Image of the Child Artifact Reflection

Sydney Wirebaugh

Explanation of Artifact and How it Came to Be:

After discussing the artifact in class and sketching my ideas out, I was able to come up
with my artifact idea. To me, the child is complex and I originally found it very difficult to come up
with a concrete image. However, I decided to stem my idea from the words that I used to
describe the child. My top three words were curious, active, and busy. My artifact shows a few of
the thoughts that could be going through a child’s mind at any given moment. Their brains are
so active, that it is hard for me to even imagine what they could be thinking about in a day.
Therefore, I tried to sum up as much as I could of the child through my artifact. I see
them as active thinkers and learners. They are constantly thinking for themselves, so as a
teacher, I need to be mindful of this. I need to respect their thoughts and also be sure to
encourage them to bring their thoughts into our classroom and lessons.

Reflection:
I view children as curious, complex, active, intelligent, and independent human beings.
They may need guidance and help at some points in life, but we all do. They are just like any
other human beings. At their young age though, they may need more help with learning and
becoming independent. As a teacher, it is my job to help them open doors and see the future
they desire.
I believe my view comes from my experience working with children and how I see them
portrayed by others. In my first few years in college, I have been able to have some of my
favorite discussions about children, because the people I have talked to respect children like I
do. Before college, a lot of conversations about children included the words “annoying” and “a
lot of work.” I didn’t share these views of children with these people, so I often struggled to have
those conversations. This helped me realize that I thought of children as the exact opposite as
some others. I found that I viewed children as their own person who is learning alongside
everyone else in this world.
I think these views help me be a friend of children rather than a strict caregiver.
Whenever I am with children, I feel as if I am learning and playing alongside them. This helps
children feel more at ease with me. I believe we are in the classroom or house together, so we
will play, learn, explore, and grow together. Children should be expected to play and be their
own person. In return, they should expect adults to let them be their own person.
My words show that I expect the children to have guidelines for me just like I have
guidelines for them. Our classroom is going to be a group classroom, it will be our classroom,
not just mine. The students will have a say, because they deserve to be independent. I don’t
want to squish their feelings of intelligence, independence, and curiosity by forcing them to
follow my lead at all times. I think this is beneficial, because it is allowing them to be themselves.
They will get to make their own choices, and if they happen to make the wrong one, we will
have a discussion about it, rather than me scolding them. They learn through independence and
flourish when given the opportunity to explore their surroundings at their own leisure.
My artifact symbolizes the mind and world of a child. I view their brains as active and
curious. They are constantly thinking about new ideas and thoughts. They are the next
generation of innovation, and I see them as such. They hold new ideas in their brains that no
one in our generation will think of. I want to help them find those new ideas and get to a point
where they can benefit the world.