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.
I have worked in early years for over 25 years, each new academic year brings new children and new challenges. Watching children overcome their own challenges, leading their own learning, growing cognitively as well as physically and being part of the team to help them is definitely a privilege. One of the things I love is no two days are the same, some days are calm other days not so calm but each day is an adventure of some description.
I have a leadership role within my organisation, my role is to support children, families and the under 5's team in our setting. From helping children to settle into nursery, to ensuring parents feel safe at leaving their child with us, to supporting practitioners to feel confident in their role. However being with the children is the most important role, spending time with them, listening to them, supporting them and standing back to let them do their own thing.
When I get to spend time with the children, following their lead and their interests. Providing the tools to enhance their learning, supporting them when needed but equally standing back and allowing them to explore, investigate, make mistakes and learn from their mistakes.
We encourage children to be as independent as possible, taking ownership of area's, self serving own meals, free-flow play throughout play spaces, children choosing what happens each day, no set routines other than timings for meals, which can be flexible, very little adult directed activities. Most resource's are natural, open ended and real, moving away from plastic resources. Over the past few years we have been sourcing wooden furniture and soft furnishing to provide a more cosy homely environment, getting rid of the brightly coloured tables, chairs and units, toning down our wall coverings to more natural tones and hessian, not covering every inch with brightly coloured adult led displays, allowing the children to choose if they want to display a piece of work they have created or take it home to share with their family.
Children are encouraged where possible to help make decisions about how we set out the environment and spaces. Some of our changes are made through observations of how the children use or don't use an area, observing what their interests are at that moment in time and listening to what they want or need. Our biggest child led policy creation came from following the children's lead on barefoot play both indoors and outdoors.
Froebel's principles are woven throughout our daily practice, although not all of our team are knowledgeable on this yet. Play is our main focus throughout the day, real life experiences, nurturing our outdoor and indoor environments, celebrating the uniqueness of each child, allowing children to take the lead, building strong relationships and valuing them. "freedom with guidance" is always in the back of my mind, not correcting children but allowing them to investigate and explore for themselves but having an adult who can support them appropriately when needed.
I have a good knowledge of the UNCRC and feel that this is reflected in my daily practice. However more work needs to be done to support families in understanding children's rights and how they impact their child.
Communication, sharing good practice and building relationships with like minded practitioners.