A lot of the singing that children are being exposed to is from people who have limited skills.
What interests me most is looking at the potential long-term impacts of the education of young children and how we are setting them up for their futures in education and in life. For a long time I've been wondering about the impact of children's limited exposure to singing and particularly to skilled and on-pitch singing. I understand the emotional benefits of engaging with singing and music in any situation and from people of any level of ability, but what about the impacts on cognition and auditory perception? Could lack of exposure to skilled singing affect academic and language ability, and the ability to reach a high level of skill in playing musical instruments?
My parents didn't pull out all the stops to try to turn us into geniuses, but I remember my mum singing to us a lot - on pitch. I remember listening to lots and lots of nursery rhymes, lots of Slim Dusty (my mum won't want to take the credit for that, better credit my dad for that one) and songs from musical soundtracks. I heard hymns every week at church from (even before) birth. Unfortunately I don't have perfect pitch, but my sisters and I were all enthusiastic musical instrument learners and picked them up relatively easily. We can all sing on pitch. I had ten years of piano lessons and three amazing singing teachers, and I believe this has affected my ability to hear and reproduce sounds fairly accurately including pronunciations, accents and languages other than English. Academically I believe I'm doing okay.
I'm not sure how central music is to the lives of the current generation of young children. I only know about the children that I spend time with. Some spend a lot of their time in childcare and have to fit in time at home for TV, ipads etc. so probably music and singing has taken a back foot. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that their parents belong to a generation (my generation mostly) whose parents didn't provide them with this exposure. They therefore lack the skills and confidence in this area, and possibly don't place enough value on these skills.
I'm concerned that most of the exposure that these children have to singing is coming from well-intentioned early childhood educators who unfortunately can't sing on pitch, and sing at a pitch that is far too low for young children's immature voices. Do we need to have skilled professionals come in and do quality music programs? Studies have shown that having sung and been sung to as young children has the potential to improve children's abilities in maths, spatial skills, science and reading comprehension. Let's add auditory discrimination and its effects on pronunciation and sound reproduction, and the understanding of musical concepts in preparation for learning musical instruments. I think it's worth a thought.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Monday, 23 December 2013
Kids just wanna have fun
Apparently children love to help.
On the last day of work we were working like maniacs to clean every inch of our room, toys, furniture, walls, yard etc. There was no point feeling guilty about the lack of attention we were giving the children because there are only so many hours in a day and what has to be done, has to be done. In the process of cleaning we made a lot of mess, so the children were left to fend for themselves amongst a sprawling display of Duplo, instruments, and random plastic toys laid out on the floor. The Duplo was left because they insisted on us leaving it, the instruments because despite my loathing of noise they continue to bash away at them at all hours of the day, and the random toys because who knew what to do with them. It was easier to just tip them out onto the floor.
I asked the children if they'd like to wash some toys, thinking they'd love it. Water is involved, and when you don't want them to play with it (like in the middle of winter) they always find a way to sneak away and do it. We had small success with several children who managed to wash some toys for a matter of minutes, but most remained uninterested. "You can get wet!" I said, hoping the others would like to help. "You can get as wet as you want, it's hot!", I said to no avail. So we continued to clean like maniacs while they continued to play happily with the sprawling mess on the floor.
At one point I looked over and saw about eight children sitting in groups of twos or threes completely involved in constructing with Duplo. "Look how engaged they are!" I said to someone. It never ceases to amaze me how they can engage themselves with so little, so I'm constantly annoying people by mentioning it. Afterall children aren't supposed to be able to do that these days. And Duplo? I would have thought they'd be beyond that at four years old. With the exception of one particular helper who was washing toys for me at 5.30 that afternoon, most of the children continued to play, making as much mess as they could get away with until their parents took them home and left us to clean more.
Kids just wanna have fun, and who can blame them? They'll be working for the rest of their lives. And how cute are they when they're engaged in play and oblivious to everything around them? And who says they should be playing with something more complex then Duplo at four years old? Maybe they loved being able to play on the floor and not being told to keep the toys on the table. And what if they bash away at instruments with big grins on their faces when we want peace and quiet and get all wet in the middle of winter? We can only attempt to control their instincts to do whatever it is they want. Kids just wanna have fun, (and remember) it's only kindergarten.
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Vive la difference
The world turns on the fact that we are all different.
