My Pedagogical Commitment (My three goals) -3rd Semester
– Understand and inspire every child (including those with special needs), act in the best interests of the child.
– Build reciprocal relationships with fellow educators and parents, and be able to communicate effectively and constructively.
– Be able to make curriculum according to children’s needs and local conditions, and create conditions and opportunities for children to flourish.
My Pedagogical Commitment – 2nd Semester
My pedagogical commitment is: Every child and every educator matters! To uphold this commitment, I strive to create a space that:
- – Embraces and celebrates each child’s and educator’s origins and cultural identities, fostering a sense of belonging.
- – Encourages meaningful connections with the community through interactive engagements.
- – Values continuous reflection and collaborative growth among children, families, and educators.
The pedagogical commitment – 1st semester
My educator manifesto – Living well with Children (from my course assignment of child guidance)
The vision
I dream of creating an early learning space where every child is welcome, regardless of their background, family, or learning style. In this space, differences like ADHD or Autism are not seen as labels but as natural variations, like having a cold or fever. I understand this can be challenging for both educators and families, but I feel hopeful. When I visited a project by second-year students and asked if they would accept a child rejected from another center, they confidently said yes. I want to carry this promise into my own work. Here, every child is seen as “strong, capable in their uniqueness, and full of potential” (BC ELF, 2019, p. 15). Each child would receive personalized support to help them reach their fullest potential.
This world would encourage children to explore and understand “all world relations” that “humans, creatures, plants, trees, non-living entities, forces, and land forms are all interconnected” (BC ELF, 2019, p. 16). Nature and animals would be respected and protected, and children would live in harmony with them. Children would build reciprocal relationships with others, the environment, and the community (BC ELF, 2019). This space would allow children to engage with the real complex world, exploring meaningful inquiries and building deep connections with the world around them.
Educator’s practices and dispositions to support the vision
To help children grow and thrive, educators should show care and kindness to every child, building strong and trusting relationships. As the Code of Ethics says, we must “demonstrate caring and compassion for all children through responsive and reciprocal relationships” (Principle 3). How we treat children sets the foundation for all the wonderful things that could happen in the early learning space. Vivian Gussin Paley reminds us that the most important part of working with children is to be kind, helping each child feel respected and valued (Paley, 2008). By building these connections, we can give children a sense of belonging and support their well-being.
Educators also need to use their knowledge and skills thoughtfully. Instead of interrupting children with strict routines, we should create chances for them to explore, play, and connect with others and materials. By listening carefully and observing, we can understand what children need rather than trying to control their world. Using a “self-reg” approach, we can see challenging behavior as a sign of stress and help children manage it in a healthy way (Shanker, 2020). Furthermore, working closely with families, other educators, and the community, we can build a supportive environment where children feel safe, inspired, and free to grow.