THE EDITOR, Sir:
I CAME across some very interesting information worth sharing with teachers of young children. It has to do with the notable difference between exercising patience and demonstrating understanding in the early childhood classroom. It is interesting to note that the notion of understanding aptly displaces a dependence on patience in the early childhood classroom.
It is commonplace for persons to commend teachers of young children for their patience. However, do we need to have patience or understanding in order to work effectively with young children? This is something for us to think about. According to Weber (2004), "Patience is only associated with unpleasant situations and is not even considered in a pleasant context." The Oxford Dictionary defines patience as calm endurance of hardship, provocation, pain or delay. If we believe in always creating a pleasant affective environment in the classroom, would we still need to exercise patience? I have now come to realise that in my years of teaching young children, understanding, and not patience, is what has helped me to work effectively with these young ones.
If we are knowledgeable about child development, we will accept certain behaviour among young children as developmentally appropriate, instead of seeing the child as an adversary to our sometimes unreasonable expectations. Early childhood teachers who understand children will actively seek to guide their behaviour instead of trying to exercise patience.
DIFFERING APPROACHES
As Weber puts it, a teacher who demonstrates understanding will approach the learning situation as a pleasure and not a trial. A teacher who expects a pre-school child to remain in his or her seat for most of the school day will see the child as an opponent who refuses to sit. She will decide that in order not to punish this child, she has to exercise patience. On the other hand, a teacher who is aware of developmentally appropriate behaviour will demonstrate an understanding of the child's need for movement by creating such opportunities throughout the day.
Ever so often, we struggle against the reality that children will be children and search for every ounce of patience to deal with their childlike behaviour. Ironic isn't it? I believe this is something for us as educators to think about.
I am, etc.,
JULENE MCLAUGHLIN
jmclaughlin28@hotmail.com
Early childhood educator
