Deputy Principal’s Message
 I love the spirit and message of this quote. As someone who spends his day with our schools youngest learners I am reminded on a daily basis that my job really is to encourage and support children on their journey to becoming what ever they can be and are meant to be. It is also to help fashion a culture and environment in the Primary Division where each child can feel a sense of belonging, be excited about coming to school every day and view learning as an adventure. It is true that young children by nature tend to bring their natural curiosity and enthusiasm to school with them. If simply preserving those feelings was our only job as educators, it would be an easy task. But it is also our job to challenge children by continually asking them to try things they may not already know or be good at. If there is a struggle to master something new, and along the way there are mistakes made… some children will feel discomfort. They may have to deal with disappointment and may struggle to learn that perseverance and effort are required in order to become good at something. If they are helped in that endeavor, and they are successful, then they will also learn that there can be feelings of great pride, satisfaction and accomplishment that can come with having to struggle.
In the 18 years I have spent at the Singapore American School the two comments I have heard most often from parents are; “I want my child to be happy at school, and I want to be sure my child is challenged.” Making both happen at the same time is the true "art” of teaching. I have concluded that you must constantly work to perfect your art and that it is important to have a personal philosophy that guides you. These are just a few of my beliefs about what is essential in order for me to be effective in my work with young students.
I must love what I do.
Young children know instinctively if they are liked and cared about. They can sense the difference between someone who enjoys them and who they are… versus someone who is simply doing their job. I have worked at all levels but for me there is true joy in working with Primary age children.
Children have to know me and I have to know them.
It is absolutely essential that I be highly visible and involved in the children’s daily lives at school. Greeting children by name, shaking their hands, meeting them in the morning, saying goodbye at the end of the day, knowing their birthdays, celebrating their first loose tooth, watching their performances, reading to them, visiting their classrooms, being on the playground, in the halls and in the cafeteria are ways of building connections and familiarity with young children. Feeling connected to and comfortable with the adults at school is essential to children having a sense of belonging and feeling happy at school.
Children should never feel afraid of me.
In the course of my usual day I have many discussions with students. Some of those discussions are to sort out issues a child may be having with another child on the bus or on the playground. In cases where there needs to be a  consequence I may supply one by having the student take a time-out in my office. Most children will be appropriately concerned about having to be in my office for a conversation but they should always walk away from an interaction with me knowing that I am not angry with them. I may express disapproval, disappointment and concern about the choices a child has made but there is absolutely no benefit to making a child fearful of me as a method for changing their behavior. Ultimately in the absence of rules or adult monitors we want children to know how to take care of themselves by making responsible choices about their behavior. |
