Becomings
– Changes to my thinking or practice which are emerging as a result of my current training –
This practitioner has not chosen to share this information at this time.
From doing my project i feel that my values are the same that working alongside children and their families is very important. I loved our open afternoon observing the children and the adults interacting and working together. Everyone got so much from that time together, and people said they wanted to come back and do it again. It really highlighted that children learn more from working as a community, with people they care about.
My role as a senior hasn't changed, as in the things i am responsible for. Since the project and for future developments i will however be encouraging staff to work alongside our community to invite people into the setting that have skills and knowledge that we don't have, to help encourage the children's interests and skills. Being able to build connections with families and our local area will help promote learning and interests and skills for the children we couldn't do by our selves.
I feel that the nursery is still very child centred, that we plan for their interests and skills, we use our observations to inform our practice and the activities we do. The project helped me see how well the staff do listen to the children with the use of a project book we could document the children's journey, from the start of the project and as it progressed. the children added to the book with pictures, comments writing and plans. the staff printed of many pictures of the children's involvement.
As part of the project we invited older classes to help develop the garden and use the space with us. Some of the teachers were keen to help to dig and trim back the trees and tidy the planting boxes etc ready for planting. The children from the older classes had so much enthusiasm for helping and getting involved it benefited them as well.
The nurse4ry as a whole hasn't changed and they way we gather the input from the children hasn't changed, but i feel that the process is helpful for the new staff to see first hand and be involved in so that they can then use this in other developments in the nursery.
How children participate hasn't changed for the nursery, but it think what we have started to see a change in the relationship between the school and the nursery. We are beginning to work together as a community sharing the area with a common goal/purpose. This i hope will continue to develop and that the classes will develop good relationships between the children of different ages as well as the other staff. I also hope that the change will help the older children have the chance to learn in a more comfortable environment for them.
The things that i felt was important to me before when i attended the Frobel in childhood practice course is still the things that are important to me. I am keen however to see how introducing some more Froebelian activities in to the nursery will benefit the children such as the sewing. Before the project i was not a keen gardener and i found out how little i knew about growing, but i learned alongside the children and i am now happier to be out in the garden i know people i can now ask for advice, i have built up communication with local people who are keen to help, so i feel that i am a better practitioner for this.
I hope to continue to develop the garden with the community we are building. I have already seen more connections being made since our first open afternoon. Lots of people are excited to help and be involved. I hope to extend these links to help develop other areas within the nursery or to help offer courses such as bookbug and Peep. That parents will be involved in the life of the nursery more and more.
I would love to visit other Froebelian settings in the future. I am looking forward to read some of the other developments to see what other settings have done to get ideas for my own setting! I feel that since the project some of the other staff have become more enthusiastic about the project and new approaches to learning am i am keen to keep developing this interest making sure that staff have the chance to take a lead in developments in the setting.
I feel that social justice was highlighted as being important to be able to form a community of parents letting everyone have the opportunity to be involved in developing the space.