September 12, 2002
Kick Off Entry!
Greetings everyone!
I can’t believe it’s finally here… Launching our new baby!
Boy almighty has it been a project! Much like writing
another book (yeah I know… it’s coming too)
My most accommodating (and highly creative) web designers
gave me my own section where I can rant and rave about
whatever need be ranted and raved about. I was going to
post a simple HELLO thanks for checking out the new site
and leave it at that, but then I figured we might as well
jump in and get to work!
I have spent the summer re-reading old favorites from
college child development classes and from my early days of
teaching as well. I must say that Miseducation:
Preschoolers At Risk by David Elkind is something we all
need to blow the dust off every few years or so and re-read:
“Infants and young children are not just sitting around
waiting for someone to teach them how to read and do math…
They are expending a vast amount of time and effort in
exploring and understanding their immediate world. Early
instruction miseducates, not because it attempts to teach,
but because it attempts to teach the wrong things at the
wrong time. When we ignore what the child has to learn and
instead impose what we want to teach, we put infants and
young children at risk for no purpose.” Page 25.
“You have to be exquisitely and constantly aware of where
the child is so as to adapt your materials to the levels
and limits of the child’s understanding.” Jerome Bruner, in
footnote quote, bottom page 58.
Pages 138 – 143 provides an excellent rationale for the
importance of here-and-now based education, teaching in the
moment and being present to where children are at RIGHT NOW
(not where they need to be when they are 9). Sometimes we
all need a reminder and refresher of child development 101,
learning styles, ages and stages, theories of development,
etc. This section of the book is a wonderful reminder of
how (and why) children live thoroughly in the present.
“Young children learn through direct encounters with the
immediate world of people and objects…this type of learning
is a necessary prerequisite to the symbolic learning that
will come later”.
“Early childhood is a very important period of life. It is
a period when children learn an enormous amount about the
everyday world. It is also the time during which young
children acquire lifelong attitudes towards themselves,
others and toward learning. But it is not the time for
formal instruction. To appreciate this truth, we need to
see the early years for what they are and not through the
lenses of social, political and personal dynamics that
provide a distorted image of early childhood competence.”
Page 71.
So why the book summary? I know that when I read I like to
find the “gems”. Every now and then there is a gem of a
sentence, or a particular comment, accurate anecdote that
seems to capture the essence of WHY we do what we do. I
think this Journal section might more apt be called The WHY
Behind the Work… because it is my belief that when we, as
the teachers, educators and providers know WHY we do what
we do everyday and when we are in touch with the FIRE in
our bellies many things happen:
1. The little things don’t accumulate so fast and
start making us cranky.
2. We know why we get up and do what we do.
3. We make efforts to carve out time to DO what we
need to do to stay refueled.
4. Our passion for what we do is clearly evident.
5. We are willing to go the extra mile for the
families and children.
6. We are able to articulate our knowledge.
7. We stay abreast of issues in the field that affect
us.
The list goes on…
I can’t wait to hear from you. Let us know what you think
of the new site; let us know if you find any glitches… I’m
sure once everyone is using it we will find a few things
here and there that need to be tweaked – give a call or
send an e-mail if you find one (or two)!
Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you sometime
soon.
All my love,
lisa
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All workshop titles and articles written by Lisa Murphy are © Lisa Murphy, Ooey Gooey, Inc. Rochester, New York.
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