After reading, commenting and discussing our programs we all individually researched, I think my take away is that no matter how different a philosophy or program is, they all mostly adhere to the provincial guidelines set in place that is best practice for health and safety for the particular environment or setting. I feel lucky to live in a country that celebrates diversity and there are many types of programs to support families and their children as they see fit. I love that the Strong Start program is a place where it is not a time or financial commitment and is a thriving environment for children and families that chose to utilize it. The Roots of Empathy program is right up my Alley and if it were to offer me full-time work I would be facilitating it absolutely. I will consider it in the future perhaps in a less busy time in my life where I may want a slower work week and could take that on as a side gig. I find it is relevant to all children and will be a benefit to the people involved, the facilitator, the volunteer family and the class full of kids who get to see and experience the strong attachment of baby and caregiver. Seems like something so simple but could make such a difference in quality of life.
Program Models and Approaches/Roots of Empathy
Roots of Empathy was created by Mary Gordon in 1996 in Ontario Canada, she is an award-winning serial social entrepreneur in the field of education, also an author, educator, parenting expert and child advocate. (https://rootsofempathy.org/N.D.) Mary also created The Seeds of Empathy Program for 3-5-year-olds in 2005, Her programs are now offered in fourteen countries across the world and have reached over one million children. (https://rootsofempathy.org/N.D.)
As stated in the official website rootsofempathy.org, their mission is to build caring, peaceful and civil societies through the development of empathy in children and adults and the Vision is to “change the world, child by child.” They also believe that the leaders of tomorrow are sitting in the classrooms of today and they need imagination and empathy to be able to identify and solve society’s problems, as well as empathy are foundational to helping children navigate relationships, form connections and be inclusive of others and they fundamentally believe if children have empathy, they can change the world. (https://rootsofempathy.org/N.D.) What this looks like is a program with a qualified instructor and a volunteer parent with a 2-month-old baby come to primary classrooms to demonstrate the power of a secure attachment relationship between infant and parent – the first and most powerful model of empathy, and it is designed for children ages 5 to 13. In Canada, the program is delivered in English and French and reaches rural, urban, and remote communities including Indigenous communities. (https://rootsofempathy.org/N.D.)
The children in Roots of Empathy classrooms can develop executive functioning skills, develop emotional literacy and emotional regulation, develop resilience, learn to challenge cruelty and injustices and learn to form a consensus, contributing to a culture of caring in the classroom. Children in the Seeds of Empathy classroom can foster social and emotional competence and early literacy skills and attitudes in children three to five years old while providing professional development for their educators. (https://rootsofempathy.org/N.D.)
With the changing times and the current global pandemic, the program has already adapted. The website has up to date information regarding a program called The Recovery program. It begins in the fall of 2020 hosted by teachers in their classrooms, Roots of Empathy Instructors will deliver the program in classrooms or virtually with a “tiny teacher” and their parent(s) and will visit students virtually in the fall and in-person in January, supporting students’ adjustment back into the regular routine of school. (https://rootsofempathy.org/N.D.) There are opportunities to either be a volunteer parent and baby online as well as there are opportunities to take instructor training to become a certified instructor on their website.
references:
“Home,” Roots of Empathy, rootsofempathy.org/N,D
group discussion
In our group discussion last Monday night we read a scenario from our text book and talked about our thoughts on the questions asked about the scenario. My take away from that learning is that had I just read the scenario myself and simply answered the questions, it would have been a more, almost bias answer as to the ethical behaviour of the two educators in the scenario. By having the group discussion, thoughts came up that I hadn’t even thought about and would have gone unnoticed so clearly there is so much learning that can happen in a collaborative discussion. As someone who works alone, it reinforced how important this is going forward I would and should reach out more often to other educators for thoughts and opinions. I feel like all the people in my cohort could be a future contact for me and I’m super happy to have all these awesome, different perspectives to be able to draw on to better my own practice.