EAS Learning Journey

The class was filled with recollections of our childhood memories, where some were long forgotten but were brought back through some activities we did. Each one of us had shared our own favourite childhood play. My favourite was 'Am I Right' which we used to call "Am Right'. Through that play, I got to make a lot of friends, which I wouldn't have if I didn't play that game and learnt the value of friendship. I used to think that play is just for engaging children but through this lesson I realized that learning can take place while playing and it involves both physical and emotional aspects. Among many key takeaways, the most notable highlight was that we can only be carefree and be ourselves without feeling any insecurities. Once we become an adult we always have to be conscious of what others will say or think. Therefore, it is our duty as a teacher to incorporate play in teaching.

Play is engaging, enjoyable and many other reasons to let it be alive but not all feel that way. Schools feel that it is just a waste of time and focus only on finishing what's in the curriculum. Not only the school but the parents also demand to focus be more on academics which eventually leads to the disappearance of play. If we focus on the brighter side, play encourages a healthy and balanced life and helps children develop various skills like creativity, problem-solving and so on. Since play mostly comes from social and cultural context it shows identity and self-expression of individuals. Regardless of the benefits play provides, some children refuse to participate: that is because of how the play is designed, some play does not align with their beliefs or the background that they come from and children withdraw when there is more adult involvement. In conclusion, the key message I took out from today’s class was that social and cultural context plays a crucial role in play. ...

Reflecting on the discussions done in the classroom, the Surplus-Energy by Schiller and Spencer completely reframed how I view my classroom management, especially when dealing with the intense restlessness of young learners.  During my TP time, when I observed children becoming wiggly in their seats, I took it as a disruption or a lack of focus that needed to be corrected. However, after going through this particular theory, it made me realise that this physical energy is not misbehavior but physiological accumulation of excess vitality that a child's body naturally demands to release. So moving forward, instead of trying to suppress this natural urge to move, I will design intentional and purposeful movement breaks/activities that will channel the strong energy productively. By keeping this theory in mind, I will turn what was once viewed as a classroom management issue into a vital stepping stone for learning.  

Reflecting on Simon Nichoson's Loose Parts Theory really transformed how I think about designing a classroom environment for young children. Before this particular lesson, I used to think that providing rich learning meant using single-purpose materials and just teaching. However, learning about how open-ended items like pinecones, cardboard tubes, and bottle caps can be used in various ways without a right or wrong approach. This made me think that the simplest materials are often the ones that spark curiosity among learners.  The theory connects to how children aged 5-8 years are concrete thinkers who are more interested in the actual process of doing rather than the final result. As far as I can remember, I as a child didn't get much opportunity to explore loose parts materials. So in my future teaching, instead of handing a child with fix function, I will actively collect and integrate rich resources of natural and recyclable loose parts materials. Unlike myself, it will gi...