Reflective Essay on Early childhood education and practice

Introduction
This essay begins by discussing the changes, shifts, and challenges that occurred, which were
inspired by research and practice during the semester. Then the essay will elaborate on the
emerging professional identity and link this to relevant resources. It then moves on to discuss the
understanding of the provided tasks and provides evidence. Finally, based on the previous
reflection, the essay will further address the needs for future professional development in early
childhood teaching.

Shifts, Changes and Challenges

The significance of the safety and health of children was not considered in my prior graphic
representation, which should be placed in the utmost position in practice and emphasized all the
time. I believe that health is a multidimensional concept that includes physical, social, emotional,
intellectual, and spiritual aspects, and promoting health can build self-competence and high self-
esteem. The importance of the matter is stated in nearly all ECEC policies. According to the Code
of Ethics (Early Childhood Australia [ECA], 2015, p.2), educators are required to "create and
maintain safe, healthy, inclusive environments that support children’s agency and enhance their
learning". As in the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) (Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR], 2009), educators should develop
children's sense of well-being, including aspects of physical, emotional, social, and health.
Educators should put effort into “supporting students’ wellbeing and safety”, as stated in the
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) (Australian Institute of Teaching and
School Leadership [AITSL], 2011, p.17) and this is one of the beginning requirements in the
placement. It is also one of the quality assessment standards in the National Quality Standard
(NQS) (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA], 2018).
Children’s safety and health requirements reflect all aspects of early childhood education. Not
only should the teachers attach importance to it, but also they should help to develop the
responsibility of children, their families, and the community as a whole to achieve the purpose.
During the placement, educators in the center only allowed children to play with a balance bike
with helmets, and children were constantly reminded to slow down their speed when playing.
Teachers who serve food to children would wash their hands first and make sure that every child
had already washed their hands. When the teachers were guarding the children, they made sure the
children were in their eyesight, anticipated dangers, and prevented them from happening. It is
through the placement that I realized that safety and health are not as simple as they may seem, it
is a serious matter and should be given priority.
The understanding of teaching strategies has developed from a narrow aspect of teaching method
to combine a range of teaching and learning strategies, which contains High scope, Cultural-
historical approach, Reggio, Forest school, Montessori, and the Multiple Intelligences approach
(Ailwood et al., 2016). I noticed that the place I stayed drew upon the key features of each strategy
and made them their own. Children’s interests and strengths have been recognized and considered
by the teachers and teachers set up the classroom accordingly. For instance, some of the children
had a great interest in making artwork, so the teachers set up papers and watercolor brush pens in
the classroom to engage the children. They invited the local community to participate in some
activities. For example, they had invited a child’s father who was a firefighter to run an
educational activity for the children. Children were encouraged to shorten their screen time and
explore nature by leading to the nearest park.
The previous representation showed knowledge of ongoing professional development but what
exactly should I do to improve my practice was not demonstrated. On the one hand, it is better that
I should build a wide range of resources (AITSL, 2011) through gathering storybooks, nursery
rhymes, and activities for both small group and large group, on the other hand, I should constantly
reflect on my own practice and other colleagues practice and gain feedback from them (AITSL,
2011). Writing observations on each children is also a useful way to improve my practice because
observations support teacher to evaluate children’s engagement and teaching pedagogy (DEEWR,
2009).
My understanding of communicating with children was narrow in the previous picture. Instead of
talking to children about everything without purpose, it is better if communication and teaching
bear aims. This type of teaching strategy is called “intentional teaching”. In an early childhood
setting, intentional teaching includes educators being deliberate, purposeful, and mindful in their
teaching, which is the opposite of instructing by rote (DEEWR, 2009). In intentional teaching,
educators play a leading role in the learning process. Through effective questioning, and focused
or purposeful teaching, they work with children to build an environment that is full of learning
opportunities, which include intentional instructions to ensure that youngsters have access to the
knowledge and actively engage with different objects (Ailwood et al., 2016). This teaching
strategy was highlighted during the placement where the teachers actively engaged with the
children’s playing by asking questions, modeling, extending their playing, and guiding them to
learn new concepts. For example, in an activity of making a necklace for Mother’s Day, when the
teacher saw children randomly threading the beads, she asked them whether they could make
some patterns. The children seemed confused, so she explained to them what a pattern looked like
and modeled for them how to make a pattern by threading three different colors of beads onto the
string and then continuing the pattern. The children followed her instructions and imitated the
pattern. After finishing their first necklace, the teacher questioned whether they could create other
patterns. Children started to develop their understanding of patterns and were able to employ this
knowledge in different contexts, which related to Learning Outcome 5 (DEEWR, 2009)
In the previous picture, I showed awareness of students’ diverse linguistic, cultural, religious, and
socioeconomic backgrounds (AITSL, 2011, p.10). In the latest graphic representation, my
awareness has grown to a wider community, and value the variety of family cultures, languages,
and practices. Embracing the family and even community into the teaching process helps to
promote the children's learning of topics and their application, as well as strengthen the
relationship between school and family (Hill, 2012). It also helps to build an inclusive
environment where children understand and respect different cultures. Engaging family and
community are emphasized in the National Quality Standard (ACECQA, 2018), which states that
children are significantly more likely to achieve their comprehensive capacity in life when their
family, education, and care services work together. Although I didn't manage to fulfill this task, I
will continue to work on this aspect by observing other teachers' practices and making this
engagement sustainable.
Managing challenging behavior (AITSL, 2011, p.16) was one of the difficulties that occurred
during placement. Behaviors such as resistance to following your request, being particular about
food or clothes, deliberately hurting others, and excessive emotion (The Royal Children’s Hospital
Community Information, Department of Adolescent Medicine, and The RCH Child Health Poll,
2018) can be found across the early childhood process. I understand that when facing these
behaviors, educators need to understand the children and stand on their feet, trying to know why
they do that. But it is still a challenge for me at the moment.
In addition, helping children and their families to go through a smooth transition is crucial as a
healthy transition to school is believed to be linked to continued accomplishment and engagement
(DEEWR, 2009). but it is also a challenge for pre-service teachers who don’t have much
experience.

