Speaker 1: 0:12

Welcome to Speak Up International with Richard Burke and Elton Brown.

Speaker 2: 0:19

We have been all over the globe on Speak Up International. We've interviewed people from South Africa, mexico, brazil, england, the United States of America, but today we're back home. We're going to be interviewing Miss Nicole Cummins-Morgan. Nicole has over 15 years of experience in the early childhood education sector. She facilitated workshops ranging from anti-black racism to communication. Just recently, nicole published a children's book, and so, in a nutshell, we will be chatting with a woman who is an executive director, she's a consultant, she's a facilitator and she is an alterer. Help me welcome Miss Nicole Cummins-Morgan.

Speaker 3: 1:13

Hello Rita. Quite the introduction. Thank you for that, I appreciate it. How are you?

Speaker 2: 1:19

I am truly, truly wonderful and feel blessed, especially given the fact that you're here with us today.

Speaker 3: 1:25

I feel the same way Blessed and highly favored. Always great to talk to great people.

Speaker 1: 1:31

I have to say congratulations about the children's book that you have written. How does your book teach valuable lessons to students and, if so, can you give us a couple of examples?

Speaker 3: 1:46

Yes, the book was actually came out. It actually was born out of a poem. So as an early childhood educator, I was working with a teacher in a full day kindergarten program and the educator for some reason believed that children were, you know, I mean, I guess, somewhat different than adults in the sense that could do things magical, I would think. One of the things I always talk about of the stories I share is she would ask some of the students four-year-old, five-year-old and six-year-old to go to the washroom and fart. Now, I'm not sure about anyone here, but that's pretty magical. If you're able to do that, that's definitely a superpower. So it was almost like the expectation that this educator had for these young people were just absolutely absurd. So for me, it made me want to advocate for this child and because I've been blessed with the ability to write stories and songs, this poem came to me and through this story I've been able to help people understand that all children, and everyone for that matter, learn differently. So while some people are able to you know, perhaps write neatly and legibly, others may not be able to write legibly, but they can convey their message through another way. Maybe it's a situation where a child or an adult again, does things slower than other people. That's OK, take your time. Your process is important. The process is important. It's about understanding that, you know. It's not about we all hear that saying it's not about the journey, it's. You know. People will say it's about the journey, not the destination.

Speaker 3: 3:38

So, similar to our learning, you know, I'm hoping that through this story, you know, young people, children, adults are able to learn that as well and ultimately the end of the story gets to.

Speaker 3: 3:51

You know, I'm hoping I have time. It's a two minute read so maybe I can read it if we have time later to kind of just say listen. The bottom line is it doesn't matter if you are going to be a doctor, lawyer or teacher, it doesn't matter, you're still going to be great, no matter what you do. Stay true to yourself, stay true to what you love to do, value your talents, your gifts and your skills and you'll be fine. So that, to me, was the moral of the story, especially because I wanted educators to change their way of thinking about educating our young people, because we're losing them. Like you know, we're going through right now. I call it an epidemic in terms of what's happening to our children, because I feel like if we don't take a stand now to change the way our systems are educating our young people, things are just going to get worse, and yeah, so that's where I'm at.

Speaker 2: 4:50

So, nicole Cummins-Morgan, on Speak Up International, we seek to inspire, to educate and to inform through the stories of our guests that we call community builders, and in your bio you state that you facilitate workshops. Please tell our audience about your workshops.

Speaker 3: 5:14

I'd love to. Yeah, so the workshops that I'm working on, they're designed with the participants in mind, so our workshops are accessible, they're relevant and they're interactive. We provide workshops for children, youth and adults. One of the workshops for children and youth is titled Unwrap your Gift.

Speaker 3: 5:36

We decided that or I decided to work on one of those or create that workshop, because I again back to education, back to the systems that we're in I realized that educators don't have the time to truly develop and nurture and encourage our young people's talents, gifts and skills.

