Tina Stephenson-Chin
Previous Executive Director of Pedagogy, Tina oversees Reggio Emilia (Asia) and a range of professional development initiatives. Tina has been an active contributor to popular and academic publications, in Canada and Asia, on a range of behavioral and education issues for the past 10 years. She was previously Senior Lecturer for Middlesex University London and Open University Hong Kong in teacher qualification granting programmes including their Honours B.A. in Early Childhood Studies – the only bachelor’s degree in education from a foreign institution fully-accredited in Hong Kong. She is also a member of the Ontario College of Teachers in Canada and The National College of Teaching and Leadership in the U.K.
I deeply respect the work of our teachers and assistants. Every day, I see them invest all their energy, patience and respect in the children in their class. This is never more evident to me than when I walk into the office and see a busy teacher taking time out to sit and cuddle a sick and feverish child while waiting for the parents to pick the child up.
Early childhood teachers are the most important teachers of our lives, it is the impression they leave with us that we carry throughout our education. I still remember my kindergarten teachers as warm, positive and affectionate. I even remember some of the things I learned with them: Writing my name, tying my shoe laces, and how to catch an insect with a cup.
In these tender years, teachers are not only educators, they also comfort us when we fall, wipe our tears when we are sad, run, jump and sing with us. They are our friends, our educators, our caregivers and we love them for it.
Our first teachers set the tone for all of the teachers that follow — if we trust them, learn from them, feel accepted by them — we will see all other teachers in a better light. If they encourage us in our learning, we come to consider ourselves as good learners and carry that impression with us for decades to come.
As a busy parent of a young child I am especially grateful to my son’s teachers. Especially the care they take to explain what the shared goals and expectations of his learning are at parent teacher meetings. If my son can’t be with me or his dad or grandparents, the next best thing is for him to be with a good teacher. This Teachers’ Day I’m thankful to educators and all that they give to us every day. Happy Teachers Day!