Professional identity and Leadership

Before I started this ECEC learning, I didn’t realize the importance of capacity educators to have
leadership since it is a relatively new sector for early childhood teachers’ ability assessment until
recent years in many countries. The function of educational leaders arose in the Australian ECEC
sector as part of a massive policy reform process that starts in 2009 (Sims et al., 2018). The
Chinese government has started a comprehensive reform in ECEC in 2010, with methods aimed at
increasing teacher leadership and improving educational quality (Wang & Ho, 2020). In
discussions regarding the creation of early childhood identity, leadership is becoming increasingly
important (Woodrow, 2008). According to the ACECQA (2018), the educational leader has a
significant impact on creating excellent results for children and their families. By inspiring,
motivating, validating, challenging, and expanding educators' practice and pedagogy, effective
educational leadership improves their ability. This collaborative project incorporates inquiry and
reflection, as well as continual learning and professional growth. ECE leadership in the Australian
context is more about collaboration and distribution and it is occurred mostly in a small and
people-oriented institutions, frequently led by women (Halpern et al., 2021). Leadership
development should be viewed as a process that influences ECEC and should be improved at all
hierarchical levels, rather than a formal leadership position. Educators who are trained as leaders
gain the ability to lead change, which benefits both themselves and their pupils (Halpern et al.,
2021). I believe that the discussion about leadership is a vital part of broadening the present
spectrum of professional discourses and identities so that they can react to the difficulties of this
profession (Woodrow, 2008).

Professional identity and engagement with families and communities

Interactions with a variety of groups are one component of what it means to be professional
(Roberts, 2005). There are many standards and norms in ECEC that require the involvement of the
family (Fenech & Sumsion, 2007). Lead to ongoing materials (e.g. DEEWR, 2009; ACECQA,
2018) convey normative expectations that early childhood instructors would participate in
"partnerships with parents" when discussing interactions with parents. Being a 'good' early
childhood teacher is expected to have care and nurturing connections with parents and families
(Feeney et al., 2010). Parent engagement, parent education, and transformative partnerships are all
examples of partnership discourse found in EC literature (Arthur et al., 2007; MacNaughton,
2003; Rodd, 2006). Using ecological and social exchange views, we can better understand the
practice of effective early childhood family engagement (Halgunseth, 2009). According to an
ecological point of view, children's growth and learning occur within a sequence of embedded
systems, ranging from proximal (e.g., home) to distal (e.g., school). Cohesive interactions between
systems (for example, kindergarten and families) help to improve family engagement and the
development of children (Wertsch, 2005; Xu & Filler, 2008). The ecological approach does not
explain why families and schools should collaborate. Knowing what drives families from different
cultural and linguistic backgrounds to participate in their children's early education setting is
critical for early childhood educators who want to increase family engagement (Marschall, 2006).
Furthermore, the social exchange theory explained the establishment of social interactions, such as
those between early childhood services and family members, is dependent on information sharing
and cost-benefit analysis. For instance, programs might provide practical (adult education classes)
or intangible resources or services (a warm and welcoming environment). Families can then
provide educators with information about their children or assist reinforce important topics taught
in the curriculum at home (Halgunseth, 2009).