So why are we trying to fix children? I understand the reason. We want to set our children up to meet every challenge and achieve every success in life. We want to make sure that every trait that could potentially hinder a child from sailing through life is stopped in its tracks, boosted, scaffolded, curbed, hidden or fixed. It puts us under a lot of pressure as educators. On a personal level having someone even suggest that the children I care for are anything less than beautiful and perfect exactly how they are affects me deeply. What's worse it places their parents in positions of self-doubt, worry and blame that are probably unnecessary and unfounded.
How do we know that these differences are liabilities? They are traits. They are what makes us who we are. Every trait exists on a continuum which I like to imagine as being a set of scales, with the positive benefits of a particular trait on one side and the potential liabilities on the other. An artist may be overly sensitive which may sometimes be a liability, but this same trait enables him to create art. An engineer may be seen as slightly lacking in empathy, but this same objectivity is vital to her job. The road to self improvement is paved with good intentions, but are we trying to improve ourselves into a society of clones?
Children develop at different rates in different areas. As long as they are developing within a range that is considered normal there shouldn't be cause for concern. We should be giving them all the love we can, the opportunities we can, and the experiences we can. We should be giving them the support, respect and boundaries that they need to feel secure, independent and strong, then we should be able to sit back and watch them flourish. They have been born with all the internal motivations, drives and tools that they need. Our job is to provide them with an environment that enables them to confidently access them.
Celebrate the difference! Happiness may not come from success, but may come from being able to be who we truly are, to be able to use our traits to fully express ourselves, to make our own choices, and to make a difference in people's lives. Every child is beautiful and perfect and shouldn't be under any pressure to compete with others or perfect themselves. Early childhood is a time for children to learn, explore, innocently express themselves without self-consciousness, and to give and receive love without limits. Let's let this happen.
So why are we trying to fix children? I understand the reason. We want to set our children up to meet every challenge and achieve every success in life. We want to make sure that every trait that could potentially hinder a child from sailing through life is stopped in its tracks, boosted, scaffolded, curbed, hidden or fixed. It puts us under a lot of pressure as educators. On a personal level having someone even suggest that the children I care for are anything less than beautiful and perfect exactly how they are affects me deeply. What's worse it places their parents in positions of self-doubt, worry and blame that are probably unnecessary and unfounded.
How do we know that these differences are liabilities? They are traits. They are what makes us who we are. Every trait exists on a continuum which I like to imagine as being a set of scales, with the positive benefits of a particular trait on one side and the potential liabilities on the other. An artist may be overly sensitive which may sometimes be a liability, but this same trait enables him to create art. An engineer may be seen as slightly lacking in empathy, but this same objectivity is vital to her job. The road to self improvement is paved with good intentions, but are we trying to improve ourselves into a society of clones?
Children develop at different rates in different areas. As long as they are developing within a range that is considered normal there shouldn't be cause for concern. We should be giving them all the love we can, the opportunities we can, and the experiences we can. We should be giving them the support, respect and boundaries that they need to feel secure, independent and strong, then we should be able to sit back and watch them flourish. They have been born with all the internal motivations, drives and tools that they need. Our job is to provide them with an environment that enables them to confidently access them.
Celebrate the difference! Happiness may not come from success, but may come from being able to be who we truly are, to be able to use our traits to fully express ourselves, to make our own choices, and to make a difference in people's lives. Every child is beautiful and perfect and shouldn't be under any pressure to compete with others or perfect themselves. Early childhood is a time for children to learn, explore, innocently express themselves without self-consciousness, and to give and receive love without limits. Let's let this happen.
Friday, 1 November 2013
'Ethical lntelligence'
I was introduced to this term today for the first time.
My study at the moment has been around the AusVELS Curriculum and its Cross-curricular Priorities. The Early Years Learning Framework also covers these broad areas which we believe should underpin children's learning, so we talk a lot in the industry about reflecting diversity and embedding sustainability. I feel that I'm lagging behind in the area of reflecting cultural diversity in my program. I've been hesitant because of a fear of being seen as tokenistic or culturally insensitive and so I've been confused about how to proceed in this area. At the same time personal ethics and integrity is central to how I see myself and how I want to be seen, so I really want to learn how to improve in this.
I watched a documentary during the week called 'The Celluloid Closet', which talked about Hollywood depictions of gay and lesbian people from the earliest films until today. I wasn't prepared for the shocking negativity in the earlier films, so I was quite confronted by what I saw. Some well known people spoke about the way that as children we look to movies to provide us with a view of what the world should be like. As a result when we feel that we are not represented, or are represented negatively, we come to believe that there's no place for us in society. It goes to the depths of our need for belonging and our sense of worth as people. This struck a real chord with me.
