Engraving in childhood
The teacher is an artist and teaching is a fine art
We all know the famous proverb: "Learning at a young age is like engraving on stone." It's a proverb so meaningful and accurate that it resonates with every educator and child-rearing professional. It's from this proverb that I drew inspiration for the title of my podcast, "Engraving at a Young Age," because it strongly reflects the value of early education and the profound role teachers play at this stage.
From a hotel in China to a classroom
One day, I was visiting a small city in China, and I entered the lobby of a hotel. I was amazed by a sight that impressed me. I saw a huge tree trunk - perhaps eight or nine meters long, and over two meters wide - placed horizontally as a huge artistic wall in the lobby. This trunk was carved with hundreds of small horses running with amazing precision and realism. You could see the eyes, the hair, the muscles, and even the dust behind them, carved with extreme skill and craftsmanship. I contemplated this work for a long time, and thought: Who created it? How long did it take? Did one person work on it? Or was it a team effort?!
But what caught my attention the most was the beginning... What was the first step? What was the most difficult part of this project? Was it carving the 500th horse? Or the first? Without a doubt, the beginning—carving the first horse—was the most difficult, and from there the rest of the details began.
Early education... digging in smooth stone
This story sparked a direct link within me between what I saw and my educational work. Just as the precise beginning in sculpting is what determines the quality of the final work, the first years of education are the pivotal point in shaping the child’s personality, skills, and knowledge. The teacher in early childhood is exactly like the engraver, the artist who sculpts raw material, shapes and refines it with care and love. The child is the raw material: a soft mind, an innocent soul, a pure nature, and a passion for learning. The teacher is the artist who sees in this child a future image and seeks to formulate it with all awareness and planning.
Why is early childhood education a fine art? Constructive, non-repetitive experiences.
Repetition doesn't mean boredom: Just as an engraver doesn't get bored with repetitive engraving and decoration, a creative teacher doesn't get bored with repeating lessons and activities because he is passionate about his profession and realizes that his repetitive work every day builds experiences and hones skills in him and his students. These experiences move them to a higher level, advancing day by day because every interaction is engraved according to a long-term vision. Just as an artist sees the end in his mind, so too does a teacher see a child not as he is today, but as he will be tomorrow. He sees the possibilities and seeks to hone them.
Choosing the right tools: The teacher carefully selects his tools. Similarly, the teacher selects his strategies, activities, and methods to suit each child's needs, knowing when to use each method and why. A professional teacher creates new experiences every day, enriching the student's learning journey.
Studies indicate that a third of brain development occurs in the first three years of a child's life, and this rapid pace continues until age six. This means that the early years are not a preparatory stage, but rather a true foundational period, during which thinking skills, language, and social and emotional awareness are cultivated. Therefore, kindergarten teachers are not merely transmitters of knowledge; they are also shapers and mentors of the future. They instill a love of learning, self-discipline, and intellectual curiosity.
In conclusion, the teacher is an artist and the child is his masterpiece. Early education is like engraving on stone... Every word, every attitude, every look, every interaction - engraves something in the child's memory and personality. The creative teacher doesn't just see what is in front of him, but sees what could be, and sculpts with an expert hand, a thinking mind, and a loving heart.