I just received another call asking me if Iliff is a preschool or a day care. Why do we as a society try to separate early education and care? After all the best programs are all carefully designed to encourage children’s cognitive, social/emotional, and physical development.
Maybe part of the reason for the separation is that parents see staff sitting on the floor to teach or holding children when they are having a hard time separating from their parents. While staff keep children safe and clean…perhaps parents neglect to recognize these moments as teaching and learning moments…..that teachers are practicing observing, listening, being present, following the child’s lead, and scaffolding on their development. With this practice of caring I believe we become artful teachers.
Caring and early education cannot be separated. Whether we care for children well, or not so well, children are learning.
