Now asking myself what are my commitments as an educator? I have thought about it in numerous ways. As and educator I desire to create a learning space that is inclusive, fun, inquisitive, and safe where children are treated with equality and with justice . I have an aspiration that the space of inclusiveness extends to families, care-givers, and parents threw collaboration and communication. Well-being and belonging is also has a significance to my role as an educator.
After seeing Deb Jarvis T.R.U Instructor, I was elated at the idea of my project on community. I found that with very limited time in the morning shift and not meeting Teresa Smith the Pedagogist yet, I felt very disconnected with my project ideas. I had hard time making connections with the children over this project and feel like my goal to bring awareness who is in our community and their roles. I did not think outside the box and was stuck on product made art.
I had community role figures to do for a quick toilet paper roll craft. I thought the project was an easy craft of color, cut and paste. Yet was quick enough to do with the little time we had before school. Low and behold I stand corrected. I couldn’t understand why such a project would not work out. I proceeded tried asking the kids “What roles are the roles in our community?” trying to engage the kids in discussion I could build ideas off. Yet I could not understand what I was missing.
Yet I was conflicted with the lack of interest and communication. None of the kids demonstrated interest nor really respond to me when I asked them. I could not get myself in tune with the morning children. I struggled to be engaging with questions and finding what the right thing to say to the children. I believed the craft project was dull and not very engaging. It did not align due to lack curiosity and relation to the children and their continued input on community. In that moment I also feel that the kids were tired and under stimulated by the toilet paper roll crafts, as my classmate did few projects with them prior for her practicum.
My plan next practicum my commitment is to have more involvement in my communication, and program planning as I felt I was overwhelmed by the lack of knowledge I had for myself on pedagogical narrations. My commitment is to continue working on my pedagogy of listening so that I can help build on “joys in relationships with people, place(s), materials, and ideas with the children.”(* Early Learning Framework 2019 ,Page 66)