Welcome to my living archive that captures the magic of my journey as an Early Childhood Educator
My name is Keaton Wood and this is my virtual book or grimoire that organizes the magic that brings my education journey and practice to life.
｡⋆｡ ﾟ🜂⋆｡ﾟ🜄｡⋆🜁ﾟ｡ ⋆🜃 ﾟ｡⋆⛥ ｡ ﾟ｡
A grimoire is book that contains magic, so I called this platform great grimoire and imbued it with the symbols of the five elements to root the creative documentation of my ongoing educational journey in balance and wonder.
Found in the Grimoire
Fire: The element of playful expression
"The Playground" is my vibrant blog that captures the ongoing evolution of my philosophy as an early childhood educator in thoughtful essays.
Air: The element of mental acuity
The "About" page is an insightful exploration of my work experience featuring my resumé, cover letter, and the key details of my certifications and trainings.
Water: The element of sincere reflection
Continuous professional learning and reflection hold great importance in my practice, here on my "Reflection" page they take the shape of S.M.A.R.T. goals and next steps.
Earth: The element of cultivation
My "Pedagogy and Curriculum" page features some key resources, responsive plans, artifacts and learning stories that capture what I intend to cultivate.
Spirit: The first element of purpose, values, and mission
The element ether is what contains all things (also known as space), but it is also the first, precious divine spark. That is why I start my meanderings with ether, and it lives on this home page because my purpose or divine spark behind this platform is clear:
A living archive dedicated to early childhood teachings that clarify my foundation of creative ingenuity and compassionate care for young children.
I graduated high school with a regional arts program diploma with a specialty in visual art, and participated in creative writing continuing education classes at the University of Toronto. I am a trained accessible yoga teacher and trauma sensitive medication guide. It is my intention to continue weaving these interests together as I work in child care centres.
My professional goals include supporting the natural creativity and self expression of children, along with aiding in establishing self regulation techniques and body based relaxation tools. I aspire to specialize in nature-based learning, supporting children with a holistic lens and encouraging a mutually beneficial relationship with nature.
Experience
With over ten years of part-time caregiving for many children between the ages of 18 months and 8 years my enthusiasm for working with young children has siphoned into a promising career path. The addition of two unique placements that provided me opportunities to rise to new opportunities. For example this mural I painted for the outdoor play space for preschoolers that the children helped with! Special skills I have honed include leading original and engaging artistic crafts, imaginative play, proficiency in child-friendly stretches as well as reading aloud. I also display confidence and competency in assisting children on excursions like community walks and library visits, as well as daily essential activities like winding down for rest, going to the bathroom, and sitting for meals or snacks.
Land Acknowledgement
This land so long taken special care, great wisdom, humanity continuity there, the peoples called Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Wendat, and all their relations, descendants, carry those stories of ugliness, pain, what disrespect, what trials they were put through, thousands of years back and still, they remain.
The earth sees all of us and wants to feed us the same.
We keep food out of each other's mouths. We put hands on each other's pouch, packs of culture and story and gold, and we steal what is valuable.
The world, the earth feels it all. That's as far as I've got the earth is bearing witness and fighting back through us. The Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Wendat peoples continue to caretake the land, teach their ways to their families and stand up to injustice. I don't come from Adoobiigok, the place of the alders and the Michi Saagiig language, which makes me a guest.
I am a student studying at Humber College located on the traditional and Treaty 13, 1805 lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit. This territory is also subject to the Dish with One Spoon Wampum.
Therefore, I must listen, the land and its story as an entity with original caretakers and treaties that hoped to seal that respectful treatment therein, but it wasn't, and it still isn't. A lot of this land was unceded, or stolen and developed upon, depleting its spirit, riches and original caretakers; Indigenous people are hurt with it.
We do not benefit in our spirit. We are hardened, left fending for a place in the world to love, to feel connected to. It's gone, not forever, but as frightening as it is, we do not really know like we used to.
A lot of us are quietly living in the place we get and just hope to survive. I want more for us as a community, as new generations begin. I want to tend to mutual aliveness.
There are many ways to do this, but do it we must.
We have to look out for each other, find a way to be revolutionary with our listening and generosity, time and energy can make this universe a different place. We want the hurt to stop. I want the hunger and robbery of culture to not ever strike again. So, I put food in my hands, bite, and pass it along, more than I need, pass it along.
My hand painted story map “Over the Hill,” I made to honour my unique relationship and positionality on the land.
Sweet visions and wind that warms your insides wait atop the hill where young maples grow in a brush, and towering red pines and hawthorns overlook your shining eyes. Careful tread but wary not because your heart waits in warm water under the hawthorn dotted shade under an open sky.
What is on this turn of the wheel ꩜
｡❀𖡼𓇢𓆸 In nature 𖥧𓋼𓍊𖥧ོ༘ ☀︎
We are in a collective air season (autumn) that asks us to begin the integration of our flourishing season's lessons or experiences. Our bodies begin to wind down, but the winds of change, wild ideas, expressive authenticity flow for another allotment of time. We notice the beauty of rest more and how balancing is an active practice as much as it is allowing or stepping back to simply notice.
˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˚｡ In my planner ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺
I am diving into the online continuing education courses from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns course from the CDC is four modules on developmental milestones, and the UBC's Nurturing Childhoods Through Indigenous Ways of Knowing course is six learning circles that share how Indigenous perspectives, worldviews, and pedagogies are interwoven into early learning childcare practices.
When we are connected to nature and attuned to the cycles the closest thing we have to magic breathes into the everyday...
Connect
Send any reflections, questions or requests you have (even a little note to say hi). I read every one and appreciate you reaching out.
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