The June 2024 Educational Leader (EL) meeting comprised of three pedagogically powerful workshops to support the professional development of the ELs and foster quality improvement priorities across our services through their role.
These being:
- reflecting on inclusive practices as we continue our pedagogical inquiry into play
- critiquing environments and play setups and;
- research on collaborative leadership and teamwork in response to the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 principle.
Inclusive Play Practices
Continuing our professional inquiry into play, the ELs engaged in Early Childhood Australia’s training module, Making connections with neurodiverse children through play. Reflecting on their own understandings of inclusive practices while considering potential improvement priorities for mentoring, the ELs drew connections to serve and return practices, the image of the child, and educator practices relating to play.
Environments and Provocations
This workshop invited the ELs to critique, analyse, and discuss the learning possibilities of photographed environments and provocations shared from across our services. They considered possible extensions for learning that could emerge from the setups and hypothesised what image of the child the setups demonstrated. They discussed whether the setups were inviting to children and potential ways they could be changed to extend outcomes for children. This workshop inspired ELs to revisit research on environments and provocations with their educators. This provides possibilities for ELs to prioritise in their mentoring a pedagogical review of play environments and provocations to enrich quality outcomes for children.
Collaborative Leadership and Teamwork
This workshop commenced with a balloon tower building challenge. The task involved the ELs working together at their tables to make a balloon tower using only string and a balloon pump. Drawing connections to their roles as ELs, this fun task provoked thoughtful reflection of leadership planning, recognising the importance of research, considered mentoring approaches, and empowered teamwork in driving quality improvement outcomes. The ELs watched Farran Street Education’s, NEW EYLF V2.0 Principle – collaborative leadership and teamwork webinar. This supports the ELs to further develop and reflect on their understanding of collaborative leadership and different mentoring approaches for empowering other leaders to support quality improvement in their services.
Considering discussions throughout the day, the ELs reflected on how their role and mentoring work aligns with the National Quality Standards, highlighting the significance of their role in demonstrating practice across the quality areas, and supporting quality improvement in connection with their centres’ Quality Improvement Plan.