thoughts & feelings

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What is Democracy?

I was hesitant to write a journal entry on democracy because the political world scares me. Then I realized that it scares me because I know so little about it. So, I started by watching the film what is democracy and did my own personal research to expand my knowledge. I also feel like it is extremely important to know what is going on politically around you and I always felt like I heard such dramatic and negative stories about governments that naturally, as a coping mechanism, I’ve turned a blind eye. Democracy is basically a government ran by the population where the people of the society elect and choose those who are in power. After watching the film what is democracy it made me realize that that although we live in a democracy, the people of society really don’t have much say or power. Pretty contradicting to the word democracy. I feel that our society makes us think that we have a say in what goes on in terms of government action however many of the political parties do not follow through on their word and promises. It is advertised that every vote counts however the reasons for why we are voting the people we are voting into power are not being respected. This makes me reflect on the treaties of the indigenous people in Canada. A lot of promises were made to the indigenous in terms of their rights and land however they were and still to this day often dismissed. When I think of democracy and education, it makes me reflect on how I’d like to run my future classroom. I feel like I would like to run my classroom equally with the children, where each and every one of their opinions and interests count. I feel that as a teacher, I am not above the children in the classroom, nor do I have power over them. We are all equal and are working together to make the class and days run smoothly. I would want to run a democracy however I will follow through and be a reliable “governor” of the class. For example, if the children suggest that Fridays should be pizza day, I will make sure that every Friday is pizza day. Being reliable and following through is an important principle in my philosophy. I feel that by doing so you will gain trust and respect from the children which lead to a smooth-running cooperative classroom. Every teachers end goal:).

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Traditional vs Progressive Learning

Chapter 6, Experiencing Education in the Early Years, discusses the work of John Dewey and traditional learning vs progressive learning. What I found to be extremely interesting about the chapter is that most provincial goals behind education is to prepare students to become good citizens of society and guide the to attribute to the economy. I feel that this means that school is aimed to train people into the “societal norm” so that they can have skills which will lead them to make money and contribute to the economy. When reflecting on this thought, I’ve realized that traditional education has no interest in the learner however is only interested in training the learner to become good citizens and basically feed the economy. John Dewey explains that traditional learning focuses on the transfer of knowledge through textbook and lecture following a strict curriculum which has little to no wiggle room. This type of learning focuses on molding each child into a “perfect” member of society and has little to no focus on the interest or needs of the learners. On the other hand, progressive learning is quite the opposite. John Dewey explains the principles of progressive learning and its main focuses to be: children’s freedom to develop naturally, children’s interest as the motivation for educational work, teacher as guide, school record-keeping to promote the study of child development, focus on children’s physical development, cooperation between the home and school in meeting the child’s needs and interests and progressive schools as leaders in education. As you can tell, progressive teaching evolves around the child centered approach, meaning the child is the center focus of their own learning and that self-realization is the goal. The child’s social, emotional, physical, spiritual, and intellectual needs are taken into consideration. Each child is unique and considered. When reflecting on these two types of learning, I feel that I naturally support the progressive learning style. In my teaching experience, I’ve found that children learn more through hands on experiences and have seen their level of motivation increase when it involved their own interests. I have also learnt from experience children learn at different paces and that when they are ready to learn they will learn. Focusing on organic learning fosters this principle and supports child learning when they are ready. I also feel that children learn more through experiences and that unplanned for new knowledge will occur when participating in projects and experiential learning. I feel like it is extremely interesting to compare the two types of learning and after learning about them both, I have realized that I will definitely be teaching progressively in the future!

