Living with Uncertainty
In thinking about Covid Lessons, one of the greatest things I have learned is about being open and accepting about whatever is happening “now” in my world. It seems to me that this has been a lesson that we who subscribe to the theory of emergent curriculum work with all the time.
Of course, this is not as easy as it sounds. We have to have a background of general knowledge about many subjects, training in developmental appropriateness, and a library of songs, games, stories and art activities in our personal mind storage to bring out at a moment’s notice. We need to be flexible and versatile. What information can we deliver about subjects being discussed by children in our care? How do we grow their knowledge and scaffold it to another level? How do we do this with appropriate activities? It can be an art form.
Many years ago, I studied improv theater. The basic theory is to accept whatever information is coming to you from the other performers, transform it and use it to build further. That meant being open, having good listening skills, having observational skills about what was going on, what the motivation might be and what props were being used, then building upon that to either further an idea or theme before handing it over to another performer.
This process is little like what teachers/care providers do as they observe children at play. What are children talking about, what may be their motivation? What are they working on understanding or learning and what props are they using in what they are talking about? That’s the part about accepting what is coming from the children. Then taking that information and providing props (and, of course, you have to know what you have in your closets and sheds so you can access props easily). What books do you have to support their exploration? You can add information if it is appropriate to do so and correct information if needed. You can provide the environment in which they can explore further. Then you provide the chance for children to critically think about their explorations using “Wonder Questions” (open ended questions that don’t give answers but provoke new thinking.) Building on what is coming from the children is about challenging them to think bigger, opening up their sense of wonder and exploration. Making learning fun.
Going back to my Covid experience, I see that my work with young children has prepared me to “roll with it” and be resilient. I spent a lot of time just being present and finding enrichment from what was in my path. I also appreciate that I have had a career working in a field I love, where every day brought something new, a new challenge and opportunity. My hope is that you all will feel the same.
This article is part of our Fall 2022 Newsletter. See all articles.
