Exemplary Practices 2008

Imagination — creating almost anything from almost nothing

One day, a little boy in Geneviève Whittom's group decided to see what would happen if he stomped on a tube of toothpaste — and we all know what happened next! Instead of getting upset, the teacher used the opportunity to organize an impromptu art session, thus allowing the children to use their imagination. "A little imagination is all you need to transform anything," Ms. Whittom explains. "The children have fun and learn not to waste things."

Ms. Whittom is an educator at the Centre de la petite enfance (CPE) Passe-Partout inc. in Quebec City. The CPE is located in a working-class neighbourhood, where many parents do not have the resources to provide their children with toys and outings.

This educator knows that even the simplest project can teach little ones a great deal. This is what happened when the children in one of her groups became fascinated by the letter carrier's daily visit. They wanted to know where he went after he delivered the mail to the CPE, and where the letters came from. Ms. Whittom had her next project. She helped the children write a letter to their friends at another CPE.

Another device Ms. Whittom has used to fuel the children's imagination is her invention of Clémentine. Poor Clémentine has no home; she has to live in airplanes. Everywhere she goes, she sends postcards to the CPE, each one depicting a land more marvellous than the one before. The postcards provide a springboard for lively discussions and activities — for example, inspired by a card showing the Great Wall of China, the children built their own wall. "China alone is a theme that could have kept the children busy for an entire year," Ms. Whittom said.

There are other characters in the imaginary world Ms. Whittom has created.

The children learn to cook with a kindly chef and make discoveries with a charming professor. The professor makes them wear special glasses, which turn them into real scientists. It doesn't matter that the glasses are just dime-store toys; to the children they are magical objects, because they are used only for their activities with this amusing professor.

Ms. Whittom also knows how to use imagination to stimulate the children's social development. She uses a marionette to help encourage group interaction, and get the youngsters to think about their emotions and the impact they may have on the people around them. Inspired by a record album, there is also a tear fairy who collects the children's tears in buckets, one for each emotion that has made them flow: sadness, anger, pain. There is even a bucket for crocodile tears! This also helps the children gain awareness of what they are feeling.

In addition to these teaching tools, Ms. Whittom conducts an activity that teaches the children how to recognize and resolve their disputes. They learn to calm down, explain what is bothering them and find a mutually satisfactory solution to the problem.

"My group is called the Shooting Stars," Ms. Whittom explains. "Seeing a shooting star is an unforgettable experience. The moment is fleeting, but magical. I try to make sure that the year spent together leaves them with the same impression."