Speaker 3: 5:55

So I want to provide an opportunity where they're able to do that, so it isn't just about steam. So, yes, we know we're talking about science, technology, engineering, arts and math. That's important, but it's also about gardening. It's all about baking. It's about truly owning in early. So I'm hoping that, starting as young as three, four and five, we can get our kids into what they love to do. Let's help them get to where they want to be, because my goal for this is that if we can start them early in loving what they do and finding their talents and their gifts and their skills, then they will avoid the negative behaviors that lead to substance abuse being on the street, not doing what they're supposed to do in terms of becoming that citizen that's contributing positive, contributing citizen to our global you know, to us globally, to us.

Speaker 3: 6:55

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 6:57

It sounds to me as if you are threading the concept of emotional intelligence into everything that you do. I think that is truly wonderful. That's truly wonderful because you have to connect with them, because they're whole beings, 100% the children who work with their whole beings, and you can't fragment them and put them into little boxes. So it sounds like a great idea, thank you.

Speaker 1: 7:21

You are a early childhood educator and educational consultant, so what motivates you to get up and get out there and work with these kids, and if you could also give us some specific aspects of the community that you value?

Speaker 3: 7:43

Hi, you know, working as an early child educator, you're, you were, immersed in families daily. You're immersed in children's interests, in their work and their development. So for me, as an observer, I always tell people that was my superpower, that I can observe everything, like you know people. Oh, you noticed my haircut? Yeah, I did Notice that you weren't smiling. Yes, I did Notice your new outfit. Yes, I did.

Speaker 3: 8:13

And for me, I took that and I still take that as one of God's gifts to me, because I feel like, because I'm such an observer, I'm so observant, it helps to build relationships with the children and the families that I work with. So, because I have that skill, I felt like consulting would be the next step in terms of helping the children and the families that I work with, because I feel that people will take information and receive information a lot better from somebody who's willing to get to know them. So when I think about the consulting, I feel that I say consulting because a lot of times it's a two-way street. I feel like consulting is better than saying teaching, it's better than saying you know, leader, I'm the, I'm the boss. It's about working with the families, working with the individuals. So, for example, working with the families that I'm working with as a consultant. I'm helping them, as they are, you know, going through their parenting journey. Because we know that number one nobody's taught how to be a parent. Nobody Like it's one of the biggest skills in the world that I believe strongly. It's the skill that actually makes our world go around, and yet this skill is not developed the way it should be Right.

Speaker 3: 9:39

So for me, I had to figure out a way to get this information to families in a way that was helping them feel like they were a part of it. So, when I think about the consulting and the strategies that we use, some of the strategies that we use are we use self-regulation. So I know that we're going to talk a little bit about that later, but I also use a model that I created. It's called remember, reflect, change and maintain. So, for remember, reflect, change and maintain, it's an approach that I created when I thought about the fact that, in everything that we do, you have to stop and remember. Where am I? What's happening in this situation? Maybe it's bringing you back to a place where, oh, I remember this event. This is something that you know I'm thinking about, right, whether it's in your work life, whether it's in your relationship.

Speaker 3: 10:37

Remember is a tool that we know, that happens within our brain. So, like I said, remembering is a consulting approach and that the design to help individuals make lasting improvements in their lives. So, by helping these participants and helping our participants, the families and the children figure out their role right, as a parent, as a caregiver, your role is important. We already know that research says that parents are children's number one and first teachers. So when I think about the role that I play in the communities that I'm trying to help develop, consulting felt like the best way to reach out. So remember is one part of the model.

Speaker 3: 11:23

Reflect, so reflecting on their current situation, by thinking about okay, well, you know what am I being the best person I can be as a model for my children? And reflect. Once you reflect, you then have to make a change right. So, whether that change be a physical change of saying you know what I'm going to eat better, I'm going to exercise, I'm going to do mindfulness, you know meditation, whatever it is, you have to make a change and then you have to maintain that change right. So I'm hoping that through my consulting services for children, for youth. For adults, we're able to use our model of remember, reflect, change and maintain to help them to get through some of the life challenges that we're all going through as families, as people.

