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College snapshots
Lessons learned in lockdown
The Term 3 lockdown presented many challenges for our early childhood educators. Teaching remotely required a significant shift in the way lessons were designed and delivered, and much was learned – including from the students themselves.
Our programming is usually built around observing children and addressing the curriculum to meet their interests and needs, but in the remote learning environment, teachers asked themselves how they could do this. They adapted rapidly, and the children responded with resilience. Staff talked with the children via video chats, saw their smiling faces and listened to how they had been drawing, painting, playing soccer in the backyard, riding their bikes, gardening and building cubbies in their lounge rooms. Recognising the importance of relationships and fostering connections with students was never more important – and teachers learned a lot from it.
We all understand the wellness essentials – living in the present moment, finding pleasure in simple things like the feel of sunshine or the sound of rain, having fun, connecting with family and friends – but practising them is another story. These things all come naturally for young children. While most adults were missing meeting up with friends in restaurants, going in to work and having incidental conversations with colleagues, children were expressing a sense of wonder about what is happening in front of them, taking joy in the simple things and getting excited when they notice changes in the garden as spring emerged.
By watching them we learned how to be grounded and content with our locked-downed lives in the present moment.
Finding pleasure in simple things like the feel of sunshine or the sound of rain: four-year-old Elsternwick student Rose Sullivan with her rain painting