Interestingly, it was reinforced by our conversation today about how the cross-curricular priorities can be embedded into less receptive curriculum areas such as English, maths and science. This is where we have to be more creative. It's not so much a call to create entire units of work around these areas, but a reminder not to neglect the less-mainstream aspects of Australian culture when we create our programs. We need to see minority groups as integral to Australian culture rather than as separate from it. Some ideas that were suggested were to use a book about science written by a well-known Aboriginal scientist, to incorporate Japanese style poetry into a poetry unit, to explore traditional Indigenous perspectives on astronomy, and to look at the mathematical symbols in Aboriginal bark painting.
The way to assimilate minority populations into our culture is to view them as already having been assimilated. All cultures are changing, evolving, adapting things, which are continually being enriched by diversity. We can't control or own how our culture evolves, but we can have agency in improving peoples perceptions and perspectives. Naturally, as usual, children are our answer. Open-minded, accepting and having strong senses of justice, they also have the tendency to assimilate our view-points. Let's take up the challenge to question our own prejudices so we can avoid having them continue on to the next generation.
My study at the moment has been around the AusVELS Curriculum and its Cross-curricular Priorities. The Early Years Learning Framework also covers these broad areas which we believe should underpin children's learning, so we talk a lot in the industry about reflecting diversity and embedding sustainability. I feel that I'm lagging behind in the area of reflecting cultural diversity in my program. I've been hesitant because of a fear of being seen as tokenistic or culturally insensitive and so I've been confused about how to proceed in this area. At the same time personal ethics and integrity is central to how I see myself and how I want to be seen, so I really want to learn how to improve in this.
I watched a documentary during the week called 'The Celluloid Closet', which talked about Hollywood depictions of gay and lesbian people from the earliest films until today. I wasn't prepared for the shocking negativity in the earlier films, so I was quite confronted by what I saw. Some well known people spoke about the way that as children we look to movies to provide us with a view of what the world should be like. As a result when we feel that we are not represented, or are represented negatively, we come to believe that there's no place for us in society. It goes to the depths of our need for belonging and our sense of worth as people. This struck a real chord with me.
Interestingly, it was reinforced by our conversation today about how the cross-curricular priorities can be embedded into less receptive curriculum areas such as English, maths and science. This is where we have to be more creative. It's not so much a call to create entire units of work around these areas, but a reminder not to neglect the less-mainstream aspects of Australian culture when we create our programs. We need to see minority groups as integral to Australian culture rather than as separate from it. Some ideas that were suggested were to use a book about science written by a well-known Aboriginal scientist, to incorporate Japanese style poetry into a poetry unit, to explore traditional Indigenous perspectives on astronomy, and to look at the mathematical symbols in Aboriginal bark painting.
The way to assimilate minority populations into our culture is to view them as already having been assimilated. All cultures are changing, evolving, adapting things, which are continually being enriched by diversity. We can't control or own how our culture evolves, but we can have agency in improving peoples perceptions and perspectives. Naturally, as usual, children are our answer. Open-minded, accepting and having strong senses of justice, they also have the tendency to assimilate our view-points. Let's take up the challenge to question our own prejudices so we can avoid having them continue on to the next generation.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
In the zone
Nothing compares to being totally immersed in the process of creating
At least, this is how I feel. Czikszentmihalyi called this process 'flow'. Sometimes when I'm at my keyboard singing, time ceases to exist and I don't want to stop, or if I'm writing poetry or songs, or decorating my room, or writing my blog. The adult world leaves so little time for total immersion. We're usually aware of the limits of time and the pressing obligations of adult life. Not so with children. They have the benefit of living mostly in the present. This is our opportunity to allow them to fully experience 'flow', wonder, joy and full immersion in the creative process.
This is what early childhood education should be all about. Timetables, routines and curriculum documents hinder 'flow'. The Reggio educators know this. Abundant materials are provided for children to explore. A variety of rooms are allocated to craft, music and movement, which means that children have uncluttered space for creativity and the opportunity to revisit and extend their work over a period of time. Packing away and sharing stifle creativity too.
The question is, what are we going to do about this? Just remember it. Keep it in mind. Allow yourself to experience 'flow' sometimes. Creativity is good for the soul. The process can be satisfying and the product can be satisfying. Don't think it has to be about one or the other. Try to remember to let the children go sometimes. Let them create whatever they want without hovering over them asking them what they're creating. It's so easy to want to control the outcome and document it.
