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How can children’s dreams be put in boxes? Comment by ALICIA BLANCO-BAYO, Early Years lecturer and consultant


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As I reflect on some of the conversations I have recently had with practitioners, I notice concerns about the cycle of justification we have entered in the field of Early Years. ‘It’s evidence, stick it in the book’, I hear Early Years practitioners say. Whenever I hear these kinds of comments I ask, ‘does this piece of evidence help you help the child?’. This question then leads us to discuss how we can use observations to gather information that will help us help the child. Because this MUST be the priority. It is true that society now expects us to be


accountable for absolutely everything. If a classroom is untidy, the teacher is responsible and therefore judged according to ‘a set of tidiness standards’. We have learnt to accept that this is how life works. You get something right according to certain criteria and you get congratulated. You get it wrong and you get pointed at for not doing the job properly. My questions here is, ‘is that why we work with young children?’. I would even go as far as questioning the criteria we might be judged under, because it might need to be adapted to the needs of the children.


Walking together I look at displays in many settings and think, ‘can I hear the child’s voice?’. When I can I feel I am walking with them I feel I am part of their dream. Yes, the life of a child is made of dreams…one after another. Dreams that have no shape, no size but many colours and sparkles of light. They fit into the child’s world and make up a unique story. A story we, as Early Years practitioners, MUST hear the child tell. This may have a bit of metaphorical air attached to it but that is what entering the child’s world is like. We really do not know what we are going to find until we start walking with the child. There is a lot of literature that supports the use


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of observations in Early Years and it is based on well-researched pedagogical approaches. However, there are no lists of ‘best methods’ that work for all. Observations are important because they help the child tell their story. They are crucial for the practitioner to discover what is behind the child’s actions and how emotions are expressed (or not) when those actions take place. Because it is important to understand that the way we feel is linked to our actions and our actions are a result of how we feel.


child’s world and by being part of that world as observers, we can be there to offer support when the child needs it. How we choose to record observations varies and will depend on each Early Years setting. They are not pieces of evidence that demonstrate whether you know how to observe children therefore you are doing your job well. They are stories of a child’s journey and it is how you use them to help each child that will make a difference.


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When we ob'serve a child, we learn abou't the '


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uIf you would like to discuss Early Years with Alicia, she can be contacted via her website www.aliciablancobayoconsultant.com


Not forgetting the importance of developing strong personal skills in your students


Comment by HELEN KEEVIL, assistant headteacher at Epsom College


How broad should schools’ curriculum be? Most schools’ goal of raising education standards is limited to students’ academic grades. However, when we consider the personality and ‘life skills’ that employers look for, shouldn’t schools also be developing the whole character of their students? As a board member of the Votes For Schools PSHE company and PSHE


Association, I’d like to explain how and why Epsom College’s founding Victorian principles of benevolence and excellence guide its modern day generosity of spirit and inspire its approach to teaching. All schools are under pressure to see their students leave with top grades.


But what many fail to consider is that to secure good places within further education or jobs, students have to have the personal skills that universities and employers also find appealing. Many young adults today struggle with the basic skills such as looking


adults in the eye, holding a two-way conversation, and considering the needs of those less fortunate; for some their main form of communication is dominated by digital devices and therefore people, outside their circle of friends, are easily forgotten in their busy daily lives. Since its founding in 1855, as a school designed to improve the lives of


those who had fallen on hard times, Epsom College has always believed in the importance of developing the whole character of its students while also focusing on high academic standards. Recently, we introduced life-skills learning through an app called the Big


Life Project. Our IT team push the app out to each student’s iPad from where the content can be controlled from a learning management and safe-guarding perspective.


20 www.education-today.co.uk There are many modules to follow and it’s up to each teacher to decide


which one is best aligned to the work they are currently doing or a news item that day. One module we worked on recently focused on communication. The


students loved reflecting on active listening, and non-verbal cues with body language; skills that many simply hadn’t previously considered. The concept that your body language can communicate just as much, if not more, than verbal communication is introduced in the app through a two-minute clip from the American sitcom Friends. As you can imagine, there was a lot of lively discussion, followed by group practice. For time pressed teachers, apps, like the one we use, take this pressure


away by offering fully prepared activities that require no forward planning and can be cherry picked depending on available time; the activities range from five minutes to an hour. After the lesson, the app asks the student some questions for feedback


on the activity and what they learned. From a teacher’s, parent’s, and inspector’s point of view, this forms an ideal reporting tool, collating valuable, evidence-based feedback. Is it working? Feedback from parents is very positive; clearly they also


recognise the importance of developing the whole character of their children. As we rollout the learning across the school, we are continually assured


that our students will leave here better prepared for the skills that today’s employers demand, helping them to stand out from their peers.


December 2018 ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '


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