The Spark that Early Childhood Education Ignites in Me

by Britney Ogbemudia

When working with very young children, there are so many things that are ignited in me: the energy, innocence, and curiosity that always make each day unique despite having a strict schedule. Watching the kids interact amongst themselves, hearing about their experiences outside of school, and seeing them using their etiquette skills are just a few parts of what makes this profession rewarding.

At my school, we received great news recently: one of our students got into a prestigious elementary school, and the principal personally mentioned to our student’s family how well-mannered and intelligent their child is! We got a long thank you letter from the child’s parents mentioning how amazing our teachers are, naming each teacher individually with what we contribute to the school, as well as how wonderful we are as a unit in the respect that we know what we are doing as professionals. Watching the kids grow and use the etiquette and practical life lessons truly brings me much joy!

I love hearing about kid’s progress from their parents as well. Hearing things like this provides our school with a progress report and lets us know what we are doing is working. It is easy to assume the kids are not learning and that time is being wasted when they are not listening, but that is never actually the case. It is true what they say about them being sponges: they soak up everything and it is truly incredible.

Our program added an infant class to our age range. That addition has brought even more greatness to the profession as well as wisdom to my life. I have learned through a conference how infants are making more than 1 million neural connections every day which shows how much they absorb at this stage in their growth. Knowing that everything you say to them during that time is crucial, I love that our program teaches them. We find time, even if it’s only 5 minutes, where we gather some materials and teach them lessons. They have learned to sit still, and as time goes by, they engage more and more. I often feel people overlook infants and assume so long you give them their basic needs that’s all that matters. Well, I strongly disagree, it is important during that time to put emphasis on some lessons and read to them; not just keeping the focus on motor skills, feeding, and sleeping.

I truly have found a great love for this profession, and it is more often than not neglected when it comes to higher education. Early childhood is so crucial in a child’s life: it sets them up for success to help them become a great person in the future, and I know what we are doing at this program will 100% get them there!