Taking Action with the real David Cameron and Kirsten Harrold, Lecturer in Early Years at Edinburgh College

I have been keen to record another episode of this series which focussed on Further Education to follow up the wonderful episode with Jackie Galbraith from West Lothian College. Kirsten Harrold is a worthy successor. 

Kirsten is a brilliant combination intellect and rigour, with a deep knowledge of the theory of child development and of attachment, and a resolute pragmatism and practicality. All of that is delivered in a completely unpretentious way laced with energy, enthusiasm and humour.

She is a great guest with a great story to tell. The training offered to early years practitioners at Edinburgh College is exemplary. They are really well-supported. Every detail of the courses and the context in which the courses are delivered is given deep thought. Kirsten is full of ideas about how to create a culture, how to maximise the potential of students and how to establish an environment for learning.

She and her colleagues have also gone well beyond what we might traditionally think of as courses and she talks about some off the events which the team have run out of the normal college timetable. This has given students access to really influential thinkers like Claudia Gold and  Iain McGilchrist and others. 

This is a classic example of how we can set high standards and expectations while still recognising the needs of students and the importance of positive relationships.

The latest example of this is a screening of the film Love and Trouble https://www.screen.scot/film-in-scotland/made-in-scotland/film/love-and-trouble which we discussed with film distributor Christo Hird in another episode of this series. That showing will be at Edinburgh College on the 15th of January and details of how to purchase tickets will be available from the College nearer the time.