The Educator in Me

My name is Helen, known to my learners and parents as Ms. Helen. I have always wanted to teach. My seven year old version of me begun teaching my younger siblings. My parents would solicit me to be the home work helper when they were too busy to do so. I had some non cooperative students but my parents made sure they were at least half way compliant. My passion was reading and writing as an elementary student. I loved to teach others to read and write. When I turned sixteen, I got a job working in a child care setting during the summer which further cultivated my passion of teaching.

My initial major in college was early childhood education. During my college years, I got hands on experiences working with ages 5 through eight in various internships. This was before computers so we had to be creative in devising teaching tools, methods and experiences. I especially enjoyed creating learning activities for young learners. After two years of studying to be an early childhood educator, I changed my major. My reasoning for the change was that teachers were not getting paid enough. The passion for teaching was still in tact.

Upon Receiving my BA degree in another discipline, I begun my career of working with children and did so for about thirty years. The first experience after college was managing a low income learning center. This was basically an afterschool environment. During school breaks and holidays it became an all day experience. The children came from disadvantaged households. I served as the onsite operator. Most of the students ranged from ages 5 to 12. Various teaching experiences and strategies were employed. Reading and writing skills were enhanced. Students were tutored in other subjects. I usually had about twenty regular students in the program. Two to three assistants were incorporated in the program. Home visits was an important component of the program as well as school visits. After all, the parent is the child's first teacher. A child learns what he lives and sees. The first five years are the formative years.

I worked at the learning center for eighteen months due to the funding of the program ending. I became a program specialist at a girl's and boy's club. My responsibilities at this employment included serving as an afterschool teacher to school age children who were members of the club. Creating education and entertaining oulets was a part of my job description. The club was located in a low income area of the city therefore most of my learners came from disadvantaged homes. Again, the educator in me came out.

My most passionate and enduring position as an educator lasted from 1989 to 2013. I became a lead teacher/administrator at a Child Care Development Program owned by a husband and wife team. At various times, I worked at all three of their establishments. It was here that I was allowed to really shine and bring out my own unique teaching style. It was here that I was allowed to really build an effective unique relationship with the parents. Parent involvement is very crucial in any learning program. A child can really succeed with their parent on board. It takes a villiage to educate a child.

During 1989-to 2013, I grew and learned along with my learners. Experience does make almost perfect. No one is perfect. It is a learning proccess, During the last years in a brick n mortar teaching environment, I cultivated and I was cultivated. I grew in age and grace while teaching during these years. I learned that what works for one may not work for the other. I became more diverse in my teaching styles while being allowed to be me. I tried things and techniques that most early childhood educators were afraid to try to get my emergent readers to emerge. I became successful in getting young children to read and write. Most of the learners that I was entrusted with started kindergarteen in the public schools as a reader which made me feel like a sucessful mama teacher. All learners do not learn at the same pace so as an educator, I met them where they were and took them as far as they could go under my tutorship. I run across some of them today and when they inform me of their educational and other successes I feel like a proud parent and educator! I still educate today but in a different and diverse classroom.