TCS Speaker Series - Black Children Matter: The Pedagogical Power of a “Pro-Black” Early Years Classroom with Dr Kerry-Ann Escayg

Intended For: All Professionals

Registration Closed

Date: Nov 15, 2023

Time: 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM

Fee: FREE

Current Availability: 24

Description

About this session:

A growing body of research indicates that anti-Blackness remains a prevalent reality in the Canadian context and early years settings, in particular (Brady, 2022; Escayg, 2021). However, early childhood educators rarely receive anti-racist/anti-bias training in their college or teacher education programs (Escayg et al., 2017). In this session, participants will be provided with practical strategies to address racial incidents in the classroom and to create racially affirming early years learning environments. The goals guiding the session include:

1) To recognize how anti-Black racism manifests in ECE settings, including among young children

2) To learn about pedagogical strategies that ensure the well-being of Black children

3) To acquire skills in developing a “pro-Black” early years classroom

 

Subject Matter Expert: Dr Kerry-Ann Escayg

Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg (PhD) is an Associate Professor (tenured) of Early Childhood Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. As an anti-racist and anti-colonial scholar committed to fostering Pan-African unity and racial equity in the early years, Dr. Escayg—via both pedagogy and research—challenges racial and attendant economic injustices affecting Black children and families in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. Theoretical approaches ranging from Black feminism, anti-colonialism, and anti-racism, to Caribbean anti-colonial theory, as well as creative expressions of resistance including short stories, poetry, and other fictional modes, combine to inform her scholarly and creative output. Dr. Escayg has also developed and advocates for “anti-racism in early childhood education”. Recently, she further established this pedagogical model by creating an anti-racist professional development program consisting of several interrelated study modules for early childhood educators.

 

Professional experience as an elementary teacher in Toronto, Canada, affords Dr. Escayg a breadth of understanding regarding the instruction of young children, specifically regarding the emergence of culturally relevant learning opportunities in the areas of literacy and drama. Indeed, it was while teaching drama to kindergarten students in 2014 that she penned a series of children’s books for use in her classroom which became popular among the four- to seven-year-olds, presaging issues pertaining to equity, diversity, and inclusion: John the little mango, Jasmine and the bad bee, and The Kangaroo stole my headband! (with the anticipated publication date of the entire collection slated for December, 2021).

Session Objective

Toronto Children's Services will be hosting a monthly speaker series featuring experts in outdoor learning and confronting anti-Black Racism.

Location: Online

Standards of practice

• Caring and Responsive Relationships
• Curriculum and Pedagogy
• Safety, Health, and Well-Being in the Learning Environment

Presented By: Shanice Denton (RECE),