While reading the quote from Maxine Greene, it opened my eyes that children are being taught to voice their own opinions and understand that it is good to have their own opinions. As a child, I was shy and didn't voice my own opinions very often. Growing up in a military household it wasn't easy to voice my opinions either. Being able to voice our own opinions enable us to feel we have our own place in this big world. The quote also helped me understand that children need an envionment that help them discover, risk, and ask questions. These attributes all help children learn how to be creative and use their imaginations. They need people around them to help them accomplish these things. Allowing children to be creative in the classroom is important for them to grow and develop skills needed for the future.
Learning about the Neo-Socratic Method reminded me of the classroom I work in, partially becuase I hear the children reflecting, asking questions, talking about experiences, expressing ideas, and arguing their opinions and views. I see the children make connections during their play and learning, which they are thinking and concentrtating. This amazes me that children are able to do this so well, while it's so hard for us adults to do these things. Being able to do these things during the day, children will learn how to go through these steps while talking or writing about their own ideas and views.
Are the ideas and values that we teach our children today differ from the ideas and values that were taught to us in the past? This could offer an explanation of why, we as adults are not comfortable with voicing our opinion, yet the children of today are. I grew up in the 1970's, and back then, we were taught to respect our teachers and parents by doing what they say, as they say, and with no talking back. Because of this, we were not allowed to express our opinion because it was viewed as being disrespectful. Some of this carries with us as adults. I like to express my view, ideas, and frustrations, but my older brother always tells me to "zip my lip and don't say anything." As a child, whenever I asked my parents "why", my mother always said, "because I said so and you need to listen to me because I am your mom." I feel that this has put up a wall between my mother and I, and carries with me today in my relationship with her. I always felt that because of what she said, my feelings and ideas where never valued, like it didn't count. I was expected to value her words while she didn’t value mine. In the present day, we teach children that their feelings are valid and their words are valued. As a parent and early childhood educator today, I make sure that I always ask my children to tell me how they feel. My message to them is that their feelings and ideas are important to me, and that they can be comfortable with speaking out, respectfully. How can we get to know what a child is all about if we don't ask them questions and allow them to express themselves? In early education today, we empower children with positive social/emotional skills, something we never had as children. In the past, correction involved physically punishing a child for their unacceptable actions, but today, we teach them the steps of how to understand what they did that was not acceptable, and how to think about how that action affected themselves and others, and how to make a better choice next time. This contributes to the children having confidence to speak out.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI think that as we grow, we learn from our experience and others’ experience. As we mature we become more and more politically correct and weary of other’s feelings. This is why it is hard for us to express bluntly how we feel about other people. (at least for most of us anyways) However, children are still young and still exploring. They still wonder around and full of curiosity, which is why it is very easy for them to voice their opinions. Just as when we were kids, we weren’t weary or simply did not know any better to care what our opinion will make others feel or vice versa. It seemed like when we were young, we lived in a less judgmental world, but when we became adults we are faced with ethic that dictates our opinions towards others. How do we know when will be the appropriate time to voice our opinion? Do we have to be aware of our sayings in today’s time?
Do we learn more as children or as adults?
ReplyDeleteI ask this because you made a good point here Ashley. Often as adults we are slow to share our personal opinions or as questions when we don't agree with what someone is doing, or understand why they are doing it. Children do not hesitate to ask about anything because they don't understand that questioning someone on how they are doing something or why they are doing something could come out as offensive. Young children don't always know what is the "right" thing to say so they just go for it. They speak what is on their mind not caring what anybody else thinks.
As we get older though, we are self-conscious about disagreeing with someone and aware that it may cause conflict, so we sometimes choose to keep our thought and opinions to ourselves. Does this hurt us though? Does this hinder our ability to learn to the best of our ability? Is it more important to us to keep those around us happy by agreeing with them and not questioning why they do something a certain way?
Ashley stated that she sees children in her classroom asking questions, digging deeper, disagreeing with other children when they truly feel differently about it, and voicing their opinions about stuff. If they are free to do this now and encouraged to, will they continue to do this or will they eventually succumb to this world and decide it is just easier to go with the grain rather than against it....even if they don't agree??!
Aloha Ashley,
ReplyDeleteYou raised a good point. I can relate to your comment about not voicing your opinions as a child. I too didn’t have a voice growing up, due to cultural rules and restrictions. In some cultures, like mine, if you are female, you don’t have a voice. I’ve always hated that. It was really hard to state my opinions, thoughts and dreams as a child. When I became a mother, I worked really hard to change that cycle by allowing my children to voice their opinions, thoughts and dream.
How can teachers help children use their words or voices about their wants and needs if teachers lack that? We all have different personalities. Is being quiet the same as being shy? What skills do we need to enable us to help children, families and other teachers/caregivers to have a voice? How can one go about it?
Hi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean when you state that you “didn’t voice (your) own opinions very often.” I can relate because I grew up with Asian parents. It is ingrained into the culture that if an adult – any adult – asks you to do something, you do it with no questions asked. We trust that elders, because of their life experiences, know what is best and that questioning their authority is disrespectful. You hit the nail right on the head when you say that “children need an environment that helps them discover, risk, and ask questions.” As educators, we need to not only acknowledge cultural differences in our classroom, but also find ways to creatively get children to want to question things in their life without being disrespectful of the families they belong to. This requires walking a very fine line and opening up lines of communication between us educators and the families we service. After all, we want our classroom environment to be an extension of the home, where children and their families can continue to learn and grow.
It is refreshing to hear that the children in your classroom “reflect, ask questions, express ideas, and argue their opinions and views.” This is a wonderful sign and is a reflection of the teaching staff and the program. As educators, it helps to step out of the way sometimes, play moderator, and allow children the opportunity to question and debate without our interference. During my travels to Finland this summer, I had the pleasure of meeting with a gentleman that teaches first graders how to moderate amongst themselves and their classmates to problem solve and find constructive ways to resolve conflicts. I was not surprised that the Finns – a model of excellence in early childhood education, as well as education – are pushing the limits and testing various types of self-regulation. He shared with me that he was amazed at what children can do if you empower them and then get out of the way.