Teach English in JiAngnan Jiedao - Chongqing

Child Development A child?s development refers to the biological and psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings from birth to adulthood. The aspects of development are physical growth, motor development, cognitive/intellectual, social-emotional, and language development. It is one of the good qualities of a good preschool teacher to know and understand every aspect of it especially their social-emotional development. Social-emotional Aspect One of the main goals of a preschool is to teach children social skills such as getting along with peers and listening to adults other than their parents. In preschool, every teacher must teach a child to learn how to: - Separate from parents fairly easily ? saying good-bye without too much fuss - Adjust to new situations ? especially the school routine - Trust and take direction from teachers - Express emotions verbally ? saying, ?I?m mad!? or ?I?m sad? - Show independence ? kids may stand up for themselves when facing conflict or may simply be able to put on their shoes without the help of an adult - Follow classroom rules and routines ? such as sitting properly, raising a hand before speaking, and helping to clean up or keep toys - Play well with other children - Recognize the feelings of others - Demonstrate a sense of humor ? they may be able to execute funny gestures and be silly in attempt to make other people laugh - Enjoy playing ?house? ? most kids love to play pretend like, cooking or shopping for groceries - Focus on one activity for 10 to 15 minutes (by age 4) Preschool teachers need to communicate daily with parents and families in order to help them as well as the parents about each child's development at home and in the classroom. Teachers are required to inform parents of any developmental delays in their children. All teachers must be advocates of every child for their education and provide their families with ideas and activities for continued learning at home. Every child?s developmental rate may vary as like any other individual, they are unique. A child who first learns how to crawl among his peers may be the last one to know how to walk. Some milestones are met by some, and some do not for the mean time. Educational institution for younger ones like preschools may help in guiding every child in some aspects of their development. When a toddler becomes a preschooler, he/she learns how to socialize with other children. When children reached their first birthday, they go through a fairly rapid change and become fearful of perceived threats. They also begin to prefer familiar people and show anxiety and distress when separated from them or approached by strangers. There will be cases that every parent and teacher must handle any behavioral problems that may arise. As a second parent of children in preschool, all teachers happen to encounter such behavioral problems at school, sometimes from the time the child has been sent in the morning until the parent or guardian picks him/her up from school and doesn?t want to leave. Below are some of the common behavioral problems, why do they happen and what to do about them. - Aggression and biting ? are a normal part of every child's development. Primitive language skills, a fierce desire to become independent, and impulsiveness make kids this age prime candidates for getting physical. Some degree of hitting and biting is completely normal as they are so focused on 'me' and 'mine? attitude. What a teacher can do immediately is to respond quickly by removing the violent child from the situation for a brief time-out. Next will be teaching the child to apologize even though it may be insincere at first, but the lesson will eventually sink in. - Defiance and resistance ? think about every child may be caught up between excitement and frustration. Or he/she may be feeling that others get more attention than he/she does. One good thing to do is to understand his/her feelings and make him/her feel that you are on his/her side. For example, if the child doesn?t want to leave the playground, tell that it is very hard to leave when you?re having so much fun and be kind when telling her that she must leave. After that, set limits that a child must follow and be sure that he/she knows what they are. - Nail biting, nose picking, thumb-sucking and hair twisting ? are common behavioral problems of every child and are described as nervous habits. kids tend to do these as out of curiosity or boredom, to relieve stress, to pass the time, or simply from force of habit. Keeping their hands occupied will help by doing finger plays or giving hands-on activities like coloring and drawing. If too much habit appears that leads to other self-destructive behaviors, inform the parents to seek the child?s pediatrician. He/she may be suffering from more anxiety or stress than is usual for kids of his/her age. - Tantrums ? are sudden and sometimes fierce, but often over as quickly as it starts. Never lose your cool and avoid abandoning the child by leaving him/her alone in a room. The emotion the child is feeling can be frightening to him/her and he/she needs to know somebody nearby to comfort him/her. Rather than leaving a thrashing child on the floor, go for, pick and hold him/her up. Chances are the child will find a teacher?s embrace comforting, and will calm down more quickly. In conclusion, a preschool teacher has a very important job as they are helping to shape the young ones into wonderful people. Teachers must not inflict or threaten physical violence when dealing with such behavioral problems. Remember that if such problem may arise, it is natural and is part of every child?s development. Such problem can be handled with understanding and must be guided by proper procedure or rules and regulations of the school. Skills which children acquire during their developmental years will help them out greatly when they get to primary school. Therefore, it is important that preschool teachers do the best job possible as what they do will affect the children within their care. Reference: http://www.babycenter.com/preschoolers