Speaker 3: 12:13

Right, because a lot of us like I said before, parents were not taught how to be parents. So imagine we're going through trying to learn who we are as individuals and now we got a mold little people coming up who we're not even sure about ourselves. So now we're trying to figure out them. So you know, I know I'm sorry, I can go.

Speaker 2: 12:34

So it's by guess and by golly, because, as you said, yes, there is no educational program to say this is the best way to raise children. And well, there's some kind of psychology books now that will tell us those kinds of things. But in your bio as well, you said that you are a coach. Who are your clients? I know you alluded to a few of them, but talk more about your clients.

Speaker 3: 13:01

Yeah. So we wanted to do I want to do tutoring because I know that literacy is another major issue that we're having right now. You know, post pandemic it's hard. Our young people, their rating level like a lot has been lost when we went through the pandemic. So literacy is huge in terms of what I wanted to help our young people do better with.

Speaker 3: 13:26

But I felt like tutoring sound and seemed to, you know, linear. It wasn't. I wanted it to be more broad. So I felt like using the word coach was a bit better for me, because when you think of a coach, you think of someone cheering you on, supporting you, providing you with strategies on how you can be the best you can be, and that's what we're trying to do. So we decided to create a program, so coaching and tutoring services for young people in particular, so children three to 12, where we're not doing just literacy, we're doing executive function skills, self-regulation, communication skills, helping them from early. Like I said, I'm going to have to keep saying that, you'll probably hear me say it too many times, but, like I said, when I talk about early talent experiences, it's not a joke. Early talent education is the key to for me anyways, for our society to be better.

Speaker 3: 14:22

So when I think about coaching, I think about my young people and our youth. A lot of our youth are struggling. They don't have guidance the way they should. So that's another reason why I wanted to use the word coaching with our youth to help them figure out again their skills, their talents, their gifts. What is it that they like to do? What is it that we can help them encourage? Power can be encouraged and nurture them to stay on a path to lead to something positive.

Speaker 3: 14:50

They just need. Sometimes our young people just need somebody who cares, somebody who loves and shows them something for them to feel like you know what I'm valued, I am somebody, I can do it. So that's what I'm hoping to get from and I have received some feedback from in terms of the coaching and that program, the coaching and tutoring program, and we even thought about coaching our families, right, in terms of how are they, what are their dynamics like? And again, I feel like when we use the word consulting and coaching, it just sounds more reciprocal as opposed to just one person as an expert. No, we work together to create a program that's best for all of us involved, right?

Speaker 1: 15:39

I think that is an excellent idea instead of just focusing on the kids, but to also focus in on their families. It has to be a joint effort. It can't be just all right, well, we're going to take the kid to XYZ reading class and they're going to be brilliant when they come out. No, it has to be something that is constantly going, something that's constantly moving, in order for that kid to connect, grasp, remember, as you said, and then be able to move forward. You mentioned something about your family and how you love your family, like cooked food, okay. So for me, when I read that, I went yum yum, yum, yum, yum. Tell us what that expression means to you, and how does your family play a role in your career and your personal life?

Speaker 3: 16:46

Awesome question. I love it. I, you know I'm a foodie. I always like to tell people. You know what, if you want to go for dinner, call me, I'm available. I love food.

Speaker 3: 16:57

I, you know, as a west growing up in a West Indian background, like my parents are from Jamaica, we surrounded ourselves with food like it was a social part of our upbringing and it was a part of love, right, like it was almost like you said here's some food you don't feel good. Oh, here's some food You're sad. Oh, here's some food, like you know. So for me I was like oh, it's, it's almost like it's part of me. I need to be a part of it. So that's why, when I think about my family as I loving them like cooked food, I love cooked food so much because it's something, it's food for my soul, that my family too was food for my soul and Without them I wouldn't be where I am. When I think about the support that they provide, oh my gosh, I'm so blessed like I can't say it enough. You know, like I was blessed to find a great partner.

Speaker 3: 17:49

My husband and I've been together for Almost 30 years. I had my baby young. I, you know I started. I had my son at 17, so I was a part of that. You know, single I had to.

