What a privilege to join the Australian Leaders Conference for their tour of six Australian cities and to share our work. It was an amazing experience to spend time with such a thoughtful group of professionals as we travelled together, working and playing as we went. This is the second time I have joined the Educational Leadership Conference with Semann and Slattery.
These continue to be challenging times and being a leader during this tumultuous period will mean that many of the leaders have navigated difficult spaces and continue too. I wanted to acknowledge this as well as the big picture challenges that ECE faces globally. We all need to be advocates and activists to make the changes our sector deserves. Despite these challenges,
I'm always astounded by the joy with which early childhood teachers work and the power with which they work, because they know that what they do, makes a difference.
Below is some detail about the presenters on this tour and also a little about what they shared.
I found the Australian teachers to be engaged and when opportunities arose to talk to them individually they were deeply thoughtful. Many Australian teachers are writing Learning Stories and this was an opportunity to provoke some thinking around both the structure and the depth of the work being presented.
My actual title for my contribution was 'Seize the Joy'.
Joy is catching.If you love being with children, if you believe in the what you teach, your mokopuna will be engaged, be motivated, and will find a deep appreciation, a love, a joy for learning. It is through our Learning Stories that we can truly find and experience joy. What could be more satisfying than to share a Learning Story with the child and the whānau that truly captures the essence, the spirit of the child. It is a gift. A Learning Story that brings into view the child's learner identity in such an important way. A story that will be read and re-read for many years to come.
The day after I finished the work, I was struck down with covid and ended up having to spend 10 days in isolation in a Perth Hotel. I cannot express enough the care and support that Semann and Slattery provided. It was truly outstanding and says an volumes for the people within this organisation. Ngā mihi Anthony and also the fabulous Vivienne for her daily care and concern.
