Challenging New Directions

As I read the National Frameworks and reflect upon the changes that will be taking place over the next 5 years in Australia, I am excited by the opportunity for a shift in educators' thinking. This is going to involve play. Educators will need to play with ideas and approaches to their work to ensure that the classrooms we provide are relevant to the modern child.

A common refrain in my course is that the classrooms look like something out of the 1950's. Modernising these spaces does not need to cost the earth. The current trends (i.e. forest schools) indicate that natural materials are popular alternatives to plastic. Teaching children about sustainability provides a rationale for the use of recycled and re-used materials.

Above: A sensory table with shells, leaves, seed pods, magnifying glasses, mirror and book offering opportunities to explore nature, science, identity, mathematics, literacy, art and well-being.

There is a rationale behind the materials we choose for our rooms which is often guided by the theories that we align ourselves with. A friend of mine recently commented that the early childhood industry seems to have avoided post-modern theorists because the thought of challenging long-held structures calls into question the very work that many educators have been engaged with during their careers. Although this is a scary proposition, most industries recognise that change creates opportunities for revitalisation, updating relevance and innovation. The government had mandated that by 2012, 50% of educators will have a qualification. This means additional training for a majority of the workforce. This is a wonderful opportunity for a shift in thinking.

My hope for the training that these educators will receive is that they learn to recognise their work as a profession, not just a job, and take pride in their work. I hope that a passion is re-ignited and that educators recognise the value of their position in the lives of other people and the community.

Further reading:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/a_pedagogy_of_care_moving_beyond_the_margins_of_managing_work_and_minding_babies.html