New school year, Setting up Continuous provision and Switching Off.

Hey,  Welcome back to a new school year! We look forward to sharing our experiences and wisdom with you all.
 As with all back to school staff meetings we start off with a cringy ice breaker. We are comparing ourselves to our favorite chocolate bars, and then delve into our podcast's exciting plans for the year in light of our recent staff updates. We'd love for you to hop onto this fun train and tell us what chocolate bar represents you best on Instagram!

Moving forward, we unpack the art of setting up classrooms that foster creativity and independence among children. We discuss the significance of loose parts in classrooms and how teaching children their use and clean-up can be transformative. We also delve into how social media influences our perspective towards organizing learning spaces and how 'layering provision' can be a game-changer in identifying classroom needs. We wrap up this segment by discussing the power of keen observation and how it can enhance the learning process for children.

Lastly, we acknowledge the elephant in the room for many educators – work-life balance. We share our personal stories and strategies for switching off, nurturing hobbies like gardening and accomplishing a digital detox. We even dabble in the fun part - our exciting engagement with listeners on TikTok. So, join us in exploring ways to create engaging learning environments, allowing children the freedom to explore, and striking that elusive work-life balance. 

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:07

Hello and welcome to the earlier staff meeting podcast with Sarah Keeley and Steph, a place where you can listen, learn and laugh with us about all things early years. Hello everyone, hello and welcome back to school. This is going to be our first episode of 2023-2024.

Speaker 2 0:32

I don't know, it's a bit of a shock to the system because we haven't done anything in the summer.

Speaker 1 0:38

No, and, as they always say, it's like we've never been away. I know, I know 11 o'clock the first day back, we've got to play bingo of all the little things people are going to say.

Speaker 2 0:48

Oh yeah, that's true.

Speaker 1 0:50

So did you go away over summer?

Speaker 2 0:54

Did you do any work over the holidays?

Speaker 1 0:57

No, so welcome to our first episode of the new series. Everybody, we're really excited to be back and we are looking, we're ready and raring to go with some more episodes. We're excited to sort of start the new series in September and then share that early years with any, with you through the rest of the year. And just a little roundup of today's episode. So we're going to start off as you start off any good first day back to school with an icebreaker. So we're going to have a little icebreaker question before moving on to look at our school development plan, aka what our plan is for the podcast this year, how we're going to develop it, moving forward. And our main agenda today is setting up the provision and it's going to be a two-part at least. So we're going to start up with some stock taking before moving on to our mindful moment and then our call to arms at the end. So do we need a little jingle here?

Speaker 2 2:07

I don't know. Yeah, we're going to have a little jingle. We're ready to select. Here we go.

Speaker 3 2:13

That's like the perfect jingle, wasn't it? Like an icebreaker, feel like I'm on like a game show there you go An icebreaker.

Speaker 2 2:23

So what's chocolate bar would you be? Oh, okay.

Speaker 3 2:29

I know I'd be fruiting up. I'm a bit fruity and a bit nutty, that's like totally me. Plus it's my favourite, so that's me. Has to be kept in the fridge, though. Oh no. See, I'm a little bit. Oh no. I like it in the fridge if it's like really hot day and it's like getting to that point that you can't actually eat it. I like the snap, oh no. But then I like it when it's just a little bit warm. It's got to be a bit warm.

Speaker 1 2:58

What would I be? Well, I'm always told that I have a bit of a steely exterior. People don't always know how to take me, and I also get told that I've got a heart of stone and ice cold heart at times.

Speaker 2 3:12

She doesn't.

Speaker 1 3:14

I can be a little bit emotionally unavailable at times, so I feel like I would be a lindor, because when you put those in your mouth and they're hot and then when you suck them, this is going the wrong way. Do you ever get that thing where they go cold?

Speaker 3 3:30

Yeah, and I googled that and it's a thing.

Speaker 1 3:32

It's a real reason for that, there's like a scientific reason. So that's like me.

Speaker 3 3:37

Oh, but bit classy, Because lindor they're classy.

Speaker 1 3:41

I don't know. I think that's where the comparison ends.

Speaker 3 3:44

Oh no, she's classy lady. She's very classy yeah. Thanks, girls.

Speaker 2 3:48

Yeah, with her heels, she always sees her, oh yeah.

Speaker 3 3:51

And nice heels, and they're pretty dresses. Your handbags, yeah, yeah, definitely classy.

Speaker 1 3:56

Because I'm short. But yeah, what about you, Sarah?

Speaker 2 3:59

So I would be a Kit Kat chunky, because I am quite chunky.

Speaker 1 4:04

No, you're not.

Speaker 2 4:07

But there's also many layers to me.

