Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence ... Here's my Results!

I did a test! These are my results! And I'm not surprised at all :)

So, what would your results be?! Will you be surprised? Does your test also indicate where your skills lie in your workplace?

In my personal life as well as my work:  I love writing (if you havent noticed!) and photography, telling stories, being creative, gardening and growing veggies, animals, insects, nature and the like ...

http://www.jaconline.com.au/sosealive/home/mitest.swf 

More Postings on Observations

***  I am ranting right by your side! I can’t even remember exactly what I learned all those years ago at TAFE, nor can I remember what I even really learned at Uni and it wasn’t really that long ago, although time is certainly getting away from me. My rants are generally directed at the system and not the individual. I merely ask that the individuals ask WHY? WHAT? And WHERE? Three big questions.

I am currently working in a management role, and the amount of “he said, she said” is unbelievable. Even going back a year ago to when I was working for another mob, they were being told by someone higher up who heard it from somewhere else that they had to link all their observations to theory. So they held a training, and then the educators used the learning story which had the little box to write in the theorist’s names. They all said Vygotsky. Seriously, what purpose did that serve? Nothing really. The obs were still generic and poorly written anyway, adding Vygotsky on them in a box did not make them any more relevent to the child who’s name was written in pencil in the corner. Instructing a child in something isn’t even scaffolding. It was superficial.

I look back at my work from 2010 when we started working with the EYLF – very basic. I look back over 2011 and early 2012, and you can see improvements and growth. I continue to grow, each and every week, if not day by day. And that came with practice and reflection. I know that everyone will be different levels and understandings. You mentioned study, and I’m not even convinced that educational facilities are doing the best in supporting people in working with the EYLF and the NQS. AND consider that many people delivering the learning from the educational institutions haven’t necessarily worked directly with the EYLF as educators. Now I’m not saying they won’t understand, nor am I saying that they won’t be good tertiary educators or creator of ECE curriculum, but they will have a different perspective.

Program and planning is directed by the NQS as well as the EYLF – or whichever framework people are using depending upon their location and service. It’s become an incredibly complicated thing! And because of the way that the government chose to implement it – complicated beyond words.
My understanding is that the framework was written then distributed to services on a trial basis. These services then created some sample observations using the draft EYLF. The EYLF was published, then the educators guide, then the EYLF in practice book. They themselves may not even have had a specific idea of what it would look like in practice! I could be wrong. Seriously, I don’t know this from the inside, but I’m telling you what I witnessed as an educator on the outside.  And that is what it looked like. Even the change in the what is written in the NQS PLP newsletters is interesting. And I'm sure all the authors who write for the PLP will tell you that they have also grown and changed.

That's a large part of the NQS - growth through reflection. Not standing still and remaining the same.

I like that the framework is open ended because I like being creative and inventive. BUT in saying that, I think it leaves so many people lost. And I completely agree that they have the right to panic! Especially with the ratios they are working with!!!! I’d be panicking too! Believe me I would. That is why I’m saying that learning stories are NOT required as the only form of observation. And it’s also why I’m upset generally that there are so many companies popping up saying that they will solve everyone’s problems for them! And am frustrated by the “gossip” ... people panicking and changing things left right and centre. We don’t have to put everything (learning outcomes, principles, practices, being, belonging, becoming, theory, room reflections, group reflections, child reflections, personal reflections, philosophy, group goals, individual goals, NQS/QA reference numbers etc) into the observations of children’s individual learning. I just don’t want people pressured into the unnecessary – and this includes workload. Look at the image at the top of this page! Chaos!
 

If you have to do work at home, there is something wrong with the expectations of work and the system. And yes, I know a great many do this. I used to. A lot. The system is flawed. Or the perception of the system! Chicken or egg?  I think we need to be realistic about what we can do. I also question the focus on learning stories and portfolios vs the curriculum program. Which do we spend more time on?

And I question how much of this do we do to ourselves? Do we set an unrealistic expectation upon ourselves? Do we not stand up to our managers and owners etc and say that we can do this this and this in our work time, but we are not able to do that? So what should we be doing? What should it look like for our service as opposed to another's service? They don't all have to be the same!

Even when looking at a learning story or observation or whatever you call it holistically, and if you do two a month, or maybe one a month as I know some services are doing ... I don’t think you are going to get an adequate image and assessment of a child over the course of the year. I’ve spent more time thinking and writing about this than I can tell you here. Do more photos and jottings and write with outcome terminology eg (LO5) and stress less over the learning stories. Still do them, but be selective. All the while, reflect in your professional journals!

