An early years educator includes a plethora of roles and responsibilities, of which this
Field practicum 1 has helped me understand these roles and responsibilities in a more in-depth way. Firstly, before my Field Practicum, my thinking towards the role of an early educator was that they only teach in very traditional ways through lessons such as English or mother tongue classes. I felt that the impact of an early years educator was very confined to the academic development of a child, like languages and numbers, with little impact on other aspects of a child’s development. However, this perspective has since changed after my Field Practicum 1 at Star Learners@One North, having gained more experience in a preschool.

 

During my Attachment weeks, I had learnt that the role of an early years educator is actually multifaceted. Some observations I have made that have affected the change in my view on the role of an early years educator include the discoveries I have learnt about how children learn. After 4.30PM at the center, when lesson time ends, the teacher will give the children toys to play with. During this time, i learnt that children can also learn through play. Play time allows children to explore their expansive curiosity, experiment ideas, solve problems and express creativity. Learning through play allows a child to create their own learning experiences, the role of an educator also plays a critical role in facilitating the play time of a child’s learning. By an educator providing a variety of materials to play with like chalk, natural elements, building blocks or water, it plays an important part in play time. Not only is the providing of materials an important role of an educator but also through social-emotional means. An educator’s role in play time can also be to support social interactions between peers, to encourage and influence the practice of sharing and having the patience to wait, it is crucial in the child’s holistic development. In my own experience, during a learning experience, the early years educator will support their learning by constantly asking questions from the children. By doing this, it peaks a child’s interest and increases their curiosity of the learning experience, while also allowing them to be more participative in these activities by answering questions. The role of an early years educator should also include the practice of repetition and consistency of certain routines. Having a repetitive and consistent routine allows the child to master skills while also building up their confidence in these activities. For example, singing the national anthem and pledge every morning allows them to be familiar with it, aiding in the internalization of new materials and skills. The consistency of a routine that is facilitated by the educator gives the children a sense of security at the preschool as well. The role of an educator is also to forge close relationships with the children and their parents. Educators often communicate with the children to have a positive relationship with them, translating to positive learning experiences. To the children, they then feel a sense of belonging and self confidence by having positive relationships with educators. Educators also share information of the children with their parents, to also gain more insight on the child’s overall progress, physically, cognitively and social-emotionally. This promotes the Whole Child Approach, of which these roles of an educator plays a critical role in a child’s holistic development.

So, after this Field Practicum 1, I realized how varied and numerous the roles of an early years educator was. The role of an early years educator should play a part in not only the child’s academic development, but also their social-emotional well-being and other developmental domains. Now, I feel that the role of an early years educator plays such a huge role in the many developmental domains of a child, not just academically. The role of an educator aids in the social-emotional well-being of a child, through daily interactions with educators and encouraged interactions with peers.