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Gardening and Children

After reading the article Beyond Magic Carrots: Garden Pedagogies and the Rhetoric of Effects, it led me to reflect on my own person experience with children and gardens. Some points from the article that resonated with me was the fact that gardening not only effects children’s eating habits and food choices, but it also effects their self-esteem and academics within the classroom. I feel that gardening has many therapeutic effects on one’s overall well-being that is often overlooked. Gardening is a peaceful meticulous activity which allows you to take care of a living thing. This promotes a need for you to work slowly and calmly when gardening. Gardening also has many health benefits. When one is gardening, they are outdoors absorbing natures natural vitamins like the sun and earths energy which both are great for your overall well-being. In the garden, you are also feeling the earths soil and you are absorbing the microbes from the soil leading to a strong body and immune. Looking back and reflecting on the gardening experience the children in my classroom had, each one of them had the opportunity to plant a bean and take care of it. The level of dedication I saw in each child as they would come into class and check on how their bean was doing was amazing. I feel that planting and gardening promotes hard work and consistency as it is something that requires you to make an effort every day for it and you to succeed. They were naturally gentle while taking care of it and demonstrated a sense of calmness around all the plants. I feel like when children are given the opportunity take care of something, it promotes responsibility in the child, it enhances their caretaker abilities and leads to an enhanced self-esteem. Looking back on when the children’s plants grew to a larger size, they demonstrated a sense of pride and confidence that was remarkable. They also showed interest in eating the beans. They kept asking when it would be ready to be eaten and I was impressed by how many students wanted to eat the bean when usually they were somewhat picky eaters. The article expressed “If They Grow It, They’ll Eat It”, and I can agree with that passage from my own experience. I feel like it is very important that children see the time and effort it takes to grow their food as it will lead to them valuing food, gardening, and life that much more.

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Reconceptualist Theoretical Contributions and ECE

There were some interesting conversations and topics that were brought up in June 2nds class. We discussed the reconceptualists theories and how they can be applied in an early childhood setting. One theory that resonated with myself and my group in discussions was the Feminist Theory. Basically, this theory promotes equality between females and males and emphasizes on choice in terms of career paths and way of life. We spoke about how naturally in our society, there are male dominating jobs and female dominating jobs and how naturally, children will observe these conditions and assume they are fit for a certain gender. For example, if a child is at the hospital and recognizes that majority of their nurses have been female, they will assume that a nurse is typically female. Same goes for a construction site, if a child passes one and sees 9 out of 10 workers are male, they will assume this career path is fit for males. Upon reflection, I wanted to know how I could promote equality in careers like such in the classroom when naturally in society, they are typically driven by a specific gender. I feel that in early childhood, it is important to give children the opportunity to experience all types of jobs. For example, allowing the girls the access to child appropriate nails and hammers or the boys to play dress up with nurse scrubs. I feel that it’s important to address that fact that as a boy or girl, you can choose any career path you’d like. I also feel that the materials that you have in your classroom have an influence on the children’s perception of society. For example, if all the books you are reading are about gender typical jobs and the genders are not represented neutrally, children will associate those careers with a specific gender. I also feel that it is extremely important to have a diversity of toys and materials that promotes exploration. For example, I feel that it Is important to have baby dolls in an early childhood setting. I feel that boys and girls should be encouraged to play with the baby dolls in hopes to enhance the role of a caretaker in both genders and not just the girls. I feel that if young children aren’t exposed to materials that like they’ll be less likely to take on those roles in the future. Another way to neutralize careers and gender roles in by having guest speakers and choosing them wisely. For example, inviting female engineers or male nurses to speak with the children in the classroom. I feel that the material you represent in your classroom and the people the children are exposed to has a big impact on the way the children view the world.

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Children’s rights

First things first, Chapter 9’s title; Children’s rights: Raising Awareness amongst Professionals Working with and for Children, stunned me a bit. If the title of a children’s rights articles has raising awareness in it, there is something not right in respect to children in our society. The need for the word awareness in a title must mean that there isn’t much knowledge on the matter to begin with. This got me thinking, how can I have worked with preschoolers for 4 years and I have studied ECE for 2, and this is the first time I have heard of and read the rights of a child This the first time that I have read the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. I feel like this goes to show how little we must respect children as humans in our society and how they are not seen as a priority. The list of rights include: the right to non-discrimination, the best interest of the child shall be primary consideration in all actions concerning children, the right to life, survival and development, Respect for all views and feelings of the child in all matter affecting the child. I feel that it is our responsibility as adults and teachers to relay these rights to the children so they can be an advocate for themselves and stand up to those who are not respecting their rights. I feel that informing our children and encouraging them to stand up for themselves will lead to them having a louder voice in society in the future. I feel that as ECE educators, this is something that we can implement in our classroom and truly make a significant difference in the lives of our children. I feel that knowing the rights of the children is one thing, but understanding and following through with implementing them is another. Teachers in the classroom are often overworked and on the verge of burnout and I feel that sometimes these basic rights are overlooked. For example, if a teacher has a classroom of 25 students and is trying to manoeuvre through the day, and one child is going through a tough time emotionally say with something at home, the teacher may not have the time to sit down and properly meet the emotional needs of the child. This makes me reflect on what seems to be the underlying issue in the educational system. I feel that the main issue in the educational system is the number of children per teacher in the classroom. How can one teacher properly meet all the needs and respect the rights of each child in the classroom when there are about 25-30 of them? I feel that classroom sizes need to be lowered to successfully meet the needs and rights of the children and develop them appropriately.

