“We have really become too serious in education,” says Monika Katkutė-Gelžinė, founder of the startup “Vedliai”, which already teaches the new generation of computer science to more than 100,000 children. The very word “childish”, according to her, has become negative: if you tell an adult that he is playful or childish, it sounds like an insult!
“It would seem that being playful, creative, childish is a weakness – because you have to be serious and focused!” I can’t even count how many times my own children have received comments for being messy, putting something together wrong, forgetting something. As if the most important goal of the school is for that young person to be focused and to be able to sit quietly, calmly, with his hands properly folded already in the second grade. In my opinion, children should be children – the world wouldn’t collapse if we all relaxed a little,” she says.
A child does not learn when he sits still and quietly
The importance of games in an educational institution, especially in a preschool, is also emphasized by Milda Brėdikytė, docent of the Academy of Education of Vytautas the Great University (VDU). During the discussion held at the scientific-practical conference “Teachers heroes: what helps the pedagogue to grow” organized by the scientists of the VMU Education Academy, she emphasized that preschool education should not apply to children what is formally applied at school – certain psychological instruments are formed precisely through game activities: “While playing we go through different situations and this shapes our experience, then psychological instruments appear that help the child to think and learn. A child learns not by sitting still, but by creating, playing and moving.”
Ėuolas Jašinskas, who participated in the discussion, 2022 The winner of the Meilė Lukšienė prize, a primary school teacher at the Raudondvaris Aneles and Augustinas Kriauzai Elementary School in the Kaunas district, suggests not forgetting the game not only when educating children, but also when creating a relationship with them: “The game is a great motivational tool and a source of knowledge. At the same time, it is a means and a way to establish a relationship with the child. When a teacher plays basketball, football, square or hide and seek with children, it is important not to forget that perhaps for some of those children, this time is the essence of their day, a pivotal moment in their day. There are children who do not receive even elementary attention and playtime from their parents – a teacher as a playmate can greatly help a child learn, grow and get to know himself.”
Professor O. Monkevičienė of the Department of Preschool and Elementary Education of the VMU Education Academy says that it is important to understand that a preschool institution is not yet a school. The culture of children and childhood should prevail here. And ways to teach and motivate children should be focused on a small child. Of course, there is a lot of pressure from schools to prepare children for school, to acquire relevant knowledge, but at this stage the most important thing for teachers is to observe the child, see how he learns, what motivates him, what interests him. And one way to do that is through play.”
The teacher is the guide that the child follows
According to teacher A. According to Jašinska, teachers who are devoted to children and love their work should be called heroes: the teacher is a guide whom the child follows.
“We have to admit that the teacher chose not the easiest specialty, judging by the workload, the nature of the work, and the financial reward for this work, as well as the amount of stress experienced. The responsibility placed on the shoulders of the educator is very great. But on the other hand, every teacher must try to be a hero to the child so that the child believes in him, follows him and sees him as an authority and a guide. This is the main mission of a teacher”, А is convinced. Yashinsk.
Children’s parents often have such expectations for teachers – they tend not only to ask questions, but in rare cases to demand them. In order to achieve the desired result, pressure is applied not only to teachers, but also to the heads of educational institutions regarding the relevant knowledge or other achievements of the child.
Andrius Pelegrimas, a graduate of Bachelor and Master’s studies in History of VMU, who founded the private kindergarten and school “Herojus”, says that in certain cases, teachers who are under pressure from parents must be stopped by the heads of the educational institution.
He asks his school teachers from time to time: why are you so afraid of the children’s parents? According to him, teachers have graduated in pedagogy, not only have the necessary education, but also experience, they know how to educate children from A to Z, so they should be more confident in their abilities and represent.
“The problem is if the heads of educational institutions do not represent the teachers: the heads still lack leadership in this area. When teachers feel that they have support, support and backing, they respect and value it very much. I understand that it is very important for parents to make comments to the teacher that the teacher did not put a cap on his child on time, that he did not send something for homework, but in this place it is necessary not to reproach and demand, but to find ways to help each other and cooperate. If consensus is not sought, the child itself suffers. It’s no secret that sometimes talking to parents is very difficult. In my opinion, parents would definitely benefit from parenting courses,” A. Pelegrimas admits.
