Introduction:

My name is Kaitlin Rowen and I am a junior at Hofstra University. I commute to Hofstra from Rockville Centre, Long Island ,which is around fifteen minutes from the campus. I am a dual certificate early childhood and elementary education major with a co-major in psychology. 
I have only been through the first education class, early childhood, at Hofstra and had to observe at a preschool in Hewlett. I originally didn't think I would want to teach such little children, but after observing my thoughts have definitely changed. Currently, I am leaning towards teaching children at the start of their education anywhere from pre-school through first grade. If I decide that younger children is what I want to educate, than I am going to be responsible for teaching all subject matter. The subjects I look forward to teaching my students are reading and writing, because, I believe having patience and working with a child can increase their motivation to succeed with these tough subjects, that can be frustrating.
The reason I believe I would be a good early childhood educator is because when students are young, I believe, they should be taught by a nurturing educator who stresses the values of an education but also has morals as well. When children are little, they need to learn right from wrong, social skills, virtues, and subject material. Alot of times with all this new information and during this developing stage, it can be very scary for children, so I believe a caring individual can help instill a foundation that can be continuously built on throughout their life. 
Examples of Activities that would help build community within a classroom, increasing social skills, would be collaborative learning groups where students work together to help each other learn unfamiliar material. Placing students desks in small groups and encouraging group work is a great way for students from a young age to learn to work with others overcoming the challenges that come along with it. Reading books such as The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, That's What a Friend is by P.K. Hallinan, and The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, are all wonderful books that can enhance the children's vocabulary, reading comprehension, and attention span while, explaining a value of friendship and sharing.