Professional identity and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
When discussing respect for Indigenous people, one of the most outstanding aspects is improving
their education outcomes since they are connected to improved health outcomes and are also
directly tied to higher career prospects. since Indigenous children must obtain a high-quality
education at all levels: early childhood, primary, secondary, and postsecondary, There is a
continuous academic achievement disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students
across Australia, which was shown by the result of the National Assessment Program—Literacy
and Numeracy (NAPLAN) (Ailwood et al., 2016). As such, a high-quality teaching and learning
environment is required, with an emphasis on engaging in early reading and numeracy activities
(Ailwood et al., 2016).
Educators must thus demonstrate the highest respect for elders, environment, and culture through
listening to their stories, watching their practice, and learning what they do. Early childhood
educators may play a significant role in assisting Indigenous families and their children. History,
language, and cultural practices distinguish all social, cultural, and ethnic groupings. Historically,
Indigenous people in Australia had suffered from brutality, yet they displayed great fortitude and
stoicism in the face of these injustices. Learning and understanding the Indigenous community's
local history and how it influences present settings is beneficial. Besides, Educators can also assist
in the documentation of local history (Ailwood et al., 2016).

Support children’s learning from Birth – 8 years

According to the Department of Education and Training [DET] & Victorian Curriculum and
Assessment Authority [VCAA] ( 2016), the VEYLDF “identifies five Outcomes for young
children from birth and extends these to include all Victorian children from birth to eight years:
Children have a strong sense of identity (identity)
Children are connected with and contribute to their world (community)
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing (wellbeing)
Children are confident and involved learners (learning)
Children are effective communicators (communication)” (p.17).
The five outcomes provide a common norm for professionals and children and families to
collaborate on building continuity across early childhood facilities and programs for children aged
newborn to eight years (DET & VCAA, 2016).
As to transition, one thing I noticed my mentor did well was that she communicated with the
children’s families and made sure the families knew what was about to happen and what they
should do to help smooth this process for their children so that they played an active role in
calming the children down at home or when they dropped off the children in the morning, which
related to the EYLF “Through partnership with families, early childhood educators ensure that
children have an active role in preparing for transitions” (DEEWR, 2009, p. 16).

Ongoing quality improvement in practice

The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework “recognizes the importance of
reflective practice among highly effective early children practitioners. Reflective practise is best
described in the context of early childhood development as a continuous process that involves
professionals analyzing their practice in order to identify what drives children's learning and
development, as well as the impact of their own values on understanding children's learning and
development.” (Louise et al., n.d., p.4). The best way to improve teaching practice is through
ongoing reflection of practice, which helps educators to become more engaged in their own
understanding of who they are as early childhood teachers, as well as define what they want to do
and how they plan to accomplish it (Rabanetal,2007). According to research, a dedication to
continuing learning, professional development, and reflective practice is required to deliver high-
quality, effective services for children and families (Howard, 2003; MacNaughton,2003; Siraj‐
Blatchfordet al., 2004), Educators are encouraged to challenge not just their own practice but that
of their colleagues, including managers, when critical reflection is integrated and implemented in
daily running of services (Louise et al., n.d.).

Conclusion
In the future, I will keep observing my colleagues’ practices and reflecting on my own to improve
my teaching skills. Observations on children are also crucial to understanding whether the
teaching practice is effective. In my following placement, I will put my learning into practice,
planning, structuring a lesson, and using resources to engage students, which I didn’t get the
chance to do this time. I will work on my communication skills with parents and engage the
family and community in the teaching process, which also needs further planning and, if possible,
making it sustainable. I will also observe and learn from the director and mentor to see how they
take on the leader role and build my leadership skills in future practice. What's more, I should get
myself more familiar with the up-to-date governing documents and ethics so that I am well
prepared for any future experience.
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