Allowing children to experience 'flow' will enable them to develop self-images as creators. It will provide them with the motivation to keep creating, just because, just for their own joy and satisfaction. When this becomes a need in them, they will have the possibility of progressing as adult creators. Being in the zone means that their minds will stay alive with the possibilities that creative thinking and imagining produce.
This is so important for their future. Knowing the answers won't be enough in the workplaces of the future. Being able to create new questions will be the key. We want our children to succeed in the workplace and experience wellbeing in their personal lives. Enabling them to exist in the moment now, immersing their senses, developing their own theories, honouring their own perspectives, and creating their own outcomes will give them the skills that they will need to proceed through a challenging, changing future.
At least, this is how I feel. Czikszentmihalyi called this process 'flow'. Sometimes when I'm at my keyboard singing, time ceases to exist and I don't want to stop, or if I'm writing poetry or songs, or decorating my room, or writing my blog. The adult world leaves so little time for total immersion. We're usually aware of the limits of time and the pressing obligations of adult life. Not so with children. They have the benefit of living mostly in the present. This is our opportunity to allow them to fully experience 'flow', wonder, joy and full immersion in the creative process.
This is what early childhood education should be all about. Timetables, routines and curriculum documents hinder 'flow'. The Reggio educators know this. Abundant materials are provided for children to explore. A variety of rooms are allocated to craft, music and movement, which means that children have uncluttered space for creativity and the opportunity to revisit and extend their work over a period of time. Packing away and sharing stifle creativity too.
The question is, what are we going to do about this? Just remember it. Keep it in mind. Allow yourself to experience 'flow' sometimes. Creativity is good for the soul. The process can be satisfying and the product can be satisfying. Don't think it has to be about one or the other. Try to remember to let the children go sometimes. Let them create whatever they want without hovering over them asking them what they're creating. It's so easy to want to control the outcome and document it.
Allowing children to experience 'flow' will enable them to develop self-images as creators. It will provide them with the motivation to keep creating, just because, just for their own joy and satisfaction. When this becomes a need in them, they will have the possibility of progressing as adult creators. Being in the zone means that their minds will stay alive with the possibilities that creative thinking and imagining produce.
This is so important for their future. Knowing the answers won't be enough in the workplaces of the future. Being able to create new questions will be the key. We want our children to succeed in the workplace and experience wellbeing in their personal lives. Enabling them to exist in the moment now, immersing their senses, developing their own theories, honouring their own perspectives, and creating their own outcomes will give them the skills that they will need to proceed through a challenging, changing future.
Aesthetics
What role do aesthetics have in children's creativity and learning?
I read something yesterday that I've never heard before and I found it fascinating. Vea Vecchi worked for years as an atelierista at one of the Reggio schools in Italy. I was reading a book she recently wrote in which she tells her stories about the Reggio arteliers and the practices that were founded on Magaluzzi's theories of early childhood education.
Vecchi speaks about her concern with the lack of attention that modern teachers pay to aesthetics in their learning environments. I've found that aesthetics is something people seem to either have acquired or not have acquired. It seems impossible to fake it. I've always been concerned with the way things look. I like to look at pretty things and feel a lot of satisfaction when I create them, so this is something that's always interested me.
The Reggio centres are constructed very differently to the centres here. Photos show large, white rooms with big, glass windows and doors, wide tables for producing artwork, and lots of plants and mirrors. They're not the typical children's spaces we're used to but they've been set-up specifically to cater for children's learning and creativity.
Vecchi said that aesthetic awareness is the ability to experience empathy with materials and objects, which results in the ability to arrange them together in seemingly unrelated ways. The interesting thing is, she believes aesthetic awareness not only enables children to create beautiful art, architecture and design, but it also enhances their learning in general.
Vecchi uses an example of children's exploration of leaves. The children will be given leaves to hold. They will examine them with magnifying glasses. They will observe the colours, textures and elements. They will represent their leaves in drawings, paintings and sculpture. The children will now have built intimate relationships with the leaves based on their appreciation of their beauty. This could in turn result in them developing a fascination with the entire plant world.
This is a subject worthy of a lot more thought. In the meantime it wouldn't hurt to create beautiful spaces for children to work in, arrange art materials in visually appealing ways, give children the opportunity to engage with the natural world, and surround them with shades of coloured paint, fabric, lights, shadows, images, photographs and pieces of music. I believe that I model aesthetics and creativity for my children at work, and I'm so proud of the artistic creations that they're developing on their own. There is always more to be done and now I'm inspired to construct more of my environment and learning experiences with this in mind.
