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Enyi, Zhao (Zoey)

Professor Carlisi

Project #2 essay

19 Oct. 2017

My Journey of Child Development

Section 1: My story of child development

After noticing the fact that I held and comforted a crying baby without boredom for a

long period of time, my aunt, who came to China to visit relatives after staying in America for

four years, said to me: Did you consider to be a kindergarten teacher? It seems you choose a

wrong major in university, didnt you? To be honest, the answer is yes. I didnt really like the

major which related to science but its too late to change since I am going to graduate after half

of year and need to find a job as soon as possible as the majority peers did. I started my real

thought helplessly. No, never too late to start a right journey of your life. If you want, I can

bring you to American to learn child development program. My aunt calmed me and pointed a

new road for me. I took this conversation as a life-turning conversation because it changed my

life. However, I still had some worries about this wonderful opportunity. Although being a

kindergarten teacher was obviously better than working in the science field, I was afraid whether

I could do a great job in the new field and I was not sure whether I really love the children and

wanted to work with them.

I cant make sure if I will be a good teacher in the future, but the internal resource

patient that I have is one of the basic characteristics that a teacher should have. When I was still a

little girl, I showed my extreme patient among my peers. It was almost impossible for a 5-years

old child to sit down and pay attention to something that was very boring, however, I made it in
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my five of age. When the new year was coming, my parent would bring me to the hometown

where my grandparents live. Watching the Shao Opera, which was a well-known regional drama

in China, was my grandparents favorite activity during the New Year celebrate days. Because of

the teaching which showed that it is respectful to accompany with the elders as a junior, I chose

to watch the Shao Opera with my grandparents although I even couldnt understand what the

actors were saying. At the beginning, several kids who had almost the same age as mine were

sitting beside me. However, I was the only child accompany with the elders through the 2-hours

drama show from the beginning until the end. I dont know how I did it but I just made it without

strain. Maybe I was born as a patient person and I thought this is a gift from God. Because of this

internal essence, I walked a step forward to be a kindergarten teacher.

I developed my love and passion for the children little by little rather than loving them

from the very beginning. Even when I started my Child Development Program at Pasadena City

College, I still confused that whether I really love the children. However, with my major courses

and field practice started, I had more and more chance to know more about children and contact

with them. One day, Professor Nuttall, who was teaching a core lesson in child development

program, shared a lovely story about a child with us and the story deeply touched my heart and

helped me to move a big step forward to loving the children. Once, Miss Nuttall asked a kid if he

knows where did the sun go after it went down. The kid answered that the sun was going to an

envelope after it went down and the mailman delivered it to the east. When the envelope was

opened, the sun came out and then a new day started. This is the first time I was shocked by a

child. He was so imaginative and I realized that childrens worlds were extremely interesting. I

couldnt stop to explore more fancy and lovely world from the children. I also found that
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working with children had so much fun through the experience of field practice. The more I

worked with the children and know more about them the more I love them.

To be a kindergarten teacher makes me feel excited. However, there is a long and

uneasy path in front of me. As a foreign student, language is the first problem I need to

overcome. In addition, I need to develop my communication and critical thinking skills so that I

could finally reach my dream. Unless I make a great progress in this area, I will not be a good

teacher.

Section 2: Explanation and Description of Discourse Community

To be a teacher of children, it means I will work with children. Using professional

knowledge, proper and interesting methods of teaching to guide children and help them to

develop to be a happy and successful person. As far as I am concerned,

discourse Community is a group of people pursue and achieve the same goal by sharing

information and helping each other. To be specific, the discourse community in the child

development field mainly consists of the teacher, specialist, and parents. The goal of this group

of people is to help children to develop themselves. When they communicate with each other,

they could come up with a better idea and way to reach the same goal.

In order to know the importance of English skills and critical thinking skills and the

way that I can make progress in these two skills so that I can be prepared to achieve my goal as a

teacher of children, I invited a daycare teacher who is part of the child development discourse

community to be my interviewee and gained some precious information and suggestions from

her.

