Even when given a day away from work, pre-school teachers are still prone to spontaneously burst into song.
At the third annual convocation of Head Start yesterday, teachers and administrators from the Philadelphia area united to kick off the new school year with speeches, slideshows and even songs.
Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve children from birth to age 5. The goal of these programs is to increase the school readiness of young children in low-income families.
Head Start is a federally funded program that has over 6,000 children participating in the Philadelphia area.
The University of Pennsylvania has worked closely with Head Start since its inception in the city, helping the program through project planning, management and research.
"We are deeply appreciative of the partnership we have been able to cull and enhance over the past several years," said Vivian Gadsden, associate professor at the Graduate School of Education. "The partnership is marked with a deep trust and mutual respect."
Acknowledging the vital role Head Start can have in the development and well-being of a child, Gadsden added that it is an "exciting and an important time for Head Start in general, and Head Start in Philadelphia in particular."
The convocation also sought to energize the hundreds of teachers who attended, as they prepare to enter the classroom for the start of a new school year.
Early childhood development expert Thomas Moore explained to attendees the importance of connecting with children on their level.
"We have to take what children give us and make it meaningful," he said, adding that he is "really paying attention" to the children "because as you pay attention to children you learn something."
To prove that teachers are enthusiastic whether they are teaching or being taught, Moore led the audience in a rousing rendition of If You're Happy and You Know It and a group dance to the song B-I-N-G-O.
"As an educator, we are already creative," Moore said. "I learned more about being creative working with children than in the Manhattan School of Music."
