The Inspired EC Blog
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"I can't draw" - The Lie That Many of Us Tell
"I can't draw"
Have you said that before? I know I have. And it's a lie.
Is it a lie I actively tell? No. In fact, I believe what I say. I believe that I can't draw, that my artwork isn't skilled enough, or that I lack in creativity. But I am wrong. At a logical level, I know that I am wrong.
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The view from "inside the jar"
When I was a director, I was very self critical. I constantly felt like I wasn't doing enough, or that our service wasn't good enough. I was always looking over our environment with a judgemental eye, or wondering how we could improve our program. -
"Slides are for going down, not up!" REALLY?
Going up the slide requires a different set of body skills, it requires a different focus. Some children will find it challenging to go up the slide. Some children will find it easy. There will be some negotiation required between children, but you know what? They usually just work it out.
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Why do children ask so many questions?
Children ask a lot of questions.I remember reading a few years ago a funny post that said that the average four year old asks 437 questions in a day. Yes, it's an exaggeration. Or is it?Why do children ask so many questions? And what about the biggest question of all? WHY? -
4 Easy Additions to Enhance Your Block Play Environment
We need to be intentional about how we set up our spaces for block play, about the materials that we use and the way in which children can access them. -
How a dog changed my connection to community
A few months ago, our family got a puppy. This furry, bundle of slobber and excitement joined our lives and changed it in many of the ways that we expected. But, there has been an unexpected change too - our connection to the community. -
Reflective Practice - Who is it for?
We know, as educators, that it is important to reflect on our practice. But do we know why? Or more to the point - who it is for? -
Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk - Embracing Independence
"I can do it myself." We hear those words a lot from young children. I always love hearing it from toddlers, who are beginning to realise that they are indeed capable of doing things for themselves. But, emerging independence can sometimes pose a challenge for us as educators or parents. -
4 Ways to Support Problem Solving Through Loose Parts Play
This post was lost in the archives. Originally published by us in 2020 This week I visited a local service. While I spoke with the approved prov... -
Teddies, Dummies and a Pair of Silky Pyjamas: The Importance of Security Items
Many children have comfort items and in fact, so do some adults. There are adults who take a favourite pillow when they travel, or wear a bracelet that makes them feel connected to a loved one. We do these things because they help us to feel safe, to feel secure, to feel at home. -
Birth, Zero, Nought... does it matter what we call our littlest ones?
Have you ever said "I work in the nought to two room" or "she's in the zero to three room"? You wouldn't be alone if you had. When I first did my training back in the early 2000's, this was a pretty common way to phrase it. And yet, what does that term say about our image of the child? -
How to Embrace Rainy Day Play
Yesterday morning I sat at my desk watching the kookaburras and the magpies forage in the grass - the incessant rain having bought worms to the surface. And then I spotted her. A child of about three stepped across the soggy grass, her gumboots squelching, toward the birds.
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