We Need Good People to be Teachers

School began at the university again last week. It is difficult to believe that another school year has begun. I am teaching an "Introduction to Teaching" course this semester and I have a wonderful group. I am thrilled with the caliber of people who are considering being a teacher. It always reminds me of the hope I have for the best people to be in the classroom. I know it doesn't always happen because a teacher's salary is not very tempting, at least in my state. It is also a demanding and difficult job at times. I hope, however, that most of these top students decide to stick it out and become an educator. It sometimes becomes difficult for me to put a positive spin on negative reports in the media. But, I just try to constantly remind them that the most magical place on earth can be an effective classroom, because it changes a child's life. Many of the folks in my class this morning are there because they had a great teacher who made their life better. I wish all teachers realized what a difference they can make.<div>I was also thinking this week about my student teachers from last year who are now beginning their teaching career in a classroom. What an experience they are having and will continue to have if they keep their focus on why they decided to teach. Some of the best people I have ever met were in that group and I know they will influence lives for the better.</div><div>The best and the brightest, with the focus on the kids, makes all the difference for a child.</div>

We Need Good People to be Teachers

School began at the university again last week. It is difficult to believe that another school year has begun. I am teaching an "Intr...

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Setting the Baseline: Reading Report

Yesterday saw the publication of <a href="http://bit.ly/mU5DdD" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Setting the Baseline</span></a>, a new publication from the National Literacy Trust which reports on the findings of an online survey conducted with over 18000 8-17 year olds in November and December of last year. The authors regard the results as portraying children as <a href="http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/news/3834_the_reads_and_the_read-nots" target="_blank">read and read-nots</a>, with many children saying that they barely read books at all, while others get through more than ten a month. Other findings included the preference of many children to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/aug/23/survey-children-reading-habits" target="_blank">read online information rather than traditional comics</a>.<br /><br />

Setting the Baseline: Reading Report

Yesterday saw the publication of Setting the Baseline , a new publication from the National Literacy Trust which reports on the findings of ...

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Men Working in Childcare

A common enquiry I get is for information about men working in childcare. Ironically, this morning's episode of <span style="font-style: italic;">Woman's Hour</span> on Radio 4 had a feature about this topic - <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b013f0xm/Womans_Hour_Esther_Rantzen_on_loneliness_Tracie_Bennett_on_Judy_Garland" target="_blank">click here</a> to listen to the programme (for the next 7 days anyway), the relevant section begins at about 28 minutes.<br /><br /><br /><br />For further information on this topic, Heather Rolfe's 2005 report <a href="http://www.cyc-net.org/pdf/meninchildcare.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Men in Childcare</span></a> is certainly worth a look - this was commissioned by the Equal Opportunities Commission. The issues surrounding the subject are also neatly summarised by a 2003 Daycare Trust leaflet entitled <a href="http://www.koordination-maennerinkitas.de/uploads/media/Owen-Charlie-Men_s-Work_02.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Men's Work? Changing the Gender Mix of the Childcare and Early Years Workforce</span></a>, and by Claire Cameron's 2007 paper <a href="http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/4811/1/Cameron2007MenCIEC7_1.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Men in the Nursery Revisited</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />For further reading ideas, try the <a href="http://www.meninchildcare.co.uk/index.htm" target="_blank">Men in Childcare</a> website or <a href="http://www.longfordchildcare.ie/documents/Men%20in%20Childcare%20Resource%20list.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Men in Childcare Ireland: Resources List</span></a>.

Men Working in Childcare

A common enquiry I get is for information about men working in childcare. Ironically, this morning's episode of Woman's Hour on Rad...