I’m simply suggesting the people look at QA1 for themselves and really read the EYLF. I know many who haven’t, or read it so long ago. My understanding of both those documents has changed and deepened over the last 12 months I can’t even articulate it!

Ok. I've said enough.

© Teacher's Ink. 2013

Some Postings on Observations



A question on facebook was asked on another page about observations with children aged 0-2 ... The question was around whether we were required to do group observations for these children. I of course weighed in. As I do.

My responses were as follows:

"We are all so obsessed over observations. Its not your fault, its just the current climate! ... There is no requirement that you have to do group obs. You just need to show the child in a social context that is appropriate to them. Sitting side by side in parallel play with a peer is appropriate. If you are able to show that you know the child as an individual and that you know where they are in terms of their development and growth in relation to the outcomes and being belonging and becoming, then you're doing a good job. They dont have to be learning stories. You can do jottings, photos, notes, photo stories, just observations any which way you want with a story - but it doesnt have to be done as a "learning story" ... If you can look at their observations and see a true picture of them as a person, albeit a little person, then you're doing the right thing!"

Other comments were made which I wont post here, which inspired this further response:

"A traditional learning story follows a specific format and comes from NZ where they follow Te WhaIcantspellitandnotlookingitupi ... Over here in Oz people are just slapping the title "learning story" on observations ... there is simply a shift in the semantics and the focus - they are simply still observations with a new fancy name. I have always done observations as a story and I have always looked at all the development visible within the story. I just didnt do it as holistically as I do now.

As for what we have to do and what we should do, there is just so much gossip flying about. People are panicking and simply trying to do everything and almost anything they are told which results in panic and fear and being overwhelmed. Yes, I was queen of group obs .. but a group ob can be two children or three or five or 10. BUT the more children you have, the more the individual focus gets diluted and lost. And the point is seeing what the child thinks, knows, can do etc. How you get an accurate picture of this when there are up to 23 other individuals included is beyond me.

I picked up portoflios from a service I was doing relief teaching at ... and they were all group obs of 24 children. There were no individuals and mostly groups of 5-10 and of course the 24 ... I couldnt tell the twins apart. I couldnt even tell the twins apart from the other children in the group.

I suggest everyone really read the NQS QA1 and look at what it says. I also suggest that you look at the Myths and Realities available on the PLP website. The full version not the newsletter one. Its alot more in depth.

If you want to reflect on routines or principles or practices, then I suggest people do that in their reflective books - either personal professional journals or daily reflections or whatever you call it ... If I were a parent, I'd want to read about my child not routines or the educators professional development.

Stepping down from my soap box now!"

I need to gather my thoughts and put together a proper article! with collected thoughts. But you get the idea.

Well. I'm going to toddle off now.

Shameless (well, slightly shameful) Facebook Plug!



www.facebook.com/Teachers.Ink. 
 

I'd like to see a bigger number. That's all. :)

I'm admitting it.

I'm up-front about it.

It's an ego thing.

I'm imperfect.

I'm human.

I'm gonna go with that!

(share us around with your friends!!!) 

So, Have YOU Read the NQS - Quality Area 1?!?!

How many of us have actually read the NQS ~ Quality Area 1? Come on, hands up ... Well, you know who you are ...

Ok, I have ... Originally it was a year ago ... and then I thought I might look at it again about 5 months ago, and then I got distracted, and last week I thought, no, damn it, I’m going to do this! So I did. Wow. It looks different (well, not really, it’s the same, I am different. “It’s not you (NQS), It’s me.”).

So, do we read and know and educate ourselves? Or do we simply blindly do what our management (directors, owners, area managers, CEOs etc) tell us to? And where do they get their information? I’ve read on the world wide interwebz that people are being asked to not only link their observations and planning to the EYLF (Principles, Practices and the Outcomes) and now the NQS. One person said that their Assessor commented at their Assessment Visit upon their NQS linking practice as favourable. Please do not lead us all down that track again.

Come on people! READ!!!

Don’t always do as you are told! Be independent thinkers (The irony here is that this is what we are supposed to be teaching children!).

People are going to tell you lots and lots of (I’m going to swear, look away if you’re sensitive) bullshit (ok, you can look back now). It doesn’t mean that its true and you have to do it.