Speaker 3: 18:04

You know, I experienced single-parent hood for a little bit, so, yeah, so I feel like they've been very, very Supportive and everything that I've done. They've been there for my pop-up shops. They're, you know, they're helping me with my editing my videos. They're right behind me and they're they're the reason why I thought about even starting wonder as educational workshops, in a sense that when I saw the dynamics of us in terms of our love, our communication between each other, I felt like I want other families to feel this. I want people to understand that, while things are not perfect in our family, no way, shape or form, we we're good like, and that happened because I was able to and my husband and I were able to, you know, share that information with our young people about the importance of communication with each other, communication with Vegas siblings, you know, to keep it open, you know, even with regards to being happy and grateful like that's another piece that I believe has really helped with regards to us being where we are.

Speaker 3: 19:14

So, yeah, they're supportive 100% and I'm grateful for them.

Speaker 2: 19:18

So we're speaking with Nicole Cummins Morgan and one of the things that she does is she helps people to Self-regulate. I am curious because when I went to school that term wasn't so popular. Talk to both watch these doctor origins about the strategy or the process that you use to help people with self-regulation, please.

Speaker 3: 19:44

Okay, 100% so for us. You know, when I thought about self-regulation, it comes from us, my learning, obviously with early childhood education. We talked a lot about that and then we also.

Speaker 3: 19:57

For me, I did some research on Some, you know. Sorry, the researcher that I I ended up reading more about was Stuart Shanker. So Stuart Shanker created a book self-regulation and how to help your child and break the stress cycle and for him he created five self-regulation steps. So he talked about, you know, reading the signs and reframing the behavior, something that many of us, and what I love about his book too, is he really does Dig deeper into helping people understand that self-regulation isn't just about helping our young people, it's about helping everyone, because many of us actually Missed out on how to truly build our self-regulation skills and our executive functioning skills. So, yeah, so, number one, we talk about, you know, reading the signs and reframing the behavior. Understanding the behavior helps all of us With the next step, and the next step is to identify the stressors. Once we're able to read the sign, identify the stressors, our brain then starts to like work on how to deal with what's happening in our life, and that's part of how we regulate ourselves is more understanding. And when we talk about the learning behind this, it's important that if you haven't developed it, especially starting from as early as early childhood, your early years, which is zero to twelve. It's hard to start as an adult to do this unless you conscientiously say and Intentionally say you know what I am lacking these skills. I need to work on them. So you know identifying the stressors. And once we're able to identify the stressors and work on how to deal, we have to understand that we need to try to reduce that stress. So we know that that's not always easy. I mean easier said than done. But for us, when we're talking to our families and consulting and coaching, and even with the workshops that we're providing, we help them understand that it's okay to remove yourself, remove yourself from the situation, whether it's physically, whether you have to actually move jobs, whether you have to move out of the place that you're living. Emotionally. Sometimes you know it's really hard to let go of friendships and family Relationships. But if you, if that's going to reduce the stress that you're under, it's important for you to do that. Mentally reducing, you know removing yourself mentally, letting go of some of the things that we think about when it comes to relationships that are causing the stress and then financially and socially, right again, just reducing it some way shape or form.

Speaker 3: 22:52

The other thing that we do when we're thinking about self-regulation is reflect. This is where, when I thought about my model, remember, reflect, change and maintain. In all the research that I've been doing, everyone touches on that the remember part, the reflecting, the changing that's always a part of and I'm sure when you think about it for yourselves, I was hoping that we can have a moment to just try it. You know what I mean. You tell me something that you think about Remember, reflect, change and maintain. But just going back to the self-regulation in terms of the strategies that we use with our families, the other piece is respond Responding to what we had to think about in terms of reading the signs, identifying the stressors, reducing the stress. Now respond, figuring out what brings you back to being calm.

Speaker 3: 23:44

That's very hard for our young people to understand because, like I said, they haven't been taught, their brains haven't developed.

