The other reason some educators just seem to "stand around"
About two weeks ago, I wrote a blog post that got a whole bunch of professionals talking over on our socials. In full transparency - that blog post was a stepping stone to our live online session on scaffolding play... so it had a very specific focus. If you haven't read that first post, you can do that here.
While many educators saw the point I was trying to make (we need to support our less experienced or confident educators who may not yet know how best to support children's play), there were some who felt that I was saying we should always be up in children's play - doing, interacting etc., and that I was suggesting that "standing around" was a bad thing. For those who have attended training with me, or have read my previous blog posts, you will know that's not it at all. For me, it's about balance. It's about knowing when to step back or step in. It's about "reading the room". And in all honesty, that's a skill that can take some time to develop, and it's a skill that can be misunderstood by others. So, I wanted to write a "PART 2" of the standing around blog post, with a different angle.
Why else might an educator be "standing around"?
I remember when I was first met the amazing Teacher Tom. I had been an avid reader of his blog for some time, and we were fortunate enough to be able to bring him out for his very first Australian visit. We were having a conversation about our role as an educator, and Tom said something I will never forget. He told me that if the children were all engaged and he was not needed, he would sit on the floor with a book. The children knew that he was available if he needed them, and he was tuned in to what was happening in the environment, but rather than hovering over the children, he stepped back and gave them space to play.
Now, I certainly couldn't do that (when I read a book I am a lost cause... completely wrapped up), but I did understand what he was suggesting. We don't have to be in children's play to be taking it in, to be respecting it, to be prioritising and protecting it.
When we are "standing around (or sitting!), we are:
Observing
Listening
Tuning in
Learning about play and about the children in our care
Wondering
Planning
Responding
Supervising
Being present and available to children
A key part of being an educator is being responsive to what children need. Sometimes they need space to experiment, create, wonder and navigate things on their own. Sometimes they need support. Sometimes they need to know we are there when they need us. And let's be honest - it isn't always easy to know what is needed and when. I've talked about this before when delivering training on interaction vs interference - it can be hard to "read the room", it is a practiced skill.
There is also a difference between the "standing around" I have described above and the standing around that happens when educators are disengaged, appear bored, or are distracted by chatting about what their plans are for the weekend - that's a whole different conversation (and thankfully one we don't need to have too often, as the vast majority of educators are giving 100%+ each and every day.
So go. Go and stand around. Go and observe, listen, supervise, plan, wonder, tune in, and be present for children.