PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF CARE AND EDUCATION FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS

I believe that early childhood centres should be places where infants and toddlers can connect with the natural world. Infants and toddlers need to feel alive in unity with nature. Early childhood centres should provide a warm, safe, and friendly environment where infants and toddlers can play learning and learn playing. Infants and toddlers should grow up in an environment where they feel respected and valued, and in a place where their choices can be heard. It is important for me to help children develop strong self-esteem to enable them to become competent and confident learners. I believe in teachers who are passionate about working with infants and toddlers. I believe in developing relationships with the children and their families to help them develop trust in themselves and others.

MY IDEAL EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE

“A wonderful place to be a child is a place where a child can fall in love with the world” (Prescott, as cited in Feeney, Christensen & Moravcik, 2006, p. 223). I have been greatly influenced by Steiner’s approach that physical environment is important (Pound, 2005) and I easily identify myself with Reggio Emilia’s philosophy in education, where beauty is first (Lee, 2002). My ideal early childhood centre for infants and toddlers is a place aesthetically pleasing, organised, and clean. An early childhood education environment should be delicately designed for infant and toddler settings, with attention to detail and beauty (Feeney et al., 2006). In addition, “spaces do more than speak – they load our bodies and minds with sensory information” (Greenman, 2007, p. 13). The learning setting should be developed as an attractive, interesting, and enjoyable learning environment for children and adults (Greenman, 2007).

My ideal early childhood centre for infants and toddlers is a place of opportunity and potential where children can be in contact with nature (Childs, 1995). I would like to see a green space with trees, vegetable garden, grass, a small stream and a bridge, sand beach, small places to hide, some birds, hens, rabbits, and water to play in. An art room and some magazines with photos of famous painters would inspire children to be creative (Lee, 2002). A playground should be a place where infants and toddlers can develop physical movement. I would like infants and toddlers to have opportunities for exploration, discovery, and learning too (Ministry of Education, 1996). “The ‘aliveness’ of a natural outdoor playspace ensures that, with each new day, there are new discoveries for children” (Elliot & Davis, 2008, p. 5).

Some early childhood centres may struggle to fully apply Steiner’s approach to the special environment because of the restriction of space and the higher prices of land in big cities. There, early childhood centres may simply conform to the minimum space requirements of the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, sometimes early childhood centres may apply the philosophy of big cities that value the practical artificial grass and plastic toys for children.

The inside area of my ideal centre should be functional, clean, and spacious, with lots of natural light; an attractive literacy corner; an art area with play dough, paint, and collage; a family area, a cooking area, a yoga area, and an area for music and drama class. I strongly agree with Greenman (2007) that the environment has the power to influence people. I think that order is essential too; Greenman (2007) states that the environment needs to be organised, to maximise the teacher’s time when providing care.

I share Pikler/Gerber’s philosophy that early childhood centres should transmit peace, warmth, love and, above all, respect (Brownlee, 2008); “Respect is the basis of the RIE philosophy” (Gerber, 2005, p. 37). I also believe that respect is fundamental when caring for infants and toddlers. Certainly, my ideal centre is a place where infants and toddlers “feel safe, have the freedom to explore, where caregivers are committed to allowing them to be who they are” (Gerber & Johnson, 1998, p. 117). However, in practice, I still see that sometimes teachers do not show the respect that Pikler and Gerber emphasise as necessary when caring for infants and toddlers’ needs. Teachers often follow programmes where they try very hard to put children to eat, sleep, and/or sometimes to play.

I do not want to see structured programmes in my ideal centre. I prefer a responsive learning environment rather than a rigid program of intellectual stimulation (Gerber, 2005). I feel a strong connection with the Pikler/RIE approach when it refers to the value of caregiving time. I want teachers to slow down and to see them taking care of infants’ feeding and changing nappies without rushing (Coughlan, 2005; Suskind, 2003).

I identify with Steiner’s philosophy in regard to the homelike environment of the early childhood centre; “The kindergarten is designed to be a warm and friendly place with a homelike environment” (Pound, 2005, p. 27). I believe that toddlers should be experiencing tasks that they experience at home, such as cooking, cleaning, and gardening. It is important for infants and toddlers to be involved in meaningful life experiences. Possibly, home life has changed since Steiner wrote his philosophy; there has been a change in behaviours and tasks. However, infants and toddlers learn through imitation and being involved in real life experiences, which was Piaget’s approach (Pound, 2005). I think that teachers should not set up learning experiences on their own. I believe that, for a toddler, it would be more significant to feel actively involved in the process of developing the learning experience; it would make them feel more like they were a participant of their learning.

I would like to work with teachers who are passionate. Steiner and Reggio Emilia’s philosophies embody my beliefs in this area (Childs, 1995; Lee, 2002). I would like to have teachers who want to make a difference and who do more each day for the children, for themselves, and for humanity. I share Steiner’s philosophy that the entire teaching staff should be responsible for the day-to-day running of the centre (Childs, 1995). The teachers need to be honest, authentic, loyal, compassionate, positive, empathetic, and passionate about who they are and what they do. Following Pikler’s philosophy, it is important to help teachers understand that “who they are in the lives of children is more important than what they do” (Elam, 2005, p. 117). Teachers who love and respect themselves first are more likely to love and respect others. Gerber (2005) states that it is more important for a child to be accepted and loved for who they are rather than to be expected to do things they cannot do.

