The mirror reminds us that we begin observation by taking a careful look at
ourselves. As dance teachers, we are important people, in the lives of the
children we teach. Our mirrors reflect who we are, our memories and
backgrounds of our own childhood experiences and how these awaken our
understanding of what it feels like to be a child and the significance of this time.
In looking at ourselves, we may be reminded of our values, beliefs and feelings,
along with the knowledge and insights we have gathered from childhood to
adulthood. We were chosen to care for children because of our abilities and who
we are. The mirror also reminds us that within each of us we carry professional
and ethical responsibilities. Do we see in our mirror how we might carry ideas
that may influence our observations?
It takes recognition and practice to be a non-biased observer. We bring to our
work skills and responsibilities to best support each child, such as being fair and
confidential in our observations. We must consider it necessary to be open to
differences and avoid labelling others. When we do so, children reveal to us who
they really are, not who we think they might be because of our preconceived
notions, labels, or opinions.