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Parenting

A lot of debate concerning the UK riots over the past few days has focussed on the ages of those involved, and the fact that many of them appear to be schoolchildren. In particular, there have been plenty of discussion articles on the role of the parents of those involved such as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/10/uk-riots-liberal-right-parent" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">'Being Liberal is Fine, but We Need to be Given the Right to Parent'</span></a>, as well as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/aug/10/proper-parenting-prevent-riots" target="_blank">this piece</a> from an employee of the Parenting UK charity. Unsurprisingly, there are strong views on all sides.<br /><br /><br /><br />The impact of parenting styles on a child's development and life chances has been an area that's attracted a lot of interest in recent years, so it's worth looking at what some of the research actually says. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has carried out a lot of work on this topic - take a look at <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/parenting-and-different-ways-it-can-affect-childrens-lives-research-evidence" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Parenting and the Different Ways it can Affect Children's Lives</span></a> for no less than 7 reviews of research on different aspects of parenting.<br /><br /><br /><br />Other reports come from various sources. Only last month the think tank CentreForum published <a href="http://www.centreforum.org/assets/pubs/parenting-matters.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Parenting Matters: Early Years and Social Mobility</span></a>, while in January the Demos think tank released <a href="http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Home_Front_-_web.pdf?1295005094" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Home Front</span></a>, which investigates the links between low incomes and parenting styles. Looking back a little further to 2007, the Centre for the Wider Benefits of Learning authored <a href="http://www.learningbenefits.net/Publications/ResReps/ResRep22.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Parenting Behaviours and Children’s Development from Infancy to Early Childhood</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />Quite a few studies regarding this area were also carried out by the previous government. Picking out the most useful ones is difficult, but readers may find <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/RR433.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Impact of Parental</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Involvement, Parental Support and Family Education on P</span><span style="font-style: italic;">upil Achievements and Adjustment: A Literature Review</span></a> and <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/NESS2007FR023.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Family a</span><span style="font-style: italic;">nd Parenting Support in Sure Start Local Programmes</span></a> of interest.<br /><br /><br /><br />If the above just seems like too much reading(!), the <a href="http://www.parentchannel.tv/" target="_blank">Parentchannel</a> website is full of free videos with advice on good parenting techniques. Or for a different take on things, you may want to watch a 2008 video from Teachers TV entitled <a href="http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/videos/japan-teaching-respect-and-manners" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Teaching Respect and Manners</a>, which examines how Japanese schools encourage good citizenship in children from an early age.<br /><br /><br /><br />For further links to resources on parenting, have a look at <a href="http://www.delicious.com/allthecoloursfade/parents?setcount=50" target="_blank">my 'Parents' bookmarks</a> on the Delicious site, though be aware that some of the older links may no longer be working.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqZUz4tVhPt0DuyY2XkkRu6LjSsq_VSpMRyeBgiaB8fDrw_nSNiOCyRg4KuObmvlxhPz21HqkoaOvMBJAZlieWNjVFVhqCIWitgUmCLpP1WHo8-yleHFnqOY-qTaRi_rvRU2KFfjocw/s1600/Holly%2526FreyaPark.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639553611306783698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqZUz4tVhPt0DuyY2XkkRu6LjSsq_VSpMRyeBgiaB8fDrw_nSNiOCyRg4KuObmvlxhPz21HqkoaOvMBJAZlieWNjVFVhqCIWitgUmCLpP1WHo8-yleHFnqOY-qTaRi_rvRU2KFfjocw/s200/Holly%2526FreyaPark.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 164px;" /></a>

Parenting

A lot of debate concerning the UK riots over the past few days has focussed on the ages of those involved, and the fact that many of them ap...

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The Hummingbird Knows

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEcvSpr9CCfCpqEM81ZU2cm39aiuZ3S_i7kpWw6ZCWySK7yXrXwRx1V2sxhpAJ_fyEDQy8H-l2afW6kzP3CM7XqscJS4J1xLBjCnQtzQPbDCa2t53wLcBhRGo1KWma6Hw1Tjd7hKNp1c/s1600/9-08+007.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638901155435717202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEcvSpr9CCfCpqEM81ZU2cm39aiuZ3S_i7kpWw6ZCWySK7yXrXwRx1V2sxhpAJ_fyEDQy8H-l2afW6kzP3CM7XqscJS4J1xLBjCnQtzQPbDCa2t53wLcBhRGo1KWma6Hw1Tjd7hKNp1c/s200/9-08+007.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>I have always been able to attract hummingbirds wherever I have lived. For many years, whether in the country, the suburbs or in the middle of downtown, I have always had at least one hummingbird feeder. While some acquaintances have struggled to attract the little creatures, I have always been able to coax them to my feeders. Those adaptable birds have even found me in the middle of the city. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Currently, during the summer months, I sit on my front porch most mornings reading the paper. With the hummingbird feeder nearby, I get to witness their early morning visits for food, their rituals for attracting the opposite sex and the fierceness they exhibit when defending their territory. These birds seem to adapt to any situation that provides them with food.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Hummingbirds are such busy creatures, rarely stopping for longer than a few seconds. Our lives have become much like that busy bird. With the advent of so much time-saving technology, multi-tasking is a common practice and is becoming an essential skill. I often think about the young children we are teaching now. We have no clue what it will be like in the future when they are adults. Yet, we are supposed to be educating them for that future. Think how in the last 5 years our cell phones have changed from being a convenient phone connection to housing our entire schedule and life information. How can we educate our children for the changes that will occur during the next 5, 10 or 20 years? </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>I think the answer is teaching children thinking skills and allowing them to take charge of their learning. I don't think filling out worksheets will prepare a child for the year 2025. However, encouraging a child to discover the answer to a problem on their own just may be the best preparation for an unpredictable future.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>I suppose, just like the hummingbird, we will all adjust to changes in the environment. However, the best thing we can do for children is to prepare them to think through problems and be willing and able to tackle new information. I hope our children will have the skills to find the feeder in the middle of the city whatever future form that may take.</div><br /><br />