I read something yesterday that I've never heard before and I found it fascinating. Vea Vecchi worked for years as an atelierista at one of the Reggio schools in Italy. I was reading a book she recently wrote in which she tells her stories about the Reggio arteliers and the practices that were founded on Magaluzzi's theories of early childhood education.
Vecchi speaks about her concern with the lack of attention that modern teachers pay to aesthetics in their learning environments. I've found that aesthetics is something people seem to either have acquired or not have acquired. It seems impossible to fake it. I've always been concerned with the way things look. I like to look at pretty things and feel a lot of satisfaction when I create them, so this is something that's always interested me.
The Reggio centres are constructed very differently to the centres here. Photos show large, white rooms with big, glass windows and doors, wide tables for producing artwork, and lots of plants and mirrors. They're not the typical children's spaces we're used to but they've been set-up specifically to cater for children's learning and creativity.
Vecchi said that aesthetic awareness is the ability to experience empathy with materials and objects, which results in the ability to arrange them together in seemingly unrelated ways. The interesting thing is, she believes aesthetic awareness not only enables children to create beautiful art, architecture and design, but it also enhances their learning in general.
Vecchi uses an example of children's exploration of leaves. The children will be given leaves to hold. They will examine them with magnifying glasses. They will observe the colours, textures and elements. They will represent their leaves in drawings, paintings and sculpture. The children will now have built intimate relationships with the leaves based on their appreciation of their beauty. This could in turn result in them developing a fascination with the entire plant world.
This is a subject worthy of a lot more thought. In the meantime it wouldn't hurt to create beautiful spaces for children to work in, arrange art materials in visually appealing ways, give children the opportunity to engage with the natural world, and surround them with shades of coloured paint, fabric, lights, shadows, images, photographs and pieces of music. I believe that I model aesthetics and creativity for my children at work, and I'm so proud of the artistic creations that they're developing on their own. There is always more to be done and now I'm inspired to construct more of my environment and learning experiences with this in mind.
Vecchi, V.
(2010). Art and creativity in Reggio
Emilia: Exploring the role and potential of ateliers in early childhood education.
Friday, 4 October 2013
Flow: The path of least resistance
I think we're misunderstanding children's need for structure.
You've probably heard people say that children need structure. Unless you're a child psychologist and know something I don't know, I'll put up a good fight to convince you that you're wrong. I think we're using this statement to justify our need for structure. The children are being used as pawns in our need to control all aspects of our environments that are difficult to control. Children are the uncontrollable force (that is they're human). The population is in fact pretty well evenly split into those who prefer more structure and those who prefer less structure. Neither is to be ashamed of. And your workplace is not all about the children. You have an equal right to have your needs met.
Managing a group of children does not have to be about 'Hands on heads!', 'Everyone on the mat!', 'One, two, three', 'Line up!' This is about our fear that we won't be in control. Anyone who believes that another educator is more effective on the grounds that he or she displays this need for control is ignorant and wrong. That's not what we do now. Children shouldn't need to be controlled. Just take the path of least resistance. In early childhood education we look after the whole child. Child care is not only about preparation for school, it's also a substitute home environment for children whose parents need or choose to work. Because of this, I believe that it should be an education and care environment which is similar to the home, but has the added benefit of taking place in a social and community context.
Children's need for security and belonging doesn't require this type of structure. Security comes from knowing that the adults who care for you are always kind and fair, in knowing that you can count on them to meet your needs, in knowing that the environment is safe and well cared for, and in being part of a community that is built on expectations of respect. Being part of a community means we all matter, we all have ideas, we all contribute, and we all have some agency in determining how our day will flow. Yes, flow. The children know the routine, and yes it is generally consistent. They know that when they arrive in the morning they can choose the direction of their own learning. They know that when morning tea is over we can get ready to go outside. They know that when the trolley comes it will soon be lunchtime. They know that when I start to close the blinds, it means that they can decide whether they will move to the sleep side or the play side. If you think that children need to be ordered or transitioned into these routine activities during the day you are giving them far too little credit.
The way to maximise children's learning and overall wellbeing is to allow them to take some ownership of their environment, to fully exist, to be able to be in it. They should be able to fully engage with the environment and the materials in it without being suddenly yanked out of their play by hearing a bell ringing or 'Everyone on the mat!' How is deep sensory engagement, critical and creative thinking, problem-solving or self-expression going to happen with these constant interruptions? Children are intelligent. They will choose not to engage with meaningful, time-consuming learning experiences if they know that they will soon be interrupted. The result - behaviour management issues.
