Meeting People Where They Are…

Meeting People Where They Are…

As you've noticed, if you read my weekly musings, I spend a lot of time pondering the world of early childhood education. Being a reflective practitioner, a teacher who thinks about the work I do, is an integral part of my growth as an early childhood professional. The skill of reflection is essential in this work.

I've recently been thinking about how we plan for and measure the growth of our students, as well as how program leaders do the same for their teaching staff. Unfortunately, when we see a limitation in a child's (or teacher's) growth, we start in the wrong place to build their growth plan.

Instead of meeting people where they are, we place them right outside the goal and plan from there. This creates an atmosphere that is not only rushed but also fails to consider what the person actually needs for growth. It is essential to recognize that a person may be 5, 6, or even 10 steps away from their goal, which means we need to plan backward, considering all the precursor skills the person needs to reach their goal.

I spend a lot of time with early childhood professionals discussing what is going well in their classrooms and what feels challenging. One of the number one things I hear is "I know the child can speak, but they refuse to use their words. Instead, they whine, or hit, or cry to get their way". Let's put that statement aside for now. I want you to imagine a child in your toddler classroom crawling, pulling themselves up, and cruising while holding on to the edge of a table, but they are not yet walking. All the other children in the classroom who are similar in age are walking unassisted. 

Can you imagine saying to someone else, "I know that child can walk, but they just refuse to, so we have to carry them around all the time." No one would say this because we all understand that a child needs to feel confident in their abilities to take the leap into walking on their own. The child also needs to be able to find their balance, have a strong core, and have the strength in their legs to carry them unsupported. As early childhood professionals, we consider the areas a child needs to work on to be able to walk independently. We wouldn't shame them; instead, we would be their champions. 

Let's revisit the statement about a child not talking. Even if the child has the words stored in their brain, they may not always be able to retrieve them from storage and use them in times that feel stressful. As adults, we have all experienced times in our lives when we couldn't find the words to express our thoughts or needs in times of upset. If we know a child has a difficult time "using their words" when they are upset, it makes no sense to keep repeating the phrase "use your words". Instead, we should consider what the child needs to be successful and create a plan to support them where they are now, rather than where we eventually want them to be. 

It's not just classroom teachers who feel the pressure to help people reach their goals; program leaders do as well. Often, as program leaders, we see where a teacher should be and want them to acquire the skill quickly because we feel it needs to happen immediately. We all know that growth is often a painful process, and it takes time. The same time (and patience) we offer to young children should be provided to adults as well. We all deserve to be seen as competent and capable of growth, with the understanding that each person needs something different in their growth journey.