Speaker 3 4:09

She's got very many layers.

Speaker 2 4:11

So some days I am very happy, some days I'm very, not, not. And then people never know how to quite take me, because they don't know what sort of day.

Speaker 3 4:21

I'm on.

Speaker 2 4:22

So I probably have a little bit of bipolar disorder.

Speaker 3 4:26

But we love Kit Kat junkies. I absolutely love Kit Kat junkies, so we're very strong, they are strong. And if you put them in the fridge, because it's me, I'm a staple, I'm always around.

Speaker 2 4:40

Yeah, absolutely you find your four-finger Kit Kat right next to it. It's the junkie. I'm an old favourite. I've been here a long time.

Speaker 3 4:47

Yeah, that's it, that's it. Oh, we'd like you to think about what chocolate bar you'd be. Have a think.

Speaker 1 4:55

Yeah, have a think she can let us know on. Oh yeah, let us know.

Speaker 2 4:59

On Instagram. Yeah, I'll put a post out and see what if anyone replies.

Speaker 3 5:05

Yeah, oh, please reply. It'll be fun to see what you all think, what kind of chocolate bar you are.

Speaker 2 5:12

Okay, so moving on, so, as with any start of the year, you cannot go any further without talking about the school development plan.

Speaker 3 5:24

I feel like shaking when they bring that up and they say, right, we're on the school development plan, we all go oh, we instantly switch off.

Speaker 2 5:33

Well, really, we just want to talk about what we hope for this academic year from our podcast. So, yeah, I think because we've had some staffing changes. Yeah, a lot of staff. Well, one of our staff members in this meeting is not going to be in reception anymore.

Speaker 1 5:53

No, we did break that in the last episode, breaking news. Yes, I'm going down to nursery, which is, you know, it's a great opportunity for the podcast. It was one of my first thoughts that we're going to have a lot more scope for, you know, just looking at things from the perspective with younger children- so, that's fantastic.

Speaker 2 6:14

And obviously different provision, yeah, different ways of working. So that would be really good and you will be spending Keely your first full year as doing in like, using your early years knowledge, but using it in interventions on your school yeah. So we'll be exploring that more, which will be really good, especially for if you've got like mixed age groups in your setting or if you are moving out of early years and you're moving into the rest of the school and you can't quite shake the early years.

Speaker 3 6:44

No, you can't. You can take the girl out of early years, but you can't take the early years out of the girl Absolutely. And I think they kind of frowned that up there and they're like I went into one room and I went, right, okay, we need some fine motor stuff in here. And she went okay, what do we need? Don't worry, leave it with me. And like two minutes later I came back with all this stuff and she went okay, is that actually going to work? Yeah, just watch it. And she went and then, like at the end of the year, she said that worked. I know Good isn't it.

Speaker 2 7:18

So if you are moving out of early years but you're still early years at heart, then Keely will be at hand to impart some advice.

Speaker 1 7:26

Or maybe if you're key stage one and you're implementing continuous provision or you're trying to it's good to get that perspective of how it works with the national curriculum and older children.

Speaker 2 7:38

Yeah, and we also want to have some guest speakers on yeah, yeah, so you impart their wisdom instead of just having our ramblings get some actual experts, yeah. So, yeah, watch this space. We hope to have some guest speakers, so that would be really good, and if you are listening and you think you could impart some wisdom onto us, then please contact us on our website.

Speaker 1 8:02

Yeah, we'd love to have you.

Speaker 3 8:04

Yeah, we would love to have you Be nice to us, though no trolls.

Speaker 2 8:08

Yeah, but yeah, if you'd love to do that, yeah, then go on our website, wwwbeearlieststaffmeetingcom, and there is a section on there where you can get in contact with us, or on our Instagram page.

Speaker 1 8:21

Slide into our DMs Exactly.

Speaker 2 8:24

Definitely Okay, right, moving on to the main agenda. So we put a poll out I think we did it on Instagram and I've done it on Spotify, where our podcast is and people did reply and the results were people wanted to find out more about setting up provision, which I think is only appropriate.

Speaker 1 8:56

Yeah, yeah, makes sense.

Speaker 2 8:59

The other choices were settling children in and talking about skills teaching. So we will be doing those, but we will explore provision. Yeah, it's quite a big one.

Speaker 1 9:12

Yeah, so it'll be like a light touch, won't it? It will.

Speaker 2 9:16

We're not going to go into all the different areas of the classroom, but we're just going to literally talk about you walk into a room and there's furniture everywhere. Perhaps you're new to early years. How do you set up, go about setting up continuous provision? So that's what we're going to explore. Okay, so what you need to do first is and we've talked about this in one of our first episode I was thinking if we feel like it's our first proper episode wasn't it our first full episode about ethos Ethos.

