On Display: Farzana Ali an ECE Student from Seneca College

Farzana Ali is an ECE student from Seneca College who had her placement in our classroom.  With her graduation just around the corner, I thought that it would be nice to feature her on the blog today.

In our classroom, Farzana collaborated with me on The Snowflake Inquiry.

Here some images of the snowflake experiences that were offered to our students:

An Interview with Farzana Ali:


1) Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

I am a mom of two girls.  They are aged five and seven.  I have worked with children for over a decade.  I enjoy engaging in play-based learning and observing development along the way.  On my spare time I like swimming and reading.


2) I have heard such wonderful things about the Seneca College Early Childhood Education program.  Can you share with us some of the learning that has resonated with you over your years there?

I have had the pleasure to be taught by excellent and well-rounded professors within the field.  Their knowledge and expertise in child development have helped shape my own personal philosophy.  I believe that childcare providers should focus on the whole child.  By this I mean, focusing on the social, emotional, and academic sides of a child.

During my time at Seneca, I also had the opportunity to be placed at The Seneca Lab School.  This was a great honour and privilege.  This was my first introduction to Reggio Emilia approach.  I was very intrigued by the environment, the layout of the classroom, and the materials provided for the students.  In addition to this, I enjoyed reading the documentation throughout the classrooms.    


3) How will this learning help you in your future endeavours? 

Seneca has provided me with the knowledge of child-development that will enable my ability to develop  and implement age appropriate programming for young children.


4) In our classroom (Ms. Babalis and Mrs. Ham), how did you engage with the students?

I engaged with the students through observing and listening to their interests first.  Once I had the opportunity to build a rapport, the students began to trust me and approach me more with their daily needs.  I supported the students during their Thinking and Learning Time, reading stories, and strengthening their independent skills.  

I was most proud of the work that I accomplished within the Snowflake Inquiry.  The students and I shared ideas and knowledge about snowflakes.  This helped to form the foundation of our strong relationship.  We then created snowflakes out of pasta, playdough, paper, paint, and other art materials.

I was amazed with how the inquiry blossomed!  

5) What will you take away from this experience?

This placement has been life-altering through the professional mentoring and the improvement of my overall teaching techniques.  I learned the importance of consistency and stability.  Ms. Babalis and Mrs. Ham were always consistent with their messaging to the students.  This was important to ensure that the students learned at their full potential.



Thank you Farzana for her hard work and willingness to share!  We wish her all the best in the future.

Although this snowflake inquiry was beautiful, we are ready to embrace SPRING!