EY Connect- Feb issue 2024

Morning everyone 😃

It was great to see so many colleagues connecting with each other and with ideas during last week's ESF Early Years Conference. Upon reflecting on the day with our teams, it's evident that there is great interest in networking and learning more about practices across different schools. We work within different contexts (i.e. student demographic, parent community, links to primary schools), so it's not a surprise that there are differences in some of our learning and teaching practices. At the core of these conversations is an invitation to think about what values drive these everyday practices and decisions. 

More thoughts about this below...

1 REFLECTION

❓When we say we value a pedagogy of play, how are we structuring time in the day for children's continued, sustained play? 

❓When we say we value children's agency and autonomy, to what extent can a school implement distributed leadership so teachers can be agentic in their own practice?

Every little mindset shift and action we take as educators elevates our capacity for self-awareness and reflection in our teaching practice. Coming from the EY Conference, I invite you to think about what shifts might have occurred for you.

1 IDEA


This is a slide from Kirsty Liljegren's keynote. We all know and understand the importance of providing the conditions for learning and possibilities for child-led discoveries. But often there is a tension between:

Planning the play vs Planning for play
Planning the inquiry vs Planning for inquiry

The former is teacher-led, the latter is rooted in trusting the child to engage with the learning for themselves in their own way. We need to look inwards and think about the extent to which we are holding onto control. When we set up environments and provocations and step back to see how children (perhaps unexpectedly) respond, we are honoring the child's ability to choose and take control of their own learning. 

On the other hand, when we plan specific ways for children to play, or pre-plan all the next steps in inquiry, the question to ask ourselves is - ❓who is doing the learning? Who is doing the heavy lifting that is critical for the brain to grow and make connections? 

1 RESOURCE

Kirsty referenced and recommended the Studio for Playful Inquiry. There are different ways to engage with its professional learning. The most beneficial one is probably getting a membership plan and learning from various experts throughout the year. Some recent courses include:
  • Cathy Collins on friendship inquiries
  • Fiona Zinn on the concept of rhythms in early childhood
  • Upcoming: Kath Murdoch a case for play

Speaking of learning, for those interested in being kept in the loop of PD and research happening across ESF, here is the Jan/Feb issue of ESF Impact.

1 QUOTE
Most learning is not the result of instruction, it is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting. - Ivan Illich 
1 WELLBEING

Mind HK is a mental health charity that strives to ensure that no individual in Hong Kong has to confront a mental health issue in isolation. The organization aims to enhance awareness regarding mental health and mental health conditions, eradicating the attached stigma, and offering talk therapy services. Mind HK's ultimate objective is to foster optimal mental health for the entire population of Hong Kong.

2 of their current initiatives are:
  • Move for Mental Health 2024 - a challenge to complete 50km in nature in March (includes a fundraising option if you'd like to support) Register by 10 March.

  • Free emotional health wellbeing check-in. If you meet the criteria for this programme, a wellbeing practitioner will have a one-time 45-minute conversation with you to understand your current emotional wellbeing status and needs. Together, you will explore suitable community resources to take care of your emotional wellbeing. Sign up here.

Until next time,
Brenda 

Currently reading:
A Culture of Agency by Lisa Burman
Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley

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