The Lessons I never Knew I Needed More Of!

Fresh from the registrars office, I came back home, sat down, looked once again at my achievements and thought "Which study units truly stood out most and I never knew I truly needed?"

Not going into details of who taught us what and when, nor will I dwell into the lecturers performance because that is a different story to tell and one which I don't feel comfortable in sharing with. Nevertheless these are the three study units which I think us educators need more of and appreciate in our Early Years professional development sessions (such as C.O.P.E). The three study units below have somewhat been refreshing for me because they are what I personally think is missing not just in my classroom but in most of our Early Years professional growth.

1. Microteaching

Hands down my TOP TOP TOP favourite assignments of all during the whole course had to be from this study unit. I was able to share my classroom activities and received feedback from my classmates and vice versa. It provided me with such fruitful insights that kept me wondering and curious for more.

Why? Because this study unit was totally relevant, current, measurable and what we are missing in general in our Early Years profession. Microteaching is not about harsh criticism but it is about personal growth. Yes I believe we need Microteaching to be practiced more often in our school communities starting with ourselves in the classroom before moving on. We need to learn more how to take in constructive criticism while also providing it to others too. Let us not be afraid of opening our classroom doors and embrace the fact that learning from others is the best way how to grow in your own career.

It is about you as an educator being able to take a step back and look through different mediums how you teach a particular lesson, how you sit around learners, how you portray yourself, how you observe, how you construct activities, what you are missing out on, what you are doing right or wrong and above all how YOU can improve.

If not comfortable about having visitors or viewers looking at your classroom performance NO PROBLEM. Simple methods such as recording yourself during a particular activity and revisiting the video at home, during CT or WITH even with the learners , helps you underline some own flaws and improve the quality of your profession. It is mesmerising what you notice that the naked eye might have missed out on. Would love to see and do more Microteaching during our professional development sessions. It would be refreshing to step away from the usual speakers and subjects too.

This was part of the activities I used for my Microteaching assignment.

2. Outdoor Learning through Nature for Young Learners

NO it is not about just stepping outside and playing in the school yard. It is all about allowing our learners to integrate their learnings by using the world around them. Have I been familiar with outdoor learning prior to this module? Of course and in so many different ways too. It is why I believe we need MORE exposure of outdoor learning opportunities as the benefits are endless. Forget about staying indoors during a rainy day! As I always said, put on your boots and get out.

Feel the rain, feel the sun, feel the wind, feel the heat, feel the cold! See the sun, see the clouds, see the rainbows, see the leaves swivel, see the birds flying, see the natural light! Listen to the birds chirp, the wind howling, the rustling trees!

During one particular lesson of this study unit we visited Buskett woodlands. We spent a whole day learning and sharing ideas on how varsatile outdoor learning can truly be. Forget about the themes and project investigations, just put on those boots, get outside and let the wonders flourish. You would be surprised how the said themes and projects emerge through play even outdoors.

Not all schools have gardens or huge trees (mine is one of them) but it isn't impossible to make outdoor learning accessible and FUN!

A bit of imagination, creativity and above all support is the key to infuse in the natural auras no matter if it rains or shines.

More topics like these are needed in our professional development meetings and the buzz starts kicking in eventually. Less fear towards climbing, risk taking, poking, pricking and movement. More progress towards open mindness, fruitful opportunities and above all taking our students back to basics with nothing but the world of nature.

Constructing a Volcano at Ta' Qali

3. Social Issues in the Early Years

Let's face it, with all the experiences we have under our belt we still face challenges on a daily basis. This study unit was an epic eye opener to a few of the challenges that are truly and honestly faced in our classrooms. The reality was different to each and every classmate but such a study unit provided us common knowledge on how to divert challenges into meaningful opportunities.

Tackling issues which are both personal and professional helped me understand further the importance of a supportive multidisciplinary team. Social issues are constantly with us, with our learners, with our co-workers, with our team. They are there now and will forever remain.

These are the topics we need to dig deeper in during our professional development meetings. More insights on the real struggles families are facing such as family incomes, housings. Understanding communities such as difficulties with language, rasicim, cultural differences and more. Investigating further meaning of what is diversity and how these can become cultural celebrations. The importance of social interactions, parental involvement and much more.

Still a favourite quote of mine which was repeated during this study unit, "it is all about equity". Equity.... unfortunately in some cases it is still missing because we may NOT know much about. Our biased point of views, the external thoughts, the prejudice outbursts....There is far more to what beats the eye. A mega HOT subject which I believe would do wonders in any professional development. It would be of a great opportunity and yes we crave more of such knowledge because as cheesy as it may sound, the reality is that YES the classroom community is constantly evolving.

Celebrating Diwali through Play

Overall.... I may have had the privilege to encounter such learning opportunities through my degree journey, however I strongly believe that more investment should be done in progressing our own professional development. Taking a leap of faith in something that may seem so random and out of the box can lead you into unexpected surprises and a handful of knowledgeable encounters. Some to which you may never knew that you needed.

In my case out of twelve study units, these three where the ones that struck me most. Not just thanks to the lecturers who taught us, nor was it because of the assignment briefs. It was the meaningful content that was missing in my professional growth that made my inquiry intriguing and yes I still want more of these and in abundance.

Did all the study units tickle my feathers? By all means NO!! Some were repetitive information or simply taught in a context that didn't attract my full attention. With regards to my least favourite units, yes of course I have my fair share out of the twelve, however knowledge gained is never lost. What subjects you may ask? Well that is a mystery which I invite you to try seeking out for yourself. What didn't work for me might truly and honestly work best for you and I'm positive my classmates may have their different Top 3 subject units too! For what it's worth, I'm positive my classmates and I still have fond memories of the days we shared our own practices, went outside our comfort zone or even texting to eachother during lectures trying to grasp context that didn't make sense to us all.

Snip it from one out of many giggles during a very boring and tedious lecture.

Professional development shouldn't just be selected by the ones around you. If you think your C. O. P. E sessions, professional development meetings etc are not fulfilling your own thirst of professional growth, then don't be afraid to seek elsewhere. The opportunities are truly endless ranging from Part-Time/Full-Time courses, Online/Face to Face seminars, conferences, workshops and more. So many institutes, groups and entities to choose from both local and international.

Never underestimate the power of learning. You would be surprised what you might discover about yourself!