Speaker 2 9:48

So you need to be aware of what the ethos is of the setting that you're working at. Whether you've just walked in, you need to speak to the staff to find out what their idea of what the ethos is. Or maybe you're suddenly in charge and you're thinking right, okay, what do I? How am I going to steer this ship? You?

Speaker 2 10:11

always start with your ethos. So it's important that you find that out, and that is purely talking to your staffs, talking to your senior leadership, talking to your managers, yeah, and just try and get a feel for what the ethos is. Yeah, okay. And then, once you've grasped all of that, then it's getting down to the. You know, looking in all the cupboards, Cupboards of doom.

Speaker 3 10:40

Cupboards of doom.

Speaker 1 10:44

It's really hard, isn't it, when you walk into a classroom, especially if you're new to a setting and you literally don't know what anything is, and I've been in this position quite a few times and you don't want to throw anything away because you don't know if you're going to need it like it's only you.

Speaker 1 11:02

You don't know who it belongs to, or. But then you also want to put your own stamp on the class and get it ready for yourself. So it's really tricky. So it'd be good to work with your colleagues to stock take. That's probably better done before the end of term, ideally, isn't it?

Speaker 2 11:22

but yeah, it doesn't always happen no, no, especially if you're moving into somewhere and it's about assessing the lay of the land, looking in all the cupboards, looking in all of the areas, what are the furniture, what is the resources? And actually you know, then having a look around with fresh eyes and thinking, oh actually we don't need that piece of furniture, it's broken, it's not fit for purpose, it needs to go. So then you start the editing process and that is where you just have a good old chuck out and for some staff members it's a love it or hate it. Yeah, you love chucking things out, you love that purging experience, or you love hoarding and you find that really difficult.

Speaker 1 12:06

Now I feel like we've got both ends of the spectrum here, because I know I've seen Sarah go on purges where she just had it off and she goes on purges and I've seen Keely's eclectic collection.

Speaker 3 12:26

Your cupboard. What cupboard? Oh, okay, right, so my cupboard was tidied out and I did take all my stuff when I left and, yeah, that was fine. Now someone's come to me and said your cupboard is full. I was like, no, my cupboard's not full. And now I've gone into my cupboard's full. Who put stuff in my cupboard? And they went, no, no, well, it's you, wasn't it? No, I haven't been here. I've been up to school, I've got a shelf, that's all I've got. And they went, no, no, this is your stuff. And I go no, it's not, I've gone through it and it's not my stuff. So it wasn't me. So you've got a bad rep. It wasn't me. And someone gave me a bad rep and it wasn't me.

Speaker 2 13:16

And so you really need to look at have you got too many of something? Do we need to cull some things? And also making a little list as you go about core provision. So in continuous provision, something called core provision are things that are out all the time. They are the lowest skilled items. Usually they are the core of what that area is. So if we look at the sand area, it'd be the sand. You couldn't have a sand area without sand.

Speaker 2 13:46

So, that is the lowest skilled part of it, because all you can do with sand is just rub it between your fingers and mould it you need tools. And that is something you need to think about when you're setting up what is your lowest skilled items they are your core, what is missing, and so, therefore, we need to source those. So yeah, it's the process of editing. We have had skips arrive, we have hidden things from rubbish bags. We have quite a lot, so we've had both ends of the spectrum.

Speaker 1 14:32

I think what we're trying to do this year is to create a collective collection of things so rather than having this is this class is smaller and that's that class is smaller. So we put them all together and pull them all together, but again it's finding that place where you can store it have central because people do tend to get possessive over. You know. Sometimes, a lot of the time it is stuff that teachers or TAs have actually bought so it is actually their own stuff.

Speaker 1 15:07

But even when it's, sometimes it can just be something you've had in your room for a long time and you're rather attached to it. So, yeah, it is about just thinking right for the good of the children.

Speaker 2 15:18

We do need to like pull these resources together and I think, just to put it out there, the way that we work so a bit of background knowledge is that all the classrooms are open to all the children and it is more like a unit, and so we don't have three role play areas, we don't have three painting areas we have one area for all of the children that we have in the setting. So that is where you do need to be really worked together as a team and you can't start being possessive over this.

Speaker 1 15:52

You can't be precious over this.

Speaker 2 15:56

So that is the background to us. So continuous provision for us is vital, that we do work together and we do edit those resources, we do categorise all the resources together, store all the what I call the back stocks or the extra things that might need replenishing, so you might have, like you might only put 10 dinosaurs out Did you write the flow. Yeah, you might have 10 dinosaurs that you keep in the small world store, because the motto is less is more.

