Back to uni taking my postgraduate in Early Childhood Education, I encountered the term whole school approach. Whole school approach simply means all levels of workforce in a school should work hand in hand together to reach a common goal, to solve a common problem and most importantly, to support its teachers.
My question is -- Is this working in the school you are in? Not for me...
Recently, I was working on a suspected special child case. The child isn't the worst I've seen, but definitely a difficult one. He was not making any eye contact at all, never responds when his name is called, can hardly follow simple instructions and doesn't understand the concept of discipline. He still babbles at the age of 2 years 6 months with NO CLEAR WORD at all coming out of his mouth, meaning he is not picking up the sounds he's been hearing.
I was told that the child is just spoiled and I should not bother myself observing him. That even if he is diagnosed, it will not make any difference since he will still be in my class. I fought my way to the management and was given a chance to prove my case. I made a journal, created an assessment worksheet based on the readings I've made, took pictures and videos of the child in class. I was surprised that after all these, responsibility has been passed on from one level of management to another. I finally decided to talk to the parents, and the child has recently been diagnosed with multiple behavioural, attention and speech problems.
Due to all the delays created by the management people, the child is now due to move up to preschool. I told the management that the child is not ready. This is what I was told -- The parents agreed to it, they will be paying more money since the child is attending five days of preschool. It's time to pass the responsibility to them, Dana. It's no longer your problem.
Whole school approach? Where is it?
Sunday 31 January 2010
Child's development matters
It's been a while since I last posted. I've been enjoying teaching children so much, so many crafts to do, so many sensory to explore. I've decided to do messy sensory once a week, the children loves it! Last week, I mixed everything I can find on the table -- paint, glue, shaving foam, water, hamster bedding, feather, twigs and leaves. They had a great time exploring different textures!
This is one thing I am having a hard time convincing parents to do at home. Since I also teach playgroup class, I have parents attending the class with the extremely young children as well. Parents in Hong Kong always want their children to be "clean" and doing sensory is "messy". To them, getting messy is improper, this attitude being taught to children left them freaking out during my sensory sessions when they move up to the pre-nursery classes.
Going home with paint stain on faces and arms, with shoes on the wrong side of their feet, backpacks put on but upside down -- these all mean the child is learning to do things on their own. It means the child is given the freedom to explore. It means the child is allowed to enjoy school. If I were a parent, I would doubt what my child is doing at school if my child looks exactly like when he was being dropped off.
As a preschool teacher, I believe that proper child development means allowing your children to explore and do things on their own. The classroom should be where they are allowed do move with least restrictions, it should not be a place full of rules to follow and full of "no's" and "do not do this and that". Giving your children restrictions means stopping your child from growing. Teaching proper discipline is implied, it should not stop children from enjoying preschool.
This is one thing I am having a hard time convincing parents to do at home. Since I also teach playgroup class, I have parents attending the class with the extremely young children as well. Parents in Hong Kong always want their children to be "clean" and doing sensory is "messy". To them, getting messy is improper, this attitude being taught to children left them freaking out during my sensory sessions when they move up to the pre-nursery classes.
Going home with paint stain on faces and arms, with shoes on the wrong side of their feet, backpacks put on but upside down -- these all mean the child is learning to do things on their own. It means the child is given the freedom to explore. It means the child is allowed to enjoy school. If I were a parent, I would doubt what my child is doing at school if my child looks exactly like when he was being dropped off.
As a preschool teacher, I believe that proper child development means allowing your children to explore and do things on their own. The classroom should be where they are allowed do move with least restrictions, it should not be a place full of rules to follow and full of "no's" and "do not do this and that". Giving your children restrictions means stopping your child from growing. Teaching proper discipline is implied, it should not stop children from enjoying preschool.
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