Week #11
3 weeks left; I still can’t believe how fast this journey has flew past us. It’s days like today that don’t want the program to end and it’s days like today that remind me I have chosen the perfect career for myself. Like last week our attendance was less then expected so we had a slower start. I think all students are mindful that with the lack of children we want to join in a child’s play but rather then stick with that child we allow other students to join the play and step aside so that each of us has a chance to have an interaction. Today, I sat for the first half hour careful not to swarm and intimidate the four children that attended. However, once I joined the play with Charlie and Ayla there was no stepping aside. Today I had the richest experience I have had yet through the whole program; it was magical.
Lindsay and Charlie had started to engage in the play, and it was evident that Charlie was very fond of Lindsay and I was careful not to intrude but also let my presence be known. Lindsay and Charlie went to the bathroom and came back with a measuring cup of water. From there they filled some ice cube trays with the water and then Charlie independently dropped food colouring into the trays. It was a moment that I understood the meaning behind the 100 Languages of Children poem. Ayla curiously came over to observe Charlie using a dropper and mixing colours together in the ice cube trays. My “ah ha” moment had arisen, and I excused myself to get some paper and paint brushes. This is when the magic happened, Charlie didn’t grab the paint brush instantly but instead he used the dropper and dropped coloured water onto the paper. With each drop he would make bubbles on the paper and the look on his face was pure amazement and satisfaction. Lindsay and Charlie took pictures trying to catch the perfect picture that portrayed the bubbles on the paper. Ayla confidently grabbed a paint brush, dipped it in the coloured water and started painting away on the paper. After a while she grabbed the dropper and focused and determined tried to suck up some of the water. She would touch the dropper to the page, on my hands, and even in her mouth; we quickly learnt that didn’t taste good. The focus and attention to detail was an amazing moment to watch as both children were fully engaged in this activity that lasted for a great length of time. Ayla who normally is very reserved sat down on my lap, smiled, and babbled (first I’ve heard her make much noise) and tried to follow Charlie’s lead. We lost track of time, not worried about the prepared schedule or that we were missing outdoor time because this experience was far to rich to be stopped. This was the moment that all my studies came to life and I understood everything that I had been taught in the last year and a half. Lindsay and I had not prepared this experience as a provocation, in fact, we had no intention of partaking in this activity. We followed their interests, we tried something new, and it was a huge success. I will forever remember this moment and the simplicity of the activity that provided one of the richest experiences I have had the opportunity to be apart of.
I feel as new students we have this insecurity that we need to constantly set up provocations and experiences to occupy the children. We are taught that some of the best learning outcomes are child led and sometimes unintentional moments become something beautiful. Until this point I didn’t fully understand what this meant or looked like until today. This was an experience I have waited for since I started this program and although I didn’t know what it would look like or what to expect, this was the day that it unexpectedly made my studies become so clear. With only three weeks left I have a different approach and new expectations and I can only hope that it betters my role as an educator. This experience is something that you can’t understand until you witness and play with it. This is the experience that we have been taught and thought we understood but never really did until we lived it. This was an experience I want to have each and every day with the children in my care.
