Written by Kirsty Fantini, Early Years Training & Consultancy
Welcome to November’s Monthly Musing! I hope you enjoyed October’s edition and maybe you tried the recipe or the Educator Challenge? So what does November have in store?
Educator Well-Being Challenge – Connecting with Nature!
Research shows that increased time in and connecting with nature reduces stress and increases a positive sense of well-being. We are now starting to hear about “Forest Bathing” as a form of therapy. This practice which has been used in Japan for decades known as Shinrin-yoku, meaning “taking in the forest.”
So how much time do you spend in or “take in” nature?
So our November Challenge is to TAKE IN NATURE every day! This can be achieved by;
- go for a bush or coastal walk
- watch a sunrise or sunset
- look up and take notice of the sky, the clouds
- look around- what do you see?
- listen… what do you hear… insects, birds, wind, rustle of leaves
- bring fresh flowers inside
- plant a small flower, herb or veggie garden
- sit on the grass… and shoes off
- create spaces outside for yourself or children to engage in
I’d love to see how you have connected with Nature! Please post your images in this Facebook post
Provocation & Reflection Questions – Celebrating Christmas …. and no stencils in sight!
How do you celebrate Christmas? DO you celebrate Christmas? Or maybe your family celebrates another event? Is Santa, Christmas Trees and baby Jesus relevant to your celebrations? Some of you would have yes, while others would have said no!
So, how can we ensure that Christmas in early childhood services reflects these differences? Respects the diversity amongst families?
Firstly we need to create open dialogue with our families, educators and children about what Christmas means to them… what is important to them, how do they celebrate it?
We also need to consider our art and craft experiences. When we have authentic conversations we start to understand that this time of year is more about family relationships and connections, the act of giving, and cultural and / or religious practices. It makes me wonder …. and these may be provocations you can take back to your team…
Do we see copious amount of Christmas themed art in our service at this time? Can children only access red and green paint? Do the use of Santa or Christmas stocking stencils become the norm?
I pose to you… what could be done differently? How could you capture what this time of year really means to children & families? What types of provocations would allow children to explore and express their thoughts, experiences and theories about Christmas?
If we ask families, children and educators about what is important for THEM and reflect on and use this information meaningfully then we are more likely to offer experiences that are truly relevant and inclusive.
Something delish just for YOU —The Sunday Arvo Veggie Plate!
I absolutely love vegetables of all kinds and colours! So this is one of my favourite meals on a Sunday afternoon… as you have heaps of leftovers for Monday! It’s super easy, super delicious and super good for you! #winning
Ingredients: basically every veggie that you & the family love! We often use; pumpkin (roasted with drizzle of honey), eggplant, zuchini, red capsicum, asparagus, carrot. We also love lemon oregano potatoes & sweet potatoes.
We may add some yummy bread, beetroot dip, flalafels…
Method:
- chop all veggies, drizzle with olive oil and into oven on 180 for 1 hour or so. I sometimes use the foil trays so theres no cleaning at the end. Capsicum & asapragus will not take as long.
- chop potatoes and sweet potato and drizzle with olive oil, juice of 2 lemons and heaps of oregano (I use 2 TB)- roast in oven for 1- 1.5 hours. When crunchy on the outside, remove from oven and squeeze more lemon over the top (OMG these are soooo good!)
- cut up your bread / sour doh
- buy a dip or make your own… i love to blend beetroot, lemon, greek yoghurt or fetta, pepper & salt until almost smooth
- add whatever else you like (leftovers) … serve on a large platter and dig in!
PD Specials – 25% OFF!
Wow.. we are in November! That means I only have 2 online webinars left for 2019. So if you would like to join me for these live webinars please email me and quote in your email “Monthly Musing 40” to receive your discount. Webinars are usually $55pp but will be reduced to $40 only! Times are in AEDT
Autism- Seeing through their eyes – Monday 4th November @ 6-7pm
Celebrating Christmas Meaningfully – Thursday 21st November @ 6 -7pm
Thank you
Thank you for reading Monthly Musings. I hope you have enjoyed the November edition! I wish you an amazing month and love to hear about your Educator well-being challenge, if you tried the recipe or provocation. For ideas and feedback please feel free to email me – kirsty@earlyyearstraining.com.au or comment on the Facebook post
Kind regards, Kirsty
Early Years Training & Consultancy – RTO 91839 https://earlyyearstraining.com.au
