Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/934716
Ever since she was 12 years old growing up in France, Marie-Dominique Bourget knew that she wanted to become a teacher. In 1979, she joined TFS, and she's never looked back. She spends her days working with Pre-Kindergarten children, around age 3, helping them learn the fundamentals across all subject areas. Mentoring at this early age is important for setting the tone for their school lives moving forward. This is a chance to plant the seeds out of which will grow some of the most rudimentary ideas about how the world functions. They include the idea that we are not alone, as individuals in a society, and that there are expectations around appropriate behaviour. At the core of everything are the four guiding values of TFS: integrity, discernment, respect, and engagement. For these youngsters, she presents those values through play. These include songs, games, reading and "tête-à-tête" discussions. Games are designed to reinforce concepts around how to play nicely together, be respectful, take turns and help one another. Sharing and giving are two fundamentals for being a good citizen and learning to communicate. Choosing age-appropriate activities takes some research and planning. The four PK teachers look to the Internet as a valuable resource to find ways to educate youngsters through play. Mme Bourget and her PK colleagues remind students about the differences between making good choices and bad ones. They also try to help build their vocabulary. "It's amazing to hear how much they do pick up, remember and repeat," she says. "You can see their development happen week after week, and their level of retention increase." Marie-Dominique Bourget: The Seed Sower Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, La p'tite école They realize they are part of not only a class, but of a school, and a community as well. These are the seeds we sow to help ensure they will become good citizens in the world. At the root of their mentoring sessions is citizenship. Young pupils grow to understand that they have a role to play in an environment that extends beyond them. "It's a crucial time in their lives," Mme Bourget explains. "They realize they are part of not only a class, but of a school, and a community as well. Awareness of the bigger picture surrounding them grows gradually over our mentoring sessions. These are the seeds we sow to help ensure they will become good citizens in the world. And as they learn, their confidence grows, readying them for a bigger role they will play in the future." 31 TFS ENTRE NOUS 2018