WEEK 6

Australian Professional Teaching Standards: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
National Quality Standard Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice
National Quality Standard Quality Area 4: Staffing arrangements

TEAM meeting

On Monday, June 26, 2023, I had the opportunity to attend a team meeting with the Nursery staff in the Meeting Room. It was a valuable experience, as I was invited to join the meeting and take notes. Participating in this meeting boosted my confidence in documenting the meeting minutes for the Nursery room.

During the meeting, all educators took turns engaging in a discussion together. Each educator shared their reflections on what worked well in the nursery and areas needing improvement. It was a collaborative and constructive environment where everyone's input was valued.

The meeting provided a platform for open and honest communication, allowing us to identify strengths and weaknesses within the nursery. We discussed various aspects, including curriculum, classroom management, and engagement strategies. The educators shared their experiences and insights, providing valuable suggestions for enhancing the learning environment for the children.

Australian Professional Teaching Standards: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
National Quality Standard Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice
National Quality Standard Quality Area 5: Relationships with children
Learning Outcomes 1: Children feel recognised and respected for who they are
Learning Outcomes 5 : Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes

Goal :

Social skill
Cognitive Skill

Nursery group time

This week's Curriculum Nursery focuses on self-well-being for children to take increasing responsibility for their health and process towards developing a sense of independence. I made some pictures for the children to recognise each other.

Lisna prepared photos of the children and the teacher for the children to learn about themselves and their peers. Another goal is introducing new children who have just joined the nursery class. Some children are very advanced at recognising photos and can name themselves and their friends.

Children are also encouraged to feel part of the nursery room and part of the nursery families. They were enthusiastic about answering one by one when Lisna asked who was present today in our room, using the existing pictures. Lisna also had the opportunity to introduce several children who had just joined the Nursery by showing their photos to their peers while mentioning their names and asking the children to repeat the names that Lisna mentioned. This will help children remember and recognise their new friends.

ART & CRAFT: ANIMAL PANITS STAMP

Australian Professional Teaching Standards: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
National Quality Standard Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice
National Quality Standard Quality Area 5: Relationships with children
Learning outcome 4: Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another
Learning Outcome 5: Children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts

Goal: Language and Literacy Learning about Animals and Colors with Motor Skill Development
Objective: By using different animals' footprints for stamping, early learners will enhance their language and literacy skills related to animals and colors while developing five motor skills.

Fine Motor Skills:

Holding and manipulating the animal stamps to create footprints on the paper requires precise finger and hand movements. This activity will help the early learners develop and refine their fine motor skills, such as grasping, pinching, and hand-eye coordination.

Gross Motor Skills:

As the children move around the art station, reaching for different stamping materials and arranging their artwork, they will engage in gross motor movements. These more significant muscle group activities, such as walking, bending, and stretching, contribute to developing their gross motor skills.

Hand-Eye Coordination:

Stamping the animal footprints on the paper involves aligning the stamp correctly and pressing it with the right amount of pressure. This process requires hand-eye coordination, helping the children synchronize visual perception with motor actions.

Sensory Motor Skills:

The tactile experience of touching the ink pads and stamps and feeling the texture of the paper provides a sensory-rich environment for early learners. Engaging their senses enhances their sensory-motor skills, fostering connections between their sensory experiences and motor responses.

Bilateral Coordination:

Using both hands simultaneously to hold the stamp and apply pressure while maintaining stability and control enhances bilateral coordination. This skill is crucial for various activities, such as writing, cutting, and dressing.

Language and Literacy Learning:

As early learners interact with the animal footprints, they naturally learn language and literacy. They may discuss the different animals, their colours, and where they can be found in nature. The activity provides opportunities for vocabulary development and language expression as they share their thoughts and observations with peers and educators.

As the children explore Using the ink pads and the animal footprints, they enhance their understanding of colour. Different colour concepts and strengthen their colour recognition skills. different animals' footprints for stamping sparks creativity and artistic exploration and is a powerful learning tool. Through this fun and engaging activity, early learners will make progress in their language and literacy development related to animals and colors, while also honing their motor skills. This integrated approach to learning ensures a holistic and enriching experience for the children, fostering their cognitive, physical, and social-emotional growth.

PRINCIPLES: Equity and high expectations
National Quality Standard Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice
National Quality Standard Quality Area 5: Relationships with children
Learning outcome 1:Cooperate and participate in routines and rituals
Learning outcome 3 : Children are aware of and develop strategies to support their own mental and physical health and personal safety .
Curriculum and teaching strategies

Independently and Self-Help skills in the daily routine

According the focus of the Nursery curriculum to focus on self-help skills during mealtime, We have several children with whom we are currently focusing on developing their independence. Sometimes the children are assisted by the educator to clean up after eating leftover food on the plate and clean their faces. Today Lisna gave responsibility to the children to tidy up the bowls and water bottles, and even clean their faces. Some of the children immediately understood when I said, "Can you help Lisna tidy up and scratch your bowl, please?"

They looked at me, and I encouraged them to try independently; several time essential for their health, they had difficulty cleaning up leftover food to put it in the trash. I also gave an example by placing my hand in the child's hand while giving an example after providing an example twice. Then I allowed them to do it without my help.

Routine is part of daily life at St. Joseph. This simple meal routine contributed to Children's learning, development, and well-being, considering his growing autonomy, agency, and individual abilities (St. Joseph Practice Guide). Self-help skills are essential, as they are health and a way for children to practice hand-eye coordination or visual motor skills. Also, being independent is an important aspect of early childhood.

By engaging in daily rituals and routines in the nursery space, Children are showing awareness of a healthy lifestyle and increasing independence. and competence in personal hygiene. (EYLF - 3.2 Children take increasing responsibility for their essentialand excellent healthy excellent and physical well-being).