While cleaning up at the end of the day, an early learning professional shared the comment, “That was a beautiful day!” You could see on his face the expression of happiness.
When asked what made a beautiful day, the teacher replied:
"Today was one of those days where we all seemed in sync and each of us really connected well with the children. We have grown to know the children's needs and are able to instinctively respond. Today felt calm, no chaos. We made muffins, watched the rain, and read a lot of books. What was neat was that I had time to listen!"
Early learning professionals have a lot to think about: curriculum, child development, assessment, observation, documentation, standards, benchmarks, milestones, regulations, parents, licensing, professional development, lesson plans, and accreditation (and the list could go on!). They must also think about snack time, lunch time, materials, schedules, activities, supplies, visitors, diapers, hand washing, allergies, clean-up, story time, injuries, illness, substitutes, checklists, and tomorrow (and this list could go on, too!).
Thinking about what makes for a beautiful day might seem impractical, but exploring the idea is worthwhile. Each of us values individual aspects of our profession, but in stressful, busy times, these can be difficult to recognize. Feeling good about the work that we do is important.
The National Institute of Child Health and Development states that "Positive care-giving is the strongest predictor of quality for young children in child care settings."
Positive care-giving requires positive caregivers. Thinking about what makes a beautiful day can help us recognize what we find positive, how we are positive, and see how this affects our work.
Think about it
What if you were asked to simply describe what makes a beautiful day? Think about what makes an enjoyable day for you. Without over-thinking, write down your thoughts.
Learning the joy of others
When programs and teams take time to share and communicate, they build understanding. We find that each of us has something unique and valuable to offer. As a team or program of any kind, it's important to share our joys. Do you know what makes a beautiful day for your children, co-workers, director, bus driver, and others in your program?
Plan time to discuss not only the positive parts of your day but why they matter and how you were able to accomplish these. By discussing the day's elements,
we can review the plans that worked well and find out each other's unique ideas. This allows us to step outside of ourselves and begin to understand our co-workers' feelings, talents, knowledge, and opinions.
When we know children well, we can understand what is needed of us; we can connect our knowledge and expertise to plan for begin to see that the adults are interested in what they have to say and feel valued. In turn, the children begin to learn about self awareness; recognizing and reflecting on the competent, successful things they did and enjoyed. Also, when children are aware of joy it can make the more difficult times seem tolerable. They can begin to
remember joy and its feelings, which can promote a sense of optimism.
Think about it: In small groups or individually, talk with children about what makes for a beautiful, great day. Be sure to document their ideas. Your questions will need to fit their age and need to be open-ended. Think of questions that can accompany "What makes for a beautiful, great day?" such as "What makes school a fun place to be? What are some things you really enjoy doing? Who do you enjoy playing with? How do you make it a great day at school?" Encourage the children to draw, paint, or write about the experiences they enjoy.
Research shows that families are the strongest influence on a child's development. When we can partner with families the support to the child is doubled. Finding out what makes a beautiful day for the children's families gives us glimpses into their needs, wants, and personal stories. We can become sensitive to their needs or even begin to see what they may appreciate about our work.
Reflecting on what makes for a beautiful day provides the opportunity to be grateful, recognize positive program elements, and bring attention to what we value and are proud of.
Tips 12-7