Speaker 3 16:27

And I don't think we've said that yet. I must say I found less is more really hard. Surprise, surprise, no, it's so hard. And lots of people had to come and went yeah, less is more. Remember Keely, less is more. And I go yeah, yeah, I've really tried and they're going you really haven't have you, I have, but we need this for this and need this for this. But really, do they really need it at this moment in time? They first come in, do they need that color stone? I'm like, yeah, yeah, they do need that color stone, because it could be this or it could be that. Yeah, but they don't need it right now.

Speaker 1 17:02

I think it's so tempting to put out and I actually did make that mistake last year of just collect, because I had the loose parts area in my classroom and I was just collecting all these loose parts and I was so proud of all the different collections that I just ended up putting it all out. Huge mistake, in the words of pretty woman. Big mistake, huge because it just you know, until you've taught the children how to use it and how to tidy it way, you do need to like strip it back.

Speaker 2 17:32

So yeah, and that is that is part of our ethos. The less is more motto. We use that a lot when we're setting up areas or step. We've set it up was down, back and go. Is this less is more? Yeah, I need all of these different writing implements. Do we just need to start off? With two and build it up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I think we're going to talk about this in our next episode. But social media and Pinterest and Instagram has a huge impact on this.

Speaker 2 18:00

I think you know, practitioners want it to look perfect pretty. But yeah, we're going to go into that more.

Speaker 1 18:08

We are yeah.

Speaker 2 18:10

So yeah, once you've you've edited your categorize, you take stock and then you find a central store for all of these items so that they're accessible when you need them and label.

Speaker 3 18:25

Yes, I love to label. I think it's ingrained in teachers that they love label, but even if it is, because I'd like a nice printed off label. However, I have learned to post it, note things or just you know, like the stickers you put the children's names on the. Stick them on them, like ones like that, and just stick them on your things. At least everybody knows where everything is.

Speaker 2 18:52

And I think some people. There is a train of thought where they say that actually you don't need to label things if you teach children to hide them away.

Speaker 3 18:59

Oh no, I'm talking about the central store for adults.

Speaker 2 19:02

Yeah, oh right, I was going to move on.

Speaker 3 19:05

So much in the classroom, more to do with the central store for the adults, because anybody could if they're looking to quickly grab something because you need, because maybe a child's doing something and you want to add that extra thing in, that's maybe not in the classroom because you think, oh okay, but I can go and get that out, at least if it's, if it's labeled in there for everyone because you're all using it, then that's what I meant.

Speaker 1 19:28

I'm more of a scroll it on the outside of the box with a sharp he kind of girl. As you know, my laminating is particularly bad. It's questionable.

Speaker 3 19:37

I love laminating. It's just laminating is. I just don't have time.

Speaker 1 19:40

I'm sorry, like it's bad for the environment. It is.

Speaker 3 19:49

When she cut off half of it you put it through.

Speaker 1 19:53

What was it Like? It was, it was my calendar last year and I was like panicking at the end of the year. So the troops all came into my room and I'd laminated all these like little date you know, for the calendar dates, and it was I think it was the seventh just like completely like overlapped.

Speaker 3 20:11

Half of it was laminated, half of it wasn't, so all the others had a little bit of like the sixth or something on it as well.

Speaker 1 20:17

Shout out to, so that one was particularly small and every time it was the seventh. You know all she's to just remind me of my. It was so funny, but do you know what I was like? That's okay, it did the job. It did it.

Speaker 2 20:34

But if we talk about labelling in the classroom, I think if you have the resources labelled and have the amount that's supposed to go in, then that really helps the children, but it also helps the adults more, I'd say at the, especially at the beginning of the year and when we swap classrooms as we do for our provision, if you're not in that classroom all the time and you want to model how to put things in there it is just as vital for adults to know.

Speaker 3 21:01

Especially at the start when you're teaching the children, where all the stuff goes. If you're new into that classroom, for that day you kind of be like, oh well it doesn't need to be.

Speaker 2 21:10

You know Instagram amazing. It needs to be a label with the name and how many things are in it. And if you really want to, you could put a picture on it so that the children have that.

Speaker 1 21:18

Yeah, I think photographs help.

Speaker 2 21:19

Photographs do help how everything is laid out.

Speaker 1 21:24

But we're probably probably going to talk about that a bit more in the next episode. We're digressing, I think. I think we are. So what we want to do is look at once you've sort of got your stock take and you've ordered if possible, or at least identified what's missing and perhaps make a wish list.

Speaker 1 21:47

You know it's not always possible to get your hands on those things straight away, but if there is a wish list, at least you know how to spend your budget when it eventually comes your way. And then it would be looking at the skills that we want the children to have through the provision.

