I think of a very special time of life. I think about children exploring, discovering, growing, learning, playing, and being free. I think about how adults can better help young children develop emotionally, physically, and socially. I think about how far the field and study of childhood development has come and I think about what it will look like in the future.
When I think of child development, I also think about my studies and my future in the field. I think about the stories of my colleagues with whom I am sharing the journey of this program. I think about all the years of collective knowledge and professional experience combined in my classes. I think a lot about how this will all help me be a well-prepared professional in my own right and how I might contribute to the world-wide discussion and database.
I'd like to share a quote from Abraham Maslow about child development and learning in general with which I closely identify:
"All of life is education and everybody is a teacher and everybody is forever a pupil."
As I continue my advanced degree, I am reminded how I am forever a pupil and I learn from my colleagues as well as the children in my classroom, their families, as well as my own child, my own family members, my friends, and society. I learn about the human condition, I learn about myself through my mistakes and successes. I love learning and I love teaching. I know the two go hand-in-hand. My goal of teaching what I have learned thus far to other adults who desire to teach preschool is closer than ever before and I hope to grow in my current job. I hope to soon get another opportunity to teach at the university level when I finish this program.
