Has anyone worked at a centre where the teachers do no programming? Each day is just a do whatever day and activities are spur of the moment things rather than planned things.
I am finding it hard to get my head around this.
The teachers get programming time but this is used to stick pics in portfolios and sort out art work etc, its not used for programming as I know it.
No Programming??
Re: No Programming??
Hi Fefe,
Since the Australian government has introduced the new Early Years Learning Framework, it does provide us childcare professionals with opportunities to engage and interact with the children to follow up on their interests and extend on their learning. However I think like you are currently experiencing that some take the EYLF for granted and are not using the EYLF the way it's supposed to be. This could simply be because the centre hasn't grasp the concept of the EYLF or they are just being misguided. I completely understand that each center has their own way of programming and planning but I do understand where you are coming from, as a third person you are not witnessing any programming.
With the EYLF it's all about focusing on what the children are interested in, getting parents involved in the program by asking questions such as "what did you do on the weekend", allowing the children to make choices, having spontaneous experiences and incorporating this into the program. For e.g. if you are doing a weekly program all you can have on the program for the week are activities that the children have requested, any parent suggestions, activities for follow up on observations and that's it (so let's just say 5 activities/experiences in total), Throughout the week, each day, you will need to add to the program on what you basically did in the room and this could change daily. For e.g. A little girl called Samantha comes to the centre on Tuesday and starts talking about how she went to the circus on the weekend. So the interest is Circus and you can make up the children's daily experiences for that specific day about the circus. You could make clowns for art n craft, you could talk about what happens at the circus, you can make your own circus show etc... Then you add these experiences onto your program for that day. The interest doesn't have to end on that day... It could keep going and going if the children are interested in it.
So, yes there is supposed to be a program, however it doesn't have to be "set" for the entire week. You can simply add to it on a daily basis, according to what happens in the room.
I hope this provides you with a little more understanding,
Cheers
,
L.A
Since the Australian government has introduced the new Early Years Learning Framework, it does provide us childcare professionals with opportunities to engage and interact with the children to follow up on their interests and extend on their learning. However I think like you are currently experiencing that some take the EYLF for granted and are not using the EYLF the way it's supposed to be. This could simply be because the centre hasn't grasp the concept of the EYLF or they are just being misguided. I completely understand that each center has their own way of programming and planning but I do understand where you are coming from, as a third person you are not witnessing any programming.
With the EYLF it's all about focusing on what the children are interested in, getting parents involved in the program by asking questions such as "what did you do on the weekend", allowing the children to make choices, having spontaneous experiences and incorporating this into the program. For e.g. if you are doing a weekly program all you can have on the program for the week are activities that the children have requested, any parent suggestions, activities for follow up on observations and that's it (so let's just say 5 activities/experiences in total), Throughout the week, each day, you will need to add to the program on what you basically did in the room and this could change daily. For e.g. A little girl called Samantha comes to the centre on Tuesday and starts talking about how she went to the circus on the weekend. So the interest is Circus and you can make up the children's daily experiences for that specific day about the circus. You could make clowns for art n craft, you could talk about what happens at the circus, you can make your own circus show etc... Then you add these experiences onto your program for that day. The interest doesn't have to end on that day... It could keep going and going if the children are interested in it.
So, yes there is supposed to be a program, however it doesn't have to be "set" for the entire week. You can simply add to it on a daily basis, according to what happens in the room.
I hope this provides you with a little more understanding,
Cheers
,L.A
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fchaudari76
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Re: No Programming??
i understand that, i mean though i had a program for the week that was a guideline to most things but each day I added things on to it for individual kids and groups etc and yes things changed and I didnt do some things on my program too....
however I knew what activities/crafts/discussions/learning goals I had set for the entire class for the week and of course I had my focus children for observations etc
montessori is also about the childrens interests and if a child is interested in one thing for one month you do things focused on that ... if a child wants to work with 2 bits of work for a week u let them, though encourage use of other things but never forced
This place has NO program and I mean NOTHING at all, they do not plan a single thing, not for the class, small groups of children nor individual children. It seems to be just a random putting things on tables for the kids without any thought though they do then take pics and then do some spiel and put it in a portfolio however I do not (from my experience) see any proper observations done on the children to assess skills, development etc
I do not care play based, montessori or whatever i feel that should be done, how can you further a child's development unless u are doing some observations of some kind?
Also the toys used are missing pieces and well again in my opinion not of a standard to be in a room, maybe i am just used to montessori where if a book is torn it is removed from the room if a piece of equipment is broken or damaged it is removed ... the childs environment is supposed to be clean and visually appealing.
Another thing i notice is a lot of staging of pics, plonking hats on kids etc and snapping pics while saying smile smile, play play!!
I am feeling a bit
about this place as it could be so much better, but maybe I am wrong who knows, but I have had a lot of experience and this just feels a tad "off" to me, I am just hoping to get my own room so I can implement some changes and do the right thing by the kids
however I knew what activities/crafts/discussions/learning goals I had set for the entire class for the week and of course I had my focus children for observations etc
montessori is also about the childrens interests and if a child is interested in one thing for one month you do things focused on that ... if a child wants to work with 2 bits of work for a week u let them, though encourage use of other things but never forced
This place has NO program and I mean NOTHING at all, they do not plan a single thing, not for the class, small groups of children nor individual children. It seems to be just a random putting things on tables for the kids without any thought though they do then take pics and then do some spiel and put it in a portfolio however I do not (from my experience) see any proper observations done on the children to assess skills, development etc
I do not care play based, montessori or whatever i feel that should be done, how can you further a child's development unless u are doing some observations of some kind?
