Child Centered, Social Justice
In the Paha Sapa on the stolen occupied land of Očhéthi Šakówi, renamed South Dakota by white colonizers there was a sacred hill among the other hills. In this hill was a magnificent sculpture carved by a being who was not man. Mount Rushmore Native American The Lakota Sioux called it the Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe (The …
Read moreLakota Sioux called it the Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe (The Six Grandfathers)- Mount Rushmore
A story about community care in early learning. Community care in early childhood education. One day I had a one student say to me, “We have to listen to you, because you’re in charge of us. You are our boss.” I explained I am not “the boss” and I am not in charge of anybody, …
Read moreA fun anecdote about community care in early learning
The 17th Annual State of Preschool, 2019 commentary transcript: I was excited yesterday when the State of Preschool, 2019 Report was released. I figured this report would provide the evidence most needed to fight back effectively against cuts in Early Childhood Education and, I applaud the report for its vivid picture of the preschool landscape …
Childcare Ratios Must Be Lowered If we want developmentally appropriate practices to occur in early childhood education, we must lower the children to staff ratio. A child-adult ratio of 3:1 produces a significantly higher quality of teacher and child interaction than a ratio of 5:1, especially for younger children (Williams, Sheridan & Pramling Samuelsson, 2019).For …
Teaching collective care through group-centered learning When I began teaching, I was initially a great believer in child-centered education. I thought the center of the classroom should be children, and each child should individually be centered. The idea of teacher-centered education was dubious to me. I didn’t want to have a dictatorship where …
Read moreTeaching collective care through group-centered learning
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood,” Mr. Rogers. But the “Just let them play,” during COVID-19 mantra rings hollow for economically oppressed families without supports. The same households that don’t have the Internet …
For working-class children and the most economically oppressed, to be taught to view your neighbors and family suspiciously is a disservice. Oppression feeds on suspicion and mistrust. Marginalized people who do not trust each other, lose the power of community, and that is often their greatest advocate and sustainer. We often talk about the new …
Read moreAnother childhood is possible through peace education