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Welcome to the Forgotten ECE, the show where before and after school educators, summer

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camp and PD staff and CYWs have a place where they are seen, heard and valued.

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I'm your host, Jamie Wiggler, and I'm so excited you're here.

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Welcome to the official first episode of the Forgotten ECE.

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I'm your host, Jamie Wiggler.

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Thank you for joining me.

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Today we're going to discuss what exactly before and after school programs are, and

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how to use our knowledge and expertise to advocate for them.

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The same as any early childhood program offered by a child care center, before and after school

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or school age programs are essential to families.

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When faced with this question from skeptics?

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I'm going to arm you.

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With the knowledge and support you need to clap back.

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Story time.

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My first program back after graduating teachers college, I had a parent shocked.

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Like legitimately shocked to find out that I was a graduate of university, let alone

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an OCT.

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Following their shocked initial look and a barely contained mouth drop, I got the oh

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so wonderful, well, when are you going to become a real teacher?

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As if what I was doing currently was somehow beneath their expectation of what a quote

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unquote real teacher should be doing.

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That I had picked the lesser career and so there is no possible way that this was what

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I wanted to be doing for the rest of my life.

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Well, that was in 2015.

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And look at me now.

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I'm still here and can wholeheartedly say I have not once looked back and thought, oh

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darn, I should have worked in the traditional school system.

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If anything, I'm actually proven daily that in fact I made the right decision.

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Comments like this don't upset me, instead they provide fuel for my passion because I know

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we make a difference every single day.

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So how do you clap back at comments like this without saying the obvious, you're clearly

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unintelligent.

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Okay, let's start with the basics.

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A lot of families wouldn't be able to work if there was no before and afterschool programming.

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Many families work outside traditional school hours and these programs provide safe and

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reliable environments for their children.

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These programs support diverse work schedules and allow caregivers to pursue their careers

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or other commitments without compromising the care and wellbeing of their children.

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Parents couldn't work if we didn't watch their kids.

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Parents could not work if they weren't enrolled in these programs.

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Looking at these school age programs from a deeper lens, the benefits on the children

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in these programs are plentiful.

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These programs provide opportunities for children to socialize with their peers in a structured

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environment.

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This is done through group activities and interactions with caring adults.

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That's where children learn important skills such as communication, empathy, conflict resolution

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and self-confidence.

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Looking at the four foundations of how does learning happen, the Ontario Pedagogy, these

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programs foster belonging within their interactions.

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School age programs also offer community engagement and serve as hubs bringing families together

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with schools and local organizations.

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They promote the collaboration between the schools and the community stakeholders, which

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I know is not always the easiest, but we'll get into that later episodes.

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We know children learn best through play and these environments provide a safe and supervised

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place to do so.

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In case you didn't know, I'm going to give you a little play by play on well, play.

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Sit back, relax and take some notes.

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According to research published in the journal of pediatrics, play positively influences

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brain development because it helps to build the architecture of the developing brain,

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especially in areas of cognitive language and social skills.

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Take that skeptics.

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In terms of cognitive development, play provides opportunities to engage in a variety of skills,

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problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, planning, decision making and perspective

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taking.

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Imaginative play is one of the many types of play that engages children in this skill set building.

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It should come as no surprise that language development is enhanced because of play through

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role play conversations and storytelling.

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Children are able to improve their communication skills, expand their vocabulary and develop

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narrative abilities.

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Had enough yet?

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Too bad.

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In these programs, there are set rules and regulations from the ministry around outside

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time and gross motor activities and through group games, sports, tree climbing, jungle

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gym exploration and rough and tumble play, physical activity and motor skill development

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is promoted.

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This incorporated physical aspect provides children opportunities to strengthen their

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muscles coordination, balance and spatial awareness.

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And this is for those in the back.

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We learn best when what we are taught is enjoyable.

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Did you hear that?

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We learn best when what we are taught is enjoyable through play based activities.

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Children are more likely to be motivated, curious and actively involved in the learning

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process.

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This leads into children picking what they want to learn about, choosing what activities

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to engage in and what games to play.

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Our bodies are not designed to sit still, look pretty and nod obediently.

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We're in 2024 people.

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Why hasn't this outlook or expectation been changed yet?

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Children are forced to sit in their desks all day with the exception of two 20 minute

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recesses.

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What?

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Out of a nearly seven hour day, how is this still okay?

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After all we know about child development.

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Oh, sorry.

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Forgot gym class.

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That obviously makes up for it all.

