Philosophy

Over many years of passionately pursuing Early Childhood Education in many forms I have developed a unique philosophy of learning as it pertains to young people. 

To avoid writing an essay I will provide some guiding statements and then some vidoes that capture various ideas that align with my beliefs. 

I believe that young people learn best when they feel safe. 

*Safe to express themselves with their emerging vocabulary, but especially through their actions and behaviors when spoken words require too much cognitive processing or motor control, etc. 

I believe that young people learn best when provided multiple forms of input. 

*More than just telling with words, it means demonstrating, showing guiding, providing multiple examples, giving processing time, working together, etc. 

I believe that children learn even when they don't classically 'look like' they are learning. 

*I believe all brains take in information from their environment, meaning that important information reaches our brains from our peripheral vision, from all of our senses, including taste, touch, smell, hearing, and vision. 

*Spending time in nature is inherently calming and provides important sensory information. Practicing tuning into that sensory information is regulating and helps prime the brain for more learning. 

I believe that children's natural curiosity is one of their best assets to learning. 

*In many traditional school settings a child's curiosity is shut down because it is inconvenient for the teacher's plans, timing, or for the goals of the day. This is devastating and causes a child (who is just forming a sense of individuality and independence) to feel unworthiness or like their ideas and unique thinking is a problem. Sometimes this is even reinforced through systems of rewards or punishments. Children may respond to these scenarios by trying even harder to assert their independence and individuality, which perpetuates a negative cycle.

*Instead, using curiosity as an asset means complimenting a child on their observations, wondering alongside them, asking follow-up questions, encouraging them to explore their own answers or explanations, encouraging them to seek out information in the form of reading, etc.