Please. PLEASE don’t be naive. Please don’t be sheep. Please don’t just do as you are told. Please question! Please read. Please educate yourselves! And I don’t mean go to training (‘cause a lot of them don’t know what they’re doing either ;))! I mean READ and THINK and REFLECT on the NQS as well as the EYLF or whichever learning framework you are using. That’s what they tell us to do: NQS Element 1.2.3. It’s there in perhaps not so plain English.

I’ve stood upon my official Teacher’s Ink. Soapbox before and made declarations on this matter. And I feel the need to do this again. You don’t need to link the observations to the Principles and Practices! They are about the children, their thoughts, ideas ... their learning, development, and skills. Got that?

Look. I can’t really even start to talk to you guys about my thinking on Quality Area 1 because I’m drowning in the thinking of it! I’ve been breaking it down into chunks. I’ve been turning each element into a sort of mind-map and I’ve highlighted the key words that really stand out for me. I don’t know where to start, and I don’t even know exactly what I’d say! I’m a visual learner – so turning each element into a sort of mind-map – really is helping me. Plus I like arrows. It helps me to connect aspects of the elements together. With arrows. Did I mention I’m liking arrows? And colours. I’m doing them in colour so they’re prettier. ‘Cause let’s face it. The NQS isn’t pretty. It’s the small things that excite me these days.

So yeah, I don’t have a lot to say in regards to specific elements of the standards (‘cause I’m still working on this in my brain) BUT I do implore that you don’t be sheep, mindless robots, doers not thinkers.

Think my people! THINK!

Ok, stepping down from the official soap box now ...

© Teacher’s Ink. 2013

The de-clutter continues!!!

Yeah, yeah, I know ... Still not done yet!  I was thinking back to my two bedroom apartment and wondering why oh why do I have more things in a 3 bedroom house, than I did there!? I have only added one antique chest of drawers! I’ve even gotten rid of a big book case and boxes and boxes of books and clothes! And I now have built in wardrobes as well! So what is going on there?!

Well, I’ll tell you what ... a lot of it has to do with work ...  I’ve got all my teaching resources and bits and pieces AND iokkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk <- those letters of wisdom came from the Teacher’s Ink. Quality Control Officer (TIQCO) walking across the laptop ...

Where was I? Yes, I’ve got a tonne of stuff. And I really am questioning my materialistic nature! Each time, I'm getting more and more brutal.

Instead of attacking it – I cleaned my bedroom and swapped my summer clothes over to some warmer ones. I shined, polished, dusted, sorted, and got another bag of donations together.

Oh, and instead of sorting out the office, I read a book from start to finish and LOVED it! It was humours light chick lit and required very little thinking!

I hope everyone else had fabulous (and productive) weekends!

T.ink

© Teacher’s Ink. 2013

DeHording & Possible Projects!

Today was about gardening and housework and laundry. I have managed to donate a big bag of clothes and a small wooden table to the Salvos (Sustainable Me!), purchase weed-matting and mulch for the garden (More Sustainable Me!), purchase some storage tubs (Not Sustainable Me!).

I'm planning to attack my clump of was supposed to be useful stuff ... you know paper and books and resources and stuff ... I'm down-sizing even more! Massive amounts are going to be donated to a service that can use it!

I'm going to move a lot of my teaching things into the shed as I'm not using them and they are just taking up space ...

HOWEVER that means [cue ominous music] that I must clean out the shed!!!! Nooooo! Its not that bad ... but it doesnt have a weather proof floor, so when it rains, it can get damp or even a bit flooded ... So things are up on pavers and shelves etc ... I'm not 100% sure how things will survive in there, but the bags of shredded paper seem to be fine!

Tomorrow, I hope to be organised enough to take a bag of old towels, a cat bed, and bags of shredded paper to the animal shelter (Ethical Sustainable Me!) ... I have them ready, I just have to make the drive!

Today was more about preparation rather than execution. Tomorrow I'm going to start executing the plan as my brother will be coming over next week and he can help me shift some small furniture! See, backcare even in the home!

I also have a couple of projects I've thought of that I want to work on ... and I'll fit them in during the week too ...

I have found so many useful links and the like and I want to share them! There really is so much helpful things out there ... its just a matter of finding them, or finding the time to find them!

I'm typing this with the Teacher's Ink Quality Control Officer sitting in front of the screen ... he's making a statement about my work ... In other words: 1) feed him and 2) go get ready to go out!

Any spelling errors, I blame TIQCO!

