From left: Hon. Joseph V. Doria Jr., Ed.D. ’68, dean of the Caulfield School of Education, Mildred Mihlon, Ph.D., associate vice president for academics, and Presenter Kimberley Harrington
Saint Peter’s University recently hosted an event at its new location, Saint Peter’s University at the Meadowlands. “The Important Role Pre-School Education Plays in the Future Educational Achievement of Students” featured a talk and discussion with Kimberley Harrington, former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education and current executive director of curriculum and assessment for Northern Highlands Regional High School and the Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus and Upper Saddle River school districts. At the event, participants were able to network with fellow educators in a personal setting, engage with Harrington and learn about master’s and bachelor’s degree programs in pre-k – third grade offered at Saint Peter’s. Also in attendance at the event were Hon. Joseph V. Doria Jr., Ed.D. ’68, dean of the Caulfield School of Education; Anna Cicirelli, Ed.D. ’79, associate dean of the Caulfield School of Education; Frederick Bonato, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs; Mildred Mihlon, Ph.D., associate vice president for academics; and Donna Furina, director of Saint Peter’s University at the Meadowlands.
“Saint Peter’s is committed to affordability and its Jesuit roots with the goal to serve others and become leaders that stand apart from our peers. We have prepared thousands of teachers that have and continue to impact lives of students inside and outside of the classroom,” said Dr. Mihlon.
Participants Sharing Teaching Experiences
Dr. Doria introduced Harrington, “She loves teaching and she loves children. She has taught almost every grade. That is unique, having been involved in government, because most of our commissioners do not have that kind of experience as an educator and as a teacher.”
Harrington based her discussion around four questions that she feels all teachers face. The first question was “How do we prepare students for jobs that have not yet been created.” She said pre-school teachers have the answer to this question.
“Give the children opportunities to play and to role play,” said Harrington. “Let them experience life. Pre-school teachers know that students need to put themselves in roles and have the opportunities to build skills, to learn what they are good at and to begin to experiment and experience life.”
“How will I ever use this again,” is another question teachers get all the time.
“Pre-school and early childhood teachers do a great job of connecting the dots between skills and how it relates to the real world,” said Harrington.
“How do we elevate student voice?” Harrington suggested that students need to play more of a role in conversations about education. Educators need to listen to what the little ones have to say. There is an incredible importance to literacy among students. Importantly, educators help students find what they are passionate about and what they love. Harrington believes in three voices that every student needs, including, the voice of speech, the voice of creativity and the voice of the heart. Teachers help students realize what they are passionate about; the experiences in the classroom allow them to hone skills and find out what they love.
Kimberley Harrington’s presentation, “The Important Role Pre-School Education Plays in the Future Educational Achievement of Students”
“Adults do a lot of talking about education, and very rarely do children play a role in that conversation,” she said. “Pre-school and early education teachers spend a lot of time during the day focused on literacy because they know that these are the skills that will one day help students to find a voice of their own.”
The last question addressed was “How do we address the social and emotional needs of our children?”
Harrington mentioned that early childhood educators need to be in tuned with what is going on in a child’s life and how to help them deal with stress. In addition, teachers spend a tremendous amount of time helping children to learn empathy so that they learn to care for each other. Lastly, pre-school and early childhood educators are not afraid to “love up” on their students by giving them hugs and showing them they are supported and appreciated.
To learn more about the education programs at Saint Peter’s University, click here. To learn more about the Meadowlands location, click here.