Speaker 3: 23:53

Another research, another book that we, a resource that we use, is by Dr Siegel and Dr Bryson, who talks about understanding the brain, the whole brain, child, understanding that there's so many things involved in the brain left brain, right brain, upstairs brain, downstairs brain that impact all of this, our self-regulation skills, our executive function skills, in order for us to truly be the best that we can be. We need to develop these skills Because without them, academically, what's the point? You can be as smart as whatever you need to be. Without our self-regulation skills, our executive function skills, without these abilities to understand why we do what we do and how we're being compassionate to one another, it's not going to make a difference. You need to be kind, you need to know how to communicate with people, you need to know how to control what you're going through and be mindful of the situations and the relationships that you're in, and be mindful of how you are being in those relationships with people.

Speaker 2: 25:02

Right, how are you?

Speaker 3: 25:03

being so. In terms of the strategies for Dr Bryson and Dr Siegel, they talk about the fact again, with connect and redirect right, the importance of within the West Indian culture. A lot of times we remember growing up I know for me growing up discipline was always physical. So it's important for us to help people understand let's try something else connect first right, name it to tame it, naming it, understanding what the situation is, which goes back to self-regulation. So they're all tied together in terms of the strategies that we use and we just try to make it fun for them to understand and hopefully, like we said, we believe that if we keep doing it often enough and we start normalizing these conversations and get it out to the community as much as we can, hopefully it's not like a broken telephone by the time it gets to where it needs to get to. We want it to be, just snap your fingers, it just comes to everyone.

Speaker 1: 26:06

Naturally, self-regulation you talk about these steps and we were talking about something very similar to this, but this was in terms of how do you talk to a child, basically about racism. It's a very complicated thing to try to talk to someone at that age, three years old, about racism. Here we are now. We're trying to talk about the challenges that we associate in terms of learning differently. All of the stressors Does your book I find it hard to learn help individuals, or I should say children at that age three years old, to be able to use that as an entryway to your way of thinking.

Speaker 3: 27:03

I believe. So, yes, 100%, because the goal of the story is to help everyone understand that we need to embrace other people's differences. So it's not to be afraid of the differences and to be a bit reluctant and scared to think, oh well, this person is different than me, so I'm not sure if I should build a relationship with them. But it's important for us to recognize those differences and love those differences, in particular, about race. When you're thinking about a child who has never interacted you know, a non-racialized child who has never interacted with a racialized child how are we going to help them start this conversation? I think this story does help them right, because it's important to see that it doesn't matter what race you are.

Speaker 3: 27:54

Chances are you can definitely relate to feeling like oh, I wasn't picked when I was on the soccer field as a person to play. It wasn't about your race, it was probably just about maybe it could have been about the fact that you hadn't played soccer before. So people can relate to that, regardless of their race. When you're thinking about writing legibly, again, people can relate to that regardless of their race. So I believe that this is a great way to start the conversation. And when we're thinking about teaching our young people and helping our young people understand anti-black racism, racism all the different isms in the world. I always believe that starting early and having the conversations, modeling as a parent, as an adult, as a caregiver, that love and compassion for everyone around us, is probably going to be a better resource and a better teacher when I think about how to really convey that message to our young people.

Speaker 2: 29:01

Modeling is truly amazing when it comes to teaching, isn't it? Because I will often say if a child didn't see adults walking, they wouldn't walk. If they saw adults on their knees crawling, they would crawl. If a child didn't see adults taking food and putting it to their mouths, they would not. And then there's an African proverb that I used last week that says if a father goat breaks into a yarm store and the kids are watching, if the father goat is an African proverb, and to me this speaks volumes breaks into a yarm store with his kids, you know what that means. So, modeling, indeed, what's appropriate and what's not appropriate. What's the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?

Speaker 3: 30:00

Oh man, so much I think the best piece of advice from. I'm not even sure who it came from. I always think about advice as bits of pieces that come to you when you least expect it, so sometimes you don't remember who said it, but it came to you. But Haste Makes Waste is one of the things that I love to use. I think we get caught up thinking that you've got to do things quickly.

