#6 Nearing An Endpoint Of Not Knowing

As I think about nearing the “endpoint” of this blog for the purpose of our assignment, I see that my learning about specific issues of ethics (such as poverty and its effects) in early childhood education is really just beginning. I am grateful that I will still have opportunities to continue learning through my experiences with others; for each time I think with someone I am left with another new thought. Perhaps a quote that best summarizes what I have learned is this from Sharon Todd: “It is only when we learn from the stories that Others have to tell that we can respond with humility and assume responsibility.” (Todd, 2001). It was not my intention to focus so much on othering in my inquiry; however a realization that my thinking about the Other needed to change occurred as my learning progressed. I discovered that I needed a deeper understanding of how I am implicated in my responsibility to and for others needed before moving on to concepts specific to poverty and the possibility of bringing about change. While not the tidiest of patterns, my new understanding (and thus my blog) took shape in what Deleuze and Guattari call the “rhizome of thought” (Dahlberg and Moss, 2005). The metaphor of the rhizome having no hierarchy of roots, trunk and branches, but rather a tangle of interconnected thoughts resulting from the provocation of an experience. Again explained by Deleuze and Guattari: “Thought then is a matter of experimentation and problematization – lines of flight, an exploration of becoming, being shaken up as we encounter something that which does not fit with our habitual ways of seeing and understanding.” (Dahlberg and Moss, 2005) Understanding my need to change how I view my role in ECE to that of participant, not as leader, and considereing new cooperative relationships has been an awakening. Through understanding this need for personal change and living the process of adjusted thinking I see myself questioning and evaluating my experiences and interactions in regard to ethical responsibility. The many years I spent maintaining the practice of what I knew and was ‘good at’ in childcare needed time for disruption. I began to consider how I could be more ethical in my practice through listening. By reflecting on some of the more difficult decisions I have made in my role as and ECE I now see how I could have approached situations more proactively. I feel one way to help families is to question how centre policies could be more flexible to allow for the changing needs of families and their work conditions. I also wonder if creating more “Hub model” centre relationships could help support parents in their need for more time with their family. These are two concepts that I would like to continue to consider. While I will continue to advocate for family and childcare needs to government, I think the place where meaningful change will occur is in my face-to-face relationships of caring. By concentrating my efforts on supporting children and their families within my daily practice I can continue to take small steps to improve their lives.

Dahlberg, G. and Moss, P. Ethics and Politics in Early Childhood Education, 2005; New York: RoutledgeFalmer
Todd, Sharon, “On Not Knowing the Other, or Learning from Levinas”, Philosophy of Education; 2001, York University