I currently work at a 4-star day care/learning center located in a diverse neighborhood and the experience and knowledge I am given has taught me so much about children and education that I wouldn’t necessarily learn in school. I have noticed that there are areas in need of improvement, but still the experience of being in a daycare can be extremely beneficial for a child.
Some people believe the most beneficial ways for a child to learn is through routine, discipline and a formal setting. Others believe children learn best when they are given the space to be creative and have the autonomy to choose what they want to do and learn. I believe, from my experience, that a balance of both are needed in order to provide a truly well balanced educational environment. If the environment is micro-managed and too formal then the child will become weary and uninterested in the learning experience. However, if the child is left too much to their own devices, there is a higher risk that they will choose to just run around and learn nothing or move from activity to activity too fast to ever really process the information.
A solution to avoid a chaotic situation would be that children doing homework should be put in separate rooms from children that are doing activities. Children that are running/playing sports should also have a separate space to move around freely. Of course in addition to this, for sanitary reasons, there should be a separate room for eating. I’ve noticed that a lack of separation in these areas creates a chaotic environment that is loud, overwhelming and uncontrollable for teachers and distracting and somewhat dangerous for the children.
I’ve noticed that when this kind of separation is enforced it creates a peaceful environment where learning and bonding between students and students and their teachers can really happen. Part of the learning experience is for the children to learn how to create relationships and handle their emotions which is only possible in a calm and safe environment.