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.
I feel very privileged to be leading a service where high quality experiences for children are a priority. Supporting practitioners to understand how children learn best and ensure they are part of decisions made in driving these opportunities forward is something I am passionate about. Observing the engagement of children and the involvement we have with our families is something that keeps me motivated within my role as Head of Centre.
As Head of Centre, the main aspect of my role is leadership. the underpinning values that drive our philosophy have been created with children, families and practitioners. I have led our new team as we created these, building the foundation of our setting. All of our decisions are focused on what we have decided as a team is important to us. The knowledge of practitioners and the impact this has on their practice is a key aspect of my role. Ensuring that they are upskilled to deliver the highest quality learning and teaching within an environment that captures their creativity, imagination and thinking skills is a priority. Seeing the difference that a focused approach on developments can have has made me reflect even more on the importance of the decisions I make as a leader and the opportunities given to the team, empowering them to research as part of improvement for the setting and them as professionals.
The philosophy within our setting allows children to form a holistic view of the world through the indoor and outdoor learning environment. We already ensure that Froebelian principles are threaded through our practice and all decisions relating to practice are made with these values. The children's interest is at the heart of their learning with practitioners ensuring that there is depth of opportunity to further their learning and sustain this through play. This has always been my belief of how children should learn and working with a new team we have researched the views of practitioners and through training have engaged in professional dialogue to form our shared philosophy. The course has added to the level of dialogue we have had and this has supported the thinking behind our why.
The environment children engage in is key and the opportunities for them to explore through their play has a significant part in children's learning and achievements. Children know where to access resources they need within their play and these are enhanced through the observations practitioners make as they watch and listen to children engaged in opportunities that are capturing their interest. This has always been part of practice but the course has allowed us to focus in on a specific aspect of practice and use the action research to evidence the impact more clearly. As a team, we are at a stage that this level of professional growth is impacting practice and as a result the outcomes for children which is exciting.
Children influence all aspects of practice within our setting and it is their thoughts and ideas that influence the decisions made. Observations of what they say and do are shared and their voice determines the direction of improvement. We have more that we could be doing and through reflection can see the opportunities available to include the children further within our decision making.
My Froebelian journey has been ongoing for many years and drives my practice. It forms the basis of any practice within my setting including our philosophy, the learning environment, our engagement with families and the wider community and practitioner professionalism. The Froebelian principle of unity and connectedness is at the heart of what we do. Although my practice hasn't changed, the gift I have as a leader to inspire others to broaden their thinking has made a difference. Taking practitioners on their Froebelian journey has changed practice and is impacting on the quality we provide.
I hope to engage in further Froebelian leadership opportunities and want to take this forward as the practice within our team develops. Using action research as part of our self-evaluation 'toolbox' for improvement will enhance our practice moving forward and allow us to have a focused approach to aspects of our practice.
The opportunities that I have for professional dialogue I value and creating these opportunities develops my motivation and enthusiasm. The connections that are created with colleagues in the local authority are very beneficial and having like minded professionals come into our service is part of sharing and building our local Froebelian network.
The interconnectedness of play between home and our setting has been the focus of our action research. The opportunities created will support all families moving forward and as the project is disseminated there will be equal opportunity for all. Continuity of learning is going to be the our next stage of research and the resources in place will allow us to measure children's achievement and level of attainment. A holistic approach to learning and wellbeing will continue to be our priority for all within any developments made.