Hello, everyone. I’m Mr. Bob, and I’ve dedicated over 10 years of my life to teaching. My passion was ignited when I worked with my first toddler in Germany and was further fueled when I met Bev Bos and visited the Roseville Community Preschool.
The Roseville Community Preschool
The Roseville Community Preschool is a remarkable place where children engage in hands-on learning. They work with tools, not toys. They get their hands dirty, learn from their mistakes, and become the strongest children I have ever seen. It’s the place where I first saw a child instinctively helping an injured classmate during a dodgeball game. It’s also where I had my first conversation with a four-year-old about soldering circuit boards.
Bev Bos and Play-Based Learning
Much of my teaching philosophy was inspired by Bev Bos. She was best known for her role as director of the Roseville Community Preschool in Roseville, California. She championed hands-on, play-based learning, which earned her recognition from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She was a frequent speaker at their conferences. Renowned for fostering a child-centered learning environment that balanced fun and education
Many of my favorite quotes come from her school. “If it hasn’t been in the hand, it won’t be in the heart, and it won’t be in the brain.” If you want children to really learn anything, their heart must be in it. They must be really engaged and working with it in real, practical ways, to solve problems that are important to the child. “Walking is slower and not much fun. Real children run, run, run.” Don’t forget to make life fun. Find what the child naturally enjoys and bring that everywhere. And my favorite is “How could this day be any better?” This is not only a very positive and happy question. It is also a very clear, objective, and practical question. How can we fix this real problem we have? How could we get more friends to play with and join in the fun? How could we run and smile more?
Influential Figures in My Teaching Journey
Heather Shumaker and Golden Rules
Heather Shumaker, who references many great educational leaders in her book. Bos is often one of them. In Shumaker’s book, she starts with one great, golden rule “It’s okay, as long as it’s not hurting people or property.” Her work provides parents with a clear understanding of children’s developmental stages and proper expectations. Her book is primarily for young children ages 0-5. But, many of her principles are lifelong lessons. She creates a strong foundation for our children that will make many problems in the future much easier.
Jane Nelson and Balanced Parenting
While Shumaker is excellent for understanding preschool and kindergarten-aged children, Jane Nelson’s work is perfect for comprehending grade school children and young adults. I will refer to her often in future blogs. She delves into how to identify and address the root cause of major issues to foster long-term solutions. Dr. Nelson teaches parents the key lessons of "kind and firm" parenting. She advocates a balanced approach, where parents aren't too strict. They shouldn’t impose excessively strict rules and punishments. Nor should parents be too permissive, allowing children to do whatever they want. Instead, she emphasizes mutual respect, clear communication, and encouraging self-discipline in children. This approach empowers children to become responsible and capable individuals while fostering a loving and respectful parent-child relationship. I will go into much more detail about her in future blogs.
Drawing from these amazing authors, I have honed my ability to listen to children. I am good at earning their respect and creating a professional, collaborative learning environment. We are partners in learning. My ultimate goal is to guide your child towards their aspirations. What are their dreams? What do they want to do? What do they want to have? What do they want to be? How can we help them along their journey?
My Personal Teaching Philosophy
I deeply adhere to Stoic philosophy and the concept of extreme ownership. My guiding philosophy is ‘Quod obstat via fit pro viae.’ Translated, it means ‘Whatever stands in the way becomes the way.’ If there’s a rock barring our path to the golden city of our dreams, we’ll find a way around it. We can get a lever, we can recruit friends, we can climb over that rock, we can blow up that rock. We can always find a way in.
In my journey as an ESL teacher, I’ve learned that teaching is more than a profession—it’s a partnership, a dance of learning between teacher and student. It’s about nurturing dreams, guiding young minds, and helping children navigate their path to success.
My Invitation to You
I invite you to reflect on your own experiences. Who were the teachers that made a significant impact on your life? What teaching philosophies resonate with you? Share your stories in the comments below—I’d love to hear them!
And to all the parents reading this: I encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. Are you curious about how I incorporate the teachings of Bev Bos, Heather Shumaker, and Jane Nelson in my ESL classes? Want to know more about my experiences teaching English online in Asia or my approach to designing lessons? Please, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m here to answer your questions and to partner with you in fostering your child’s love for learning English. Let’s embark on this educational journey together!”
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