I disagree with the cultural attitude of some early childhood centres that still believe that teachers should entertain children and/or show work. I prefer Gerber’s philosophy that teachers need to “observe more, do less, enjoy more” (Gerber, as cited in Suskind, 2003, p. 23). It is important for teachers to allow infants and toddlers freedom of movement and uninterrupted play every day (Suskind, 2003).

In my early childhood centre, I would like to see teachers respecting colleagues, children and whānau, which is Reggio Emilia’s philosophy. I would like the children and their families, the teachers, and each person who comes to my centre to feel included and welcomed. I want the teachers to value diversity and to treat people equally, without any kind of discrimination. It is important to always make family members feel welcome (Feeney et al., 2006).

An area can be set aside where parents can feel comfortable about talking to the teachers, and another area where mothers can feel comfortable breastfeeding their babies. I would like parents to feel relaxed about watching informative videos, reading brochures and books, and writing and sharing their expectations. I certainly would like to see parents and whānau attending our workshops at my early childhood centre. I will follow Pikler’s philosophy when facilitating workshops, sharing knowledge, and being responsive to what parents want to know (Elam, 2005).

These days, people seem to be in a rush all day. Teachers do not find the time to talk with parents and vice versa. I have experienced some parents not even moving one step from the main door but instead leaving their toddlers for a teacher to come and look after them. Te Whāriki states that “the families of all children should feel that they belong and are able to participate in the early childhood education programme and in decision making” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 54). However, it is not always possible to follow this approach in practice.

I have been influenced by Steiner’s philosophy of spirituality (Childs, 1995; Pound, 2005). Spirituality is not “only about being human but about being human in connection with all things” (Bone, 2008, p. 18). I certainly would like to see the infants and toddlers at my centre show care and respect for all things around them and, above all, to be grateful. Furthermore, I agree with Painton (2007) that infants and toddlers do not rely on words to express their feelings and experiences; play is their language and their way of communicating emotionally and spiritually. I wonder if those infants and toddlers who spent their first years at a Steiner early childhood centre and who then move to a non-Steiner centre, could perhaps feel disconnected with their new world/centre.

I have also been influenced by Reggio Emilia and Steiner’s philosophy regarding the arts. Steiner considers the arts essential for children’s lives (Pound, 2005). Schirrmacher (2006) and Jalongo and Stamp (1997) state that the arts are a powerful integrative force that helps children to develop their physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual skills.

Steiner’s philosophy emphasises the artistic element in education and offers children enough time to experience painting, singing, and playing instruments (Childs, 1995). I would like to offer in my early childhood centre learning experiences that involve the infants and toddlers in art, music, and dance. I believe that art helps children to identify and express their feelings and ideas in different and new forms.

I recognise the influence of the European culture and its emphasis on the arts on Steiner, Montessori, and Pikler/Gerber. Europe is a place where there lived the most renowned artists in different aspects of art, such as Michelangelo, Picasso, Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin. Thus, possibly the philosophies of Steiner, Montessori, Pikler/Gerber would not have a big impact on early childhood centres in New Zealand, where strong value is placed on the outside and being in contact with nature.

I do not agree with Montessori and Steiner’s philosophies on mixed-aged groups. Infants and toddlers need to have their own space and their own pace. The foundation stone of the Montessori philosophy is to follow children’s rhythms, such as sleep, food, and play (Freeman, 2008). Mixed-age groups do not make it possible for teachers to follow a child’s rhythm and to provide quality experiences. I am aware that older children learn to have empathy and care of young children when in a mixed-aged centre. However, I believe that teachers can not slow down and pay full attention to infants and toddlers in a mixed-aged group, and there will not be time for relaxation either.

I disagree with Steiner’s philosophy about primary-care for infants and toddlers (Rockel, 2003). It is important for an infant or toddler to choose the teacher to whom they feel more attached. Thus, children can feel safe and secure. However, having one primary caregiver limits the child’s and the family’s choice for their experience at the centre. I agree with Reggio Emilia’s approach where teachers encourage very “young children to relate to others in a group, fostering empathy in children” (Rockel, 2003, p. 116).

I believe that each of these European approaches has qualities that has made it universally interesting and has led to current interest in it. I also believe that they have many similarities between them. Each of them denotes the respect for and valuing of children (Feeney et al., 2006). Moreover, the approach of the Montessori philosophy resonates strongly with the approach of Pikler and Gerber (Freeman, 2008). I believe that the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, has combined all the above mentioned philosophies in its philosophy. All these approaches emphasise the well-being of the child. Thus, my ideal early childhood centre will be influenced by these approaches, with some added emphasis on my own values.

 REFERENCES

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