A Pedagogical Commitment clearly states the beliefs and interests that guide our educational practices. They articulate our commitment to the kind of educational experiences that we want to provide within our learning environments. A Pedagogical Commitment is meant to act as a companion in our decision-making within each moment. It is not intended to be used retroactively or as an assessment tool. They are reminders of the kind of world we want to contribute to creating. They help us to nurture more cohesive connections between theory (the way we think about our work) and practice (the way we actually do our work, including material selection, environmental setup, verbal and non-verbal interactions with colleagues, families, and children, etc.

How Does Learning Happen is the curriculum document provided by Ontario’s Ministry of Education. As licensed child care and education providers, we are required to include this document in our Pedagogical practice. This document reminds us to consider the ways in which children experience a sense of belonging, engagement, self-expression, and well-being. These foundations are vital to a child’s ability to learn and shape their understanding of who they are in relation to the other humans, and more than humans they exist in community with.

We live and work within communities that are diverse in many ways. Anti-Bias education reminds us to acknowledge the ways in which our systems and structures have historically upheld, and continue to uphold a colonial, capitalist worldview that prioritizes particular races, cultures, religions, genders, and other parts of human identity and ways of being over others. These restrictive, and assimilative practices have long caused harm to many people, particularly those who are part of the BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. By orienting ourselves around Anti-Bias Education, we commit to studying our practices and better understanding how we uphold these harmful ways of being and can make tangible shifts in the way we practice education so that all children, families, and colleagues can feel a sense of belonging and contribute to the communities they exist within.

We exist on a planet that is home to many species beyond humans. Throughout our history as a species, especially following the Industrial Revolution, we have acted as if the planet and everything on it exists for our human convenience and comfort. This attitude and belief system is having a detrimental effect on the earth. This Pedagogical Commitment reminds us that we do not exist here alone. We rely on and are in relationship with all things, beings, and places on this earth. As we educate children, we have a responsibility to remember this and cultivate teaching practices that reflect this understanding.