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The Role of the Teacher in the Classroom

The article “You’re not Hardcore, unless you Live Hardcore”: Exploring Pedagogical Encounters in School of Rock by Mclarnon, brings up some very interesting points about the role of the teacher in the classroom and their identity. An interesting passage from the article that stuck with me was when Mclarnon noted that “Palmer (2009) suggests that a teacher’s role also needs to be united with however they identify themselves”.  After having read the article, it led me to thinking deeply about the role of the teacher and how their personal identity effects children’s learning. Are teachers strictly there to read information from texts books and relay the information to students? What does their personal identity have anything to do with teaching? I feel that as humans, we can learn immensely from each individual person. Everyone has a past and have been through challenges and growth which has shaped them into the people they are today. They have interests, skills and knowledge that can be transferred between each other. I feel as if the best way inquiring new knowledge in through the people. As a teacher, your personal identity, your views, and your morals are what you will be transferring to your students whether you think you will or not. Children are a reflection of their environments and who you are as a person will spill into the lives of the children. Children are constantly observing and modeling behaviours of those around them and a teacher who spends many hours a day with these children have a big impact on their lives. As one of the teacher’s roles is to model appropriate behaviours and morals in life, what is the main role of a teacher in the classroom? I feel that no, teachers are not there just to read information from textbooks and that teachers are there to be the facilitator of each child’s individual learning. They are there to expose children to new experiences and guide them in their own learning. I feel that teachers are there as observers of each child’s interests and expand on them. I feel that children are naturally curious about the world and want to learn about it innately, so it is the teacher’s job to allow them to experience life. By allowing them to experience life and the teacher’s individual identity and self, naturally they will be learning on a day-to-day basis.

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Children in Society

After reading the article children in society, it really led me to reflect on children’s role in society and lead me to wonder why we don’t prioritize them. Children like all humans, play an important role in society. They partake in several activities with other children and attend school and daycare on daily basis. They interact with other children and adults and play an important role in the microsystem. I feel that although children mainly learn social behaviours through adults and peers and experiences, we as adults can also learn socially through them as they remind us of the basics and the purity that children provide us with. Children also remind adults of the basics in life and to stop, be present and enjoy life’s little moments. I feel that children bring adults together on a social level and enhance that sense of community around them. As children are the future, I feel that their development and needs are highly important in society. I feel as if sometimes they are overlooked and undervalued however they are the ones who will be leaders in the future. I feel that the best way to prioritize their needs is to completely understand their developmental stages and target their needs as children. In addition, talking and observing children and asking their perspectives is a great way to show value of their role in society. I feel that children should have more say in the activities they partake in and have a loud voice of their own. We need to stop and listen to what they have to say and fulfil their wants and wishes. Their opinions matter and by getting their consent in what they do will help grow their independence and self-confidence which will lead them to have a strong secure foundation for the rest of their lives. I feel that one of the main reasons children are not a priority is because they do no contribute financially to society. They are not working or paying taxes therefore not feeding the economy. It’s sad to think that our society is so money hungry, but if we put emphasis on the development and well-being of the children in society, it will lead to a better future and society all together. So let’s start listening to the kids and putting their needs and wants on the top of our priority lists! :)

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Canada History Week 2017: A New Way Forward

Canada History WeekNovember 20 -26, 2017www.canadahistoryweek.ca#historyweek2017

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Indigenous History in Curriculum

When learning about the major Indigenous events in Canadian History, it came to my surprise that I knew little of the topics. Major events like the Indian Act in 1867, The Oka Crisis in 1990 and The Duty to Consent in 2004-2007, were all events that I heard of but never quite took the time to dive deeper and understand what happened. This led me to feel guilt and shame for not knowing these major and quite life changing events that took place in the lives of the Indigenous people. This made me reflect on the why factor. Why didn’t I know much about these events? Was it because I personally didn’t have interest or was it not promoted in my surroundings? I lead me to reflect on the education system and school experiences with learning about Indigenous history. I could only remember slightly learning about the historic events in grade 10 history and I feel as if I wish I had learned more. I feel as if Canadian students should be learning about the history of the land and the Indigenous people as early as the preschool and elementary age. It is extremely beneficial for children to learn about the history of the Indigenous to ensure the appropriate respect and credentials are shown towards the natives of our country. I don’t understand why there isn’t already emphasis on people of Canada learning about the history of Indigenous unless it is purposefully hidden from curriculum to maintain Canada’s peaceful and sacred image. I feel that as a future teacher, I will make sure that Indigenous history and ways of life is a big part or my curriculum and teaching. I feel it’s important for Canadians to be aware of the current conditions that the Indigenous are living under and to raise their voices in hopes to make positives changes in the quality of the Indigenous lives.

