The Scale of Justice in the Nursery School Classroom
|
The scale of justice is an important tool
to facilitate social and racial justice education. In my classroom the scale of justice is how we track our daily attendance. Each child has a rock with their face and name.
They choose a side of the scale to place their rock.
They are incredibly curious about the scale. They learn to consider their relationships with themselves and the balances necessary to be in community.
They learn that they count, they matter, even when they are not here, they are remembered and have a place and voice.
|
|
Participatory Democracy and a Web of Relationships for Community Building
|
In early childhood education children learn about participatory democracy through forming caring relationships, having their ideas be taken seriously, and the acknowledgment by adults children's ability to reflect and act upon their reflections.
By actively learning democracy at an early age children are curious about and accept that there needs to be many different ways people can live and take part in the world.
Learning this at an early age supports compassionate and inclusive governance.
A democratic structure has a fairness component to it where there are possibilities and hope.
The lines of connection can be broken and can also be repaired.
|
|
Responsibility
|
It is the responsibility of the adult to teach children to understand the role they have to foster equality and inclusion through social justice education and ecological thinking.
It it the teacher's responsibiltiy to build the trust and safety needed for children to emerge as themselves.
The tools the teacher uses to do this make a difference. |
|