12 Stories from the classroom
A Foundation teacher describes how sometimes sitting back and noticing students can be the most effective strategy to inform further planning and implementation:
“…It’s a bit of trial and error, sometimes you don’t hit it right… just knowing the [student] builds up an understanding. I think teachers need to sit back and take the lead from the children and then you know what will provide some challenge for them.” (Dockett and Fleer, 2002, p. 189)
Read, look, or listen
Role of the teacher in play – video (6:57)
The following video re-emphasises the vital role of the teacher in implementing play-based approaches. Marie is a foundation year level teacher, the children in her class are in their first year of primary school education in Australia. Her experiences of play-based teaching and learning provides a series of examples and descriptions of the teacher’s role in the play-based classroom.
As you listen and watch, consider how teachers can use interactions, observations, and teaching strategies in an integrated way to support students’ learning in a play-based environment.
Engage and extend
A teacher’s interactions with students in their play and inquiry experiences fosters problem-solving strategies and extends understanding. Play also provides opportunities for teachers to observe and assess areas of knowledge and skill that children have acquired.
Having listened to Marie, reflect on your own practice and think about the following questions:
- When have you observed children learning while they are engaged in play?
- How have you supported children in their play?
- How did you enrich their experiences?
Remember, a meaningful interaction can range from asking questions to the provision of resources that students are interested in using, for example, supporting children to find seats for the imaginary aeroplane.
To help you capture this reflection, we encourage you to use your voice and your words, to record yourself using the interactive audio below.
Record your recollection
Speak aloud your reflection and use this opportunity to unpack the incident and the learning that took place. You can re-record as many times as you like. Don’t forget to download the mp3 to keep a copy. This book doesn’t save your audio.
