Heroes. We all have them. We all grew up with them. Having an example to look up to is very important, especially for children. Even as an adult, I find it important and helpful to have heroic figures in my life who have gone before me. As a teacher, I love taking on this very rewarding role.

Some time ago, I was talking with some friends of mine who are parents of young children and the subject of heroes for children came up. As we discussed this, we acknowledged other hero examples that children have, such as sports figures, actors and characters from learning programs. Eventually we arrived at the obvious and talked about pop culture "hero" characters that are seemingly inescapable for anyone to ignore, especially children.

As with the pop culture, there are many violent examples out there, but we all agreed that traditional "hero'' archetypes with a code of honor were still alive and well. Among them were the obvious Superman, Batman, Spiderman, etc. I realized how much they resonated with everyone as I noticed that my friends' little boys owned toys and accessories with these "superhero" images and logos on them. Sometimes these items would inspire the boys to pretend they were these characters. Just as I began to smile about this, I noticed the daughter of my friends was playing with toys that all had the Disney princess themes. I pointed this out to my friends and they explained that this was still a very popular thing for little girls. I wondered aloud if this was the heroic pop culture equivalent for little girls. The mother of this girl laughed and said the princess theme would not have been her choice but she did say her daughter gravitated to that theme all on her own. The mother had grown up as the family jock and couldn't have been farther away from anything pink or princess. "I certainly didn't encourage this, but, if she likes it, then I'll let her enjoy it!", the mother said. Ultimately, as a mother, she didn't find any harm with it and it certainly was the daughter's expression of individuality from her mother.

As a teacher, I look for materials less pop-culture oriented and introduce the classroom children to books and stories that have universal learning and story book characters that everyone can identify with. I'm less concerned with the "hero" archetypes in pop culture, but I do wonder what messages are being sent to young children outside the classroom. As I write this, I'm immediately reminded that there is a cartoon called "Dora the Explorer" that shows a girl in a positive, self-reliant light that appeals to all children. This cartoon appeals to both girls and boys in a positive learning way.

I am always looking for learning vehicles that children respond to. I certainly would love to find more examples of what I'm referring to regarding positive and heroic examples for girls as well as boys outside the classroom. I invite parents or anyone else to share thoughts on this...

Mr. Charlie

No Ordinary Song and Dance

Use all your resources! Be animated! Throw self-consciousness out the window! That's a lesson I learned some time ago and it has served me ever since. As a parent or teacher it is helpful - even necessary - to climb out of your shell and sing and dance as a part of a child's learning experience.
Before teaching in the Early Childhood field, I was an art teacher who used a pretty straight-forward approach to teaching my lessons. Giving instruction and encouragement to the older age groups left little room for animated performances, much less singing. After all, the creation of art itself was enough creative expression.
Encouraging creative learning in the young mind soon beckoned me, and I shifted gears to become an Early Childhood teacher. During this transition, I was pretty confidant using art as a learning tool for many things besides art itself, and that was my angle when interviewing for positions in this field.
After one fateful interview, I received a call back requesting a "working interview" where I would be observed by the staff as I taught a lesson with the children at the school. I enthusiastically put some lesson plans together and had a good feeling about how they would play out. In preparation, I called a teacher friend of mine who worked with young children and asked her for any feedback regarding the lessons I put together.
She gave me a big "thumbs up" on everything and added that I should sing a particular song to go with the lessons. After teaching me the song itself and the happy motions to accompany this number, I told her, "I'm not singing in front of a room full of people! Nobody needs to experience that - especially me!" She respectfully disagreed and told me how useful singing and dancing are with children as they are learning. "Forget about the adults in the room - they don't exist. It's you and the children and they WILL respond in a positive way to your singing. I promise!" I made no promises of my own at that time.
During my working interview I did indeed have fun and kept the interaction between the children and myself. Nearing the end of the art section I felt things were going very well when a voice somewhere inside me (not thinking it was mine) said, " ...And now I have a great song to teach you that goes with our activity!!!" Before shock and dread could set in I found myself performing this ditty as well as blatantly singing off-key and even messing up the lyrics. I had no time for remorse as I found my audience smiling, laughing AND participating. This had an immediate and universal appeal in our group.
To no surprise, I was told as I was offered the position that "my animated presence really engaged the children". After all, that is the goal when teaching. Now there isn't a day that goes by without a song and dance.

Mr. Charlie