Revisiting Pedagogical Narrations

I attended a workshop a couple of weekends ago on Pedagogical Narrations (PN) by Denise Hodgins (UVic) and Kathleen Kummen (Capliano University.)  I've been working with PNs for a few years now, but have never felt they were a natural fit for me - the work always felt a little forced.

A couple of the key points the presenters made have given me permission to re-think how I 'produce' learning stories. Really, the goal of a PN is to document the learning, it is the process that is key to document. The point is not to produce a pretty product.... 

When I look at PNs this way I realize that in reality my daily journalling with families are PNs; this is where I highlight moments of learning and meaning, provide context, and relate to how the children feel and learn.  The pictures I email at the end of our week together are artefacts of the experiences from the journals which allow deeper conversation and reflection.


Some of the key points from the workshop which stood out for me included:

• Probably the biggest 'aha moment' was the statement that PNs are not supposed to nail-down the obvious.  I think I had skipped into thinking that an ordinary moment, was an obvious one!  I was taking a photo, generally with a developmental lens, and then highlighting the obvious - it was a bit boring to do!
• PNs allow us to think differently, and make our thinking visible.
• The presenters suggest starting with a question to frame the PN process. Such as "How do I view children?" or "Are there opportunities for perseverance in the children's play?"  Step outside the 'developmental lens' for more meaningful thinking and analysis.
• Narrations is plural. There are more than one, they are ongoing and transformational. They are not the scrapbook-looking product I was producing.

I am going to read a suggested book and give the whole idea of PNs some more thought. I wonder how I can better apply them in my family daycare setting, and in homeschooling?  You're welcome to read along with me!  

Joyfully narrating,
Caz.

Family Daycare: Why Part-time Works

I can honestly say that I love Monday mornings.  I look forward to them for a number of reasons: 1) My house is orderly as I'm prepared to get back to work, 2) I enjoy hearing what the daycare kids have been up to when I greet them, 3) Monday mornings at home are a gentle start to the week after a busy weekend of family activities.

A date with Banana Bread on a day off.

I'm not sure I would feel this way if I did daycare full time.  In the past when I ran family daycare Monday - Friday I found it more isolating; never having time to get to the bank; grocery shopping on Sunday night; being unable to schedule appointments etc.

Recognizing the pay-offs to this model of care (I currently run daycare Monday - Thursday with Winter, Spring & Summer breaks) is important to keep in the forefront of thought so that I intentionally appreciate it.  Here are some things I've learned to make this model successful:

1) Interview daycare families. Family daycare is a business in which I learn a lot about another family, and they in-turn learn alot about me.  I don't take this lightly.  When selecting children to care for I prioritize families that are referred by family and friends because they feel we will be a good fit.  When a family comes to check-out the daycare it is a two-way process.  They need to feel confident with my service, but I also need to feel confident in their fit. It is easier to say "good-bye" to a relative stranger after an initial meeting, than it is to deal with months of difficulty later. As a rule I do not accept families into daycare at the initial meeting (even if I feel good about the fit.) I suggest that we both take a few days to reflect on the meeting, encourage families to visit other daycares, and contact each other later in the week.  If the family is not a good match, I then contact them the next day to let them know.

Getting to dance class on time.

2) Be clear on your operating hours.  I think many people feel catering to part-time families is a scheduling nightmare - having fewer children spread-out over the week. I have not found that to be the case. Often part-timers have considerable choice in their work schedule. If I have a vacancy on Monday & Tuesday, a part-timer is often able to make their work schedule fit.   I am not very flexible on providing care beyond my operating hours (Mon-Thur 8-4.)  Although I do not want to unreasonably cause daycare families difficulty, I also want to be confident scheduling family activities around my work day knowing we can participate.

3) Adequate orientation. I practice a gradual entry process.  The week before the children return to daycare in September I have them visit the daycare (at no charge) for progressively longer periods of time. This allows me to learn each child's routines, and take some time to connect with them. I also consider offering more care for the first few weeks (working Fridays, for example) to help the children transition and develop an attachment with me as they adjust to their new routine.

4) Keep work at work. With the exception of organizing my home on Sunday evenings, I do not think about daycare when I am not working. I have daycare groceries delivered to the house so I am not doing additional shopping; I shop for daycare supplies online during quiet time; I have a basic curriculum developed so I can easily update templates for parent sheets during the work day; I run daycare laundry through the machine during work time; I exchange my toy bins at the local daycare resource centre right after work on Wednesday and do not open them until I start work on Thursday morning.

A Friday hockey trip.

