Provocations

This past Fall, I joined my #4EverInspired friends as a guest speaker at the TransformEd Workshop, "Provocations, projects and my pedagogical documentation process," presented by Joanne Babalis. 

Here we shared some of our own ideas around invitations for learning, in hopes of inspiring like-minded educators as they began a new school year.

The following are the slides with a voiceover of my presentation, which I shared with the participants of the workshop. I hope this helps those who are beginning their journey of using provocations in the classroom.   

For additional information on invitations for learning, I recommend reading Creating Invitations for Learning by Deb Curtis. 

What better way to offer learning experiences — as an invitation to wonder, explore, and create in as many ways as possible!

Deb Curtis

Educate.Invest.Inspire

As a graduate from Ryerson University, in the field of Early Childhood Education, as well as a former Designated Early Childhood Educator (DECE) with the York Region District School Board, I am so grateful for the partnership of teacher and DECE in the classroom. In my career, I have had the pleasure of working with several DECE's, all of whom I have learned from and with. I love that each member of the partnerships I was fortunate to be apart of brought forth a multitude of strengths, experiences, and expertise that made each unique and special.    
This year, I continue to build a partnership with a DECE who I also had the opportunity to mentor last year as a Teacher Candidate with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Rose Marcelli of Educate.Invest.Inspire is a graduate of UOIT's Bachelor of Education Program, as well as a graduate of Seneca College, where she obtained her Bachelor of Child Development and Early Childhood Education Diploma. 

Rose's first Provocation as a Teacher Candidate in our FDK Classroom

I always tell her that she reminds me of myself when I first started in this profession six years ago. Her excitement for the every day things that happen in our classroom, her eagerness to learn, and her willingness to try new things is so welcomed and appreciated- and quite honestly makes me feel like I'm back in my first year of teaching again! 

Our First Day as Partners!

I recently sat down with Rose and asked her where she goes to for inspiration when lesson planning for our classroom. She shared that workshops, professional development sessions, additional qualification courses, social media (Pinterest and Instagram), and prior lessons or activities that she implemented during her placements and previous places of employment are where she gets her ideas from. She was also sure to include her "teaching partner" for brownie points! ;) 

A Fine Motor Provocation Created by Rose. 

I also asked Rose to share some advice for future educators and she positively said to "remember your goal even when you are going though tough times" and to "always remember the reasons why you wanted to be an educator." That coupled with a "don't give up" attitude is what helps her to see her goal of becoming a teacher through. 

The Creation of the Educate.Invest.Inspire Blog!

I look forward to continuing to co-learn and collaborate with Rose in the classroom and through our blog posts, as we enter into a new term together. I invite you to follow her journey as it unfolds, through her Instagram and Blogger accounts. Her teaching philosophy of educating the whole child, investing unconditionally in student success, and inspiring both students and educators has led to her creation of Educate.Invest.Inspire. 

  It takes a BIG heart to teach little minds.