LEARNING FROM CHILDREN: A REFLECTION OF A PRE-K TEACHER
Children have the most beautiful and un-contaminated heart that is so preciously rare beyond rubies and diamonds. Often times, I find myself marvel seeing their eagerness to learn, curiosity about new things, persistence for acceptance from their friends, effort to obey directions from teachers, and endless energy to find their identities in such a young age. It is through these children that I can see the world in a new way as they can easily forgive their friends, they are openly and bravely speak up their minds, they genuinely care for others, and they are transparently express themselves. I have learned from my students something that I never have had learned any where else as what I am learning from them is not some skills or academic knowledge or ways to improve my career, but more than anything they taught me how to become a better human being.
I am confidently admitted that my students are also my teachers as they have helped me to find my true voice and the genuine human inside of me. This makes me realize more deeply how crucial to assist children development and not to shape them to be whatever the world or whatever we want them to be. However, to cultivate the gems in their pure heart and equip them with life-skills to problem solve, reasoning, questioning, coping with certain emotions, and others to maximize what they already have inside of them without trying to effect them to be anything else but themselves.
It is my privilege to work closely with my students in their early years and I am excited to see what they will become when they grow up as the sky only the limit for them. I am thankful to these caring parents who entrusted me to work, play, and grow together with their children. I never take my job as a teacher lightly and my effort gets rewarded through receiving a renewal child-like heart to believe in dreams again, to always have hope, to never hold grudges to others, to genuinely care, and more than anything to continuously grow as a person. My students are so dear to my heart; they are forever my friends and my teachers.
Ailin Iwan
(Pre-K Teacher at MDS, San Francisco: 2011 to 2012)
I am confidently admitted that my students are also my teachers as they have helped me to find my true voice and the genuine human inside of me. This makes me realize more deeply how crucial to assist children development and not to shape them to be whatever the world or whatever we want them to be. However, to cultivate the gems in their pure heart and equip them with life-skills to problem solve, reasoning, questioning, coping with certain emotions, and others to maximize what they already have inside of them without trying to effect them to be anything else but themselves.
It is my privilege to work closely with my students in their early years and I am excited to see what they will become when they grow up as the sky only the limit for them. I am thankful to these caring parents who entrusted me to work, play, and grow together with their children. I never take my job as a teacher lightly and my effort gets rewarded through receiving a renewal child-like heart to believe in dreams again, to always have hope, to never hold grudges to others, to genuinely care, and more than anything to continuously grow as a person. My students are so dear to my heart; they are forever my friends and my teachers.
Ailin Iwan
(Pre-K Teacher at MDS, San Francisco: 2011 to 2012)
