Running head: INDIVIDUAL REFLECTIVE PAPER

Individual Reflective Paper

Tatiana Julien

260691676

McGill University

Dr. Sheryl Smith-Gilman

EDEE 253-02: Kindergarten Classroom Pedagogy

March 8th, 2017

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In analyzing the ma or space between for this project, my colleagues and I hoped to create a

more respectful perception of the child. As adults, we often treat children as if they were not

individuals with opinions, but rather just people in need of protection. Yet, children are more

than that. They are knowledgeable human beings, that can express, share, and communicate their

thoughts and opinions, which makes them just as entitled to rights as all others. While is it

important to protect children, it is also essential that we give them the recognition of their rights

and of their strengths. This is what we hoped to achieve in our arts-based representation.

Childrens rights are often taken for granted or simply not well understood among many. Our

main goal was to address the misconception that teachers might have regarding childrens rights.

Indeed, we hoped to help shed light on the gap between teachers and children, by creating a

structure that represents a shield of rights, all of which protect the child. In our structure, the

child is depicted as a light placed behind the shield of rights. When his or her many rights are

respected, the childs light can shine through the shields numerous colored rights, which

showcases his personality in a way that is complex yet so very wholesome. This gives children

power, as they are acknowledged as valuable individuals that are a part of society. Thus, with

this structure, we hoped to represent the image of the child as a unique individual with rights.

It is clear that the image we have of children influences us personally, especially as future

educators. The perspective one has of children influences the decisions made in the classroom

every day, and consequently, the way one teaches. Seeing children in a certain way will

undeniably make one interact with them in a manner that is cohesive with that view. Indeed, it

changes the way you talk, listen and observe children. As a future educator whose image of the
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child is of a unique individual with rights, my definition of my role as a teacher will be different

than that of a teacher who sees children as individuals with no right to expression, for example.

My focus will be on making sure that children are aware of their rights, while teaching them

values such as respect, inclusion and empathy. As was said by Kostelnik et al. (2014), if

democracy is to continue in our society, then certain skills, such as respecting peoples right to

speak and paying attention to the needs of individuals and of the group, need to be developed.

Through such messages, children develop favorable feelings about diversity and learn to respect

and value each other. This type of environment will ultimately influence how children learn,

most notably in their social and emotional domains (Kostelnik et al., 2014) as they will feel more

at ease, and confident, learning in a safe space. Indeed, by introducing and legitimizing concepts

such as these in the classroom, the children will then have a space to freely share their thoughts,

ideas, interests and opinions on a variety of subjects.

Furthermore, when planning a curriculum, it is evident that ones image of the child will impact

which subjects and topics are emphasized more than others. Indeed, the curriculum will represent

what you deem most important or adequate for the students abilities and development. Thus,

certain activities, such as creating rules or solving playground issues together, will be designed to

extend and deepen childrens understanding of what it means to have, respect and value the

rights they have.

In conclusion, while it is clear that we all have unique and personal images of children, one

image of the child that really stood out to me was the miniature city model, which represented

the portrayal of children as builders of the future. Indeed, I found it resonated a lot with my

thinking. The transmission of important values such as respect, empathy, openness to children is
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a key factor in developing future citizens that will create an even better version of our society.

Indeed, the tools we give children will serve and aid them into creating a society that reflects

their values.

References

Kostelnik,M.J.,Soderman,A.K.,Whiren,A.P.,&Rupiper,M.(2014).Developmentally

appropriatecurriculuminaction.Boston:Pearson.