By Kathy Koch, PhD, President, Celebrate Kids, Inc.
Do you think that the number of relevant books available to help early childhood educators is depressing and mind-boggling? It gets even worse when you consider becoming familiar with relevant magazines, journals, and websites. Or it becomes better. Your perspective is important.
The negative perspective emphasizes reasons for not reading for professional growth. They may include the following:
“I don’t have enough time to do what I have to do as it is.”
“I know enough.”
“We’re doing okay.”
“We can’t afford to buy books for teachers.”
“I’m overwhelmed and have no idea how to get started.”
Regardless of these reasons, the positive perspective suggests that if we truly understood our importance to the children we serve, we would gladly study every chance we had. They’re counting on us, and we must use our time with them as effectively as possible.
If this positive perspective is yours, consider what you would like to know more about. Because God is pleased when we strive for excellence in our ministry, we need to know what information and skills we lack so that we can improve ourselves and specifically our teaching. What topics are on your list? Do they include knowledge of child development, learning theories, relevant Scripture, teaching strategies, discipline, motivation, planning principles, or content?
How can you easily and efficiently benefit from the resources that are available? How can you encourage colleagues to read and remember? The following ideas may help you create a reading culture in your school or center:
- Each week, post a quotation from something you have read so that all your faculty members can see it. Because reflecting and reacting are extremely valuable, leave space for them to write their reactions. Encourage volunteers to post quotations also.
- Leave a book or two strategically on a table where teachers will notice them. Use Post-it® notes to mark important pages and then highlight thought-provoking statements. A bookmark with a word like wow! will probably get others to look at a particular page. Encourage faculty members to do the same with books they have read.
- Subscribe to relevant journals and/or magazines, including ones parents may want to read. Engage parents in dialogue with faculty members by using your newsletter, your website, or both.
- Begin or end staff meetings by reading a thought-provoking section of an article or book. Explain the significance of the thought, ask for reactions, and ask for volunteers to share at the next meeting.
- Give teachers specific assignments for faculty meetings. For example, have them prepare to share:
- relevant information they agree or disagree with from the press or a website
- advice for parents they agree or disagree with from a popular magazine or a website
- thought-provoking concepts from a book or professional journal
- practical ideas they’re using that they found in a book
- Include insights from your reading in a faculty newsletter or handout, and invite faculty members to produce one for colleagues as well. Design it so it can be read quickly, perhaps by using the following four examples:
| Source and Availability |
Direct Quotation |
My Conclusion |
Practical Application |
| The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg (Directors, you may want to mention here that faculty members can borrow the book from you.) |
A disciplined person is someone who can do the right thing at the right time in the right way with the right spirit.” (p. 54) |
On the basis of this definition, which I think is excellent, I conclude that I’m not as disciplined as I thought I was. I admit I don’t always do things at the right time and with the right spirit. |
What about our students? Do we teach, emphasize, model, and provide feedback for all four components of discipline? Let’s all think about this question and observe with the four components in mind. We ought to listen to what we communicate when talking with children and parents about discipline. We’ll discuss our findings at the first meeting next month. |
I hope you’ll use these ideas and add to them so that you and your faculty will keep reading and learning. What ideas would work for your group?
For additional information: Celebrate Kids, Inc.
From EEDR/EELR 3.3