5) Do not do driving field trips.  I discipline myself to stay home-based during daycare time. I do not drive the daycare kids to the post office or run errands; I do not sign them up for enrichment activities (gym time etc.); I do not drive to playgrounds away from my neighbourhood. I DO devote myself to providing quality care while I am working.  Part-time families often participate in enrichment activities (dance classes etc.) with their children on their days off so this is not a service I need to provide. I only visit playgrounds in my neighbourhood which we walk to so I can be confident in the location (fencing, hazards, proximity to washrooms etc.) As I am providing daycare part-time, I am then in a position to do all the away from home trips with my children on days off as family time.

6) The reduction in pay pays-off.  I feel well compensated for the work I do, and appreciate the balance in my life significantly more than I would favor a few extra dollars.  I have a rich life, and daycare is one of a couple of sources of income for me. I choose to do daycare because I love doing it - this is priceless.

Joyfully part-time,
Caz.

A love note to the Minister of Education

I love the view from my front door.

OK. So don't tell my husband about this blog post... Here is my love note to the B.C. Minister of Education about why I love homeschooling in B.C.

1. I love the autonomy.  Being able to individualize each child's learning plan is an extraordinary freedom and I am sincerely grateful.

2. I love the freedom to create a schedule that works for our family. On the bus from a hockey tournament until 11pm on Sunday evening? "Sleep in Monday morning:)"

3. I love that my children can play outside for hours each day, do their academics, and take a nap. They're busy growing, and responding to their individual and fluctuating need for activity and rest is a huge bonus.

4. I love that our days are filled with great books.  An opportunity to read in place of twaddle (pointless busy-ness to keep children in their seats) makes for a great day.

5. I love it when my kids make cookies to go with my afternoon cup of tea.

6. I love that I can naturally address the personal planning curriculum as questions arise during our days. No awkward lecture about the birds-and-the bees with our classmates. We naturally address questions as they arise in a way that is comfortable.

7. I love that the children spend their time with a teacher who naturally assumes the good in them. They are not working from a place of deficit or labeling.


Joyfully loved,
Caz.

Natural Play Environments: Tree Forts

Venturing to find swords

A lovely surprise met us at the park this morning... Some fun folks had created a tree fort over the weekend with the wind-blown tree branches that covered the ground last week.  We spent 2 hours in the sunshine playing in the fort, adding some embellishments and creating adventures.

I'm intrigued about the concept of Outdoor Kindergarten and am looking forward to a conference in May to explore the ideas some more. In the meantime enjoying a beautiful morning outdoors seems natural, without being pegagogical!

Joyfully outdoors,
Caz.

Banana Bread exploring the new fort entrance

George using his wooden knife to break branches

Muffin Mouse in an unplanned, but perfect shirt today!

Planning fort construction

OK. So the original structure was there before this morning!

Homeschooling: Private Lessons

Band Performance

We just got home from the kids' performance at Music Discoveries. Music Discoveries is a weekend music program put-on by the UVic Music Education Students.  It was awesome and the kids are proud of the performance with their fellow musicians.

This got me to reflecting on how grateful I am for the amazing teachers and coaches I have supporting me as I home school this year.  In B.C. as distance education students we receive an allowance from our school district which we can apply to classes ($1000.)  Essentially, this covers the cost of their music lessons once per week for the school year (Muffin Mouse plays the clarinet and George plays the Alto Sax.) 

I love the idea that the kids will be instructed by people who are passionate about what they do.  So, choosing which subjects to provide in private lessons is easy - what ever their Dad or I are not great at doing!  Here is a summary of the great teachers supporting my kids this year.

• Language Arts. The kids take bi-weekly lessons for one hour in Creative Writing at Blue Octopus Studio.  I enjoy writing, but don't have the exposure to techniques and genres that their teacher does. Plus, she LOVES to write - I get excited about writing just listening to her speak about writing!

Musical Theatre Performance

• Music.  As I mentioned both kids take a half-hour private music lesson each week.  It is a choice which instrument they play (with some guidance:), but having a musical education is mandatory.  We are fortunate to have an excellent music teacher who relates well to the kids and inspires them.  I don't think music should be taught be a general-education teacher.

• Art. Muffin Mouse has a keen interest in visual art.  We made it a goal in the New Year to develop a fine arts program that is the heart and soul of her education. Fleshing out the details has been a little more challenging than I had hoped, but it continues to be a priority.

Spectators

• Physical Education.  I simply do not have the talent, or knowledge to teach or coach any of these.... Muffin Mouse takes 2 Highland Dance classes each week, is a teaching assistant, and competes monthly.  She is also registered in a youth Yoga Class.  George plays hockey with the Saanich Braves about 4 times per week.  All three of the kids swim twice a week with Island Swim Club.  Banana Bread also takes a preschool highland dance class and a Friday afternoon preschool class.
   

