Interview with mentor teacher: Miss Sara Tuesday, November 19, 2013 Taylor Manalo Why did you

ou choose the field of early childhood education? Babysat a lot in high school Really liked kids Visited college and saw a preschool on campus knew she wanted to pursue early childhood program Loves the 3-5 age group

How long have you been in early childhood? Graduated in 2003 with an associates degree in early childhood Got her bachelors went on to get masters degree in early childhood She has been in early childhood for 10 years 5 of these years were spent in Africa Favorite of these: She loved Africa, but her favorite part is having her own classroom here.

Whats your favorite thing about the job? Being with the kids! Creativity her classroom is an empty canvas She has goals to work toward, but she gets to decide how she achieves them and how she teaches her children

Whats your least favorite thing about the job? It can be hard working with families adds difficulty to the job Meeting the families expectations can be challenging this can lead to touchy situations Taking care of someone elses child definitely adds stress to the position

How long at their current center and/or position? 1.5 years at Bennett in A Place to Grow the entire time

Whats been the most rewarding part of the job? Seeing the kids grow especially in social emotional growth Get to see kids progress to (example) joining a group with their peers this gives them something that they will use and carry with them for the rest of their lives

It is fun to see the progress and growth that the kids achieve over time

What do you feel is the most important thing about early childhood education? This is a time when the childrens brains are open they can do anything! It is so important that we capture this time in their lives Problem-solving ECE gives the kids a space to safely learn how to handle situations that they will encounter forever they can work through conflicts in a safe learning environment

What child personalities are most rewarding to work with? Most challenging? Most rewarding cannot pick just one! It is rewarding to work with all of the children. Most challenging the shy, introverted children are the hardest to work with because they want attention even though they dont act out like other children might; these children are often sensitive or insecure it is hard to enter into their lives and give them attention without being intrusive. Sara used to be a quiet child herself, so she knows that the children who are shy do want attention they just do not outwardly show it often. The easier children to work with tend to be the louder children because they are often easier to address. For example, if a child becomes sensitive when confronted, Miss Sara often feels guilty and finds it hard to continue with confrontation or addressing a problem. A child who runs or screams or cries is often easier to outwardly address.

Why this particular program or philosophy? When Sara was relocating after grad school, she found the center on the website. When she saw the center and its philosophy, she realized that it fit what she learned as the best practices. She really wanted to get a job at Bennett so that she could do the things that she learned and apply her schooling in practice.

How do you choose what activities to do with the children? Interests of the kids Emergent curriculum Okay to bring in things that the teachers know the children will like build on activities once they see the childrens specific interests unfold Project approach is used often Build curriculum and activities based on the initial interests and questions of the children

What is your educational background?

Sara received her associates and masters degrees in ECE. She also worked in Africa for many years (see later question).

Do you intend to stay in this program or in this field? YES! Definitely in this field, and most likely at Bennett for at least awhile longer.

What else might you want to do? There is always more to be done! Working with families Advocacy Research Has set up preschool programs in Africa!!

MY OWN QUESTIONS FOR MISS SARA: Miss Sara traveled to Africa for several years. Because I am interested in teaching in Africa at some point in my life, I asked her to tell me a bit about her experience: Definitely a warm environment, an open area Difficulties faced = gap in standards of education Program college required a cross-cultural experience Participated in a year-long program stayed with a host family Service and learning together Worked in a daycare and taught English Do you feel like you make a difference? Made a difference learned as much as I gave Cup of Tea analogy by being open to them and to learning about their lives, already giving them a sense of importance

How have I done during my time in A Place to Grow? Reflecting on my goals I have shown exceptional interaction with the children Talking to kids, getting down on their level, making connection

Advice from Miss Sara: Important to find a balance between being responsive and firm (I have worked hard at this, and she did not note any specific examples that I could improve upon just general advice) Conflict takes time to learn to deal with important things to keep in mind: do not give the kids solutions, get them to talk, and ask each child for an idea and input

rather than telling the kids what to do Behavior management find what works for me and use it! Child care subsidization is a major issue facing Bennett right now **Fun Fact: 6 teachers at Bennett have their masters degrees (a lot for an ECE center!)