Article Link: http://stage.exchangepress.com/article/an-educators-rights/5021258/
What are my rights as an experienced early childhood educator? Well, first of all, thank you for asking.1
First, I have the right to be asked to the table. When school administrators are creating policies and defining learner outcomes, the teachers who are experienced and trained to work with our youngest students need to be asked about the specific needs of that population. Four and five year olds learn differently and express their knowledge differently than older students. The learning community of preschoolers is louder, more spontaneous, and busier than that of fourth graders. I can tell you what children are learning as they read the recipe and make playdough for the fourth time this month. If you have the time, I can thoroughly explain the seemingly random drawings (children’s first writing) of family members and super heroes.
2
Second, I have the right to be deeply and respectfully listened to. I have the right to be recognized for my knowledge of education, specifically early childhood education. Preschoolers can be adorable, very active, and funny, but early educators take young children and their learning very seriously. We can describe in detail the learning taking place when children pound nails into tree stumps, hush the ...