Daily Activities

Morning Arrival (8:00-8:30 AM): Backed up arrival procedures, assistance of children in hang up of baggage and cleaning of hands

Art Experience (9.30- 10.30): Art experience of working with natural materials (leaves, flowers, sticks)

Story Time (2:00-2:30 PM): Read the book We-re Going on a Bear Hunt with movements and objects

Online: Afternoon Outdoor Play (3:00-4:00 PM): participating in imaginative play in the mud kitchen

Professional Practice Elements Engaged 

Play Pedagogies: It is the focus of quality early childhood education because play-based learning is supportive of all bases of development (Whitebread et al., 2017). Today I co-faciliated:

Sensory Play: Children touched textures by working with natural materials used to paint

Dramatic Play: Fostered great cooking situations in mud kitchen

Constructive Play: It involved children constructing bird nests by using gathered natural materials

Safety, Health, Wellbeing and Wellness: The methods of ensuring safety and the prohibition of excessive risk that do not negate learning opportunities should be constantly evaluated and managed with regard to children (Little & Wyver, 2018). I performed safety check of outdoor climate prior to the use of the place by the children, assisted with the hand-washing after the muddy play activities, and identified the signs of fatigue in younger children and offered alternative peaceful options.

Creative within the Service: Children need to be creative to unfold their holistic development, and the creative expression should be promoted by means of open-ended experiences (Davis, 2018). I provided open-ended art materials to encourage children to express creatively and take photos and make small notes about recordings of creativity, and I comforted children about their artistic work to extend their creativity asking open-ended questions.

Respectful Relationships and Responsive Engagement 

Example of interaction: Emma (3 years old): [shows his painting] Look! That is my family!  

Me: It looks as though you have put in several varied colors. Who in your family? What can you tell me about each person?  

Emma: This is green one daddy because he likes trees, and this is yellow one mummy because she likes sunny. 

Learning: Child did symbolic thinking and linked family in ways with colors having particular meanings to her. The development of identity can be achieved through responsive interactions that value the ways in which children generate meaning (Fleet et al., 2020). 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives 

How to integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldviews in an appropriate authentic manner is a lifelong learning exercise that must be undertaken respectfully (Harrison & Greenfield, 2021). Today I engaged native plants in art activity, explained how Aboriginal people used natural materials always in art, how the Birds Got Their Colours in the Dreamtime story during story time and how we are on Wurundjeri land during morning circle. 

Assessing and Reporting

Learning Story Written: Alice Preschool Room Documented trial and error experimentation as child tried a variety of materials to see what she could use to paint with and followed through and persisted even when some of the materials were not working. Learning stories also render the learning of children visible and acknowledge their competence (Carr, 2019).

Reflection

I was more comfortable in dealing with the children today and started to think how every moment may become a learning opportunity. The natural artistic assignment gave me the insight that even the easiest resources can bring out such creativity and discussion and the belief that rich learning environments do not need costly tools also appeared valid as per the said activity (Curtis & Carter, 2020).