My practice most closely relates to Vygotsky’s theory of childhood development and the Bank Street Approach to curriculum, wherein the community and diversity of cultures play a significant role in how and what a child learns. Children learn not only through exploration and direct instruction, but also through watching others and trying out what they see.
As these little learners practice, I am watching. Through careful and attentive observation, I can assess where a child is developmentally and then scaffold the learning experiences according to each individual child. I lead each child into their Zone of Proximal Development and assist them to their next level of learning and skill achievement.
At the core of my practice is a focus on social and emotional learning and competence. I believe these early years are for this regulatory development. My goal is to send children off into the world as confident, emotionally secure humans with respectful, tolerant social skills that will be the life-long foundation for success within themselves and within their community. I hope they have open arms, hearts, and possibilities in a world that so desperately needs it.
My relationships with the families, their children, and our community is integral to a successful program that benefits everyone involved. It is important to me that the children feel safe and loved so their learning can grow exponentially, that the families feel confident and heard in how their child is being raised, and that the community sees my program as a necessary part of improving human relations across ethnicity, nationality, gender, familial structure, and more. I want to “be the change.”
My program is heavily inspired by nature, as our natural world provides countless sensory and real-life learning experiences. These forms of learning are proven to facilitate information retention and neurological strengthening. It is my hope and belief that this submersion into our environment will be the foundation from which the care and concern for our world and its importance in every aspect of our existence will be built into the hearts of our children, the stewards of our environment and our future.
It is my responsibility to uphold and nurture a child’s natural curiosity and born inclination to learn about everything around them. Through child-led, play-based learning, our children are getting real exposure to skill-building and learning in a natural way. Following the interests of the child ensures the child is actively engaged in what is being taught when the opportunities arise, and this strengthens the child’s approach to learning. This practice keeps it fun! We want their natural love of learning to remain and strengthen. Additionally, this way of teaching and learning enforces the intentional development of the whole child. I carefully look for teachable moments and use them to address all learning concepts including math, science, literacy, physical development, and social/emotional development.
I am committed to creating a stimulating, nurturing environment that builds on children’s curiosity and love of learning and enriches all areas of their development. Our program strives to build partnerships with families and create a community of safety and support. It is our goal to provide a loving atmosphere that emphasizes the healthy and safe development of the whole child using a continuously researched blend of different teaching styles/theories of early childhood development and education and in collaboration with the Early Learning Guidelines of Oklahoma. Activities are largely play-based and will be developmentally appropriate to the age and individual development of each child.
