Welcome to the January 2022 edition of our newsletter dedicated to the topic of mathematics.

Everyone has an opinion on mathematics. Some like it, some despise it, and the lucky ones consider it the way to understand the nature of the cosmos.

Regardless of one’s attitude towards mathematics, it is obvious that being competent in math is helpful in every day life. As early years professionals, we can make a real difference in children’s education by exposing them to math in a friendly, inquisitive, and problem solving way. Moreover, if you look hard enough, you, and the children in your care, can see that math is absolutely everywhere, and that it is fascinating!

I hope you find the resources included in this edition useful and inspiring, the one that I absolutely love is the interview with Jo Boaler, a British education author and Nomellini-Olivier Professor of Mathematics Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Jo Boaler’s book titled Mathematical Mindsets will be the focus of Muskoka Early Years Book Club Spring 2022 session.

If you have resources on mathematics that you would like to share with our Early Years Community please send them my way.

On a personal note, I would like to share with you Cozy Butternut, Sweet Potato, and Red Lentil Stew – Oh She Glows recipe. I love this dish especially on cold winter days.

Stay in touch,

Baa Maa Pii Gaawaabmin (I’ll See You Later)

I have always loved working with children and found it rewarding. I started with babysitting, then

being a mother’s help working all summer with 2 lovely children. I have taught climb camp and

done climbing electives with school children, as well as teaching swim lessons at the YMCA. I

have my forest school practitioner certification and I’m a National Geographic educator, because

I believe outdoor education needs to be a regular part of the day and that children will only care

for the environment if they have a strong attachment and love for it. Having done a co-op in high school in a grade 1 class, I saw first hand the challenges and rewards of being in the education

system. Right now, I work as an Early Childhood Educator in a kindergarten classroom. As I am

an artist, we offer many creative opportunities in our class to encourage artistic expression and

exploration. I love being part of the kindergarten team, collaborating with like minded individuals

who strive to create the best possible environment that we can for our young learners.

I think that reflections of my own parenting journey has been a comfort to some families that

have had to navigate some challenging situations. Both my children have struggled, and that

understanding helps bridge trust between families. Sometimes, as parents, we are doing our

best, but it might not be enough - it’s okay to accept support from outside agencies and go to

workshops to give you more strategies to support your children. As my children are now adults, I

can also assure families that all the hard work they put in now will help their little ones get the

necessary tools to help them successfully navigate situations in the future. Spending time with

my family is now my happy place.

The most challenging part of working in education is the constant feeling that you can never do

enough or be enough for the children. Classes can be large, and support for needs is

underfunded, so you are always being pulled in so many directions. In the end, children are

resilient and relationship is key, so all the “I love you, Mrs. McKeag” and hugs tell me that I’m at

least getting that one right. Educators definitely have big hearts for little people, because you

couldn’t meet these challenges without it.