I hope everyone is having a slendid weekend and I shall return! Projects underway, and room organised!

Reflections on Observing & Programming

I have been pondering a great many things ... It’s part of my job you see. BUT in this pondering I have had some conscious ideas about my practice as an educator. 

Many people are in this cycle: 

1. We see the child doing something.
2. We (the all-knowing-educator) then decide that the child will do something else that we choose based upon all our knowledge (which we can’t admit might be limited!) and our perspective (which again, isn’t necessarily a balanced one!)...
3. We then observe and make judgements based upon whether the child has achieved what we have set out for them to do.
4. We then document our findings based upon this one moment where the child may or may not have done what we wanted them to do...

Does anyone else see what might be wrong with this cycle?

This is many people’s planning cycle! This was my planning cycle ... We see, we make choices, then we act, then we evaluate and go again ...

Why don’t we plan for many different possibilities rather than just the one? Why don’t we problem solve and think about how many other ways we can support children in their learning and growing and being and becoming? 

I think the problem is the new is being overlapped with the old ... You know the old school way of doing things where we just essentially programmed in the boxes ... I always hated doing this and I was and am a day book programmer ... But even now I’m thinking of other ways I can do the same thing without the day book ... The day book requires (for me at least) a computer and time to write ... and not everyone will have that. I've started playing around with other ways and am starting to ponder using documentations and mind-maps and webs, even notations!

I’m not providing you with any concrete answers here ... I might even be leaving you with more questions! But what I’m thinking is ... what happens if we provide really excellent learning environments for children that are well thought out (because we write reflections) and have so much content that will support children over time ... 

Time to learn and grow being the key here ... 

What if, when we are writing our observations or reflections on particular children’s learning and growing, we make suggestions about:

1. Different experiences within the learning environment that might already suit the needs of the child or the group as a whole?
2. Different teaching strategies that might support that child achieve that outcome or milestone or satisfy their need?
3. (Here’s some novelty) Act NOW! What can you do NOW to support that child? Is it asking a question or providing a resource to extend their engagement? Could it be role modelling by their side? Or could it possibly be helping them hand over hand? Could it be as simple as a smile of encouragement!? Write THAT down!

So that is what I have been wondering ... how much of what we already do in regards to our teaching practice is left unsaid and undocumented? How much of what we might be able to do, but feel we can’t do because it has to be something that we “follow-up” or do later is left undone, or done so far in the future that it no longer serves a purpose for that child?!?!

Signing off,

G @ Teacher’s Ink.

© Teacher’s Ink. 2013

BIG PLANS for 2013!!!

I've got BIG PLANS for 2013!!! I am still working on my studio/office space (waiting on a hand-me-down desk from my brother which is beautiful and wooden)  ... I am becoming more and more ruthless as time goes on! Behind me are the last piles of bags of stuff that I have to sort/file/chuck! I need to purchase some plastic (yeah I know) storage containers so that everything can be sorted nicely and put inside the wardrobe out of sight but easily accessed!

I have a trip to the Salvos planned for Saturday (a giant Ikea bag of books, a box of nicknacks, and a big garbage bag of clothes) ... and I've filled the recycling bin with papers.

I still have to finish up lots of things from my last job (some documenations and some support documents for my old staff and filing and the like) ... AND do what I'm planning with my home space and my garden space ... but I'm making lists and prioritising! I can only do, what I can only do!

I have a list of things I want to work on in 2013 - such as making mosaic stones and mosaic stepping stones for my garden which I also think would look amazing in a child care setting! (Don't worry, I'm probably going to blog about it!).

I'm loving my blog, and I'm greatly enjoying putting together my little publication and being creative and fun with it! It means I'm using my teaching resources in totally different ways!

So, I wish you all a happy new year with a great many blessings and wonders and treasures!

© Teacher’s Ink. 2012

Sustainable Resources from the Op Shop!

What you see here, is $11 worth of wooden bowls from The Salvation Army op shop. I love op-shops. I love op-shop shopping. I seriously do! Aside from rehoming items that would otherwise be trash and supporting organizations that support others in need ... I love the style, the originality, the funkiness of what you can find! Even the table underneath the bowls was op-shop fodder! It was $40 from St Vincents and in reasonable pristine condition (until one of my exes put something stupid on it and made a great big gounge - which annoys the stuffing out of me (depsite using a wood crayon!)).

