Written by Kirsty Fantini, Early Years Training & Consultancy
Welcome to July’s Monthly Musing! I hope you enjoy’s June’s edition and maybe you tried the recipe or the Educator Challenge? So what does July have in store?
Educator Well-Being Challenge
I hope you have been able to incorporate the healthy hints and tips from June’s Educator Well-Being Challenge into your daily diet & routine…. and maybe you have noticed some positive changes? I woud love to hear about them!
So for the month of July let’s keep going with June’s challenge but add to it! Let’s STRETCH & BREATH!
As the mornings get cooler and darker it is harder to get out of bed and start the day! But these really quick and simple stretches and breathing exercises will increase oxygen, wake up your mind, release happy hormones and get your mind and body going for the day! These are also great at the end of a busy or stressful day!
So when you wake up….
- stand tall and take 3 deep breaths in and out
- choose at least 3-5 (or more) stretches from the chart below and move through these slowly
- finish with deep breathing
Provocation- How do we promote agency?
So what does “sense of agency” actually mean?
Children spend considerable time in child care environments where they experience an array of experiences, resources and relationships, all of which influence their sense of self, how they view themselves and others and they respond to their environment.
How we, as educators view the child will have an enormous impact on the experiences and opportunities we provide, how we support children’s choices and decision making, how we therefore support their sense of agency.
In a nut shell… sense of agency refers to how we are in control of our behaviour and thoughts. So, do we encourage and support this with children? Do we allow children to make choices such as what they would like and how much they would like to eat for lunch, do we allow them to make choices about friendships or do we impose the unrealistic social rule of “we are all friends at kindy”?
Do we truly provide choice or are choices available within educator parameters.. a great example of this is within the creative arts area… children may be able to design and make what they like, however only with the resources chosen for them…
Ways we can foster this with all ages is asking an infant which bib they would like to wear and identify with their response, whether it be a point or gaze, enabling toddlers to serve their lunch, pre-schooler’s to choose their lunch partner and including children in the design of the physical space, the reflection of the curriculum and documentation of their learning.
Sense of agency is not about “free for all”… “do what you like” … it is about supporting infants, toddlers and children in making decisions, listening to their ideas, allowing them to challenge others ideas in a respectful manner and feel that their ideas, thoughts, theories and decisions are respected.
Upcoming PD & special offers just for you!
For the month of JULY we have the following online PD webinars. These are live and you can join from work or home.. even in your PJs! All you need is internet connection and sound on your device. Sessions run for 1 hour and participants receive a Certificate of Participation. For “Monthly Musing” readers you can receive 15% off any of the below sessions. Just quote “MONTHLY MUSING DISCOUNT” in your email to kirsty@earlyyearstraining.com.au
Understanding & Supporting Behaviour – Thursday 25th July @ 6pm
Something Yummy – just for YOU!
As we head into the cooler months I love making this pasta… this is great for lunch or dinner… PLUS it’s so super easy and fast!!!
Ingredients:
- 3 thinly sliced zucchini
- Container of cherry tomatoes
- handful of mint (sliced)
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Pinenuts Toasted (optional)
- Angel hair, spaghetti or penne pasta
- Grated cheese of choice (least 1 Cup)
- Proscuitto (optional)
Method:
- Heat olive oil in pan and add thinly sliced zucchini
- Boil Water in pot and add pasta
- Keep moving zucchini in the pan until its starts to go golden/ charred in some places
- Add lemon zest and tomatoes (can cut in half)
- Add mint and lemon juice
- Stir around for few minutes
- In seperate pan add sliced proscuitto and cook until crispy
- Drain pasta once cooked (leave a little of the pasta water in pot) and pour pasta (and a little water) into veggie mix
- Add pinenuts
- Grate parmesan or goats cheese over pasta and stir through
- Serve into bowl and top with crispy proscuitto
- Serves 3-4 people ENJOY!!!
Reflection Questions for your Team
How do we support “real” choice and decsion making for all age groups?
Thank you for reading Monthly Musings. I hope you have enjoyed the July 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 – http://earlyyearstraining.com.au
