Kindergarten Resources
Social Stories
The social stories resource demonstrates a coping strategy to help students develop self-regulation and emotional skills. Social stories help children understand and take control of their behaviour. Children should understand the effects of their behaviour rather than being punished or corrected without explanation. Social stories can be tailored to the child’s needs, building professional competency 7: take into account student diversity.
Book List
Literature, read-aloud, and illustrations work as tools for children to work through their emotions and curiosities. Simultaneously, books reinforce children's ability to comprehend language. In addition, I aim to integrate cross-cultural literature (building on professional competency 1: to act as a cultural facilitator when carrying out duties) to develop students' understanding/openness for diversity. Class read-aloud and cultural stories allow students to see themselves represented in the classroom, fostering a sense of belonging and supporting their love of learning (professional competency 8).
Music Activities
Music acts as a tool for self-expression; therefore, I can integrate these activities to help students recognize their emotions, express them, and then reflect on them. Integrating opportunities for students to explore their individuals needs builds on professional competency 7: take into account student diversity. Music carries culture; during these activities, children can bring in their unique cultural experiences, building on professional competency 1: to act as a cultural facilitator when carrying out duties. I will extend these activities to include family participation and feedback.
Mother Earth's Way
Mother Earth’s Way is a guide to integrating Indigenous education and ways of knowing seamlessly into the classroom. Reflecting before the course, I realized that many lessons I’ve created or designed studied Indigenous education through a limited, additive approach. This guide helped me shift this view and recognize that Indigenous education is a holistic approach I aspire to integrate seamlessly into the classroom. When planning instruction and the environment, I take into account student diversity (professional competency 7) to ensure that the children feel safe, valued, and heard.