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Stories, Values, and Children's books: Reflecting on my anti-racist research

5/18/2022

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What does being an “educator” look like? To me, being an educator extends beyond a classroom. It starts with building a community with other teachers, teacher candidates, students, professors, and professionals. This community, just like knowledge, continuously expands with more experience and time.

Being an educator takes initiative, perseverance, and confidence. Placing myself in new, uncomfortable positions is a part of the learning process. Seeking out resources and listening to others' perspectives keep me grounded and alert. "Fake it until you make it" is my daily mantra. I recognize the spaces for growth within the education system, research, and my practice. 

I learned to question what "effective practice" looks like. Experience in a classroom confirms or denies what is taught in my textbooks and curriculum. I am an agent of change. I am creative, adaptable, and capable. I push the boundaries of what it means to be an "educator" through my everyday actions. However, being an “educator” looks different for each teacher and teacher candidate. There is no one right way to be or become an educator.

Throughout the past year, I researched the changing perception of effective early childhood practice I understand that it takes an anti-racist, critical lens --constantly questioning myself and providing curricula-- to progress my field and classroom.  I can contribute to systemic change through my everyday actions, decisions, conversations, and read-alouds.

My research project --“Stories, Values and Children's Books: Portraits of Three White Preschool Teachers Committed to Anti-Racist Pedagogy”-- is just the beginning of a lifetime of learning, growing, and acting as an agent of change. Although my formal research is (almost) complete, I am just getting started.

Come along with me as I take you through the tumultuous journey of my undergraduate capstone research project!

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Why are some families and schools against antiracist education? Let's talk about it.

7/27/2021

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This summer, I began to research antiracist teaching practices and strategies for my junior capstone project. While working on my literature review and browsing through social media, I stumbled across articles and posts addressing "Critical Race Theory," or CRT. 

Since my research centers on current teaching practices that address race and racism, I was intrigued by this practice. Does it apply to early childhood education? Is it a newly founded strategy? And, most of all, why is it getting so much backlash?

The pushback against CRT and other antiracist practices in schools starts an important conversation. Why are families, school districts, and politicians (who are unsurprisingly majority white) uncomfortable with teachers actively choosing curriculum that addresses the truths about racism?

Let's talk about it.
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Tips for effective, meaningful read alouds

7/6/2021

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Welcome back, education enthusiasts!

In this post, I will be sharing five tips for leading effective, meaningful read alouds. These tips are for everyone! 

There are several ideas surrounding read alouds. So, to clear the air, I have provided a definition of "read aloud" (from my course readings).

Read aloud: a shared, out loud reading of a book to one child or a group of students

Read alouds are an essential activity to include in early childhood classrooms because they provide several benefits for children's literacy development, including. . .
  • demonstrating phrased, fluent reading
  • developing understanding and skills related to reading, literature, and literacy
  • exposing children to complex ideas and diverse language patterns
  • strengthening teacher-student and caregiver-child relationships

A read aloud can be a magical learning experience for young children. However, you cannot simply read a book aloud to lead a meaningful read aloud. To ensure you create a rich, enjoyable reading experience, explore the tips below!


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How to Put our Love for Children into Writing

2/22/2021

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Welcome back to the blog, education enthusiasts! 

For those of you who are new. . .

My name is Meghan, and I am a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Duluth studying early childhood education and Spanish. I created Journal of a Future Teacher in May, 2020 to share content on important educational topics and my journey in becoming a teacher! To learn more, visit the About  page.

In this post, I discuss “writing on the job” from the perspectives of two early childhood teachers! Although it is not often discussed, you will need strong communication and writing skills to be a successful teacher. Read on to learn about the information I gathered from the interviews and other outside resources! 


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10 Strategies for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

11/4/2020

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The Power of Children's Books (Part 1)

10/23/2020

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Use my Amazon Affiliate links!

If you like to shop for school supplies on Amazon, check out my Amazon Affiliate links! I earn 10% of what you buy, I will donate half to a charity (ie. UNICEF, BLM), and you don't need to pay any extra!

These links are also provided in the Sources/Additional Resources section of this post.

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The Mind, Brain, and Relationships Triad

10/20/2020

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Watch this video for a brief introduction of this week's topic presented by neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Siegel!

I have provided a link to a more in-depth look at IPND in the "Sources/Additional Resources" section of this post.
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Multiple Intelligences (MI) and why schools must support them

10/6/2020

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Watch the video below to hear a few words from Howard Gardner himself!


If you like to shop for school supplies on Amazon, check out my Amazon Affiliate links! I earn 10% of what you buy, I will donate half to a charity (ie. UNICEF, BLM), and you don't need to pay any extra!
​

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Welcome back to the blog! This week, I will be discussing the theory of multiple intelligences (MI) from psychologist Howard Gardner and why schools must support all intelligences.

You have an opportunity to discover your strongest intelligences! Click the button below to take the quiz!
Multiple Intelligences Quiz

. . .

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A Glimpse Into the U.S. Education System: The Good, the bad, and the ugly

9/22/2020

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Overview: Welcome back, education enthusiasts! As a continuation of last week’s Facebook Live, I am delving deeper into my critique of the U.S. education system. So, this week, I am addressing the pros and cons of our education system that I have gathered from research and personal experience. Let’s get started!
 
Note: For a different angle on the U.S. education system, check out the video I pinned at the top of this post. This short animated film follows the story of a father and son and their experiences in an American workplace and school.


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10 Tips on How to Survive Virtual Learning

9/1/2020

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I created a school supplies list for virtual learners!
​Click below to check it out!
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Virtual School Supplies List

Overview: Welcome back, education enthusiasts! The new school year is upon us, and for those of us still stuck at home and who will continue down the “distance learning” rabbit hole, we face another year of uncertainty. 

​
So, in this post, I will be introducing 10 tips and tricks that are the keys to surviving another unique school year. We’re all in this together!


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    Meghan Hesterman (she/her) is a child advocate and education blogger. While a student at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), she created Journal of a Future Teacher to share her journey in becoming an early childhood teacher. 


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