Also the toys used are missing pieces and well again in my opinion not of a standard to be in a room, maybe i am just used to montessori where if a book is torn it is removed from the room if a piece of equipment is broken or damaged it is removed ... the childs environment is supposed to be clean and visually appealing.
Another thing i notice is a lot of staging of pics, plonking hats on kids etc and snapping pics while saying smile smile, play play!!
I am feeling a bit
about this place as it could be so much better, but maybe I am wrong who knows, but I have had a lot of experience and this just feels a tad "off" to me, I am just hoping to get my own room so I can implement some changes and do the right thing by the kids
Re: No Programming??
Hi fefe,
My room is a Montessori based Preschool. I agree of what you said about getting rid off the broken and damaged toys/tools in the room and be replaced with complete one. I found the Montessori EYLF is easy because children are independent to choice their play, learn to pack away, and the self help skills is fully developed. My Director/Assistant Principal is a Montessori Teacher , graduated in California. I also study my Montessori in Philippines and Practice in Singapore before i come to Australia. Our Preschool Coordinator coaches us every Friday of EYLF and links to NQS, so i got a lot of ideas and implementing in my room the EYLF. I haven't heard before "NO PROGRAMMING" in the room. As far as i knew, your program for this week is the informations and sources you collected from last week and implement in your program as your guide. It might be in daily program. I don't know really, i'm happy of the samples of the templates that this website provided.
Good luck
darmodina
My room is a Montessori based Preschool. I agree of what you said about getting rid off the broken and damaged toys/tools in the room and be replaced with complete one. I found the Montessori EYLF is easy because children are independent to choice their play, learn to pack away, and the self help skills is fully developed. My Director/Assistant Principal is a Montessori Teacher , graduated in California. I also study my Montessori in Philippines and Practice in Singapore before i come to Australia. Our Preschool Coordinator coaches us every Friday of EYLF and links to NQS, so i got a lot of ideas and implementing in my room the EYLF. I haven't heard before "NO PROGRAMMING" in the room. As far as i knew, your program for this week is the informations and sources you collected from last week and implement in your program as your guide. It might be in daily program. I don't know really, i'm happy of the samples of the templates that this website provided.
Good luck
darmodina
Re: No Programming??
hi fefe, just wondering how things are going at your new job? i think i caught the gist of your post- i think this transitional time of the ELYF is causing some laxness in programming as it is all so open to interpretation. At my workplace i feel things are a bit " free flowing" and haphazard. I don't personally like the way management at work is using the ELYF -ie the thought of " oh great- no portfolios! no developmental checklists! " I feel that it will be a while until things settle into place whilst we bumble along working out the best ways to implement the ELYF. what do others think?
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fchaudari76
- Scholar
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- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:51 pm
Re: No Programming??
From what I have heard from a few others they don't understand this but apparently this centre has always had this attitude and its not come about since ELYF coming about. From what they say they have never worked in a place where programming is not programming as we have learnt about in our study and seen and done in the workplace. One teacher says she has been there nearly 6 mnths and still is not used to having no structure.
I don't care ELYF or not I would prefer my teachers to still have some guide to what they do during their week and do proper observations of children etc... I mean how on earth are you meant to do right by the child if you do not do any proper observations but just snap random (or posed pics) and then come up with some "development" sounding spiel.
Even in the portfolios I have looked through the language is grammatically incorrect, wrong spellings etc ... I do not mean to be judgemental but those go to parents and how can you justify being their childs educator if you cannot even string a sentence together properly???
Honestly this is really putting me off mainstream childcare & I would just prefer to work in a Montessori based centre where children are still free to choose their own activities and get hands on practical learning ... compared to the children in the Montessoris I have worked at these kids are loud, have no concentration, do not understand the concept of routine or care of themselves or their surroundings. Mind you I guess a lot of that comes down to the teacher. I am very finicky about children being polite and calm and not tearing around the classroom .... obviously this is not important to some!
I don't care ELYF or not I would prefer my teachers to still have some guide to what they do during their week and do proper observations of children etc... I mean how on earth are you meant to do right by the child if you do not do any proper observations but just snap random (or posed pics) and then come up with some "development" sounding spiel.
Even in the portfolios I have looked through the language is grammatically incorrect, wrong spellings etc ... I do not mean to be judgemental but those go to parents and how can you justify being their childs educator if you cannot even string a sentence together properly???
Honestly this is really putting me off mainstream childcare & I would just prefer to work in a Montessori based centre where children are still free to choose their own activities and get hands on practical learning ... compared to the children in the Montessoris I have worked at these kids are loud, have no concentration, do not understand the concept of routine or care of themselves or their surroundings. Mind you I guess a lot of that comes down to the teacher. I am very finicky about children being polite and calm and not tearing around the classroom .... obviously this is not important to some!
