Reflection on the webinar (4)

source: https://blog.schoolspecialty.com/tips-refocus-circle-time/

Yesterday, me and other GPTE students attended a webinar with Ms Marta Arkuszyńska called ‘A teacher in a Canadian kindergarten - everyday work and challenges of a foreign language institution’. The presenter is a GPTE graduate and fellow Faculty of Education student. She works in a Canadian kindergarten with a group of 3-4 year olds.

The presenter started the webinar by introducing herself and talking a bit about her teaching experience. She also described her workplace, focusing on the pupils and the organisation of the kindergarten. Then, Ms Arkuszyńska explained some methods and elements of the curriculum: jolly phonics, TPR, the specificity of circle time. As for the curriculum, the inquiry of subjects and their content was described. Another part of the webinar included challenges and possible difficulties of foreign language institutions. To end with, she also made the distinction between teaching English and teaching in English, which I will reflect on later.

During the webinar, there were a few things I noted down as interesting or new. Comparing them to Polish kindergartens I’ve seen (either during my education or during the practice), there were a few differences. The first thing is the focus on kindness curriculum, which sounds like a great concept. I’ve definitely seen some parts of it in Polish kindergarten, though I haven’t heard about it being a separate curriculum. It’s great in terms of children’s emotional and social development and connects to content from circle time - identifying their emotions and talking about them.

Another one is sex education, which is obligatory even for the youngest pupils. I found it especially interesting that such young children are acquainted with the terminology and concepts usually introduced in later years of primary school, or even not until high school. From what I noticed during the practice, public kindergartens still base talking about family on traditional nuclear family, which means only this one is discussed. Talking about the world as it is, instead of limiting it to what’s easily understandable, is surely beneficial for kids. 

The last thing I would like to say a few words about, is the distinction between teaching English and teaching in English. I think it can easily get lost in all the topics covered during the webinar, but it definitely stuck out to me. I noticed how different it’s to simply conduct an English lesson and spent all day actually communicating and using different language functions.

Overally, I enjoyed this webinar. It might have been the most eye-opening for me, as I had no idea there was a Canadian kindergarten in Warsaw in the first place. Then, I was positively surprised by the curriculum covered there, and the organisation of the institution. I’m glad that Ms Arkuszyńska included the part about challenges of this particular place. It helped me understand what obstacles or difficulties I may face if I end up in a similar workplace. I hope it wasn’t the last time we get to know international institutions, as each of those meetings is a thought-provoking and enriching experience.