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In my toddler room we have posters hung up all around our room that support inclusivity with all races/looks, sizes, and genders. To expand on this I would love to bring in children’s books about inclusion and sing songs from other cultures. If I were in a Kindergarten class I would love to have everyone bring in foods and artifacts of any kind from their cultures. We can approach this as a show and tell. Doing this could show everyone that everyone has a story and they can gain an understanding and appreciation of where other families of different races come from. I would take photos of them with these items to post in the room to show our love and support of all races/cultures and encourage their sense of belonging. This can also encourage them to be proud of their own cultural background and themselves. I would also love to incorporate the outdoors with our lessons. Learning about the Earth, environment, importance of trees and plants, as well as the bees and pollen. Teaching children about the outdoors and nature is important, especially considering human kind has not been so kind to the Earth lately, teaching the young minds about it now can help them grow an appreciation for our Earth and feel more connected to nature. Being outside is beneficial for ones mental health and well-being as well. That being said, it would be fun to try and do a regular lesson outside in the fresh air.

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What spoke to me was reading and hearing about play-based learning as a part of children’s learning and development. I believe it is important to incorporate play-based learning in early years learning and Kindergarten. As an educator in a daycare, I have noticed that many children these days don’t know how to “play” and it’s hindering their leaning and brings on negative behaviours. A lot of the children in this generation are exposed to electronics for occupation at any age and that is why I believe many of my children don’t know how to properly play with the toys and materials that are given to them. We have been working hard at bringing in age-appropriate, natural based materials and toys for the children to interact with and gain a richer play-based learning daycare experience. This way by time they go to Kindergarten they will be better engaged in play and therefore have a stronger learning experience. Additionally, children in Kindergarten benefit from play-based learning far better than being expected to sit at a desk and do work. Hands-on, interactive learning keeps children engaged and excited to learn at such a young age.

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Gallagher, K. (2015) The Healthy Child: Assembly Required. TEDx NC

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsT0YIqwnpJCM-mx7-gSA4Q

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Ministry of Education. (2014). How does learning happen? Ontario's pedagogy for the early years. Government of Ontario. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/HowLearningHappens.pdf

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I think it is very important to understand that words have power, and shape minds, and opinions. To be anti- anything, necessarily provokes pro-something. The way that I intend to approach this teaching with these small and impressionable minds is to support understanding of different ways that people live, and seek to understand the world around them. I like the seasonal pedagogy approach of PATH, the "H" refering to having the compassion of relating that we are all human (Edge of the Bush, 2021). I somewhat disagree to stopping at the inclusion of human only, but would include, that we are not only human beings, but spiritual beings having a human experience. In this way, we can approach the discussion of all the different ways we have to express and experience our spiritual understandings and how they instruct and impact the experience of the others' lives that we touch everyday.

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Something that is currently lacking in curriculum support for children in full-day kindergarten is second language resources for children whose first language is not English. I would ensure that materials and curriculum design includes such things as multilingual books, and would provide and welcome opportunities for the parents of these children to attend the classroom and teach the classmates about their country of origin, and hopefully share words of their language. This will help the children feel belonging, as well as create the bridge for the parents to know they are welcome. The Ministry of Education's How does learning Happen document points out the benefits of an inclusive environment to learning (2014).

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Something that speaks to me about my own practices as an Early Childhood Educator is how the importance of high-quality teaching practices and curriculum provide a solid foundation for children's future health, academics and quality of life, and available opportunities for self-growth and fulfillment are set in the early years education (Gallagher, 2015). In her TedTalk, Kathleen Gallagher references the abecedarian project, and its success, based on high-quality teaching interactions with children in poverty. This inspires me to offer enriched instruction, and the evidence I need that investing in children at this space in time, will bring dividends for the rest of their lives.

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CECE. (2020). Practice Guideline Pedagogical Practice. https://www.college-ece.ca/en/Documents/Practice_Guideline_Pedagogical_Practice.pdf

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Mother Earth Guiding a Seasonal Pedagogy – Edge of the Bush. (2021). Edgeofthebush.ca. https://edgeofthebush.ca/mother-earth-guiding-a-seasonal-pedagogy/

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One thing that might help mentioned in the Pedagogical Practice Guideline, was to reflect on our biases regarding the children & families we are working with. And to consider "what, who, why, where and how" (CECE, 2020) we make our pedagogical decisions. So I guess making sure we critique ourselves and our program planning, to consider what is working, who is it working for, and why it may not be working for everyone involved as a way to ensure that all children are given the same opportunities to succeed in our classrooms.

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I really enjoyed reading about seasonal pedagogy. I have never heard of this concept before today, but I love how it incorporates the importance of a child's sense of wonder, and giving back to the community. The importance of movement and relationships are also mentioned in this reading, however I think those aspects of development and education are mentioned in many theories and ideas. So reading about how critical a child's sense of wonder is, and how a child sharing their ideas with you is considered them giving back to the community was very engaging to read, and gave me a new outlook to consider when interacting with the children in my classroom.

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To incorporate ideas and thoughts including a seasonal pedagogy and anti racist strategies I would bring into my curriculum different holidays that different cultures celebrate. The children could learn about each others traditions and different foods they may eat. I think it's important to use loose parts from the outside for centres so the children can work in groups to gain a closer perspective to nature. Using lose parts can help their imagination grow and help them learn to problem solve.

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I would ensure curriculum is supportive to all children and families by doing many things. I believe it's just as important to form a relationship with your students caregivers just as much as it is to form a relationship with the student. Then you can all work as a team. I would have a communication book that goes back and forth between home and school. This is important for the students emotional needs to be met. For example if the student has been up late and had a rough morning at home and I'm aware of it than I can give the extra support to that student that is needed. I think it's important to share with parents the work their child is doing at school so they have a better idea of what goes on at school. By having a better relationship with the family, I will have a better idea of their culture background and what I can bring from that into the classroom.

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1. Many things speak to me in relation to my own practice as a childhood educator. I strongly believe the most important thing is having a good relationship with all your students. Getting to know each student is half the battle in being able to help them best. If you know the child and their personal interests you can then build on their interests by incorporating their interest into my learning centres. By building a trusting relationship with your students it allows them to feel comfortable so they can feel the confidence to perform at the best of their abilities.