The interview transcript comprises of two individuals who have been working with Kids Can Community Center. Nancy Rivera works in the capacity of a pre-school teacher while Lydia Morale teaches toddlers and has been in the profession for five years. Nancy has an idea where she wants to work at a higher level as a pre-K teacher with a classroom that she controls and her vision school is one in which her cousin was once enrolled since she believes it is a good school that addresses family needs in alignment with various programs. With the vision she has in mind, Nancy has already enrolled in a college in a bid to have her desire accomplished. The implication is that in life one should not only desire to be at a higher level but should also do something about it. Nancy becomes a model to many of the educators who may wish to be promoted to levels where they must deal with individuals of high ranking and competencies. In alignment with this, she demonstrates the kind of efforts that one must exert while being optimistic that one day the world will be bright to one’s career.
Nancy is also delighted to realize that the workplace she has been in is concerned with the welfare of families, particularly those who have a low income. She brings in the idea that her desire to teach in higher rankings is driven by an inner motivation to see improvement in the way children engage in various endeavors, especially when experimenting with novel ideas. She is, however, concerned about the issue of ethics and wonders whether ethical principles are important in one’s career. Though Lydia does not answer the question of ethics in a direct manner as to convince Nancy about the need for it, the notion of having a program that offers insights into ethical considerations gives the most accurate answer. One is taught so that he or she can apply such teachings in real-life endeavors and experiences. As such, Nancy needs to know that the foundation of every career is ethics as it determines what one does in various situations and dilemmas (Gluchmanova, 2015). With ethics, one manages to determine the rightfulness of an action or reaction whenever faced with a challenge in day to day undertakings.
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As Nancy progresses with the interview, she introduces the need for the consideration of the developmental aspect of teaching. She is of the view that the engagement of children in activities that boost development is critical in ensuring the appropriateness of what is taught in class. This is one element that impacts the success of the teaching profession. Nancy emphasizes the need to maintain the child’s connectedness to the family, a factor that determines the involvement of parents in the learning process. Lydia agrees with Nancy that parental involvement is important in early childhood teaching and adds that it is part of quality enhancement in the provision of services in the teaching profession. According to Morrison, Storey and Zhang (2015), parental involvement boosts the behavioral, social, and academic outcomes of a child. It is a way of nurturing a child’s cognition and ensuring the adaptation of one’s emotions in addressing the challenges that accompany one’s endeavors, particularly for children who come from impoverished backgrounds.
There are various elements that Nancy and Lydia embark on as prerequisites for a quality childhood program. The stability of the workforce emerges as an element of priority. Nancy emphasizes about the need to offer training to teachers in a way that each can deal with children of various ages. The support of administrators is another element of concern amidst the perception that teachers require support in lesson planning and teaching techniques. The appropriateness of the curriculum is another critical element as it is important to ensure appropriate learning experiences for a child in alignment with a specific age. Family interactions are re-emphasized as a critical element in ensuring the success of a child in the learning process. Morrison et al (2015) add that the teachers’ involvement and liaison with the families of the children they teach creates a feeling of reward in one’s role as a teacher.
Communication and relationships building emerge as major prerequisites for maintaining relationships with a child’s family. Lydia maintains that being friendly is a key element in strengthening such relationships. As for Nancy, the notions of speaking Spanish and English enable her to deal with the Hispanics in a way that makes them feel a sense of belonging to the school community. She uses newsletters to communicate to parents about the occurrences in school and the classroom. She also asks about the child and this encourages parents to question about the activities that occur in the school environment where their children are enrolled. This ensures the maintenance of strong relations whose impact is reflected in the child’s performance in the classroom.
Lydia and Nancy talk about people who were influential in their lives and who inculcated the culture of dealing with children in their lives. As for Lydia, the mom was highly influential to an extent that she motivated her to start a personal day care in her teens. It is this foundation that led her to becoming a teacher for toddlers. As for Nancy, the Omaha Kroc Day Care, where she got her first job, was quite influential. She interacted with kids whose parents had gone to work and with time she appreciated the kids’ world, a factor that motivates her up to continue with such interactions. Nancy’s ESL teacher was also influential and she changed her to viewing the idea of being a teacher as great.
Lydia presents the view that shaking hands with children is one element that helps a child to grow socially. She uses this strategy whenever she observes children in a dilemma unable to decide the kind of action to take in a given situation. She emphasizes that this is not only a way of teaching greetings but also avoiding conflicts. Nancy uses the strategy of smiling and hugging kids in a bid to create feelings of love. She also emphasizes the need for children to feel safe whenever they are with her in the learning endeavors. The implication is that every teacher who deals with children and toddlers should have a strategy in place that enables them to grow socially in a way that enables them fit in various contexts.
Lydia posits that the future looks bright for those in the teaching profession. Both Lydia and Nancy look forward to a time when there would be big buildings to offer adequate space for the kids to play and interact. Lydia further expresses that the most satisfying experience in her job is when she identifies new milestones in alignment with her teaching profession. She is delighted when a toddler stimulates a smile through various engagements. Inadequate staff is the most challenging issue as far as Lydia is concerned. The financial and socioeconomic status of the communities involved is a key determinant of the number of staff entrusted to a specific center where kids’ learning takes place.
References
Gluchmanova, M. (2015). The importance of ethics in the teaching profession. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences, 176, 509-513.
Morrison, J. W., Storey, P. & Zhang, C. (2015). Accessible family involvement in early childhood programs. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 43 (1), 33-38.
Rivera, N. & Morale, L. (n.d.). Interview transcript.