Speaker 2 22:08

Yeah, so, Mr ABC, Mr Alistair Bryce-Cleg he is quite a pivotal figure on, he's got his own podcast. He's got many, many books. Yeah, but he also does them on TES.

Speaker 3 22:27

Oh yeah, he does really good webinars and stuff and he joins with loads of other teachers and scientists and stuff. I've done a couple of his webinars and they're really good.

Speaker 2 22:39

He does know his stuff and he's quite funny, but he developed this thing about layering provision. So it's about looking at those skills that you want the children to learn and thinking, like I said earlier, what's the basic skill, and then building it up from there and then looking at what provision would meet those skills and then, if If anything needs to be taught, then that would go on your planning.

Speaker 2 23:07

So you'd need to teach those children that skill to access that provision. And again, less is more. Only put out the basic things at the beginning of the year and hopefully by the end you'd have more enhanced provision with more skills in it to meet the needs of your children. Again, it comes down to again building relationships with those children and families and knowing what the needs are and the provision should reflect the needs of the children. So when you're putting things out, yes, it may look lovely and beautiful, but what are the children getting from that?

Speaker 3 23:43

Is it?

Speaker 2 23:43

going to meet the needs, whether it be a communication need, a fine motor need I don't know.

Speaker 3 23:52

Social need.

Speaker 2 23:53

Anything. Who is that for? How is that going to help the children? Learn so things aren't placed out just because of the things that are going to be put out.

Speaker 3 24:04

Yeah, and I know that's really hard for quite a lot of people, because that's almost something. Even at uni you're kind of almost like this is kind of the thing it needs to look like. You want it to look beautiful and really like colorful. But actually think about that little child that's coming into you, that maybe, especially with COVID not just COVID, but when they come into you they might not have been into anywhere like this. It might be a lot bigger than what they used to. They're nursery or might not have even been to nursery.

Speaker 1 24:31

They've maybe only been at home With the nursery. A lot of the children is their first setting.

Speaker 3 24:36

So they're coming in and they have no idea that this is what you do in a healthcare setting, you know, with a pen or a pencil or whatever, if you've got the pens, crayons and pencils and something else all out at the same time. Just think about that overload, like if you go into a restaurant and they say to you right, here's your starters, would you like this, this, this and this? But you can only choose one at the moment because that's what we can say. Well, choose one and then put it back. But actually for a four-year-old, I want the ice cream and the chocolate brownie.

Speaker 3 25:14

Why can't I have?

Speaker 1 25:14

both. I'm really bad, by the way, at choosing my food in a restaurant Terrible, that's probably why isn't it?

Speaker 3 25:21

I need to have limited options, and that's the thing I don't silly me in using food.

Speaker 2 25:26

Do you know what the magic number is? I read the Shester Daly. So the scientists did an experiment and they looked at optimal learning in early years with resources and the optimum amount of choices is four.

Speaker 3 25:41

Well, there you go Right. So is it like working. We could work up to the four, because you wouldn't maybe necessarily have four rounds.

Speaker 2 25:49

No, that's what they were saying they were talking about just having four toys out. Oh wow, so not just like four choices, four items. If they had a playroom that was full of stuff they could only cognitively take in four things.

Speaker 1 26:07

What age was the children on this?

Speaker 2 26:10

They were from Toddlers, so that was from two.

Speaker 3 26:13

So, that's really interesting. Oh look, look. I said that I'm just thinking about my daughter's bedroom at home.

Speaker 1 26:18

Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 3 26:21

I just thought about the playroom in my house. I just thought, oh God, A few more than four things in there.

Speaker 2 26:28

Everything else becomes wallpaper. Yeah, it becomes wallpaper and then they only access those four items that they really like. Everything else they don't see. Yeah.

Speaker 3 26:38

See, I think there's probably too much choice in my playroom, because my children just stick with the same things or they don't play with any of the other things that are around. So four is the magic number Four is the magic number.

Speaker 3 26:51

Doo-doo-doo, it's a magic number. I think that's great, because if you think about it, as we were just saying, in your writing area or whatever your mark making area, then paper that would be a one, then you've got pencils would be a two, and then you might have crayons or another mark making or the colours. What else could, and then maybe like scissors.

Speaker 1 27:21

Scissors yeah.

Speaker 3 27:24

And then leave your hole punches and all those things till a bit later and your felt-it pens for a bit later.

Speaker 1 27:31

It's hard, isn't it? Because it's that fine line between having enough that they've got the opportunity to take their learning somewhere.

Speaker 3 27:39

But maybe for that first interaction, for your first week or so, you could just think, oh, four things, yeah, and then see how that goes. But, as you said, but then you might have to add those enhancements a bit more when you find out about your children a bit more. That's a layering process.