Being told that raising your voice more often, or being stricter with behaviour means that you are more effective is insulting. I would take it as a sign that my priorities need adjusting and that I need to be more conscious of providing a better quality learning environment. If your environment and your program are meeting the needs of everyone in your learning community these measures should almost become obsolete. You are the key factor here. You are the leader of your learning community in modelling the qualities of respect, of inquiry, and of engagement. You set up the environment and the children watch you re-set it with care. You expect that they will do the same. You model kindness and empathy. You listen. You learn with the children. You engage, you question, you show enthusiasm for the children's ideas. You share your ideas.
The path of least resistance means everyone can enjoy their day. It means you won't go home feeling guilty because you raised your voice, or forced a child to do something that upset him or her, or rushed the children into an activity that made them feel stressed and insecure. It doesn't mean that you're too easy going or relaxed. It means that you're a quality educator who has a deep understanding of children's needs on a holistic level, that you see them as individuals and essential contributors to your learning environment, and that your foremost concern is with providing them with the opportunity and support to maximise their learning, their wellbeing and their potential in all areas of their development.
You've probably heard people say that children need structure. Unless you're a child psychologist and know something I don't know, I'll put up a good fight to convince you that you're wrong. I think we're using this statement to justify our need for structure. The children are being used as pawns in our need to control all aspects of our environments that are difficult to control. Children are the uncontrollable force (that is they're human). The population is in fact pretty well evenly split into those who prefer more structure and those who prefer less structure. Neither is to be ashamed of. And your workplace is not all about the children. You have an equal right to have your needs met.
Managing a group of children does not have to be about 'Hands on heads!', 'Everyone on the mat!', 'One, two, three', 'Line up!' This is about our fear that we won't be in control. Anyone who believes that another educator is more effective on the grounds that he or she displays this need for control is ignorant and wrong. That's not what we do now. Children shouldn't need to be controlled. Just take the path of least resistance. In early childhood education we look after the whole child. Child care is not only about preparation for school, it's also a substitute home environment for children whose parents need or choose to work. Because of this, I believe that it should be an education and care environment which is similar to the home, but has the added benefit of taking place in a social and community context.
Children's need for security and belonging doesn't require this type of structure. Security comes from knowing that the adults who care for you are always kind and fair, in knowing that you can count on them to meet your needs, in knowing that the environment is safe and well cared for, and in being part of a community that is built on expectations of respect. Being part of a community means we all matter, we all have ideas, we all contribute, and we all have some agency in determining how our day will flow. Yes, flow. The children know the routine, and yes it is generally consistent. They know that when they arrive in the morning they can choose the direction of their own learning. They know that when morning tea is over we can get ready to go outside. They know that when the trolley comes it will soon be lunchtime. They know that when I start to close the blinds, it means that they can decide whether they will move to the sleep side or the play side. If you think that children need to be ordered or transitioned into these routine activities during the day you are giving them far too little credit.
The way to maximise children's learning and overall wellbeing is to allow them to take some ownership of their environment, to fully exist, to be able to be in it. They should be able to fully engage with the environment and the materials in it without being suddenly yanked out of their play by hearing a bell ringing or 'Everyone on the mat!' How is deep sensory engagement, critical and creative thinking, problem-solving or self-expression going to happen with these constant interruptions? Children are intelligent. They will choose not to engage with meaningful, time-consuming learning experiences if they know that they will soon be interrupted. The result - behaviour management issues.
Being told that raising your voice more often, or being stricter with behaviour means that you are more effective is insulting. I would take it as a sign that my priorities need adjusting and that I need to be more conscious of providing a better quality learning environment. If your environment and your program are meeting the needs of everyone in your learning community these measures should almost become obsolete. You are the key factor here. You are the leader of your learning community in modelling the qualities of respect, of inquiry, and of engagement. You set up the environment and the children watch you re-set it with care. You expect that they will do the same. You model kindness and empathy. You listen. You learn with the children. You engage, you question, you show enthusiasm for the children's ideas. You share your ideas.
The path of least resistance means everyone can enjoy their day. It means you won't go home feeling guilty because you raised your voice, or forced a child to do something that upset him or her, or rushed the children into an activity that made them feel stressed and insecure. It doesn't mean that you're too easy going or relaxed. It means that you're a quality educator who has a deep understanding of children's needs on a holistic level, that you see them as individuals and essential contributors to your learning environment, and that your foremost concern is with providing them with the opportunity and support to maximise their learning, their wellbeing and their potential in all areas of their development.
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