I am using these bowls in my photo shoots and I have used others at my last job to display items like insect and animal figurines as well as natural embellishments: seed pods, leaves, twigs, stones etc.

I now have a box full of wooden bowls - some from garage sales, most from St. Vinnies or Salvos - most of which were between $1-5 each ... In this photo, the large bowl was $5, the double was $3 and the others were all $1 ... and this was one trip to one store.

They also have lots of baskets available in all shapes and sizes, but I'm not buying them! I'm running out of room at home to store these things!

Why are we displaying items in plastic containers when we can use, re-use, recycle items that are so rich and warm in colour, and support a more sustainable life? They just look lovely!!!

PLUS as a bonus, you can link your provisions to sustainable practices which ties in to the NQS and the EYLF ... See? See what I did there?

Op-Shop Wooden bowls = NQSEYLF friendly!

In fact op-shop anything is good for us and our world and our practice!

So there you have it!

Peace Out!

© Teacher’s Ink. 2012

Reflection Flashback circa 2009: What Happens if ... You Give A Child A Camera?

Well, I gave the children a camera and answered that question!  It was during rest time while the adults were putting children to sleep.  A, M, and YH were doing quiet activities at the table. YH had used the camera to take a photo of his letters. YH then spread the love and took pictures of M and A. He then shared the camera with them. They posed, took pictures of one another from close up and from far away. They took pictures through the window of outside where the rain was bucketing down. They took abstract photos of objects in the learning environment. My colleague L grabbed our other camera to take pictures of the children using the camera.

 

What prompted this? Well, I had previously been to a conference where a presenter had made the point that we diligently photo document the children’s work. She questioned us as to when do we give the right and responsibility of documentation to the children? When do we give them permission to use the camera so they can share their own perspective? I thought that this was FABULOUS so I tried it with great success.

As my colleague and I looked through the children’s photos we were impressed with their creativity both in posing, almost as characters for the camera, but also in documenting their unique perspectives of the world around them.

The previous story happened way back in 2009. I thought I would just share it with you because it was a beautiful moment that made it into my personal reflections.  It also marked a shift in my professional development as a practicing teacher. It was a moment where I chose to view the children as powerful and capable. It was a moment that created change in our learning environment.

This could be a story for the child's portoflio along with the images that they took. It certainly links to the EYLF in many ways although it happened in a time before the EYLF was even published. This story is the child's voice! It shows the children as actively involved in their own learning! The children are sharing their knowledge with each other! They are sharing and negotiating taking turns which in turn is about the relationship that they have with each other! It's the children not only exploring technology, but also using it successfully! They are transfering what they have learned in one context into another. They are learning through play!

There is more than one way to observe and document.

I think in a perfect world, we would have cameras for the children so that they could share their ‘voice’ more readily!

 

© Teacher’s Ink. 2012 All Rights Reserved

My Trusty Side Kick @ Photo Shoot

I've been meaning to do a few posts for a while ... and I finally got stuck into house work today and as a result, since the coffee table was clear - I took advantage of it!  I was  helped by my trusty side-kick Cody-Cat. As I am biased and think he's particularly gorgeous, I thought I would post him as well! I made a makeshift backdrop using an old fabric cover I made YEARS ago ... and the next thing I knew, it was being attacked ... It kept me distracted for a little while, and it also meant I couldnt adjust the 'screen' much at all ...

 

So ... Now I'll get to work!

These Were My Preschool Weakness

When I was in preschool ... I stole some bears. I loved that they were bears in different sizes and you could use them to play families. I loved that they were rainbow colours. My mother made me return them. I remember thinking I'd take them back anyway ... I don't know if I was defiant and stole them again, or I just had grand plans that I never followed through with ...

Either way, I loved me some rainbow bears.

Ah, the memories of my own early childhood.

T.ink.

(c) Teacher’s Ink. 2012 All Rights Reserved

More "Natures" in our Garden

I was on my way out the door when I noticed something that someone had said. He’d said to leave it. “It” turned out to be a very young fledgling Noisy Miner bird. It’s a native bird of Australia. They hang out in mobs and screech at most other things: birds, people, cats ... just about everything.

 

So, I dropped my things, collected the tiny little fledgling and then tapped on the window of the staff room and proudly displayed my new little friend asking my colleague to go and get my other colleague.