Speaker 2 27:54

Yeah, I mean it is. I don't think we'll ever get it right all of the time. No, but it's that trial and error isn't it yeah. And actually having that ability to take things away that aren't working, and actually that can be really difficult for practitioners.

Speaker 1 28:07

Especially if you spent like a week for your holiday setting something up. Yeah, and you think, oh, why did I do that? Yeah.

Speaker 3 28:17

But also like it's a cohort, as we've said before, haven't we Depends who you've got coming in and what children and?

Speaker 2 28:23

it's all trial and error, it's all. It's a learning process for us as it is for the children. And it's all about observing and watching how they interact with the resources, and that that's your biggest thing, your biggest key isn't it? If there's something that's working or not, and if they're just trashing it, I think it means that they're not. They haven't learned.

Speaker 3 28:41

They're not accessing it the way you know you would like to be. Yeah.

Speaker 2 28:46

Could we digress?

Speaker 1 28:47

Yes, again, again.

Speaker 3 28:50

Should maybe change your name to the digress Okay.

Speaker 2 28:58

So shall we talk about quickly, about enhanced provision.

Speaker 1 29:02

Yeah.

Speaker 2 29:03

So we've talked about core provision and enhanced provision would be what it says on the tin is enhancing the area and it could be for a very short period of time linked to children's interests. So it could be about going into your central store and bringing out some pirate figures, because you see some children have made a pirate ship and you would bring those figures out and that would enhance their play because they would be able to then use that in a role play scenario and that may only stay out for one session and they might get you know they might be so precious then you put them back in the store for another time. They might stay out longer if the children are really engaging with them.

Speaker 2 29:45

Enhancements are also things that are that maybe adult led, so you could be the enhancement, so you could be the person modelling a skill or some language or I don't know anything. Yeah, so you could be the enhancement, or it could be for your more able children. It could be adding some you know, some tools. Maybe that at that stage, way above than what you'd expect, and I think we've definitely done that in the sewing area where we had crochet needles out, yeah, for children that had amazing fine motion skills and they just took to it like that.

Speaker 2 30:26

But yeah, yeah, again, it's knowing your children. So that's what enhancements are? They're not there all the time.

Speaker 1 30:34

It could be a photo, it could be, um your book, yeah, it could be anything yeah, be like a little provocation or an invitation to play linked to something that the children have you know are inspired by it's the magic, isn't it?

Speaker 2 30:51

yeah, basically, it's the enhancements, it's those magical things that don't stay out all the time, um, once they've done their job, to go away, and something else comes out, and it's it's what keeps your provision fresh. Yeah, and exciting as well.

Speaker 3 31:07

I did see something on yesterday that I was looking at. It was, um, I think it was called something called listen to listen to your child, listen to children, or something it was, and it was about how, like your, the play develops for a child. But so what this person did is they put out just the stuff you needed for to make glue, and they had. At one end was the cornflower, the other end was a jug of water, and they left this out for like two weeks to see what was going to happen and to also let the children kind of take it the way they needed to. But she observed the whole time, so someone they're like observing them, but also she went in if she needed to and she put the.

Speaker 3 31:51

So the first day it all got put together and it looked a little bit watery. And then someone said we'll cook the next day. The child said, well, could we have some more cornflower? And she said, yeah, that's fine, but why did you need the cornflower? We're going to try it.

Speaker 3 32:05

Because it didn't quite work, because it was all just a bit basically, it's a bit, um, watery. So she added in the extra and then they added in some cut food coloring and then by the end of the week it then turned into the children had a, still got all the essential things which she cleared it up and put it back out. They then put in. Then some days and she left it. They put in this look like a volcano, but it wasn't. It was like a, it was a plastic toy the cars could go down and it was like a ramp thing. Yeah, but it was a ramp and it was just a. It was just green, it just had like a ramp going down like a mountain, yeah, and then the children were like, oh, so then they were pouring the gloop down it to see what would happen.

Speaker 3 32:51

And then she put the next day next to it, she then put out some wheels and some cars and something else to see what they were doing, and then it ended up turning into this massive thing about how cars going down ramps and how fast they could go, and so it all turned from gloop to then turning into something completely different and all the children needed was time they needed time to explore that and then she left it out for the whole week and I think it went into another week because, because of what was coming out from it and then when it kind of gone to the point of nobody else was really playing with it or they'd lost interest in that part, she'd then put out ramps and stuff and cars because they were still playing with that but they weren't playing with the gloop anymore and put them into another part of the provision so your gloop, your water and your powder is your core and everything else and it just added as she went.

