Journal-style writing and documentation:

Professional skills: “Mani’s words.”

  • Demonstrates respect for the centre’s philosophy and routines.
  • Follows classroom expectations, observes educator practice, and applies guidance when working with children
  • Punctual and reliable
  • Communicates respectfully and clearly with mentor and staff. Asks appropriate questions, checks in regularly, and ensures practicum expectations are discussed and understood
  • Professional appearance
  • Professional behavior at all times

Communication skills:

  • Learning to have and create consistent, open communication.
  • Building trust and respect for everyone: mentors, the children, and the other educators
  • Remembering to ask questions about everything (respectfully): – Being aware of allergies, care plans – Classroom routine and everyday expectations – Talking with educators or children about personal life (with their consent) to build strong more connected bonds – Asking for consistent feedback and advice
  • Connecting with the families of the children

Problem solving:

  • Having unexpected issues with culture and beliefs has been a learning journey; I’m thankful to be able to communicate positively with my mentors to discuss alternative routes or plans. This also connects to and incorporates collaborative dialogue with one another.
  • When a situation happens, openly and respectfully communicates it with either educators or professors

Contributions to the team and what initiatives were taken:

  • Mani: “Supportive during daily routines and regular classroom activities.” With tasks such as tidying the class after snack/lunch, setting up or putting away nap time beds, sanitizing everything, end of day cleaning.
  • Bringing art activities for quiet time
  • Leading circle time with songs, books, and engaging activities

Practical Skills:

  • Leading transitions and activities
  • Engaging in collaborative dialogue with children and educators
  • Appropriately and respectfully exercising my commitment and values in the classroom, such as: – Letting the children have more responsibility if wanting (helping me with cleaning the nap beds, wiping the tables, and sweeping). – Creating a more inclusive and democratic environment (allowing the children to feel heard with their ideas and choices – asked a child about her opinion about circle time. Invited the children to step outside of their regular standards and routine. Coming back to and staying with topics/conversations)
  • Being present and active with the children and their individual needs 
Roles, duties, and tasks noticed within the classroom:

Role & Image of the Educator:

How I view the image of the Educator in this classroom, respectively, and honestly, is very authoritarian. The educator holds power or control over the children, which I mean by that, there is a representation of a hierarchy in the class. This hierarchy allows educators themselves to only conduct the rhythm, actions, and flow of the day. To better support the children and the classroom environment, educators can acknowledge and reflect on their approach while considering more ways to create a collaborative and inclusive learning environment.

Image of the children:

The children are seen as children who must follow or obey the rules; if not followed, then they receive repetitive disciplinary action. This disciplinary action is only momentarily helping the situation, rather then creatin long-lasting support or learning processes. There is an expectation that the children must absorb and apply the dispositions/information provided to continue being “good” or respected. This dynamic can impact the child’s agency in their learning process.

Tasks & Duties in the classroom:

Tasks in the classroom are expected to be done right away and considered perpetual. If educators are “doing nothing”, it is seen as lazy, not doing enough, or that they should be doing something. The routine and rhythm of the day are precise and revolve mostly around the clock, with some flexibility around lunch and nap. Although this classroom is non-structured and more considered free play, the routine is still clock-based. When I say non-structured, I mean: free-play, able to go about jumping from one activity to another, which makes me think of the “consumeristic” point of view. How every part of the class is open to freely go about and use, and then given an open opportunity for change. I don’t disagree entirely or agree; I believe there should be a positive balance between both, creating free time but also bringing more structure to help support the children more by encouraging time to slow down, being present, and holding onto ideas or activities longer.

Resources

To better understand and plan for building evidence in this section, please refer to:

  • BC Child Care Sector Competencies
  • ECED 1200 Moodle Section: Professional Foundations
  • ECED 1350 Moodle Section: Observation
  • ECED 1330 Child Guidance
  • CYCA 2500 Human Development Birth to Age 8
  • ECED 1340 Interpersonal Communication