Wendy is on holiday this week. Lily responded and another of her colleagues sent along some comments, as well. Her name, CoCo.
Coco mentioned that she works in a Montessori school, so the conversation with colleagues is about developmental issues and how best to meet the needs of their students. She feels by virtue of being Montessorian you are by what you do professional. Their approach is based on observation, assessment and individual curriculum. (Coco received her certificate in Chinese in Beijing with the American Montessori Institute).
Lily mentioned that up to four or five years ago no one was too concerned about education before Kindergarten. The interest has intensified since then, especially from the parents. It is possible to hire a professionally trained Ayi (this is something similar to a nanny) for your child. Often new mothers will have one for the first month. However, increasingly families are hiring them for during the early childhood period as well. This can be rather pricey - 5-6000 RMB (approximately $1,000 US) per month. This is too expensive for most so they are enrolling them in schools and expecting quality in the physical space, administration and teachers.
Both teachers felt there was opportunity in their school for professional development. In fact Coco is going to a course this weekend on how to teach ESL in Kindergarten.
Coco also mentioned that she learns by observation of her students.
Both teachers said their goal was to be the best Montessori teacher possible. Lily would like to take more training on the weekends. She would like to have training in other areas of education as well, like Art and Music. (Kindergarten teachers do not get holiday in the summer. They do have a month holiday at Spring Festival. However, even that is shortened by special programs set up at their school.)
Lily's dream is to be a Montessori trainer. She would like to provide for more teachers to understand Montessori.
Coco would like to study at Harvard or Cambridge.
Lily made an interesting statement to the question of what she would expect a professional teacher to be like. She said she would be calm, patient, happy, want to be with children and love them. She went on to say that she can teach them about development and academics but if they do not have these first qualities it will not last.
Both teachers stated that they were challenged by assistants who are not Montessori or early childhood trained. They come into the classroom with an idea of what they are to do and so the lead teachers are having to do on -the- job training. They find this can be difficult especially if it happens at the first of the school year.
I continue to enjoy the email chats we have. I see that our goals are not that different. The challenges may be from different sources but are basically the same.
Thank you again to these ladies for sharing their lives with me.
Your contacts are right. the Montessori method is based on observation of the child. But they forgot to say it is also child driven, meaning that if you want to learn how to do something an older child does then you ask the other child to show you or the teacher. I can also understand their frustration with new assistance come in at the beginning of the school year.
ReplyDeleteBobbie
ReplyDeleteMy contact in Canada has not replied. I am disappointed but I assume she is busy with school starting. It sounds like mothers have similar challenges in China. Perhaps more Chinese women are working and going back to work sooner after having their babies. They are expecting quality care too. It sounds like your teachers are inheriting assistants who have not had training in child-directed curricula. I wonder if teacher degree programs are evolving in China to include more training on child-directed curricula.
Bobbie,
ReplyDeleteYour post is very interesting in that many of the same issues child care workers in the U.S. have, they have too. Lily's statement about teachers having patience,being calm, happy, wanting to be with children and loving them goes back to my discussion post. These characteristics can't be taught but they are needed to be successful teacher, not only in early childhood but in the teaching field in general.
I also see Parents have to worry about the cost of care in other places. Universal childcare would be wonderful with the right standards in place, just as Universal healthcare. I'm sure government agencies would disagree to having to pay for it but in the long run, they are already paying for the lack of quality care with children being placed in Special Education classes when they don't need to be in them, children being retained and ultimately the building and filling of jails and prisons for people who if they had been caught early in life, may have had better decision making skills
Bobbie,
ReplyDeleteI am just getting to this, but find your post very interesting. I also was impressed with Lily's response regarding the qualities of a teacher. I don't inspire to become a teacher myself, but I see those general first qualities as something needed when working in any setting with children. Great post!