The Hummingbird Knows

I have always been able to attract hummingbirds wherever I have lived. For many years, whether in the country, the suburbs or in the middle ...

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Free Play Articles

Yesterday was <a href="http://www.playday.org.uk/" target="_blank">Playday</a>, an annual event which celebrates the right of children to play, and the role that it has in their development. To mark the day, publishers Routledge are offering free access to a range of journal articles about different aspects of play for the whole of August. If you're considering doing a dissertation in this area, or just want to know more about the subject, this is a great opportunity to do some in-depth reading.<br /><br />For links to the various articles, <a href="http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/access/playday.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Free Play Articles

Yesterday was Playday , an annual event which celebrates the right of children to play, and the role that it has in their development. To ma...

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Parenting Matters: Early Years and Social Mobility

A new report from the <a href="http://www.centreforum.org/" target="_blank">CentreForum</a> think tank contains for promoting important parenting skills, through <a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/go/news/article/1083412/introduce-five-a-day-campaign-promote-good-parenting-think-tank-urges-government/" target="_blank">the use of a 'five a day' approach</a>. Such activities might include regular playing and talking with a child, and ensuring that they are fed nutritious food. The basis for such advice stems from the report's key assertion that "what parents do is ultimately more important than who parents are."<br /><br />The full text of <span style="font-style: italic;">Parenting Matters: Early Years and Social Mobility</span> is <a href="http://www.centreforum.org/assets/pubs/parenting-matters.pdf" target="_blank">online now</a>. The issues raised by the report were also discussed on <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9555000/9555766.stm" target="_blank">this morning's <span style="font-style: italic;">Today</span> show</a> on Radio 4.

Parenting Matters: Early Years and Social Mobility

A new report from the CentreForum think tank contains for promoting important parenting skills, through the use of a 'five a day' a...

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Supporting Families in the Foundation Years

The Department for Education has recently set out its policy vision regarding the early years sector, in a major document entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Supporting Familie</span><span style="font-style: italic;">s in the Early Years</span>. This new publication combines the government's response to various reviews of recent months, including <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110120090128/http://povertyreview.independent.gov.uk/media/20254/poverty-report.pdf" target="_blank">Frank Field’s poverty review</a>, <a href="http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/g/graham%20allens%20review%20of%20early%20intervention.pdf" target="_blank">Graham Allen's work on early intervention</a>, and the <a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/tickellreview" target="_blank">Tickell review of the EYFS</a>. Topics covered by the new report include the future shape of Foundation Years services, the role of early years workers, and proposals to identify and disseminate good practice.<br /><br />To read the full text of <span style="font-style: italic;">Supporting Families in th</span><span style="font-style: italic;">e Early Y</span><span style="font-style: italic;">ears</span>, <a href="http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/supporting%20families%20in%20the%20foundation%20years.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs9-RV3hPhzuRMeZx7g3gi7pFeuJTn_rOsDd-6RlunUj0_X7mHr9tPb-r4sgTVBA5aWoUBh61xy6739qmiI1WtVEMARB2GeUh59hGv1oSxLHUlbzJhU-mVCA_q-Kd1fBtYSILDTmkQw/s1600/BlogPic.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636280850073874258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs9-RV3hPhzuRMeZx7g3gi7pFeuJTn_rOsDd-6RlunUj0_X7mHr9tPb-r4sgTVBA5aWoUBh61xy6739qmiI1WtVEMARB2GeUh59hGv1oSxLHUlbzJhU-mVCA_q-Kd1fBtYSILDTmkQw/s200/BlogPic.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" /></a>

Supporting Families in the Foundation Years

The Department for Education has recently set out its policy vision regarding the early years sector, in a major document entitled Supportin...

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