Teacher, Woodworker, Castle Builder

07/25/2008

Teacher, Woodworker, Castle Builder

I'm more interested in arousing enthusiasm in kids than in teaching the facts. The facts may change, but that enthusiasm for exploring the world will remain with them the rest of their lives.
Seymour Simon, writer of science books for children

Our newest Beginnings Workshop book, Professionalism, includes profiles of three teachers. These profiles demonstrate, in real life, what it means to be professional in the early childhood setting. Below is an excerpt from the story of Alex Pirie. You can read the entire article, "Teachers and Then Some: Profiles of Three Teachers", for free on the Exchange website.

"I don't know if wood is any better than clay or drawing for young children, but it is a wonderful material. It allows you ways to work with all kinds of different learning styles. You can plan and assemble a construction or you can remove pieces like a sculptor. That means you can either build your way towards something or you can see into the wood and try to bring that something out. You can just slam and bang an alligator together, or you can work on it forever, cutting the shapes, using the grain. You can leave the wood plain, just letting it speak for itself, or you can really deck it out with paint, pasted-on cloth, and sparkles.

"Some people think of wood as bulky and demanding and not likely to give a child much chance for expression. But I can tell you that's not the case. I worked with a child whose mother had cancer. The child was nervous and stressed. Her family was walking that fine line between being honest and trying not to scare the child. In woodworking, she spent a lot of time making germs. She used that process to think through a whole set of questions about living and dying and contagion. When she was done, she had a concrete object that she could use with me to play out other questions or fears."

Professionalism — A New Book from Exchange

The latest book from Exchange — Professionalism — addresses the issue of professionalism in the early childhood setting. This collection of Beginnings Workshop articles includes these sections:

Being Teachers
Professionalism
Caregiver Health and Safety
Mentoring
Observing Children
Collaboration
Child Care in Unique Environments

GOOGLE HIRING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS: Google has expanded its employee child development program by opening a world-class children's center in Mountain View, California and is now hiring teachers.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.