Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-making-of-beautiful-people/5020246/
The poet Walt Whitman once said, “Now I know the secret of the making of the best person. It is to grow in the open air; and to eat and sleep with the earth.” While we may not use Whitman’s poetic words, we, as early childhood educators, probably think of our work as contributing to the “making of the best persons.” Exactly how we define this, however, might be a bit fuzzy.In March, 2010, I was privileged to participate in a professional forum focusing on the integration of peace, nature, and spirituality as a way to enhance or transform early childhood education. During this forum �" supported by the Biosophical Institute and hosted by the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Milwaukee -�" we shared ideas on what we considered desired outcomes for children participating in our programs. To frame this discussion, Ann Pelo �" author, teacher educator, and program consultant �" suggested that we reflect on how we would like a child to finish the statement, “I am a person who . . . .” We then generated a list of desired dispositions, attitudes, and inclinations we would like to see fostered in our programs. This list included ...