The following quotes are a good indicator of what comes to mind when I think of child development.
Often in our role as teacher or facilitator this occurs and we must take care to prevent or change it:
"Adults look upon a child as something empty that is to be filled through their own efforts, as something inert and helpless for which they must do everything, as somethings lacking an inner guide and in constant need of inner direction....An adult who acts in this way, even though he may be convinced that he is filled with zeal, love, and a spirit of sacrifice on behalf of his child, unconsciously suppresses the development of the child's own personality." Maria Montessori
Children's developmental milestones:
"Focus on quality and ease of movement, not on the age a milestone is accomplished." Magda Gerber
Thank you to all my classmates who have shared their thoughts, experiences, and time during the past eight weeks. As in previous classes, I am gaining much insight from each of you and your ideas. There is great value to be gained from looking at things from many perspectives and that is happening each time we read each others posts. I look forward to working and learning with each of you in the upcoming months as we proceed through this program. Cindy Ferguson
Cindy,
ReplyDeleteI like the quote you chose by Gerber. It reiterates my belief that each child is unique and develops at their own individual pace. All children will benefit if we focused more on the developmental process a child goes through, not whether a child reaches a reaches a developmental milestone at a specific age or not.
I have to say I truly enjoyed reading your posts. They were very informative and I am appreciative of all the examples you chose to share from your own experiences as an educator in a military facility. You shared some very thought provoking ideas. Thank you for always taking the time to respond to my posts in a thoughtful and constructive manner, I truly appreciate it. I wish you the best of luck as you continue your journey as an early childhood educator!
Wonderful quotes! I enjoyed being in class with you again. I gained much insight by your posts and blog. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
ReplyDeletejen