Happy September! Last week as I was setting up our classroom for the new school year, I happened to bump into my early childhood educator friends in our school early years centre (daycare). We chatted for a bit about our new Junior Kindergarten students and which ones they knew from their summer program, and a […]
A Leap of Faith – Four perspectives on moving to a new country to study
Last year I decided to move halfway across the world to a new city alone. Yes, ALONE. It was terrifying and exciting all at the same time. I first came to New Zealand in 2006 to attend teachers college at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. During the year and a half that I lived […]
Celebrating Lunar New Year In Auckland
Every year, to celebrate Lunar New Year, the city of Auckland organizes an event called the Lantern Festival. Over the span of a few days, green the city is transformed into a magical space full of decorations, food vendors and cultural activities. This year, to accommodate the thousands of visitors to the Lantern Festival, it […]
Early Years Learning Through a First Nations Lens
A few months ago I had the opportunity to visit the Dene First Nation community of NDilo in the Northwest Territories. I was inspired to visit the local school – K’Alemi Dene School because of the unique heritage of its community. I was curious to learn more about how this community, its teachers and […]
North of the 60th Parallel – Yellowknife, North West Territories
I’ve always been fascinated by the landscape of the Canadian north. The beauty of it’s rugged wilderness, distinct culture and of course, the aurora borealis were all on my bucket list of things to experience. As an educator, what drew me to visiting Yellowknife was the opportunity to dialogue with teachers, principals and students to […]
Rethinking the Traditional Schoolyard – Edible Gardens
Edible gardening promotes both a respect of the natural environment as well as an opportunity for students to take part in growing fresh foods. There are numerous benefits of school gardens and edible landscaping for students such as learning about ecology in a real-world context, learning teamwork skills and eating healthier foods. Gardening benefits the […]
Children’s Art Studio Visit
Art galleries are one of my favourite places to visit whether I am at home or travelling. While visiting a local art gallery I happened to discover a beautiful children’s art studio on the premises. As a kindergarten teacher I am always inspired by new learning environments and interested in the different ways that children […]
Symonds St. Early Childhood Centre, Auckland
My learning journey this year focuses on exploring early years learning through a Reggio approach in different parts of the world. I am curious to see what early years learning looks like by observing learning spaces, materials, and teacher philosophies. During my time in Auckland I had the opportunity to visit Symonds Street Early Childhood […]
University of Auckland
This month I began my studies at the University of Auckland. Studying in New Zealand has always been a dream of mine, and now that I am finally walking the campus grounds in this beautiful city I almost want to pinch myself! Auckland is such a diverse and multicultural city with stunning green spaces. The […]
