Field Experience Report: The Power of Their Ideas: Lessons for America from a Small School in Harlem

Abstract

Being able to understand the development of a child is vital in aiding that child during that process. Parents play a vital role in this regard by offering the necessary support. On the other hand, once the child has been enrolled in a kindergarten or a preschool, most of the responsibilities of shaping the child are transferred to the teachers. This makes it vital for teachers to be able to help the child during their developmental stage. In this field report, the learner visits one kindergarten and one preschool to assess the learning environment. A comparison is made between these two schools as well as comparison with those proposed in Meier in her book The Power of Their Ideas: Lessons for America from a Small School in Harlem. The fieldwork also includes interviewing of two teachers and one Principal of one of the kindergarten schools.

Introduction

Teaching has been termed as more of an art which is highly devalued due to the complexities that are associated with it. To be able to comprehend what goes on in a learning set up, one has to interact with the actual environment on an ordinary day such that nothing is done out of the ordinary during the visit. The visits take place in two different schools that deal with children in the kindergarten stage. In this field report, the learner starts by looking at Sherwood Forest Montessori School’s Toddler Community Program. This will be followed by looking at Locust Pre-Kindergarten School both located in Texas. A comparison of both will be done within their contexts. This will then be followed by a summary on the interview conducted with the teacher. This will then be followed by the interview with the Principal of Locust Pre-Kindergarten School. Conclusion will be d...

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