"Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. It is a small window of time to learn and develop at the pace that is right for each individual child…"
- Magda Gerber
This quote from Magda Gerber (founder of RIE, champion of respectful approaches in childcare) rings so true each time we meet an infant, toddler or young child. More so during these times, we educators have had to remember what our role truly is. With all the changes that have rocked our world, we go down to the most basic of our work—to get to know and celebrate the authentic child.
As a teacher, I have to admit that I sometimes get wrapped in thinking about WHAT the children are learning—vocabulary, numbers, beats, and motor skills etc.—that I forget HOW they learn. On countless occasions, I have found myself guilty of expecting (or hoping for) a visible output, instead of trusting the process. You know the pressure parents feel when people ask, “Has your child done this or that?” We teachers experience that, too.
We hear messages like, “She doesn’t seem to focus… He’s not doing the activity… Why isn’t she tapping? He can’t sit still… Maybe he’s not interested.” We know the child is perfectly capable, and that all experiences build up to support her growth. However, in a fast-paced world like ours, there is often an immediate need to “see a result,” not realising that the most effective learning takes time to root and grow from within.
“Slow but sure” is always a good way to go. In the coming days, I will be sharing some insights on the learning philosophies of @baumhaushk during these times.
You can also head over to www.baumhaus.com.hk/oct-bulletin and read more!
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📷: @nitsujanidem for @happybatonhk — HK’s first toy rental subscription!
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#EarlyChildhood #Respect #PlayBased #CreativeArts #Infants #Toddlers #Playgroup #PlaygroupHK #HKSchools #CriselConsunji #BaumhausHK #KindermusikHK #Kindermusik #HappyBatonHK #PlayItForward #ArtsEducation
