Beginnings
– How I view my practice at the start of my current training –
This practitioner has not chosen to share this information at this time.
What i enjoy most is watching children learn new things and master new skills. I feel it is important to get to know the children and their families gaining their trust and building relationships so that I can support families when they need it.
I enjoy building relationships and networks between the children and the community. I feel that this brings a deeper learning for the children, and gives a deeper sense of belonging.
I am currently a Senior Early Years Practitioner in an ELCC Setting, in my role as a senior i support the manager in being a good role model, to help motivate and engage staff in current practice and guidance. To ensure the children have the best care we can provide. As a senior i help to lead in supporting our settings vision and values to develop the nursery to always strive to be better.
Each week we meet with a team of staff and discuss the learning that the staff have all seen in the areas they have been working. We talk about what the children had been learning and how the staff would like to develop this for the following week. this informs our planning each week. I feel that this time is important for both the children and the development of the staff. It gives them time to process the learning they have seen and think about how best they can support the children to move on to their next stage of learning. I like this process as it allows the setting to be child centred, each week it is different the staff see different stages of learning form the children and it helps the staff develop their knowledge they know what they are providing for the children and why they have chosen that activity.
The nursery team all value the input form the children and this influences our visions, values, our day to day practice the resources we use and the activities we provide. The staff know the importance of listening to a child, by speaking to them, listening, observing. The staff meet each week, we discuss the information the staff have gathered during each week and plan how this will influence our practice for the following week.
How the children participate in the setting. the setting has used a mosaic approach in the past which we are planning to use again to gain knowledge of the children's thoughts and feeling about our setting. This will then inform our visions and values, and our policies. The staff are aware of quality observations, and use these to influence the activities and resources we provide for the children to promote their learning.
Since attending the Froebel in Childhood Practice - In Orkney course, I felt inspired, motivated and had a sense that childcare in Orkney was heading in the right direction. Before the course i hadn't looked at many theorists in depth, and i felt the course was an eye opener listening to the thoughts and words of Froebel. I wrote so much i had taken note of many quotes that i agreed with and felt reflected in my practice., such as being part of the community, learning from experiences. I also could see that Froebel is influencing the many "new" approaches that are becoming fashionable for settings to say they are following such as the Curiosity approach and forest schools. the good practice that these approaches are highlighting was being promotes over a 100 yrs ago. I was also inspired to develop areas of my practice in my setting I hadn't felt was as important such as the block area, or to develop the outdoor areas so that children were learning in nature, not just using the outdoors as a space to run.
I have also read a lot more around theorists and how their values influence todays practices.
Working in childcare it is really important to be aware of social justice, that all children are treated fairly, that they all the have opportunities while in the setting, that families can all access services they may need. As a senior i listen to the staff and make sure that all staff have a chance to have a say, and to be treated fairly.
From this course, i am hoping to have gained more knowledge and skills to develop the settings outside space. We have a great space that isn't used to its potential, so I would like to develop this space using Froebelian influences. I would also like to incorporate influences important to me such as being part of the community and building partnerships with families, in developing the space.
Seeing how other settings develop their Froebelian inspired areas. Talking with other practitioners sharing our stories and ideally visiting other settings to gain inspiration.