Small Children, Big Conversations: Enacting Culture Circles in the Early Childhood Classroom

• In Event: Big Conversations on Early Childhood Praxis

Abstract

What is the shape of Freirean culture circles in practice? How can culture circles be used to enact critical pedagogy and critical thinking around social justice? This presentation addresses a situated representation of culture circles in an early childhood classroom. Through the culture circles, a teacher and her classroom co-construct critical conversations around traditional concepts of gender, identity, and sexuality. Using the experiences and knowledge of the children, as well as multicultural early childhood texts, the teacher and children engaged in a process of deconstructing their assumptions, and building critical understandings of gender through a the democratic enactment of culture circles. This presentation examines the reflective practices of the teacher that enable this kind of critical pedagogy.

Authors

• Mariana Souto-Manning, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Dana Frantz Bentley, Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols School