The roles and responsibilities of the educators at John Brotchie are many and varied. An educator can directly work with the children, plan the educational curriculum, observe and document children's learning and work with families.
Educators according to the Early Years Learning Framework are early childhood practitioners who work directly with children in early childhood settings ( EYLF 2009:pg5). At John Brotchie we refer to all of our staff – teachers and school learning support officers - as educators.
Planning the educational curriculum:
Our educators at John Brotchie use their knowledge of the children, their recent experiences in play based learning and their understanding of child development to plan future opportunities for learning. The Early Years Learning Framework calls this "intentional teaching". Intentional teaching involves educators being deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful in their decisions and actions. During small and large group play, our educators will use strategies such as modelling, demonstrating, open ended questioning, explaining, shared thinking and problem solving to extend the children's understanding and learning.
The educators use the five outcomes as listed in the Early Years Learning Framework, critical reflection of recent interactions and experiences and individual observation of children and small groups to guide what is planned in the future. While many learning experiences will be based on children's interests, the educators at John Brotchie will plan opportunities for intentional teaching and knowledge building.
We believe learning environments have a huge impact on the quality of teaching and children's development and learning. We also believe that indoor and outdoor environments are just as important as each other and children should be given large blocks of unhurried time in both. The educators at John Brotchie therefore plan and provide vibrant, aesthetically pleasing and flexible learning spaces. We provide materials and equipment that allow children to explore their interests, lead their own learning and make choices.
Observing and documenting the children's learning:
Educators at John Brotchie document and analyse children's play in order to know what and how they are learning so as to inform future planning. In the Early Years Learning Framework they call this "assessment for learning" and it refers to the process of gathering and analysing information as evidence about what children know, can do and understand. (EYLF 2009:17)
At John Brotchie we use a variety of strategies to collect, document, evaluate and share this information with families. We use photos and videos, individual observations, daily blogs, wall documentation, communication and meetings with families and daily curriculum records.
Working with the families:
At John Brotchie we create a welcoming environment for children and their families, where families are respected and actively encouraged to work with and support educators as they plan the educational curriculum. We know that outcomes are more likely to be achieved when educators and families work in partnership.
Educators at John Brotchie greet families warmly each morning, quickly becoming familiar with each child and their family. We pride ourselves on providing open and honest communication.
We provide many opportunities for families to become involved in the educational program and provide feedback to the educators. Educators are readily available to meet with families and support them in their parenting role.