WEEK 2

Australian Professional Teaching Standards: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
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 5: Children are effective communicators
Respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Cultures

Professional Journal: Week 2

Morning Group Time:

This week, I had the opportunity to lead the group time session in the nursery. We continued with our regular routine of having group time before or after our morning tea. To ensure the children could maintain their attention, we kept the session short and simple. During this time, our early learners had the chance to develop a sense of belonging in the nursery room, learning how to greet their peers and say hello to the teacher who was with them that day.

During group time, we began by singing "Hello Good Morning" and each child called out the name of another friend. Some children showed great enthusiasm when calling out their friends' names.
We also took a moment to acknowledge the country we are on before singing the song "Taba Naba" together. This helped foster cultural awareness and appreciation among the children.

Afterwards, some children continued to show interest in reading books with Miss Lisna. They enjoyed looking at the pictures and expanding their knowledge and vocabulary related to animals and objects. Miss Lisna guided them in pronouncing the words correctly, helping them develop their language skills.

To add some movement and fun to our group time, we engaged in a creative dance activity. The children followed the educators' body movements and attempted to mimic them. Not only did our friends have a great time, but they also developed their body coordination skills. Our morning group time was engaging and allowed the children to learn, interact, and have fun together.

Australian Professional Teaching standards know the content and how to teach literacy and Numeracy)
National Quality Standard Quality Area 1 – Educational program and practice
National Quality Standard Quality Area 5 – Relationships with children

Goal :

Literacy and Numeracy
Social skills

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar "

This week, our young learners were very interested and excited about our reading project based on "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." We wanted to give them a fun, involved experience that would help them learn more about language and capture their interest.

I started the activity by gathering children in a cozy reading area with soft lighting and pillows. When I told them what the book was about, their eyes lit up with excitement.

When I started reading, the children were quickly drawn into the colorful world of the hungry caterpillar. As I turned the pages, they happily followed along, looking at the bright pictures and listening carefully to the rhythmic words. I got them to take part by stopping at key times to ask them questions and listen to their answers.

During the read-aloud, I asked the children to point out the different foods and colors in the story and tell me what they were. They were excited to show how the caterpillar ate apples, strawberries, and other things on its way. Their interest and desire to take part showed that their vocabulary and ability to understand were getting better.

As I read about the caterpillar's never-ending hunger and how it turned into a beautiful butterfly, the children's faces showed a mix of awe and interest. We made the story come to life with our voices and body language, which made the adventures of the caterpillar even more interesting for our children.

After finish reading the book, I led a discussion to find out more about what they thought about the story. I asked the children open-ended questions to get them to tell us what they thought and what they liked best. As they talked about the caterpillar's trip and thought about the choices it made, it was heartwarming to see their imaginations soar.

The "Very Hungry Caterpillar" reading got the children excited and interested, which set the stage for more learning and exploration. In the days that followed, we added on to the experience by doing things like making projects about caterpillars.

Through this activity, I nurtured the children's love for reading, stimulated their language development, and fostered their creativity and critical thinking skills. I am thrilled to witness their growing engagement with literature and look forward to embarking on more captivating reading adventures in the future.

National Quality Standard Quality Area 3 – Physical Environment Element 2 Use
EYLF Principles Ongoing learning and reflective practice
EYLF Practice Learning Environment

Learning Environment (Indoor):

Before refreshing our indoor learning environment, the nursery staff held a discussion to reflect on our preferences, what needed to be changed and improved. Specifically, we focused on the diversity corner and the concern about the cot room's list for children's sleep.

I am planning to create a corner to respect our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, like a diversity corner, and also tidy up the cabinet for children to learn about construction. Previously, the cabinet was only used as a storage for some toys in baskets. I will create an Aboriginal corner by attaching the Australian flag, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, as well as a printable Acknowledgement of Country and some Aboriginal symbols on the wall to stimulate children's learning about diversity.

I also will create a list of names for children in Room 1 and Room 2, which will greatly facilitate educators during transition time before sleep.

Australian Professional Teaching standards; Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
Exploring Sustainability in the service
National Quality Standard Quality Area 1 – Educational program and practice
Learning Outcome 4: CHILDREN ARE CONFIDENT AND INVOLVED LEARNERS
Learning Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators

Goal :

Imagination and creativity skills
Literacy skill (recognise colour)
Five Motor skills development (hand and eye coordination)
Social skills ( communication and learning have a turn)

Implementation of Nursery Group Observation (DAP Record 2 Small Group) :
Making Caterpillar from Egg Carton

This week, I did a fun, hands-on project with our learners by making caterpillars from egg cartons. The idea was to give them a way to be creative and improve their fine motor skills while teaching them to work together and feel good about what they had done. I told the children about the project by saying turning an ordinary egg carton into a cute and colourful caterpillar was fun. Their eyes sparkled with excitement as they gathered around the art supplies, ready to show off their creativity.

Each child was given an empty egg carton to use as the base for their caterpillar creation. I told them to use paint, markers, or bright paper, among other things, to decorate their caterpillar. The children's faces lit up as they learned about colours, chose their favourites, and carefully painted them on their egg boxes. I am using the recycle egg box to support sustainability in daily practice.

As the activity progressed, I saw their fine motor skills and attention to detail improve. The children worked hard to paint each part of the egg carton to make the finished caterpillar bright and exciting. The children were happy to tell their friends about their ideas and methods, which gave them hope and support. It was nice to see them help each other, whether it was by sharing art supplies or providing a hand when someone needed it.

At the end of the activity, we showcased what the children had made by putting up their unique caterpillars. The classroom was transformed into a colourful caterpillar parade with many different patterns. The children were very proud of their artwork and told each other stories about their bugs.

This hands-on activity not only helped the kids develop their imagination and fine motor skills but also gave them a chance to express themselves and feel like they had accomplished something. It allowed them to explore their imagination and develop their artistic abilities. The activity made the classroom more supportive and collaborative, where kids learned to respect and celebrate each other's unique talents.