Speaker 3: 30:34

I've got to hurry up and I think, in particular now, with me being at 48 and feeling like I have all these dreams and all these goals, I'm feeling like sometimes, oh, my gosh.

Speaker 3: 30:45

I got to hurry up, I got to do this, I got to do that, I got to do this, I got to do that, and then I just keep going back to what this person said Haste Makes Waste.

Speaker 3: 30:56

So for me, when I heard that saying, I added the next piece where I was like, okay, haste Makes Waste, so slow down the pace, haste Makes. So I ended up making a little tune for it Haste Makes Waste, so slow down the pace, haste Makes Waste. So anyways. So that's what I keep in the back of my mind and I think that always helps me because, regardless of where you are, like what you're doing, slow down. And my husband said it to me all the time, because I sometimes feel like I'm ADHD in a sense, that I have a lot of attention, like a lot of hyperactivity. I am pretty hyper as a person, so a lot of times I have to say that to myself and remind myself slow down, slow down. Haste Makes Waste, so slow down the pace and just take your time. So I think that was the best advice, for sure.

Speaker 1: 31:43

Well, we know that you are an early childhood educator and educational consultant, so how do you make kids laugh?

Speaker 3: 31:52

Oh my gosh by entertaining them, like I said. I mean, you got a little snippet of my song there and soon you'll see my YouTube channel. I'm working on, I'm trying to do a. I'm trying to work on an album. We're still in the works of trying to figure out how we're gonna do it, if we're gonna do it as a YouTube channel, a kid's show, or if we're just going to do.

Speaker 3: 32:16

Yeah, we're not sure yet, but I make kids laugh by being as young as I can, and I think that's one of the reasons why I've done so well as an early childhood educator with, like, building relationships with our young people and our parents, is because I always let my inhibitions go.

Speaker 3: 32:34

I love being a child. I feel like my inner child is always outside, thankfully, and yeah, like I said, I love writing stories for them, making jokes I think that helps too and singing lots of songs and just being silly, like I mean, I think I've heard so many times you're so silly, ms Morgan, like the amount of times I've heard you're so silly, ms Morgan. I realize that you know what, but I reach out to them in that way, right, so they feel comfortable enough to know that Ms Morgan is okay. She tells us what to do and we do what we have to do, but at the same time she still loves us and has fun with us and makes us feel good. So I think for me, just having fun with them and loving them is the best way to build that relationship.

Speaker 2: 33:21

But to be successful in your role as an educator, you need to have fun. You need for them to see that you are having fun and it's not a chore. So that's really, really important. Yes, now, who would you say, or what would you say, is responsible for the person that you are to be, ms Nicholl Cummings-Morgan.

Speaker 3: 33:52

You know, I thought about that and I was thinking to myself like who would I say? And I have to say it couldn't just be narrowed down to one person or one thing. It would definitely have to be an array of you know, like my mom, she was a very you know out there type of person. She's an extrovert like myself, where we joke about it all the time that we walk on the street and we're talking to everybody. Like my kids will be like mom, you don't have to talk to everybody, it's okay, like you know. But I'm that person in the grocery store who you know, like did you see what happened just now? Like what's going on? Like you know, you get to the bus stop and I'm having a conversation. I feel at ease speaking to anybody. So that's another reason why I think I've always done so well in a classroom where I've always felt like communication for me always comes easy. So I think from my mom I got, you know, that extroverted personality and was able to build on that and really embrace it as my talent, as my gift, as my skill, something that God gave me, to truly start to share with the world in terms of making the world a better place. And then from my dad, I got that piece of quietness where at first I thought it was, you know, a joke, because I would say to people, yeah, I'm a bit quiet, and they were like, I don't think so which part of you is quiet? But meaning that I've been able to see him in the way he is with regards to letting things go, and I try now to let things go and just be quiet, right, and this is where my husband comes in again, where he'll be like you don't always have to say something, you don't always have to make a comment, just take your time, right. So you know that piece.