• Spiritual Education. My kids have the most wonderfully dedicated Sunday School teachers. Not only are their classes relevant and interesting, but the teachers also support the kids by attending their special events (such as today's performance:)

• Public School Teacher.  The kids are registered as Distance Learners with EBus Academy in B.C.  I am so grateful to our teacher, Mr. Thompson, for his natural ability to balance our desire for autonomy, with the structure and support we need to accomplish the curriculum.   There are a variety of options for homeschooling in BC (a later post), but as we chose to remain public school students who learn from home, I am grateful for the subscriptions and books available through EBus.

One of the often underappreciated aspects of homeschooling is the freedom in our schedule to facilitate all these classes. We had a limit of one sport and one music when the kids were in school to allow them adequate down-time. Certainly they received instruction in elective subjects at school to compliment this, but there was not the same degree on choice in what they studied.

Joyfully grateful for my team,
Caz.

Homeschool Reflections: Half-Way Point

We're officially at the half-way mark of our first year as home learners. Time to reflect on where we've been and where we're heading...


What I've learned:

A matinée together

• Socially, hands-down the most meaningful thing for me is that I have my kids back.  I am enjoying the closeness in our relationship that had slowly eroded since they started school and spent more time away from home.  We have inside jokes, shared experiences, mutual interests, grumpy moments, and a sense that we're spending our day with people who really get us.

•  Academically, our biggest achievement in the past five months has been in terms of their literacy.  I'd say there has been a 100% improvement in their reading comprehension and speed, and their writing skills.  A major comprehension project which would have taken 4 hours to complete in October is completed in less than 2 hours now.  My kids have become book worms - they carry books with them whenever we hit the road (they have their IPods too, but hey, books are actually on the radar!) Good readers are successful learners. Period. 

 

• Behaviorally, our biggest accomplishment has been in the area of initiation.  The kids now write their learning goals for the week each Monday. What was a painful experience in September with them not knowing what/how they wanted to learn has morphed into a clearer sense of their own learning style, interests and time management.

 

• Physically, I feel like the kids are developing a healthy lifestyle which will carry them into adulthood. They spend time alone each day; they enjoy physical activity outdoors for a couple of hours a day; they participate on sports teams.  They fend for themselves for 2 of the 3 meals a day - learning to make balanced meals, and also bake treats:)  They are learning the keys to a balanced and happy life.

 

Looking Ahead:

• Socially, continuing to nurture their close friendships. Research shows that resiliency lies in having a few close friends who get you, not being part of a large crowd.  I know this is true for me (I love you Sherry, Jaz, Lisa, Anna, & Jodi!)

• Academically, our biggest focus will be on math for the second half of the year. BC has a huge math curriculum to cover and I'm continually looking for a way to marry my desire for mastery in each skill with the need to complete the curriculum.

• Behaviorally, our next goal is perseverance. I want to nurture the kids' ability to manage frustration in their work and feel the sense of accomplishment which comes with breaking through the frustration. As we read about great inventors these past few months (Edison & the Wright Brothers) we reflected on their perseverance and the creativity and brilliance which was achieved after seeming failure. If you had seen the Wright Brothers fly their first plane you would have called them losers. Watch their second attempt the following week and they are revolutionary winners!

 

• Physically, both kids are trying new activities. Muffin Mouse is registered in a Yoga class, and George is starting Ball Hockey for the Spring.

 

George enjoying some quiet time this week.

Any regrets you ask? Simply, none. Home schooling may not be the right fit forever, but for right now it is exceeding the BC Education Plan's aspirations for these 2 students.

Joyfully moving forward,
Caz.

Family Daycare: Toddler Time

Caring for toddlers is one of my favorite things.  I love how creative they are in their play, and how their view of the world changes so frequently.

Providing play space that meets toddlers' needs in a family daycare is a work in progress for me. I embrace the idea of developmentally appropriate toys, but also value the resource bins from my local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. 


How to find balance in a theme-bin-based world?

I created this space with toddlers in mind. Sensory blocks, a soft mat, and a bin of large dinos.

The fundamental basis to my approach is developmentally appropriate practice - choosing materials that are interesting to the children, first.  I then supplement this approach with thematic resources (such as puzzles, library-book-bins, dramatic play items etc.)

My preschoolers created this with the materials; "Dino Party."

This approach has had another valuable pay-off; it naturally meets the needs of a multi-age care environment. Many of the toddler-toys are open ended, with a variety of play opportunities (stacking cups which nest, tower, fill, roll etc.) that also appeal to a preschooler's developing sense of cooperative and dramatic play (stacking cups are glasses in a restaurant, caves for dinosaurs, stamps for paint, a tower for a dragon etc.)


I'm learning that I have more success when I start my planning from a toddler perspective and add items for older children, than when I start with an older child in mind and try and adapt down.

Joyfully on toddler time,
Caz.

Banana Bread's Dino Roar.