Wei Zhang

Philosophy Statement

Relationships As an ECE, what I value most are the relationships that I build — not only with

children but, with parents, families, colleagues, and the community. Together, we are what makes a classroom. We all take part in building an environment where children can thrive and reach their highest potentials. I use the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (2011) as a guide, which states that ECEs strive to build caring and nurturing relationships that support learning (Standard I). ECEs are aware of maintaining clear and appropriate boundaries in professional relationships (Standard V). I will also respect the privacy of children and their families in terms of what standard VI emphasized. I will not disclose any information of children and their families without consent.

Pedagogy and CurriculumI believe that children learn when we provide them the opportunities to satisfy their

curiosity. The best way to achieve this is through play. Children need to be able to explore, manipulate, and take risks. With our care, nurture, guidance, and support, children can have endless opportunities to develop a variety of skills. By providing them these kinds of opportunities, their experiences become more meaningful which is when learning happens the most.

By planning developmentally appropriate curriculum based on the understanding of child development and the consideration of children’s interests, children become more engaged in what they are doing and therefore become more eager to learn (Standard II, IV).

Positive modeling is the most appropriate way to educate young children (Standard III). They are natural observers and learn many things through observation, both direct and indirect. Young children also learn through imitation, which is why modeling is key when it comes to teaching children.

My goal is for children to develop an intrinsic motivation and a love for learning. The ideal program is set up where educators, parents/families, and community all assist in inspiring children to keep learning — socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively.

DocumentationObservations play a big role in planning and documentation. We are able to gain

knowledge about children such as their needs and abilities through observations. We then base all our planning according to their needs, while considering the children’s interests. Documentations consist of photographs and reflections may highlight children’s skills and experiences. This is a great way of celebrating children’s accomplishments and successes. Documentation can be used as a communication tool for parents/families as well.

Reflective PracticeI believe that reflective practice is vital for ECEs to keep updated. Reflective practice

can be conducted via different ways individually or in groups, for example, writing notes, having a reflective dialogue with co-workers, joining in a professional social media group (blog/twitter/online communities), continuing academic study, and reading published works (article/book/conference).