Week #10
4 weeks left and it’s hard to believe! It seems like we were just starting full of fears, nerves, and unsure of ourselves. It’s a bittersweet feeling, sad because we are starting to form some real connections with the children, and some are finally opening up and flourishing. The happy part is that we are one step closer to becoming licensed RECE and we have worked so hard to get here; we are deserving of this role. This week I felt was a lot of reflection and stepping back and re-examining our roles and values. It was also a learning week for many of us and although not as positive as we would have liked it was necessary and valuable. Although we want to always do our best and make everyone happy the reality is that isn’t always going to happen. Little hiccups are welcomed as it’s a learning experience we get to venture with our faculty and have that support before we must face these challenges alone.
Starting the morning we decided to switch things up from our normal routine and start with outdoor time beginning the program. It was a last-minute decision because of the expected rain and weighing the pros and cons together the students felt it would be a nice change. However, some of the parents were not as welcoming to the idea. All students gathered outside and waited for the families to arrive and to our surprise the attendance wasn’t as high as it had been previously. One family arrived and I feel as though us standing outside gave the mother the impression that she had to get her children changed right at the entrance. Struggling, she tried to get her children dressed for the weather with one crying and the other one accidently falling. Tears were flowing and it was respectively evident that she was both embarrassed and frustrated as 15 students stood around her. Some students aided in helping her but rightfully the mother expressed that previous notification would have been appreciated; I couldn’t agree more. Some of us gathered inside to help remove the awkwardness that had already formed having 4 children and 15 students all wanting to engage with the children. I was part of the parent team and the whole team together decided it was best to sit and prepare for our discussion. This was a learning moment because the decision was hard to make. We wanted to interact with the children, absolutely, but we noticed how intimidating the children felt having the student to child ratio being so uneven. Sometimes, it’s better to sit and observe for the benefit of the children and not for our own reasons. It was a great choice and the parent discussion was rich, meaningful, and engaging for both parents and students as we were fully prepared.
We are students learning and we are trying new approached and experimenting with each week but it’s important to reflect what works and what doesn’t. We are fortunate that we have understanding and patient parents that understand our learning but we as future educators need to think of all aspects before we make change. We meant well when changing the routine, but I think that we failed to think about how that would affect both child and family. We know children work best with a predictable routine as well parents have a hard time getting their children to the program that surprises aren’t always welcomed; people like to be prepared. It was a learning moment and after the families left, we had a rich discussion of our faults, what we learned, what we would change, and how we can do better next time. These are the hiccups that are important, because sometimes if we don’t make mistakes, we can’t learn from them; none of us are perfect. So, although I was embarrassed at times, I welcomed these errors. It was the first time through the duration of the program that I had to critically reflect, and the students could admit to their faults. To me, these are important learning moments and I’m thankful to experience them now with fantastic support to guide us through the rough days.
