Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

One of my professional goals is to get the education to help me be the best teacher possible. Through the Master’s program and training offered through work I will have the education behind me to support my teaching. The ECCE workforce is often made up of a diverse group of pre-school teachers, care workers, informal carers and other professionals. Adequate training and work conditions are essential so they can integrate the content and practice of early childhood care and education and address the transition to formal schooling. The service setting and physical infrastructure may vary greatly within countries. Regular inspection and follow-up of the service setting as well as adequate health and nutrition components are also crucial for meaningful learning to take place.

A second goal is relevant to what we have been studying in regard to play. It is important for children to learn through play and exploring their environment. It is one of my goals to promote this type of learning through teaching. Where government resources are limited, the last year of pre-primary education is frequently placed in a formal school setting or there may be efforts to lower the entry age. Such trends dilute the importance of holistic development by placing too much emphasis on preparing children for formal schooling. However, when pre-primary education cannot be afforded as part of early childhood, it is more strategic to consider ways of improving the pedagogy of pre-primary education placed in the formal school setting.

The third link to my professional goals is also related to parent involvement and interaction. The ECCE website focuses on how there are no universally agreed criteria for quantifying ECCE quality but useful factors to consider include pedagogy materials, personnel training, service setting and parental education and involvement. Learning materials should be quantitatively, culturally and developmentally adequate and focus on child-centred interaction.