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Indigenous Child Care: The Jordan’s Principle

After attending our 2nd class and reading Chapter 13, there are several surprising incidents that have occurred to the Indigenous people in Canada. Canada is viewed as such a safe and beautiful place, however it has had some pretty dark and embarrassing moments in history. One in particular that was painful to read into and learn about was the Jordan’s Principle. The Jordan’s Principle is basically a policy in Canada which grants the right to government funded childcare services and programs to indigenous children living on and off the reserve. I didn’t know we needed an official policy to clear this up so I dove deeper into the story. The principle was set in place because of an indigenous boy named Jordan River. Jordan was sick with a rare disease called Carey Fineman Ziter syndrome and was hospital for several years because of it. His medical plan was to then be sent to a home care center with medical assistants however the federal and provincial government couldn’t agree on who was to pay for these services. So, unfortunately, they never agreed and two years later, at the age of 5, Jordan died in the hospital and never got to spend his final years in a home. This just doesn’t make sense to me. How can a child not have access to health care services because of money? This thought has me questioning humanity and what us humans have done to our society and the world. We created it all. It it quite alarming and painful to see what they Indigenous have gone through, even in a peaceful place like Canada, just because they don’t agree or obey to the colonial way, in which they have full rights to live their lives the way they want to. This makes me feel as if we are bribed, as Canadians, to obey the laws the society and in return you will get access to government services. Basically, no choice to follow the rules. The Jordan’s Principle was quite eye opening to me and unfortunately terrifying that this has happened in a place like Canada.  It is still implemented to this day and several Indigenous children have benefited from this principle however in my opinion, it shouldn’t have been needed to be created in the first place, I feel that all people and children in Canada should have access to health care and other government services.

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Consent within the Classroom

After reading Simpson’s article; land as pedagogy: Nishnaabeg intelligence and rebellious transformation, I felt extremely inspired by the Nishnaabeg way of education. Their values and principles of education lie closely to mine as they promote learning through the land, learning through your elders and peers, and freedom and trust. I feel that the best way of learning is through experiences and getting out into the world. One aspect that really got my brain going was the way that the Nishnabeeg culture promotes consent in the context of learning and relationships. The article promotes the importance of consent between adult and child and if children are not normalized to consent, they will get used to dominance and a non-consent way of living to those who have power. This shook me and made me think for quite a while. As teachers we are there to help children be the best version of themselves and to promote independence and prepare them for the world after school however, our school system has almost no level of consent. We are forced as teachers and as students to follow a curriculum with little choice or wiggle room with little consideration in promoting children’s individual learning style or interests. This made me begin to think of ways of including consent in my future classroom as a teacher. Having worked within an early childhood setting for 4 years, I saw the positive effects of child engagement when they were given choice and were interested in the subjects that they were learning. One of my values and main focuses as an early childhood education teacher is promoting independence and building confidence especially at the early stages. Including the children in the decision making of what we learn in the classroom is one way that teachers can promote consent and increase respect and confidences as the children’s choices are valued. I feel that the classroom is a community and that all the members of the community’s opinions and wishes matter. I feel that another great way to promote consent within the classroom is by giving the children options of how they learn. People in general have different learning styles that work best for them, so knowing these learning styles and providing the different styles of learning for the same subject allows children to decide what works best for them and provides them with choice. Lastly, I feel that simply asking the child’s permission daily for specific tasks or for access to their belongings is another great way to promote consent within your relationship. I feel that it is important that children feel in control of their own lives and do have the power to say no in certain situations. For example, if you’d like to present a child’s work in front of the classroom, asking permission from them first shows them respect and promotes consent. This is also a great way to model a respectful relationship as children are closely watching and are influenced by your behavior as a teacher. To wrap it up, providing consent within the classroom and within your relationships with your children is necessary to ensure the child will have an opinionated and independent future. Without consent children may become submissive in situations that they should not be.

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Hands on experience based learning through the land <3

#Indigenouseducation #handsonlearning #teachergoals