Field Experience Project
**I was located at the Saplings Child Care Centre and spent majority of my time with the older group around 4-5 years old.
1. Children are Capable:
Throughout my visit in the centre, the big idea that children are capable was quite evident. When we were with the children outside the one day (the day after it first snowed I believe), a little girl wanted to put the play house back together as the wind must have blown the roof off. Instead of asking any of us educators for help, she proceeded to drag the roof over to the house and try to lift it up. One of the educators there assisted her I lifting it up and putting it on the house at that point. This experience shows that children are born capable and it is when they are socialized to think that they can’t do things on their own when they loose courage in their own abilities. Another instance was when a little boy’s boot strap fell out of its place. I observed the child try to fix it on his own, then I made my way over to him and offered assistance. He didn’t accept my help or say a word to me, but he continued to try and fixed his boot. I accepted his independence and watched him navigate through his struggle. He eventually got it and ran away to play with his friends. I could tell that the boy had warmed up to me as he would smile at me lots and invite me to play with him. This occurrence just showed me that although he didn’t need my help, he was thankful for it and maybe even looked at me as a friend. This was yet another example of how children are capable as the boy didn’t need my help or assistance but could figure it out on his own. Another occurrence where the idea that children are capable was evident was one morning when the children were getting ready to go outside. A little boy came up to me and asked if I could help him put his jacket and ski pants on. Of course I wanted to help him but then thought to myself, how many times is this boy challenged to put on his own outside gear? I then encouraged him that he should try it and see if he could do it himself. As I wasn’t going to argue with the child, I first started with his jacket and let him put his arms through. I then asked if he thought he’d be able to zip up his own jacket and he was persistent that he couldn’t. I decided that the only way he would ever learn is if he would try it on his own—not just in zipping up his jacket, but in everything in life—so I acted as a scaffolding and put my hands on his and guided his participation with his hands to put the zipper in it’s place. I then congratulated him and told him that I knew he could do it. With this little boost of confidence, I then challenged the boy to see if he could put on his ski pants on his own and he went for it without doubting himself. He struggled a bit with it came to getting his feet through the holes, and he doubted himself for a second, but I assured him how good he was doing and he continued to put his pants on. He eventually got it, I just had to help him pull his ski pants up a bit, and he went to line up at the door to go outside. I hope from this experience he sees that he is capable because I know I sure did.
2. Children are born with unique and varied gifts, and ways of engaging with the world, which provide a foundation for their learning and interactions with their environment:
Throughout my visits to the centre, I observed the children engaging in different ways with their environment. There were a variety of opportunities for the children to express themselves and interact with the world in different ways. In the corner by the carpet, the children were given the opportunity to sing songs as well as do the movements and hand gestures along with the song. Children didn’t have to participate, but those who did portrayed their musical interest and engaged in a musical way. In this same corner, reading took place. The children were read to or went to that corner on their own time and listened to a story book and/or tried their best to read on their own. I was often invited to this corner by some if the children in request that I would read to them and I gladly did. These children also showed their potential love for literacy and to delve into a good book. There were also opportunities for dance parties with music in the background, colouring, crafts (painting pumpkins when I was there for Halloween), and playing with toys or each other during free time. Having all these options allow children to explore and find what they enjoy engaging with rather than limiting the children to one activity just because it’s “easier” for the educators. There were also sensory bins that the children could grab during free time—like coloured rice with objets throughout for example. There was also a sensory table, when made available by the educators, with coloured water and toys like buckets, cups, syringes, and other toys. Overall, all these different opportunities for children to engage in the world allow them to find their passion and what they love to do the most. They can bring out the gifts in children that can be applied in their futures when it comes to their career, hobbies, and who they are in general. I must also mention the talking stuffy in the bottom left corner. Every Monday morning, everyone would take turns talking about their weekend and would use this stuffy to at as a talking stick like Indigenous individuals practice and believe in. I thought tis was a really cool concept and is defiantly something I’d incorporate into my classroom.