The moments…….

Being an ECE could be physically tiring and mentally draining. However, the moments witnessing the growth of the children I work with is truly rewarding. Here are the moments that are worthy to cherish……..

On a cloudy morning, walking in the neighborhood…….

While walking through the parking lot toward the street to begin our adventure, Child W, the only 2 and half boy, asked me, “Agnes, are we doing a fire drill today?” “No, not today,” I answered and was wondering why he popped the question suddenly. I followed his sight and then realised he saw the orange traffic cone at the entrance of the parking lot, which is our meeting point for emergencies. Then, Child J said,”look! The orange cone!” Child G continued, “ that’s where we do fire drills.” Then, I said,” yes, if the building is on fire or in any emergency, we follow the teachers. If you don’t see your teachers, we meet at the orange cone!” 

After walking two blocks, “Chinese New Year, “ one of the children pointed to a front door with spring couplets. “We have the red paper like that in the classroom!” “Oh, yes,” I said,” when I talked about Chinese New Year, I showed you guys the red paper with special words on it. They are called spring couplets. Who remembers why we use red paper?” “Good luck,” one of the children answered. “Yes, you guys have good memories!”  

Then, we walked down a couple of blocks. Child M said,”Miss Agnes, my house is that way, not too far.” “You are right. I think you live close to the daycare. If you can bike to school, then you live close by.” 

Those moments might seem insignificant but actually full of growth. That shows the little ones start connecting themselves to the neighborhood, making more observations of their surroundings and applying what they have learned in the classroom to the real world. Most importantly, it builds a sense of belonging and helps them understand how the world works. All of these moments are what I want to collect as my sweet memories.