ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

I believe the outcome of your survey reflects what I see as I work with early childhood professionals. Those rooms where teachers are engaged in building a relationship with the children tend to appear more effective. Those teachers are not only seeking to know and understand each child, but they then are more likely to use that knowledge to build a stronger and more effective program because they want the children to do well! Also glad to see that respondents put an early childhood degree so high.

As a director of a center I have to agree with the order of the top 5 %'s.
An education is invaluable but if an employee is not passionate about their
concern and love for the child then they will generally not be able to enjoy the children's developmental behavior, humor, fears and interests.

I would much rather have a teacher who has a passion for what she/he is doing than someone who feels they "know" everything because they have a degree. Too often I have interviewed and had a perspective candidate do a working interview who has displayed no connection with the children, no common sense, and not be willing to be flexible, to meet the needs of the children as opposed to doing everything by the book. Training, enhances an inner passion that is something that cannot be learned from a book, it is by experiences in your life that create a desire to make a life long difference in the life of a child. Being willing to play, to cry and leave fingerprints on the lives of the children you care for and cherishing the fingerprints they leave on your heart.

The quality of the person is more important than the degrees the person holds. Does the person understand children? Is the person nurturing? Is the person able to command the respect and love of the children?

These are the questions that must be answered first about a person. If the answers are yes, then we can train the person.

I also agree that a nuturing, loving personality is most important as an early childhood educator. I do appreciate the information and knowledge that I have gained from my Masters program. It gave me great insight into the child development particularly with reading and writing. This provides me with a very realistic idea of what children may understand at these young ages which allows me to explain to the parents that to a child an "D" is a D whether the child 'draws' it upside down, right-side up or backwards--just as a chair is a chair no matter which we you turn it. Most of my day though is spent encouraging the child's spirit, helping them deal with emotional or social issues and finding great joy in their discoveries and creativity. Early childhood educators need patience and the ability to laugh often.