Academic conversations with...Kate McAnelly

by Kate McAnelly

About me

A few random facts...I'm a genuine April Fool, having been born at 4.45am on April Fool's Day. I was sick all over my new teacher's shoes on my first day of primary school because I was so excited to finally be there. I passed Bursary French, German, Classics and Art History in high school but not Bursary English (ironic given what's coming next). I have a Diploma in Journalism I've never used for its intended purpose. I got married when I was 21, the same as my Mum and both my grandmothers. I hate peas and turnips. I once broke both my little toes in the space of half an hour. I've not (yet) been overseas.

The focus of my research

My dissertation is entitled 'Achieving citizenship for all: How do people in a kindergarten support the active participation of a child with a disability and their family?'. From the beginning of this journey, I wanted to have an early childhood focus given that's where my experience as a teacher lies. What I was wanting to investigate was the ways in which all members of an early childhood community of learners (children, teachers, parents and families) support the active participation of a disabled child and their family. It's an ethnographic single site case study. I chose a kindergarten simply because I'm a kindergarten teacher myself, and I was familiar with spaces that had the best inclusive practice I was wanting to evidence. Active participation as I'm positioning it in my dissertation isn't about my focus child being on the roll or being physically present at the kindergarten, but disengaged from what goes on there. It's about the ways in which they are supported to equitably contribute and have a say about the things that happen at the kindergarten. This is an important contributing factor in the maintenance of an inclusive teaching and learning environment where all its members are able to practice citizenship.

What inspired me to look at my topic

My dissertation had its beginnings in my personal experience as a Mum. My son (now 10) was diagnosed with autism when he was 3. We endured some pretty painful times navigating his ECE years together. The attitudinal barriers that he experienced on every level at his centre were horrendous. They were initially what drove me (at the advanced age of 29) to go to college and do my undergraduate teaching degree – I saw a space for myself to be that teacher for children like my son that my son didn't have. I could draw on my personal experience to inform my professional practice, and so it has turned out. The thought of doing related research one day was always in the back of my mind as I completed my degree and then my Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching. 

So earlier this year, when I met with my supervisor for the first time, the main thrust of what I was wanting to achieve with my dissertation was just sitting there, waiting to be teased out. There were far too many disabled children and their families being failed in early childhood. I knew this well as we were part of that number once. It's never been my intention to take away from the seriousness of that. I think we can all acknowledge that's definitely not OK. But I was wanting to write a 'good news story', to celebrate an early childhood setting doing amazing things with inclusive practice. These spaces do exist and we should be shouting about them from the rooftops! My supervisor agreed and here I am 6 months later, having just completed data collection and thinking about what data analysis is going to involve.

Aspect of research I'd like to share

My participation framework Huakina Mai (Mackey & Lockie, 2012) draws much of its inspiration from the works of British early childhood education researcher Peter Moss, who in turn draws much of his inspiration from the works of Loris Malaguzzi and Reggio Emilia philosophy. The kindergarten in which I conducted my research also subscribes heavily to Reggio Emilia philosophy, so there were naturally a number of parallels in how we were conceptualising participants within the kindergarten setting. One of these which I think is especially powerful is Malaguzzi's image of the child - an active subject, a multi-lingual creator of knowledge and identity from birth, connected in relations of interdependency with other children and adults, a citizen with rights, rich in potential, a human being not human becoming, “very intelligent..strong and beautiful (with) ambitious desires and requests...(who) deserve recognition of their rights and of their strengths” (Malaguzzi, 1994). Disabled children are not apart from this image – they are accorded the same rights, support, respect and dignity as any other child would be. This speaks strongly to how inclusive practice and citizenship are enacted within such a space.

Words of wisdom

I'm still very much a junior on this journey (with a few years ahead of me yet as I am hoping to go on and complete a doctorate once I finish my Masters), but there are a few key things I've learned thus far that I try and put into practice – easier said than done sometimes! One is to get enough sleep. It's all too easy to get into a routine (especially when small children are part of the mix) of getting up before dawn and working away feverishly until close to midnight or beyond. I've been there, and you can only sustain the pace for so long before you crash and burn. Which leads me to my next point...try and ease off on your  dependence on caffeinated beverages to help keep you going! It only works for a bit before it becomes ineffective, and then you're left with the agony of caffeine and sugar withdrawal as well as the agony you inflict on your family (and friends) on account of your ranting, raving behaviour. Been there, done that too.

 Make sure you make time for your family and friends if they can stand to be in the same room as you incessantly blather about your research, as it's probably likely that if you're anything like me, you're pretty excitable and your research has overtaken your life. Life does exist outside The Dissertation/The Thesis, although it's hard to appreciate that at times. We need downtime on our own or with our nearest and dearest just as much, if not more so, than the average person. We can't let them forget who we are, and losing ourselves in amongst our research just isn't worth it. The need to be organised goes without saying really. 

Reach out for help if you're stuck, there's no better person to understand how you might be feeling than someone who is travelling or has travelled the same road as you. Cultivate a warm,  respectful, responsive relationship with your supervisor/s. And remember to have fun in amongst all the seriousness, because in amongst the battles where you strongly question your sanity for pursuing postgrad, you also find joy and hope, and you're re-reminded of why you're doing what you're doing. Kia kaha!