Avriel A.

Taylor
Closing Statement
Throughout the time I spent here at Claflin University studying early childhood
education, dealing with professionals in this field and interacting with young children, I acquired
a deep understanding of how children learn and develop. This understanding will qualify me to
become an early childhood teacher who consider children's needs, characteristics, interests, and
individual differences as a priority to help them get what they need and learn according to their
pace. Another thing that that has been developed throughout my study at Claflin is my research
skill. I found myself really interested in doing research related to my profession which I
recognized through the courses that I took which directly linked to the area of research as well as
the final papers that I submitted at the end of each course.
The different early childhood courses that I took during my time here were addititional
sources that added a lot to my experience and knowledge in this field. Every day was as a new
page that I filled with the desire to give more as well as to learn more. During these days I
learned some of the most appropriate ways to deal with children regarding to their way of
learning, development and behavior. These courses strengthen my belief which is, "teachers are
not only the ones who give and present knowledge and information to children, but also children.
The teacher is no longer in the spot light on the stage, but she or he acts as a guide on the side.
Studying the course of professional development helped me to discover myself and who
am I as a teacher through the philosophy that I wrote at the beginning of the semester. It helped
me to see where I am in this field, what I am able to do and what is not and how the courses and
experiences gained shaped my knowledge as early childhood education candidate.

Avriel A. Taylor
Also, developing the portfolio as a reflection of my learning journey developed my
critical thinking skill and made me think in meaningful way about how to represent knowledge,
skills and experiences gained throughout my years as a student in the department of Early
Childhood Education. For instance, the process of meaningful thinking starts with the step of
deciding in assignments that match well with the NAEYC standards and reflect my abilities and
knowledge as early childhood teacher. Writing reflections helped me a lot to enhance my critical
thinking skills through critiquing and reflecting on assignments done by me in previous years.
Moreover, writing the pieces of reflection assess my logical thinking skills through applying the
knowledge gained to critique and judge on these assignments.
As candidate in the field of early childhood education here at Claflin University, I
advocate for children's right to receive better education in an environment that support and
promote their development in all domains. Besides, I hope to raise society's awareness of how
sensitive the years of early childhood are.