Beginnings
– How I view my practice at the start of my current training –
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The thing I enjoy most about working with young children is getting to nurture their individual personalities. I work with children aged 3-5, so at this stage of their development I feel children's idiosyncratic personality traits are emerging and it is amazing to assist and observe children becoming the person they are destined to be.
I work in a forest school nursery which is located in Pollock Park in the Southside of Glasgow. Children spend roughly seven hours a day in the outdoor environment, where they are encouraged to direct their own learning and play. My role is to support children practically and emotionally and guide them in making their own decisions and promoting their wellbeing.
I have always prioritised the importance of seeing 'the picture of a child' and perceiving each child as unique individual. In alignment with GIRFEC, it is important to understand that every child will have different needs and idiosyncrasies, and thus it is necessary to frequently adapt your practice when approaching/communicating with different children. I thrive when building personalised relationships with children, and remembering and responding to their key interests, in order to make their day at nursery as enjoyable and beneficial as it can be.
At Woodland Outdoor Kindergartens we promote and adhere to a wholly child-led ethos. This means we have a very loose structure to our day, with no plan activities. The focus is for children to decide what they do and pursue their own or shared interest. In terms of materials, we further subscribe to 'loose parts' play. This means that we only provide toys and materials that do not have an obvious aim or end point (e.g. sticks, ropes, wooden spoons)
At the beginning of the day, children have a discussion with their groups and choose which part of the park they would like to go to, they refer to these areas of the woods as 'camps'. Once children have reached the camp that they have chosen to spend the day in, they participate in free play, with practioners facilitating when asked and appropriate. Throughout the day, children can choose to engage in what we term as an "adventure". This is where children chose to go on a walk in the park to visit a certain spot or attraction (e.g. the highland cows). Whether we go on adventure and the location that we chose to visit, is completely based on the children's desires and choices (sometimes voting is necessary!)
Frobel placed a huge emphasis on the importance and benefits of children spending a lot of time outdoors. Working in a outdoor nursery, this is an ideal which I wholly subscribe. Not only do I ensure that children are safe and happy when spending time outdoors, but I also strive to make sure that children are fully engaging with and getting the optimum experience of being outdoors.
I am a strong believer in equality and inclusion for all. I think it is essential to recognise the importance of equity as well as equality. This means that children are not all necessarily treated exactly the same, but are provided with personalised support in accordance to their individual needs and wants
The most effective way to apply a Frobelian ethos to an outdoor setting, as well how to apply a Frobelian ethos to a group setting.
A greater and more informed awareness of how Frobelian ethos can be applied in an exclusively outdoor setting.