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Amanda Hewlette

School of Community Studies, Fanshawe College

ECED-3003-HUMA-Educational Perspectives

Professor Amy Williams

August 10, 2025

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To begin, I believe children are naturally curious about the world around them and it is up to us as the educators to encourage their ability to explore, seek, and ask questions.

Families are our main source of information when it comes to educating their children. The diversity of families plays a major role in how we educate children as we strive to focus on inclusion. This means including families in discussions related to their children's culture, identity, and race to educate others in our classroom.

My role as an Early Childhood Educator is to create an environment where children feel safe, heard, and included. I also provide materials that promote active learning so that children can build on their critical thinking skills. My main goal is to bring out a child's own authentic self by encouraging freedom to choose, explore, and communicate with others. This allows a child to maintain friendships, learn to become resilient, and an eager learner.

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My role in supporting child development is supporting a child's educational needs along with learning through nature. This approach is how Rudolph Steiner views children in his work studying anthropology. I agree that children's physical, mental, and emotional needs should be considered while developing an educational plan through pedagogical documentation, (lerullo, 2025). This way, we are able to build on what we already know what the child is capable of based on their activities of choice.

I believe one of the key roles in succeeding with building on a child's physical, mental, and emotional needs is observation. By doing so, something incredible happens as we shift from our role as an educator, to learning something new about ourselves, (Malaguzzi, 1993).

Loris Malaguzzi also stated that we need to become involved with children by being attentive. Just being there in our presence is enough for a child to feel appreciated, (Malaguzzi, 1993).

Additionally, I am not to interfere with active play while children are experimenting with materials however, I may participate in scaffolding as a child problem solves.

Lastly, it is crucial to document the child's capabilities while focusing on what they "can do." I will use the children's milestone resource as a guidance tool and not an accurate diagnosis.

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I believe curriculum is designed to be child-led to support children by being responsive to their emotional state while promoting inclusive activities that includes social interactions, (Schinkman, 2025). This is to ensure that all children are considered, included, no matter their race, religion, culture, or gender.

The curriculum has a child's best interests at heart with recognizing that children are human beings who are capable of making their own choices and have their own views while making their own decisions, (Wood, 2020).

Understandably, I believe our stakeholders collect data/information based on their own pedagogy to collectively conclude whether or not the system needs work or collaborate on topics that require more attention. This is viewed as a positive step that is critical in developing a successful plan for our children's futures.

The curriculum is also designed to nurture and support children during the developmental stages so that all children are provided the same opportunities for a successful future.

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My Roles Connected to Families, Culture, and Diversity 

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My Roles Connected to Families, Culture, and Diversity 

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I believe my roles connected to families, culture and diversity within the inclusive playroom are providing materials that are a variety of things that children with different cultures can relate to. We have been acknowledged and accepted that we are a bicultural country. By becoming familiar with multicultural frameworks, we can change how we teach culture into our classroom, (Winter, 2015).

We can create a classroom where daily discussions surrounding how diversity should be embraced and how we can achieve this. This starts by utilizing accurate resources to prevent misinformation.

Lastly, I believe in collaborating with families to ensure that I am respectfully including the correct materials, information, and other resources. This may also include a specific type of food that is enjoyable to the family/child.

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I believe in an environment that views children as co-learners who are capable, strong, and competent while maintaining connections with other adults and their peers, (Moss, 2010, p. 10).

I envision myself having the same thinking pattern as Loris Malaguzzi, as we both agree that a child is an active learner in their environment who has rights and potential. I also admire the fact that Malaguzzi believes the environment is a third teacher, just as I do. According to the Reggio Emilia approach, the environment consists of three educators which is the the teacher, the child, and the environment, (Dietze & Kashin, 2012).

Understanding that a child is born with 'a hundred languages' as they learn to navigate their potential through Play, music, and dance, (Moss, 2010).

Clearly, the environment is where a child spends most of their days exploring, experiencing new things, and feeling a sense of belonging. This includes feeling secure in himself/herself while making connections with educators and with their peers.

