The Inspired EC Blog
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Is it ethical or sustainable to use food in play, and where do we draw the line?
If, like me, you are a child of the 80's, there's a very strong chance that you engaged in the fine art of potato printing and pasta necklace creation during your preschool years. Upon asking the question, though, of whether it is ethical or sustainable to use food in play, it seems that the answer isn't exactly black or white. -
What I want you to know this Early Childhood Educators Day
For so long, the early childhood sector has been undervalued in the wider community, not seen as a profession. While we might say "we shouldn't need a day to celebrate", sometimes that's exactly what we need - something that draws attention to the work that we do. -
How to motivate your co-workers
Perhaps you are on your lunch break, dreading returning to the room because your colleague doesn't seem to really give a damn about the work that they are doing. Or maybe you've just come home, frustrated that other educators in your service don't seem to want to be there or to pull their weight. -
Babies and Book Week
The theme for the 2023 Book Week is Read, Grow, Inspire. That seems pretty simple to me. Spend time connecting with children with a book. Provide books that are beautiful and inspiring to read and to share. Keep it super simple. -
3 Strategies for Mindful Meetings
When I first became a nominated supervisor at twenty-one, I had absolutely no idea how to lead a team meeting. How could I? I’d been thrown in the deep end quite suddenly and could really only draw from the experience I’d had on the other side of the meeting. -
Creating Space for "Big Body" Play
As educators, we sometimes have a tendency to squash big body play. We worry that someone might get hurt. We worry that the play is not safe. We think that the play is frivolous or not purposeful.
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A Reimagining of "Home Corner"
There's nothing inherently wrong with "home corner" or with creating any type of dramatic play space. But what if there was a different way to do it? What if there was a way to spark dramatic play without being prescriptive? -
And then they grew up...
I often think about what a privilege it is to be involved in the life of a child, particularly in the early years. We share milestones with them and see them grow and develop for a few years, if we are lucky. -
Should we stop looking for the short cut?
While it might be tempting to seek out the short cut - especially at a time where staff shortages are a very real experience and we are all doing our best with the limited time we have - I feel like as a profession we need to hold strong, and remember that "we know stuff!" -
Rest Time or Restoration Time?
What was it we were really trying to achieve? We wanted children to relax, to rest their bodies, to restore their energy. And for some reason, we had thought that meant to sleep or at least be silent. -
The Mass Exodus of Educators - And What do we do About it?
This is turnover like we haven't seen before. This is a time where previously passionate, skilled, knowledgeable professionals are saying "I'm done" and leaving the education sector altogether. -
Get Outside: Nature Supports Educator Wellbeing
We're burning out. Our sector is struggling. Every time I visit services or speak to educators I hear first-hand the toll that this role is taking on people.
Nature helps. Nature replenishes us.
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