At this point in my life and in my education, I have to consider myself as having crossed the border. The crossing has happened in the questions I have been asking, the resistances I am beginning to make, and in the application of alternate perspectives that I have been able to approach a situation with. These changes have enabled me to be in a different space and crossing back is not an alternative for me anymore. I am able to better realize where my struggles come from with particular aspects of developmentally appropriate practice, and how its discourse shapes who I am as an Early Childhood Educator. When a parent comes to me I am able to take some time to think over a situation that has been brought to my attention, rather than having to have an immediate prescribed response or resolution.
It has become more obvious to me that there cannot be a universal practice that everyone must adapt to. How can we know beforehand what works best for each individual? Do we not have a responsibility to the other to not make assumptions of who she/he is and what will work best for her/him? Levinas (as cited in Dahlberg & Moss, 2005) explains how we have this need to know the other and therefore we apply pre-constructed and universal notions that tell us who the other is . However, how is our discomfort with uncertainties ‘best practice’ for the children, families, and staff in our centres? What would happen if we tried to resist some of our insecurities and allowed for other meanings to occur? What if we saw the other as Levinas (as cited in Dahlberg & Moss, 2005, p.79) sees her/him “This is an Other whom I cannot represent and classify into a category; this is an Other whom I cannot totalize and grasp, that is, seek to understand through a framework of thought I impose on the Other." I can begin to imagine the possibilities that could stem from this course of action.
More often I find myself taking the time to encounter the other in a more meaningful way, realizing that I cannot ever know her/him. In addition I am beginning to recognize, question, and at times resist what Foucault (as cited in MacNaughton, 2005) describes as sanctioned truths that regulate our actions and decisions of how we behave. However, there is still that part of me that grapples with many unknowns similar to some of your own questions raised in the responses. How do we include the voice of others, including co-workers that do not share the same views? What about the parents and children, when their values and views can be so diverse? How do we answer to those who set the guidelines and have expected outcomes?
Last May, I visited the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy
I can now relate these experiences to what Dahlberg and Moss (2005) describe as preschools that are able to examine, question and deconstruct dominant discourses. I have found new inspiration and encouragement to have open discussions when dealing with uncertainties, rather than immediately conforming to what is known to be desirable. When you have that moment of doubt or conflict, why not sit with it for awhile, question it, open up a space for communication. Can there only really be one method, one appropriate or inappropriate practice; what if we really didn’t have the answer?
Dahlberg, G. Moss, P. (2005). Ethics and politics in Early Childhood Education.
MacNaughton, G. (2005). Doing Foucalt in early childhood studies:
Applying poststructural ideas. New York
In reading your blog, I found the section where you discuss “beginning to imagine the possibilities of being open to other meanings, not only for yourself but for the children you work with” and “questioning what you have been taught to know” very relevant to my personal learning about the more current theories in early childhood education. My initial training in ECE twenty years ago did not focus on questioning practice and resisting the governing “rules and regulations” (both written and unwritten) . Rather I learned how to best work within those known boundaries such as theories of “typical child development” and meeting specific learning outcomes. Having spent a large part of my career focusing on standard child development and providing preplanned opportunities to meet expected learning goals, I am still at times overwhelmed by the thought of letting go of these beliefs. Questioning the meaning and value of my interactions with children means I must also question my effectiveness as an educator. Have I through best intentions closed doors of possibility to the many children I have worked with? As I consider my new knowledge and methods of being in a place of learning and inquiry with children I wonder if I am effectively, as Arendt suggests, “ preparing children for the task of renewing the common world”? Do I have a strong enough understanding of these new ways of thinking to lead children in the learning process? How do I set aside the biases and assumptions I may not recognize in myself? As a result of returning to school, I am gaining the understanding of how to allow a more organic form of learning to develop (out of shared experiences that originate from discussion including all partners in learning) and to create a curriculum based on joint interests and inquiry. I am beginning to take small steps away from familiar patterns of how I first learned to work with children. In learning to think with and problematize the work of others without feeling the need to have ready answers to all that I question, I am gaining confidence to try new methods of being with children. In my renewed learning, I find I can move away from a need to be prepared to answer every question properly and admit that I too am continuing to learn. Through documentation and evaluation of my interactions I see how I can be more flexible in my role with children and build upon inquiries to keep learning moving forward. Knowing how difficult this shift in thought about my role as teacher has been I question how difficult it would be to implement these changes of theory in a childcare centre. How would you help staff that has been in the field for many years be comfortable with leaving behind lesson plans and themed teaching? How do you find time and funds to educate staff if they are willing to consider a new foundational philosophy of being with children? What happens when staff is resistant to change? Would you need to change centre mandates and policies? Most importantly, how would these changes affect the families in your centre? I imagine, like my own learning, these changes would come slowly over time with a true understanding of the issues holding us back and a desire to give children the best start in their own education.
ReplyDeleteLori Roberts