Specifically, the environment itself needs to be welcoming of all families and their children. This includes having the areas set up to match the activities. For example, having a "cozy corner" would have a quiet area with comfortable seats, books, coloring materials, with the freedom to come and go.

Lastly, being aware of my students needs is crucial to affectivity setting up the environment. For example, a child who has sensory sensitivities will benefit from having earphones present to use. I will need to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate the needs of the child.

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I believe my interactions will be professional, authentic, and caring while connecting with my colleagues, families, and children. I value the connections I make and ways families contribute to my own learning. As human beings, we learn from others and I am looking forward to that experience!

By collaborating with my colleagues, I am able to gather more information by the 'seasoned' educators and learn from them. I will take constructive feedback from my colleagues as a learning opportunity to better myself.

With the families, I plan on including them in decision making in regards to their child. They are their child's first teacher and I will respect that!

Lastly, my interactions with children will be respectful, caring, and genuine while honouring the fact that they are their own unique self. I will be encouraging yet patient, guide with their interest being the main goal.

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I believe my roles and responsibilities are to encourage children to use their critical thinking skills, language skills, and problem-solving skills with support.

My responsibility is to create a positive and inclusive environment where children can naturally express themselves. I also believe my responsibilities are to adhere to the "Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice," (2017) as this coincides with providing children with safety and security both inside and outside the classroom.

Moreover, my roles are to be responsible for being a positive role model while maintaining a healthy relationship with children that includes being both supportive and patient.

I believe using the four foundations of "how does learning happen?", will certainly create a positive theme of capabilities within the classroom, (Ministry of Education, 2014). I will use this tool for guidance and support by referring to each foundation while guiding children in our learning environment.

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My conclusions are understanding how the past history of educators has paved the way on how we teach now. By learning of different theorists and their impact has on early childhood education; I am able to see how early years pedagogy evolved over time and why it is important to refer back to the theorists in my profession.

As I reflect, I believe that learning new ways to educate children (myself included) provides confidence in how I chose to show up in my profession. I have gained a significant amount of knowledge throughout my learning journey that I will be able to implement learning strategies inside a classroom or out in nature.

When I speak on my roles, child development, the curriculum, culture, and the early years environment; I am learning based off past history! Of course my character will speak for itself as I continue to evolve into my professional career.

Hence, it amazes me how much influence the past can have on future outcomes and learning strategies. I would not have the education that I have today if it wasn't for pivotal individuals such as Loris Malaguzzi, Rudolf Steiner, and Eric Erikson (plus several others).

Finally, how I learn to include my own pedagogical documentation is by correlating the past works on pedagogy through the work of past theorists. I have been educated in theory to put into actual practice when my time comes to be involved in early childhood care settings.

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Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. College of Early Childhood Educators | Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice| July 2017

Dietze, B., & Kashin, D. (2012). Playing and Learning in Early Childhood Education. SECOND EDITION. Pearson Canada Inc.

lerullo, G. (2025, July 6). ECED-3003-

HUMA-Educational Perspectives. Rudolf Steiner. FanshaweOnline. https://www.fanshaweonline.ca/d2l/le/1952334/discussions/posts/6577595/View attachment?field=123557660

Malaguzzi, L. (1993, June). Your Image of the Child: Where Teaching Begins. https://www.fanshaweonline.ca/content/25W/1952334-ECED-3003-(01PT-40LC)-25S/Your-image-of-the-child-L.Malaguzzi1.pdfou=1952334

Ministry of Education. (2014). How Does Learning Happen? Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years. www.ontario.ca/edu

Moss, P. (2010). What is your image of the child? UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark://48223/pf0000187140

Schinkman, B. (2025, May 29). ECED-3003-HUMA-Educational Perspectives. Eric Erikson Presentation. FanshaweOnline. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZUq_lcQhLuQ5MjV371pEQb_x7HeojiOA/view?

Winter, E. (2015). Rethinking multiculturalism after its "retreat": Lessons from Canada. American Behavioral Scientist, 59 (6), 637-657.

Wood, C. (2020). Children's Perspectives in D. T. Cook, (Ed). The Sage Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood Studies (pp.484-488) Sage Publications Limited