Speaker 3: 35:36

And then I think, from early, my early childhood experiences like one of the things I'm working on right now is trying to document the importance of early childhood experiences and how they mean everything, and I'm trying to help people understand. Like, if you think about the world, you can't hear a person's story without hearing about their early childhood experiences. You can't think of history without thinking of early childhood experiences. You can't. Nothing can be done. You watch movies, you watch shows, you hear songs, you talk to people all of our early childhood experiences. So, yeah, my early childhood experiences created some stories that you know I wish were different and I think that made me realize that I want to do things different.

Speaker 3: 36:23

Generational trauma, we know, is huge in terms of the West Indian community for me. So I thought I need to stop, I need to change something. Like this cycle has to be broken, like we can't keep doing things the way we've been doing it, just because we've been doing it that way, that you know. I think that's one of the things for me where I realize just because we've been doing it doesn't make it right. So I think really understanding my early childhood experiences have led me to where I am. And then, of course, my education. A lot of people say to me well, I think if you weren't an early childhood educator, you wouldn't feel what you feel right now. And maybe they're perhaps right, perhaps they are right, but I know that that education, with my personal experiences, with what my parents gave me, with my siblings and all those people around me, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Speaker 1: 37:22

So I count yeah, the title of your book is. I Find it Hard to Learn, so I have a two. First, Okay. All right One, how did you come up with the title? What motivated you to come up with that title? And then, which came first? Did the title come first or the actual story?

Speaker 3: 37:45

You know what I gotta say, mr Brown, I don't know what to say. I know that when I started it it did just start with. I Find it Hard to Learn, so when I started writing I wrote. I find it hard to learn when people say I'm too slow, I don't try to be. Sometimes I just don't know. That just came immediately when I thought about the fact that educators will say do this. And it was funny because later on, when I looked at the research, they talk about reframing the behavior. Dr Ross Green talks about that. We used to always do this whole thing to kids, where you're just being lazy, it's not that you can't, it's that you won't but we're coming to realize that maybe the child hasn't developed it yet at that moment. So when I think about this, when I started the poem yeah, it started off with I Find it Hard to Learn when people say I'm too slow, I don't try to be Sometimes I just don't know. It was that same feeling.

Speaker 3: 38:44

That I thought about was the fact that we're making these assumptions, that children are behaving this way just because he's choosing not to do his work. He's five. Is he really choosing not to do his work If his behavior is expressing reluctance and hesitancy and he's trying to avoid doing something. Isn't that something more? Shouldn't we, as educators, pick up and read the situation and read what's happening? So yeah, that's where it came from, and I won't lie. Some people have said to me the title could have been a bit more positive. I know I mean, but it is what it is. That's how the title turned out.

Speaker 2: 39:25

It is what it is, but you know, I'm listening to you and I must say that I'm learning a lot and I'm enjoying this chapter too, on Zoom, and I wish that my children had caring adults in their lives in school. I'm caring adults like you. But listen to my other question what words of wisdom would you offer to a person entering the field of ECE?

Speaker 3: 39:55

I always say be flexible. And when I say be flexible, be flexible with opportunities. You know we all think that once we graduate from getting a degree, whatever your diploma, that the learning stops there.

Speaker 3: 40:13

Some people not everybody but I try to help them understand when I think about words of wisdom, and sharing with them is that professional and personal development is a journey. It's a lifelong journey and in order for you to truly be the best that you can be, you have to continue with that learning. Because I feel, particularly with early-telemed educators, we are in a role, we're in a job that is very demanding, right demanding with the requirements, demanding physically, demanding mentally, emotionally. So if you don't continue to develop yourself in a way that you're growing yourself, like with regards to thinking about have I developed my self-regulation skills? Am I using them in the workplace? Researchers show what XYZ. Am I using that research in my practice to help me be better, to do better?

Speaker 3: 41:10

If you're not continuously learning, then you know, regardless of where you are. But I think, particularly with early childhood education, you need to. You need to If you're not continuously learning. You need to start, because without the continuous learning you're not gonna be able to grow in your practice, to be the best that you can be for the children and the families and the coworkers that you surround, that you surround yourself with. So that's always the best.

