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Explain how the image of the child has changed over time.
Our Image of the Child
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Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
- Explain how the image of the child has changed over time.
- Describe American children today in the context of changing national demographics and expectations.
- Identify important factors that influence how teachers view children today.
- Describe strategies teachers can use to learn about the children they teach and to foster the development of a positive self-image.
Introduction
Your first day with your preschool children is rapidly approaching. You obtain a roster of the seventeen children you will be teaching and begin to think about how you will welcome them to the class and get to know each one. Your list indicates that there are nine boys and eight girls. Of the four Hispanic children, two speak Spanish as their first language. Two children are African American, nine are Caucasian, and one is Asian. You also know that two of the children have been identified as having special needs. What do you imagine the children will be like? What kind of life experiences will they bring to your class? How will the actual children compare with your ideas about what they might be like?
Research reveals that teachers’ images of the child can be a more powerful influence on the way they teach than what they have learned in the way of theories and strategies (Hill, Stremmel, & Fu, 2005). For example, consider the statement, “The core value I hold is that children are competent, confident, curious theory builders” (Chaille, 2008, p. 3). The author continues to say, “this value is the essence of constructivism,” indicating that her idea about what children are like informs her acceptance of a theory closely aligned with that view. In other words, we need to understand that our perceptions about what we think children are like can affect our expectations and interactions with them and how we choose and implement curriculum.