While Colleague 1 was off getting Colleague 2 for me I wandered around outside and showed the parents that I had their baby safely (well, not sure if they’d agree about the safety element) – they were doing flybys ... It was then that I heard another baby chirp coming from the shrubs inside our gates ... There was another baby. So I gathered up the sibling and had two birds ... What’s that saying again about two birds in the hand?!?

 

So, when Colleague 2 arrived, I passed over the bubbas ... we decided to make them a temporary little nest should they want it and put it near the large pile of branches and plant prunings. We were going to bag them up – but thankfully we didn’t! We can use them to make a safer habitat for the babies should they choose to stay there.

 

There are feral cats about, but we also have to give the family a chance to raise their own young and to keep them within their community. Much like we do with children.

My colleague does wild-life caring so she’s going to keep an eye out on our little friends. It’s best that they stay with their family if they can – you can’t keep fledglings in a nest if they don’t want to! They want to learn to fly and climb and be independent ... just like all babies!

I will be able to put this into a little story to share with the children ... unfortunately we couldn’t share the babies with the children because we wanted to maintain the family connection with their bubs and not freak everybird out so much! If only Miss Five were here today to see the other “natures” that we found! I will certainly tell her all about it next week.

They came from across the road from a VERY tall Jacaranda tree:

 

Some of our children have noticed the nest in the tree across the street ... We don't have sight of it from the part of the centre the children are in, but we sometimes look from the front administration rooms ...

 

Hopefully this will have a happy outcome with their family for the little bubs!

 

© Teacher’s Ink. 2012 All Rights Reserved

The Caterpillar and The Spider

Today my gardening colleague and I took a few of our 'left over' children into our car-parking area (its fully gated and locked with only our two cars - don't panic!).
 
We were pruning our Geraniums and our African Daisy and our Hibiscus and whatever else we happened to have ...
 

We found a teeny tiny caterpillar!

 

 

And we also found a St. Andrew's Cross Spider but the photo wasnt the best and then my colleague accidentally pruned where the web was! We will go back and look to see if she builds again.

 

My student said to me "We found two natures" ... and we did ... the caterpillar and the spider.

 

I love, LOVE, gardening with children. I love helping to connect them with nature and life. And this afternoon was truly special. Watching Miss Five and her sister Miss Two using scissors to prune - snip at leaves in helping us ... discovering little creatures, admiring the flowers, learning about their names Echivera, African Daisy, Geranium etc ...

 

 
I loved watching Miss Two concentrate so much on snipping the leaves. While it wasn't the best outcome for the hibiscus - I was pruning it anyway! - she concentrated so hard! She was so proud of herself as she asked me to look at her work! She was developing her fine motor skills, her concentration, her hand eye coordination ... she was learning to care for plants and "give them a haircut" so that they will grow stronger, greener, healthier ...
 

 

I loved watching Miss Five pick flowers for Miss Apprehensive who didn't want to garden, but loved sitting on the safe sidelines where she could collect and guard the flower collection. She could pick the African Daisies off the plants we'd pulled up ... Miss Five was supporting Miss Apprehensive's choice to sit to the side. Miss Five was showing she has strong empathy for her younger peers, a skill she's developed as a big sister and a member of a strong cultural family.

 

 

Where to next? Well, I'm thinking we'll bring a few out in small groups to do some observational drawings of the plants we have. I'm also pondering letting them use our camera to take some photos. As we only have one camera for now - we have to guard it well!
 
We don't have many plants in our playground - but we do have a garden area which we have started working on. We are adding organic matter to the soil to prepare it for planting - its just too dry and won't hold moisture. We've got grand plans!
 
We are going to use some of the Geranium cuttings to grow new plants which the children can take home themselves and care for should they choose. This way we can share with the children how we can grow some plants from cuttings, some from leaves, some from seeds etc.
 
I'm going to strongly encourage the staff to take the children to our garden area more often ... It's been sadly neglected and once our line is fixed, we can hang out our laundry, start our compost, develop more garden beds etc ...
 
All on our journey to being more sustainable! I would love to see this be a daily occurrence!
 

 
This my friends is the EYLF in action ... it's relationships, it's community, it's purposeful activity, its learning through doing, spontaneous actions, caring for nature, plants, animals, creatures ... its part of being a team with adults and children ...

I had such a good afternoon. I just feel at peace with myself and the world, and I wonder if the children are at home feeling the same glow? They certainly seemed to have a glow about them as we worked.
 

© Teacher’s Ink. 2012  All Rights Reserved

 
 

Creative w/ Natural Provisions

Jazz things up with some natural bling!