Speaker 2: 41:39

What I'm hearing you say is that when you're in this field, if you want to be the best that you can be, you need to pause and reflect. You need to pause and reflect, and that's where growth, that's where learning, that's where actualization comes from. Thank you so much for that.

Speaker 3: 41:57

Yes, remember, reflect, change and maintain right.

Speaker 1: 42:00

So why don't we get you to read some of your book to us?

Speaker 3: 42:05

Of course, yes, I will. I don't appreciate that. Okay, I find it hard to learn when people say I'm too slow. I don't try to be sometimes, I just don't know. I find it hard to learn when my friends are really fast. It feels like no matter how I try, I still finish last. I find it hard to learn when my teacher is in a rush so most of the time if I'm not sure, I keep my questions hush.

Speaker 3: 42:35

I find it hard to learn some of the lessons they teach at school, but at home, with technology, I am super smart, super cool. I find it hard to learn science, french and math, but my papa says when I read a roadmap I find the perfect path. I find it hard to learn by sitting through activities, but when I get outside to play sports, the other kids, well, they all pick me. I find it hard to learn to remember all the language rules, but at home, when I am building, I can use all the power tools. I find it hard to learn or to write very neat, like always on the lines. My fingers feel defeat. I find it hard to learn when people start to say it's easier to do it like this, trying to teach me their way. I find it hard to learn when I'm in a busy classroom, the noise things hanging. I hope recess comes soon.

Speaker 3: 43:28

I find it hard to learn to do what others do. So I try my best and mama says that's what I want from you. My way of learning is not the same as people I know. My way of learning is just for me and it will guide me as I grow. At times I feel sad when my marks aren't high, but with determination and perseverance I will soar through the sky. I may not take the path that others may take doctor, lawyer, teacher. No, no worries, I'll still be great. My family, my friends and teachers only want what's best that I can agree with. There's no contest.

Speaker 2: 43:59

And that's it. Wow, are you sure?

Speaker 1: 44:01

that this is a book, are you?

Speaker 2: 44:02

sure that this is a book or it's written for adults.

Speaker 3: 44:04

I know well, that's what I you know it's so funny, rita, because that's what I'm working on right now is I'm trying to turn it into a resource for educators because I'm able to I was able to, through my workshops create and design questions, to kind of go with the book to help people you know, just to bring awareness, to help everyone to understand like, what can we do different In our practice? When you're thinking about the story Wonderful?

Speaker 2: 44:31

I like the rhyming.

Speaker 1: 44:33

I think your book is powerful and I think that it is relatable to children and adults.

Speaker 1: 44:44

Yes, it's very poignant, I think, leads, for the parents especially, to do a lot of thinking, and so I think this book is perfect for for anyone, everyone who needs that boost, that uplift, and and you know we all need that parents, educators, you know, and children.

Speaker 1: 45:09

Today. We learned so much about you and your bubbly personality We'll just call it that for now and you know you being an educator, and how you emphasize the importance of family support, and how those kind words are very empowering to a child who may feel like they're left out, and the fact that allowing a kid to be whoever, whatever they wish to be, as opposed to saying you must be a doctor or you must be a lawyer, whatever they decide to do, they're good, they'll be the best at that, whatever it is. Yes, very powerful conversation with you, rita, and I enjoyed it so, so much, and I'm going to ask you to please come back to us again. I'm sure you're writing another book. So as soon as you complete your next book, please come to us so that we can have another conversation with you and to find out what you're doing and to add to your book another book. I find it hard to learn. Thank you very much.

Speaker 3: 46:30

Thank you, Mr Brown.

Speaker 1: 46:31

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker 3: 46:31

Brown, thank you.

Speaker 1: 46:32

Thank you.

Speaker 3: 46:33

I appreciate you so much. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2: 46:36

It was so beautiful, so beautiful.

Speaker 1: 46:38

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Speaker 1: 47:31

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