Stacia Emerson, an adjunct professor at Columbia International University in South Carolina, has a PhD in early childhood education.
Early childhood educators focus on the children’s developmental stages and the kinds of experiences that are appropriate for various ages. At each stage, children face new challenges and experience new successes. They are constantly learning from their environment and soaking up new information. A similar process happens to teachers as they begin a career in early childhood education. Each teacher goes through a series of stages that can be compared to a child’s stages of development. Each stage has unique characteristics and challenges as teachers strive to move toward becoming competent professionals. The following describes these stages and ways to promote growth.
Beginning Teacher (1st year)
This year will be unlike any other year in a teacher’s career because of the challenges of the unexpected. As they begin, teachers are eager to impact children’s lives. But they quickly realize there are many things for which they were unprepared. This year can be an overwhelming experience that requires an amazing amount of energy and stamina.
So how does a person survive this rookie year and move on to the next stage of development? Realize that this year is unlike any other that you will have and that your learning curve is much greater this year. Remember that it is up to you to take care of you! Even though you suddenly find many people demanding your time, you must still take time for you. Pay attention to your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. This vigilance means that you must eat right and exercise for energy and stamina, take time to relax, and establish your priorities from the beginning so that you spend time with the Lord in prayer and Bible study.
Another valuable survival tip is to find a mentor teacher. This person should be someone who has had at least three years of experience and shows a commitment to the profession. Observe this teacher whenever possible, ask lots of questions, and borrow resources. You can learn important lessons from this teacher’s experience, and you will have emotional support when the going gets tough. Team teaching and/or planning is another arrangement that can help the first-year teacher be successful. A beginning teacher can either teach in the same class with a more experienced teacher or can come together with other teachers to plan and then go to his or her own classroom to carry out the plans. The latter choice makes efficient use of your planning time.
Beginning teacher’s prayer: Lord, help me to manage my time in a way that honors you so that I lead a balanced life. Protect me from illness and give me energy to do the job. Keep me from pride in my own knowledge and help me to endure while you season my knowledge with practical experience.
Intermediate Teacher (2–5 years)
After the first year of survival, the teacher is now “learning the ropes.” She should be beyond just making it through the day. She should begin to feel more comfortable in the role of teacher and to gain confidence in her abilities. The teacher is now able to handle challenging situations more effectively and focus on more specific issues in the classroom. Developing a personal teaching style is a milestone during this time.
It is important to continue a mentor relationship with an experienced teacher. Observing other teachers helps you to determine what quality teaching looks like. Another important way to grow professionally during this stage is to read professional books, journals, and magazines. Become familiar with new techniques, models, and research. Also, begin determining what issues are relevant to your teaching or what topics interest you, and seek out conferences to attend that will broaden your knowledge.
Each teacher goes through a series of stages that can be compared to a child’s stages of development.
Intermediate Teacher’s prayer: God, I need your guidance and wisdom as I make choices about what to teach, how to teach, and how I spend the time I have with the children. Help me to apply the knowledge I have gained in ways that will best serve the children and their families. Keep me from complacency.
Advanced Teacher (over 5 years)
After teaching five years, the early childhood teacher has become very familiar with teaching methods and understands the everyday needs of the classroom. Now there is a need for some enrichment to enhance teaching. Teachers at this stage are seeking something new and fresh to add creativity to their teaching. They are ready to branch out into new areas to avoid falling into the dreaded rut.
Visits to model programs will help teachers gain a fresh perspective that may provide the needed inspiration. Continue to read professional materials and attend conferences. Consider pursuing an advanced degree or taking some courses to refine your teaching.
Advanced Teacher’s prayer: Thank you, God, for the children I serve and their families. I pray that I will be able to love them as you do. Give me a new excitement for teaching. Help me to make each day count.
Expert Teacher (over 6 years)
The expert teacher has been successful at developing a personal teaching style and is now most concerned with how her teaching affects children long-term. Questions that arise are more abstract and deal with deeper issues than in previous stages. Teachers are concerned with what the best practice for children is, how this will affect learning, and why children need to know this. (Jalongo and Isenberg, 2000)
The expert teacher has been successful at developing a personal teaching style and is now most concerned with how her teaching affects children long-term.
When teachers at this stage begin to take on leadership roles, they are demonstrating growth. Now is the time to become mentor teachers, lead teachers, committee leaders, and conference presenters. Many teachers at this stage develop their own curriculum. The circle is complete when teachers at this stage provide the guidance that beginning teachers are seeking.
Expert Teacher’s prayer: Lord, grant me wisdom and understanding as I lead the other teachers in planning an appropriate curriculum for this year. Remind me of the teacher I was when I began my career so that I can lead with both expertise and compassion. Thank you for the blessing of working with a new teacher.
As you experience professional growth through these stages, consider Philippians 1:6. Paul writes, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Reference:
Jalongo, M.R. and J.P. Isenberg. Exploring Your Role: A Practitioner’s Guide to Early Childhood Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, 2000.
Footprints: Completing the Teacher in You 2.3