Rights, Respect and Reciprocity: Building a Culture of Reflective Practice

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The intention behind the project was to create a Community of Practice in which the Educators could come together and engage in deep reflective dialogue with each other about their work with children. My hope was to open dialogue about rights, respect and the idea of reciprocity, to understand these concepts in relation to the children’s lives; themselves, their friends, their families, the environment, the school, the community and the Earth. To become more aware of the values and beliefs that our educators bring to their work and to reflect with each other about this. To learn and to grow.
In February 2018 we began this journey. Naively, I envisioned this as a six-month process. Now I know this is a lifelong journey for those of us who choose to take it on. Leading us on this path is Pedagogical Leader and Mentor Lorrie Baird. Lorrie’s experience ranges from Classroom Educator, Director, College Faculty, Curriculum Consultant and now as the Executive Director of Pedagogy with Compass Early Learning and Care in Peterborough, Ontario. Lorrie travels the world to offer professional development and keynote speeches to Early Years professionals. We are thrilled to have her leading this journey.
We are almost one-year in. The first six months were spent building a container, a structure, a process within our schedule to do this work. I feel we have succeeded and now the real work is beginning.
-Tracy