My interviewee, Gloria M., is one of the toddler teachers in Pasadena City College

Child Development Center, where I did my field practice this semester. Gloria M. works in Child
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Development Center and she also studies in a university. I did my interview during the nap time

of the toddlers on October 2, 2017, in the toddlers classroom in Pasadena City College Child

Development Center. It took me around 10 minutes to do the interview and I took some notes

while Gloria M. was talking. Gloria M. didnt talk too much, however, she didnt miss any

important points nevertheless. We had a pleasant conversation and I got all the information.

As a student in child development field, I need to improve my observation skills.

Observation is the essential skill and runs through all my studying period and the future career as

a teacher. Magda Gerber, who was an early childhood educator, said: "Do less, observe more,

enjoy most." I was inspired by this quote since it gave me a new concept that observation was

something I need to do more than do the actual work. Ms. M also emphasized that observation

was the first step to start the work. We need to carefully observe what the children love to play

and what they need. As Harris Argued in his article What True Education Should Do, genuine

education is not inserting the information into a person, but rather eliciting knowledge from

him. The teacher should not put the knowledge into the children with their own planning, but

rather observe and figure out the interest from deep inside of the children. Then the teacher starts

to design the relative curriculum to help the children to learn something in an interesting and

natural way. For example, when the teacher found that the children like to stand tall and build

some high structure with blocks, we shouldnt stop them for the reason of keeping them safe but

to be a careful observer to figure out the real interests of the children. I realized that to be a good

observer is a great gift to the children and gives me an access to the child education world.

Being equipped with professional knowledge by reading field books and having an

ability to communicate with people in an effective and pleasant way are two aspects that I need

to develop for my future career. Before engaging in the exact teaching, I have to master enough
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relevant knowledge which can support me to solve the problem. As Hirsch mentioned in his

essay Teach Knowledge, Not Mental Skills, Problem-solving skills are necessary but they

depend on a wealth of relevant knowledge. I totally agree with it and Gloria M. also suggested

that Id better improve my English reading skills since there were tons of professional books I

need to read. In addition, Gloria M. indicated that having a pleasant conversation with the

children and communicating with parents and co-workers in an effective way are very necessary.

Although the toddlers couldnt speak yet, we need to keep talking with them since this is a

crucial age period for a person to build the language, Gloria M. said. According to Hart

Research Associates, 85% of employers considered that effective oral communication skill is a

very important skill that an employee should have. Therefore, to master the skill of

communication becomes a primary process that I need to go through in my career field.

Section 3: Reflection and Preparation on Future Career

By recalling the history of my decision-making about the major and the interview with

Gloria M., I found that I was more clear about my career. At the beginning, I was still confused

and unsure about this major and the future career. However, now I realize and believe that to be a

teacher of children is my goal in my whole life. I want to accompany children to live a happy life

and help them to find and achieve their own dream with my effort. In order to reach this goal,

there is no wonder that I need to work really hard in making progress in critical thinking skills

and make a double effort in English skills as an international student. I need more practice on

observation skill as well as other necessary critical thinking skills such as analyzing,

summarizing and problem-solving. I also need to work hard in English field by listening to the

lecture carefully, practicing readingwritingspeakinglistening skills frequently and

continually and taking full advantage of resources. I have one more year to stay in Pasadena City
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College before I graduate and I plan to go to career center to explore more about my major and

career, make more connection with my major professors so that I can gain more relative

information which benefits to my future career, work hard during field practice and gather

working experience, as well as communicate with my peers. Finally, I believe I will make my

dream come true in the end with my loving and brave heart although the road is full of thorns

and stones and the way is long.

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Works Cited

Gloria M., (2017, October 2). Personal interview.

Harris Sydney J., What True Education Should Do In Ruth Spack (Ed.), Guideline: a cross-

culture reading/writing text 3rd ed. (pp.5).

Hirsch E.D., Teach Knowledge, Not Mental Skills In Ruth Spack (Ed.), Guideline: a cross-

culture reading/writing text 3rd ed. (pp.115-116).