eXhibition
OK, so we cheated slightly on this one – we couldn’t write 250 words on x-rays or a xylophone! At Rachel Keeling, we often look at ways we can share and celebrate children’s work. Each child’s Special Book is filled to the brim with photographs, paintings and mark-making, each documenting their unique learning journey. We often collate stories children tell, paintings they create, learning journeys of woodwork projects and facts about wildlife that visit our garden to create books. We then display these books around the nursery. It is wonderful that children will use these as reference material and to support their own learning.
We have previously enjoyed sharing these with families by way of our annual exhibition. We started with creative experiences, such as paintings, drawings, sculptures and woodwork, but then we realised some children were not as engaged in those experiences as they were in climbing or baking.
Now we use it as a vehicle to celebrate children’s expertise: it may be dance, music, drawing, sculpture, or it may be baking, climbing, cycling or counting. We invite families to come after school with their children, share their Special Books and enjoy various displays of their work or photographs of them engaged in learning. Every child is included and it is a lovely and relaxed atmosphere to come and celebrate together.
YES!
Over recent years, we have had to really reflect on the way we work. As funding has diminished, our drive for what is right for young children has not. It would be quite easy to reduce ourselves and be reduced by what is happening in our sector. But with a bit of planning, we have remained positive and said ‘Yes!’ to a few things that have ensured our incredible provision is as sustainable as possible.
As we have detailed in previous articles in this series, a great way to say ‘yes’ is to create a happy work culture. Make happiness your number-one priority – happy people are 12 per cent more productive! Make your mantra: ‘Happiness is we not me’. We started by reminding ourselves of why we are in this job and our shared values. We then agreed on the children’s experiences we value most. Which ones do we want to hold onto and not lose when we are having to make cost-cutting decisions?
Once we have those agreed, we were able to remind ourselves about why they were important for children. We said yes to the fact the children are our first priority. Sometimes people may make decisions without the child at the centre. We all agreed that the child’s needs must come first. It then makes decision-making much easier as you remove the adults from it. Start to say yes to the occasional new idea at work. Just because you’ve always done things a certain way, does it mean it’s the best way?
For example, invite your local MP or councillor to visit and show them what you do. Speak at a conference, lead a parent workshop, suggest that new idea that might make a difference to the children in your care. At the very least, pause and breathe before you answer ‘No’ to anything!
ZEAL
We would like to complete this series of A-Z and offer it in tribute to YOU – early years practitioners up and down the country (and worldwide) who make a difference every single day. You open your doors, you welcome your families and you change people’s lives. Zeal is at the heart of that: your energy, enthusiasm and drive in pursuit of the best outcomes for our children.
Some days it may be hard to pull it out of the bag, but on the ‘wobbly’ days, remember that your children need you, your smile, your touch, your voice, your ear, your creativity and passion. They need you to remember who you are and why you are there. Continue to aim high for our children, think about the rich curriculum you offer, the challenge and the successes. In times of financial hardship for many in the sector, in times when we may be supporting many families affected by the pandemic, remember who you are and why you are here reading this article.
As we bid farewell, remember you can reach out to your zealous neighbours, reach out to Rachel Keeling Nursery School and join forces for the future of our community and world.
Rachel Keeling Nursery School is an Outstanding setting in Bethnal Green, east London. For further information: https://www.rachelkeeling.towerhamlets.sch.uk/learning-blog