Speaker 3 33:46

But it was to do with the observing and asking the children what was going on, but also stepping back and not talking to them, just watching what. So she didn't ask them about the cars. She put those bits out because someone had mentioned it, had said, oh, what would happen if we put a car down and then they? She put out some cars. She knew that would maybe move. Well, to go with the, with the gloop, because it's not great, is it?

Speaker 2 34:10

no, so yeah, so that literally is just encompassed, all yeah. An example of anything.

Speaker 1 34:18

I saw it yesterday. Thank you, that was it that was hit me off.

Speaker 3 34:21

The cuff thingy's up on my facebook. Thank you very much but, yes, I did watch it. It was very good okay right.

Speaker 2 34:29

Do you feel a bit of a mindful moment coming in?

Speaker 1 34:32

yeah, I feel like we've. You know we need to now go to our zen place, okay, okay, then stuff, my lovely. Well, this week we're going to be thinking about switching off. How do we make sure that we do switch off and give ourselves a break a mental break as well as a physical break from the world of early years and work and school and children, and I just thought we could maybe explore some of the strategies that we use, because it is something that I really, really struggle with.

Speaker 1 35:09

I really, really struggle with as well, even in the school holidays, I am constantly thinking about school and I have to be really strict on myself, like if I know right, I'm going away, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna think about school this week, and every time I have a school-based thought, I sort of push it to one side and think, no, no, this is a time for, like other, thoughts.

Speaker 1 35:33

But it's really hard sometimes because, especially if you're on like social media and things, because you're constantly getting all the analytics of all the things you normally look at, like you know the yeah, and so sometimes I've also done where I've muted groups. Like you can mute things on facebook and instagram, and I've done that before I'll just mute that group. Or even, like you could mute I mean, I don't do these girls, but you could mute the school whatsapp, the staff whatsapp group. You could mute it. You can mute your emails. Something I do is lists. Like I like to write lists and that helps me to get all my thoughts out and then I'm able to then move on from worrying about the, like the load of work, knowing that I've got my list and I know what needs to be done. Yeah, or about you girls, we've got any strategies for switching off um, if I get the chance, I do crocheting yeah or I do gardening, gardening yeah, both like a garden and season dependent as well.

Speaker 2 36:38

But um there, there are two things that I I do yeah or just spending time on my family yeah but because I have young children, I do find that really difficult, because I then become teacher come in teacher mode. And then I start getting back into that train of thought yeah and then you know, we'll go shopping and I think, oh, that's a good bargain, I need that school, yeah, and I'm terrible for doing that yeah, I think we all have been at some point.

Speaker 2 37:04

I've been awful at it, so, and I do find it really hard to switch off, because I also do really enjoy reading stuff about early years. I do enjoy looking at all of that stuff.

Speaker 1 37:16

So I do find that really difficult it's hard because I feel like I enjoy it too and I find it interesting, but then it gets you thinking and it triggers something in your mind, or maybe I should do that or oh yeah, I needed you know, and so it just. It just spirals into this um work, thought train, yeah and I think it is okay to do that.

Speaker 2 37:39

But you're, you do need a brain break, yeah, you do. You do need some time where you don't think about work, and I do find when I go on holiday. So I go camping, you love, I go from caravan. Miss Lindor and her lights go by.

Speaker 1 37:58

I'm an all inclusive friend, See I told you my soldier, one was classy. Yeah.

Speaker 3 38:05

Classy, whereas we both go to that same places. We do and that is not a camper.

Speaker 2 38:12

She's not a happy camper.

Speaker 3 38:13

She's not a happy camper. You like a bit?

Speaker 1 38:16

of a glamping. I wouldn't mind a bit of glamping, as long as I haven't got to set anything up.

Speaker 3 38:24

That's not my forte, so we'll just get you someone that will come and set everything up for you. One of those lovely bell tents.

Speaker 1 38:30

Oh yeah, I don't mind sleeping in a tent, that's fine, I can cope with that. My husband not so much, because he's very tall, but it's more of the yeah just not a natural.

Speaker 2 38:47

So what do you like to do to switch off? So?

Speaker 3 38:51

I like to garden. Yeah, garden in the same, growing our own vegetables. That is a big part of our lives, because it's really important and our children are growing up to see where everything comes from. And we do that. It's a big part of our lives and we're not going to be able to do that. And then that wasn't enough for my husband. Allotment wasn't enough. We haven't got like the biggest garden in the world, we've got a tiny garden. It's so small but our front garden is big-ish and he decided no, grass wasn't enough, so he's turned the whole front garden into like a mini veg plot. It's very nice actually. This one's got like really nice raised beds and stuff. Sorting it out because we're on a bit of a main road, because we're in a very small village. The lady comes and she goes oh, you picking stuff for your dinner. Yeah, it's like, yeah, do you want any? And that's just how it goes. And then I just start talking to people.

