The Indigenous Professional Learning Team is extending an invitation to early years professionals to attend an upcoming Knowledge Exchange Gathering.
September 22, 2021 from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT
This month Elders, Knowledge Keepers and early years professionals will share about the importance of Indigenous food sovereignty in relation to belonging, wellbeing, expression and engagement for children in the early years.
Click HERE to register by Monday September 20, 2021 at 4:00 pm EDT.
Kindful Psychology is a clinical psychology practice in Thunder Bay with some great resources on mindfulness and self-compassion. We have added the following resources under the Educator Resources section:
Visit their website for more resources and ideas, including pre-recorded meditations: https://www.kindfulpsych.com/resources
“Listening is a complex state. It involves the abandoning of oneself as we come to know that we are only one being within this vast universe”
CARLINA RINALDI, 2001
View our Calendar for upcoming events!
The Indigenous Professional Learning Team is extending an invitation to early years professionals to attend our upcoming Knowledge Exchange Gathering.
July 21, 2020 from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT
This month Elders, Knowledge Keepers and early years professionals will share about the importance of Indigenous song and dance in relation to belonging, wellbeing, expression and engagement for children in the early years.
Be sure to register by Monday July 19, 2020 at 4:00 pm EDT.
Click HERE to register.
We had a wonderful conversation last week about pedagogical documentation. Three educators joined us who each play a different role in our community – one educator in child care, one supervisor of a before and after school program, and one EarlyON coordinator. This diversity of experience made for a unique dialogue and the opportunity to share different perspectives. We all read the article, Curiosity, Curriculum, and Collaboration Entwined: Reflections on Pedagogical Documentationby Pat Tarr.
As we discussed the article, an interesting dialogue came up around interrupting children’s play. Traditionally, we have been taught to ask children open-ended questions – “what are you building?” “what do you think will happen when you stack another block on top?” We felt that this can sometimes interrupt and change the direction of children’s play, and we agreed that we should be thoughtful in deciding when is a good time to enter children’s play and ask questions. It was said that we need to give ourselves permission to take a step back and observe more.
As the conversation continued, we began thinking about how educators pick and choose what they feel is worth documenting. Tarr (2010) states in the article that “what we choose to document reveals and reflects back to us what we consider important, as well as help us to see ourselves as educators within the educational relationship” (p. 12). This conversation reminded some of us about another article by Pat Tarr that talked about ethics and biases in pedagogical documentation. We shared mixed feelings about this article, and some of us plan to dig a little deeper to decide if or how the information fits with our practice. You can access the article here: Reflections and Shadows: Ethical Issues in Pedagogical Documentation,.
Finally, one of the educators bravely shared her documentation with us. She wondered, “is this documentation?” There isn’t one right way to document children’s learning; taking time to practice documenting and experimenting with different techniques can help educators to feel more confident. We discussed our questions and curiosities about this documentation, and a new idea was shared about “stories from home” (Hedges, 2010). Essentially, “stories from home” is a form that goes home for families to fill out and share a story that took place with their child outside of the early learning setting – it’s getting the families to document!! We discussed that this would be a great way of getting to know children and families better, and building stronger connections between, for example, child care and home.
Let us know what you think about these ideas or about the articles provided in the chat below.
References
Hedges, H. (2010). Blurring the boundaries: Connecting research, practice and professional learning. Cambridge Journal of Education, 40(3), 299-314. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2010.502884
Tarr, P. (2010). Curiosity, curriculum, and collaboration entwined: Reflections on pedagogical documentation. Canadian Children, 35(2), 10-14.
Tarr, P. (2011). Reflections and shadows: Ethical issues in pedagogical documentation. Canadian Children, 36(2), 11-16.
We wanted to say a special thank you to Ari Vainio and Jaymie Rusnak for hosting a conversation on communicating with parents during COVID-19. Ari and Jaymie had many clever ideas to support communication with families during these trying times. One unique example is their “virtual playdates”. Ari and Jaymie have scheduled times where families can pop in on Zoom and have a virtual visit in the program. This allows parents to get acquainted with the environment where their child spends so much of their day, and to meet some of the other children that their child plays with. Another creative idea that they shared was offering parents the option of going for a social-distanced walk (when the public health direction allows). Ari and Jaymie shared that they would go for social-distanced walks throughout the Lakehead University campus with families as a way of getting to know each other better. This provided families with a sense of comfort and trust in knowing who they are leaving their child with each day.
While there were many great ideas shared throughout the conversation, we were still left feeling like it wasn’t enough, and that we wish we could have a closer relationship with families right now. This presented as a good reminder for all of us that we are doing the best we can in the circumstances that we are dealt with currently.
Let us know how you’ve been connecting with families in the comments below.
Did you know that 97% of Canada’s early learning and child care workforce are women? We wanted to take the time today to say how grateful we are to work alongside so many amazing women who are supporting children and families in our community!
The staff at Kanata Research Park Family Centre have put together an exhibit to “[celebrate] the sounds of children, of families, of nature and living things, of imagination, of democracy, of community, of tension, of reunion, and of connection” (para. 2). They reflected on the eerie sound of quiet within the child care centre when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down their programs, and the beautiful sounds when the children returned.
You can find a link to the virtual exhibit in the COVID-19 section of our Portal.
The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board recently offered a survey regarding staff well-being. Some of the feedback from this survey was to support staff through re-connecting and opportunities to support mental health.
We know that many of the staff working in child care and EarlyON programs in our communities have strengths and talents to inspire, showcase, and bring comfort to others. Do you or does your centre have a skill to share? A story to tell? Perhaps you have a colleague that has a gift that you recognize others should see. Whether it’s documentation, cooking, crafting, or storytelling, we would like to hear what you could share virtually among our community!
Submit your idea to us at early.years@tbdssab.ca
Did you know that February is Black History Month? We would like to share with you this article from the College of ECE’s Publication Connexions: Does learning about anti-Black racism count as a professional learning activity? Absolutely! Please click HERE to read the article.
This article discusses the importance of listening to the voices and learning from experiences of Black members of communities as a foundational component of anti-bias and anti-racism work. It also encourages members of the college to consider choosing learning about anti-Black racism as part of your Continuous Professional Learning.
Keep in mind that anti-racism work should take place all year and is part of our ethical work as Registered Early Childhood Educators. The Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice Indicates, “The College has a legislated mandate ‘to establish and enforce professional standards and ethical standards that are applicable to members of the College and that demonstrate a respect for diversity and a sensitivity to the multicultural character of the Province’ (ECE Act, 2007).” Please click HERE to view The College’s Statement of Commitment to Anti-Racism.
