falling down. I asked what would happen if you moved this piece of the block here. They thought for a while and came back to say it will not fall down. I asked how this would prevent the tower from falling down. They said it will hold this side.  To engage children in learning, I will be positive and engaging with them. For example, I will read a story in funny voices and use puppets for the children to re-enact. I will ask the children questions as we read through the story.  My approach to curriculum planning involves what the children are interested in and staying within Head Start regulations. I will plan the curriculum around the children’s developmental needs. When introducing new concepts, I will use visuals as I talk about our new study. I will tell a story about the new study. For example, getting a book about trees for the tree study or a book about boxes for the box study. In my classroom, we just finished the box study by making a castle out of boxes.  Children in my classroom couldn’t wait to play inside the castle, they helped make and tape pieces together, and color them. I support different learning styles. I will have an activity available in different ways. For example, I will have some materials precut for students who struggle with cutting, and others to be cut out. I made a pizza and cut circles out for some children, while others who wanted to cut them out did. 

 

The learning environment I create is warm and nurturing. My teaching style is blended. I take an approach that combines what the child needs with what I am teaching. For example, a child needs a fidget to get through a group activity. I give the child the fidget so they can focus on the activity we are doing. I will check in with the child periodically to make sure that they don’t need anything else. In my classroom, you would see the children playing and learning together with me. I will engage with the children at their level. A typical day in my classroom begins with a positive attitude. I would start by greeting the children when they arrive. I will have breakfast ready for when the children arrive. Then I will have free choice, followed by groups, outside, lunch, and then rest. After resting, I will have more free choices and snacks. For dismisable, I will say goodbye to each child and tell them to see you tomorrow. The physical environment I design supports learning by fostering safety, comfort, and independence. For example, having child-sized chairs and tables, along with child-sized shelves, all support a child’s independence. The children don’t have to ask me for something off the shelves; they can get it themselves.  My interactions with children are characterized by warm responsiveness and consistent engagement. For example, I will consistently talk with and play with the children throughout the day.