Speaker 1 39:52

You too are so wholesome.

Speaker 2 39:54

And it makes you feel really good. I wouldn't go down on a tangent.

Speaker 3 39:59

Yeah, it makes you feel really good and you do forget about stuff for a bit. But I'm much better now. Now I've changed my job and I don't I'm not in the teaching part at the moment and I don't have as much like all that responsibility and all that paperwork and stuff and that has really helped. I still love doing what I'm doing Because I'm still being with children, I'm still helping them, but not having to do all that other stuff as well. But also me and my husband do have a role. Once a week we turn the devices off so we'll sit and maybe watch a film Actually watch the film Honour device.

Speaker 3 40:37

Honour device. Yeah, alright. Thank you for that, sir.

Speaker 1 40:40

Turn off the screens so watch a big screen, collective screen, other screen.

Speaker 3 40:45

Because I kind of find that I still am looking and doing things, but then you've got the film one at the same time and we're still with the little screens Trying to watch the big screen and it just isn't working Because you find it really hard to turn off. So we do just say turn off, or just put them to the side so we can't see them or don't get them, because you don't really want to be bothered to get up. So you just kind of sit there and you do watch, and then we do get to sit and talk and sewing. I love sewing. You've got your crochet, I got my sewing.

Speaker 1 41:20

God, you two are so wholesome.

Speaker 2 41:22

Take us to the nursing home.

Speaker 3 41:25

You'll be alright. Yes, please. We'd be great there, wouldn't we? That's where I'm necessarily need to go now.

Speaker 1 41:31

Did you know what I do to switch off? Now I listen to podcasts. Yay, I love listening to a podcast, so I'll do that while I'm folding my washing.

Speaker 3 41:42

Yeah.

Speaker 1 41:44

Yeah, go walking to the shops or something like that. That helps me to switch off, as long as it's not an education one. I have to be in the mood To be an education one. Yeah, okay, right, well, I think that brings us to the end today. I think it does. We just need to promote all our lovely promoting things, sarah.

Speaker 2 42:07

Okay, so I've been posting some things, so I have been a little bit more prolific on Instagram.

Speaker 1 42:18

I've noticed so.

Speaker 2 42:20

I have been posting some things and I posted a toilet one recently. I did see that you would have seen this.

Speaker 3 42:31

I haven't seen this toilet one.

Speaker 2 42:33

So I went to a museum, a steam museum on my day. And inside the toilet was a sign that said please do not throw tampons paper.

Speaker 2 42:46

And then it was like Bill's receipt and it was just this really outlandish list and it ended up with the goldfish and I sat there chuckling and I thought to myself actually, and this is it comes back to not being able to switch off. I've come back to like memories of fishing things out of toilets Toilets in my career, yeah. So I made my own list and I posted it on and other people have commented on that.

Speaker 2 43:13

Okay, so my favourite one so far is that they had to retrieve a child's head because they were washing their hair in the toilet. Oh, I love it. Oh, blessings, so yeah, so I had. We have been posting more things on Instagram and it has been lovely to have engagement, so please carry that on. Have with Tik Tok in ladies Tik.

Speaker 1 43:36

Tok. I mean, this is just blowing my mind no very well. We are so down with kids.

Speaker 3 43:41

I only just got onto Instagram. Tik Tok scares the hell out of me.

Speaker 2 43:47

But I've posted something and like, thousands of people have seen it and like, like she's, she's so she's so happy about this. I literally closed my phone up because I've got a flip-flop and I threw it and was like oh, that's too scary, that's too scary.

Speaker 3 44:00

I wouldn't even know how to get onto Tik Tok. This is a thing.

Speaker 2 44:04

But yeah, I feel like really bad, check us out. We've started doing Tik Tok and some people have also been posting things on Spotify.

Speaker 2 44:12

So, people have been replying and we've had a poll on this, so we'll put a question link to this episode that you can answer and it'll be linked to provision. So, yeah, have a go at that. Please, please, please, follow us. We've had an influx of followers as well. Yeah, on our podcast listening stations, and that is amazing and that brings me joy, because I just think someone is listening To our babbling.

Speaker 3 44:40

To our rambling.

Speaker 2 44:42

So, yeah, that means an awful lot to us, but it would be great to have some more followers, yeah, so thank you very much. That's it for our first episode back. We did it.

Speaker 3 44:54

Well done.

Speaker 2 44:56

And we'll see you next time.

Speaker 3 44:58

Bye, bye, bye bye, bye.