The school must educate not only children, but also parents
“Only through cooperation can we achieve common goals and agreements. The culture of pronunciation is the basis,” Daiva Jakavonytė-Staškuvienė, Head of the Preschool, Primary Education and Student Assistance Study Program Implementation Group of the VMU Education Academy, expert in Preschool and Primary Education of the European Commission, is convinced.
On the one hand, agreements recorded in documents and education programs are also important, but it is very important not to forget the child himself – his specific and individual situation: “There is another side of the medal of parents’ demands. It is possible that the child is overloaded with various requirements, after-school activities, is constantly overworked, or vice versa – there is little interest in him, he does not receive any individual help from his family. At the same time, the school must also develop the abilities of parents, educate them and cooperate to achieve common goals. By consulting, discussing and agreeing, following agreements, better results can be achieved for a particular child”.
VDU Education Academy professor O. Monkevičienė shared the results of a recent study. In the course of the research, parents were asked about how they value educators, and educators were also asked how they value parents. According to O. Monkevičienė, almost all parents of pre-school children rated the pedagogues positively. So if there is one or more parents who are difficult to talk to, according to her, we should not make an absolute statement and form the attitude that all parents are like that. We need to keep in touch with parents and find ways to cooperate.
“I remember a case when the parents of a child with special needs came to us, whose child had already changed the third educational institution. The father did not tell us that his child had special educational needs. He admitted that he was afraid: if he said that, his child would risk not finding a place, not being accepted, or eventually being kicked out, as educational institutions have done so far. He mentioned the third educational institution for which their child became uncomfortable. We should really be very sensitive in this place to look at and evaluate the relationship with our parents. An educational institution should not be closed and judgmental”, she is convinced.
When a child’s curiosity is aroused, he will learn more
“When I started working as a teacher, I told everyone that the teaching profession is extremely creative. Unfortunately, we forget that. The teacher’s work is constant improvisation, jazz that is created and played from morning to night. Our main recipe is not to suffocate the child, not to forget him, not to rush to motivate him and demand something, we have to feel and follow the child’s rhythm and pace”, emphasizes Milda Brėdikytė, associate professor of the VDU Education Academy.
She is convinced: a person is born motivated to learn, search and explore, only parents and educators make various mistakes, making the child unmotivated. And then we have to roll up our sleeves to find a way to get the child interested again.
M. Katkutė-Gelžinė, the founder of the start-up “Vedliai”, says that parents really need mandatory parenting courses: “As a mother, I would definitely be in favor of mandatory parenting courses. I put a lot of effort into parenting myself and I understand how difficult it is to raise children in the 21st century. I don’t have anyone to consult with myself, there are certainly a lot of challenges. So I am very grateful to my children’s teachers who help me raise my children. I can’t imagine how I would manage on my own. The school is like a big village that helps to raise that person”.
According to Monika, one of the most forgotten and hidden educational goals is the child’s ability to create.
Monika shared her personal experience from a trip to New York – she and her friends visited one of the art galleries in that city. Upon entering one of them, Monika saw a room loaded with brightly colored furniture. Seeing the walls described with crayons, she thought: maybe she could leave some of her notes there too? After listening to the curators of the exhibition, she timidly took the crayons and wrote down her wishes for her friends.
“If we cook a dish or draw something, we have to add at least a little bit of ourselves – then we feel more involved, participating in the process. And this applies not only to children, but also to adults. I myself mostly work with information technology. Our goal is not only to give the child knowledge, to give him information, but also to help him discover, create something new, so that the child puts at least a little of himself. This naturally stimulates his curiosity and interest. Having chosen his own theme or color, the child feels more involved and motivated – this is our joint creation. If the child’s curiosity is aroused, he will learn more”, she has no doubt.
