This quote by Dr. Seuss sums up the essential aspects of childhood and education. First and foremost, all children should be loved. Children are the future and it is our job to make sure
we allow them to grow and to learn. With this love, children will learn to love. This ability is important for children to gain: the ability to love and to respect others. By providing children
with this ability to love, we are helping them to build their confidence: their confidence in interacting with others...their confidence in learning...and their confidence in themselves.
Children also deserve the right to hope. They will hope for many physical objects, but the most important thing that children hope for is the ability to learn. All children go through childhood hoping to learn. They hope to learn how to read...how to write...how to add, subtract, multiply, divide...how to handle different situations...and how to grow. It is our job to be sure that all of these intangible hopes are met. However, because we want children to keep this hope, we must keep their interest level high. We accomplish this by providing a variety of teaching techniques
and by making learning fun.
And finally (maybe even most importantly), all children have an inalienable right to mischief.
This means children should be allowed to find themselves an acceptable amount of trouble. Making mistakes and getting into trouble may be the best way for children to learn. With this aspect, it is our job to make sure children know the differences between right and wrong, and
why certain behaviors are unacceptable. By providing children with these experiences, we are helping to mold model citizens that can solve problems in appropriate ways.
It is easy to see that my philosophy on childhood and education is as unique as Dr. Seuss, himself. However, if we meet these three areas for each and every child, they will have a greater opportunity to grow and to learn. They will learn to think for themselves and to make their own decisions. They will also learn to love and to respect others. And these are the most important things to gain in the childhood years.
we allow them to grow and to learn. With this love, children will learn to love. This ability is important for children to gain: the ability to love and to respect others. By providing children
with this ability to love, we are helping them to build their confidence: their confidence in interacting with others...their confidence in learning...and their confidence in themselves.
Children also deserve the right to hope. They will hope for many physical objects, but the most important thing that children hope for is the ability to learn. All children go through childhood hoping to learn. They hope to learn how to read...how to write...how to add, subtract, multiply, divide...how to handle different situations...and how to grow. It is our job to be sure that all of these intangible hopes are met. However, because we want children to keep this hope, we must keep their interest level high. We accomplish this by providing a variety of teaching techniques
and by making learning fun.
And finally (maybe even most importantly), all children have an inalienable right to mischief.
This means children should be allowed to find themselves an acceptable amount of trouble. Making mistakes and getting into trouble may be the best way for children to learn. With this aspect, it is our job to make sure children know the differences between right and wrong, and
why certain behaviors are unacceptable. By providing children with these experiences, we are helping to mold model citizens that can solve problems in appropriate ways.
It is easy to see that my philosophy on childhood and education is as unique as Dr. Seuss, himself. However, if we meet these three areas for each and every child, they will have a greater opportunity to grow and to learn. They will learn to think for themselves and to make their own decisions. They will also learn to love and to respect others. And these are the most important things to gain in the childhood years.