Nidhi Menon

Education summary

• PhD Social Justice Education, OISE, University of Toronto, Ontario
• MS Early Childhood Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
• B.Ed. Charles Sturt University, Ontario Certified Teacher in elementary education
• MSc Human Development and Family Studies, University of Madras. India
• BSc Child Development, Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Madras, India

Teaching licenses

• OCT – Ontario Certified Teacher, Effective 2009, Elementary

Key area(s) of interest

• Sociology of childhood
• Qualitative research
• Creative-arts-based research methods
• Culturally responsive pedagogy
• Feminist theory, ethics of care
• Multimodal literacies
• Education of children from immigrant and refugee backgrounds
• Teacher Education

Dr. Menon completed her PhD in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto. Her scholarship and advocacy work is situated at the intersections of post-structural and marginalized feminist ontologies, ethics of care and issues of power in the field of Early Childhood Studies. She uses perspectives of women of colour to examine and deconstruct dominant constructions of childhoods, particularly how they affect the lived experiences of marginalized families, children, and educators. In her research, teaching, and advocacy work, she is committed to making visible the powerful and knowledgeable voices of underrepresented populations who continue to exist in the margins of society.

Dr. Menon worked as a sessional faculty in the School of Early Childhood Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University for 12 years in addition to working in early childhood programs at Sheridan and Humber college. In this role she taught over 4500 students, 30 courses and guided 300 students in their practicums in early childhood.She also mentored students and supported them throughout their educational journey. She also worked in the Halton District School Board as an occasional teacher from kindergarten to grade 8.

She has collaborated closely with immigrant and refugee families and children in early childhood, elementary and postsecondary education. Her community work involves partnering with several community organizations such as the Woodland cultural center, United for Literacy, Afghan’s women’s organization, and the Oakville Parent Child Center. She has expertise in qualitative research, creative arts-based research methods, feminist and reconceptualist early childhood theories.

Dr. Menon is a recipient of awards and scholarships, such as the Ontario graduate scholarship and University of Toronto’s doctoral completion award. She is a board member for the advocacy organization AECEO and leads a community of practice with educators serving newcomer communities.

Current teaching

• ED 5355 Literacy Learning in the Early Years
• ED 4054 Research in Early Childhood Studies
• ED 5181 Feminist Theory and Education
• ED 4363 Children’s Literature, Singing, Poetry, & Performance
• ED 5102 Curriculum & Evaluation in the Early Years
• ED 5105 Connecting Home & Schooled Literacies

Past teaching

• Sessional faculty, School of Early Childhood Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario for 12 years
• Sessional faculty, Early Childhood Education, Sheridan College, Ontario
• Sessional faculty, Early Childhood Education, Humber College, Ontario

Public schools

• Occasional teacher in Halton District School Board, Ontario (Grades kindegarten-8)

Professional practice, committees, volunteer work summary

• Board member of the AECEO- Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario
• Lead of the Newcomer Educators Care Collective (Community of Practice)

Recent publications

Menon, N., Johnston, L., Powell, A., B. Richardson & A. Straker (2024): (Care)fully reconstituting cruel professionalism with and for early childhood educators: how caring activism can resist uncaring conditions, Early Years, 1-14 (first author and primary contributor)

Menon, N. (2024). Storied Lives: Narratives of displacement and resettlement of young Syrian refugee children in Toronto, Canada. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Menon. N. (2022). Reimagining communities of practice: Using marginalized feminist knowledge to create spaces of resistance. eceLink, 6(1), 31-41.

Menon, N. (2021). Representation Matters: Creating a sense of Belonging in Early Childhood Studies. In Lyle, E. (Eds.), Rehumanizing Education. Brill.

Menon, N. (2021). Troubling dominant discourses and stories that shape our understanding of the child refugee. In Abawi, Z, Burman, R, & Eizadirad, A. (Eds.), Equity as Praxis in Early Childhood Education and Care in Ontario. Canadian Scholars and Women’s Press.

Creative outputs

Exhibitions

• Menon, N. & Simon, M (2024, October 19). Braiding and weaving: Intertwining identities and experiences as Indigenous and Newcomer educators to forge links between Land and place. Where We Stand Project. RaiN Gallery Installation, St. Catherines, ON.

Film, video and audio recordings

• Menon, N. & Simon, M (2024, October 19). Braiding and weaving: Intertwining identities and experiences as Indigenous and Newcomer educators to forge links between Land and place. Where We Stand Project. RaiN Gallery Installation, St. Catherines, ON.

Presentations

• RECE Global Conversation Series: Four voices, one conversation: Scholar Educators dialoguing in times of crisis. (2024, 27 March). Panel presenter.
• Menon, N. & Simon, M (2024, February 24). Braiding and weaving: Intertwining identities and experiences as Indigenous and Newcomer educators to forge links between Land and place. Invited presentation for Where We Stand Project at Museum of Immigration, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
• Menon, N. & Simon, M (2024, February 25). Braiding and weaving: Intertwining identities and experiences as Indigenous and Newcomer educators to forge links between Land and place. Invited presentation for Where We Stand Project at Woodland Cultural Center, Brantford, ON.
• Panel presentation AECEO (October 11, 2023): Reclaiming our Recognition: What it means to be appreciated as an ECE.