Blog Posts

As early years educators we have all experienced those moments when a child absolutely loses control, and rages. This can be quite an alarming experience for us as educators, as we wrestle with how to understand and support this child, while also keeping them and others safe, and preventing them from damaging themselves, furniture or resources.

To be used as a base for all blogs going forward from Dec 2022

In a world where expectations are for things to be faster, smarter, and instantly responsive, this can easily flow into our relationships with young children. No matter which corner of the world we practice in, the desire for children to be empowered and self-determining in their learning is at the heart of every early childhood curriculum.

When we notice, recognise, and respond to children, we make judgements about what and why children are doing what they are doing. These judgements are naturally, and often unconsciously, based on our experiences, knowledge, skills, and biases.

Early childhood educators across the globe are required to work in culturally competent ways. Whether outlined in our curriculum documents or job descriptions, we all commit to catering for children in ways that acknowledge and enhance their cultures, languages, and identities. But are our own beliefs and values getting in the way of becoming as culturally aware and responsive as we should be

How would you feel if, while eating a meal, your fellow educators didn’t trust you to make your own choices about what to eat? Imagine your colleagues standing over you, watching what you get out of your lunch bag, dictating which items you could eat and when, and not even asking if you are hungry or full?

The last couple of years have been rough times in ECE land. Never before have we had to face such uncertainty and risk in our day to day work as teachers and leaders.

We have all been there with children in group care. And it can be one of the most contentious issues within educator teams. Getting children to eat food is one of the most loaded times of day where our own beliefs will play heavily into how we handle meal times.

The last couple of years have been rough in ECE land – rough for children and their families, rough for teachers and rough for leaders who have had to negotiate the uncharted waters of leading teams in Covid- affected times. Never have we faced such uncertainty and risk in our day-to-day work as teachers. In my capacity as a mentor and coach for leaders of ECE services around the country, I am hearing one consistent message – how do we juggle the need and desire to provide a high-quality service with meeting the needs of our stressed and overwhelmed teachers? There are, unfortunately, no silver bullets for this dilemma. However, my intention in this blog is to provide some hope and direction for leaders so that they can better discern the wood from the trees and find a clear path forward.

Music is an essential part of the human experience. The human heartbeat provides a rhythmic accompaniment to the whole of life: at times calm and measured, at times frantically racing. Music is intrinsically entwined with the bodies of both listener and performer, movement is a natural counterpoint to sound experience, and they are often considered together.

Almost anything we may want children to learn – physical skills, language development, social relationships, maths and science concepts, and many positive learning dispositions – can all be learnt through block play.

Over the last 30 years in early childhood education, we have seen a significant shift in how we value and present our environments for children. When I first started teaching early childhood education, it was common to see sleep rooms decorated with Disney characters, walls painted in bright eye-watering colours, and plastic resources galore. And thank goodness for the shift!