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While we're on the topic, what are the risks of desk work all day?

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I can tell you obesity, muscle weakness, poor posture, reduced concentration, low memory,

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restlessness and hyperactivity.

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There's a shocker.

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Hyperactivity is connected to sitting in a desk all day.

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Also digital eye strain and to really put the cherry on top a possible vitamin D deficiency

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because why not?

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You're stuck inside all day with those atrocious lights beaming down on your head.

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Did you know those lights have a buzz sound?

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It's literally the most obnoxious thing.

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Obviously there should be a balance and this episode is not why school is a problem.

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That could be a whole show on its own.

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These are just reasons why school age programs are better equipped for children and why our

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jobs as educators within these programs should not have to be advocated for, but instead

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understood, appreciated and dare I say thanked.

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Now you have the facts.

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What's next?

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Obviously you could just sit here in satisfaction knowing you're right and they're wrong, but

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what's it going to change?

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It's time to advocate.

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That is what this whole sector needs.

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Advocacy.

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Advocacy for school age programs to be seen as important, to be respected, for the educators

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running these programs, to get credit, to be provided with better hours, a decent wage

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and to not be brushed off in professional development.

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Is that really so much to ask?

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What's your first step?

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Define your cause.

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What do we want?

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Respected educators.

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When do we want it?

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Now.

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Step two, educate yourself.

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Check, check.

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Please see minutes one through seven of this podcast episode.

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It would be a really good time for you to subscribe right now.

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Step three, know your audience.

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Who's our audience?

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Families, other educators, supervisors, directors, policymakers, dun dun dun, the world.

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Then start building networks.

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Before and after school educators deserve a community with like minded individuals,

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a community to support one another, help with program problems and in general individuals

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that understand one another.

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That is why I'm here.

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Let's build that community together.

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We are stronger together.

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We are better together.

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Our passion is what drives us.

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Collectively we can make a difference, but it has to start somewhere.

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Let's start here.

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Every other Sunday, the forgotten ECE.

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To recap, kill them with kindness and knowledge.

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All those skeptics and individuals questioning the importance of before and after school

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programming or the incredible educators such as yourself running them.

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Don't be afraid to clap back and stand up for yourself and the program.

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Don't be rude as much as you may want to be factual, be honest or send them my way because

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I love a good argument or debate.

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Thank you for taking the time to listen to the show.

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I appreciate your support and value.

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All your questions, comments and engagements.

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Speaking of questions and comments, I have had a lot since the pilot episode and have

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decided to do a question segment at the end of every episode where I will answer your

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questions or share your comment.

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Michelle C. will start us off with her comment.

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I quote, when I first started as an ECE, I was a SAC educator making $12 an hour.

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I absolutely loved the experience but obviously it wasn't a viable career at the time.

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I have dabbled in and out of SAC programs over the years and what really strikes me

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is just how much of an afterthought the programs are to administrators.

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They were seen as a money maker for the longest time where very little money went into them

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but profit was made by how many heads you could squeeze into a program.

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It's really a shame because these programs are so unique and needed from the healthy

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growth and well-being of children.

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First of all, thank you so much, Michelle, for the comment.

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But Michelle makes a great point.

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Terribly sad but excellent point.

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These programs are seen as money makers.

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It hasn't changed because the ratios are so high.

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One to 13 kindergartens or one to 15 school-agers, that's one educator, 13 kindergarten kids.

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One educator, 15 school-aged kids.

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It becomes a game, a literal game of how many can you squeeze into one room.

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Now made even worse with the CCWELC Initiative not covering six and older.

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For those of you who don't know, the CWELCC Initiative is the $10 a day here in Canada.

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And this initiative does not cover children six and older.

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So fees are skyrocketing because centers have to make up their money somewhere.

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It's not benefiting anyone.

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And really, the children are going to suffer.

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Being pulled out of licensed childcare centers and honestly put wherever is affordable, plopped

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in front of a good old iPad babysitter because let's face it, in today's economy, groceries

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are hard enough to afford, let alone high quality care.

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What's your thoughts on this?

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I want to hear from you.

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Thank you so much for joining me.

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I want to make it perfectly clear that learning does not stop when children turn six.

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And together we can build a community that values that.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Amazing listeners for your support.

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Don't forget to follow me on Instagram at miss Jamie underscore R E C E.

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Give a star rating and leave a review.

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Have something you want to hear about in relation to before and after school programs or full

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day summer camp.

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DM me or comment.

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Again, thank you so much and happy learning.