sunnyday Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I have had such an interesting day today and thought I would share! Our LA had some surplus money which had to be spent before end of financial year so........... with just a couple of weeks notice they wrote to all pre-schools/nurseries and reception classes in our area to offer us the chance to spend a day in each others settings - with them paying for supply cover. We are situated in a very small village so really only feed one school so this was easy to 'set up'. In previous years the reception teacher has 'called in' for an hour or so - usually in June - just before the children go to her for 'taster sessions' - but this was the first time she had been able to spend a whole day with us. She was interested to see how we 'coped with' the demands of E.Y.F.S. and has decided now that she is probably not giving enough CI activities. She said 'oh but you haven't called anyone over to any activities' - but I was able to point out that actually every child had tried every activity but in their own time and on their own terms - she readily agreed that this was the case. She was thrilled to see that we still do a whole group story (max.12 children) - I wonder if Ofsted will have a problem with this size of group - well I will defend this - it works very well for us! She is a very nice lady and very experienced and we both enjoyed the chance to spend this amount of time together, she feels that she has been given a great opportunity to meet the children that will move on to Primary this year in a setting where they feel comfortable. Unfortunately we have two boys with some behavioural problems and they didn't show themselves in a very good light, but again she has seen how we deal with them and she has some idea of the issues that they have. I am spending the day in her class on Friday - can't wait! This post has rambled on a bit - hope I have bored you death!!! Sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wolfie Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) Well you haven't bored ME at all! And I too would be buzzing if I'd spent a day doing something as worthwhile as that - it's great when something good in theory turns out well in practice too, isn't it? It's a pity that it has only been feasible with extra funding- but perhaps now that you've forged a relationship, you might be able to work out some way of regularly communicating/visiting between you? Edited March 23, 2009 by Wolfie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Sounds like a brilliant day, if only it happened everywhere an it wasn't just because of extra funding. I am sure that lots of practitioners would value this kind of opportunity. Maybe now you have set up the link you will be able to keep it going and make it a regular meeting if only for a few hours. samfrostie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Thanks for your replies Wolfie and Sam - forgot to say that she was very impressed with our Learning Journeys but completely horrified that we have to spend so much of our 'own time' completing them!!! Sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Well Done if she was impressed with your learning journeys. Its very true we spend so much of our own time on them, teachers get paid to do that kind of thing so no wonder she was horrifed. samfrostie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 we have one local school who does this each year, reception teachers...yes both of them came, and spend a full day with us, and it proved very useful for them, they were funded to do this. They went away with lots of ideas and implemented several, as parents commented on them once children moved to school! We went for a visit which was just as good and helpful, seeing children who had left etc. and also learnt a great deal.. but ours was because we wanted to and were invited by the school, so unfunded... but we did find that several staff wanted to go so we took turns over a couple of days, after linking with the school who were more than happy for us to do this. Like you sunnyday they were horrified at the amount we did each day unpaid, and the wage we get anyway, and the fact that we did not get 'a prober lunch or coffee break' It is well worth doing if you can find the time, hope you enjoy your visit on Friday Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Thanks Inge - I am really looking forward to my day in school on friday and you are absolutely right I would quite happily do that without funding - but hey if it's on offer I'm certainly not going to turn it down!!! Hope I don't disrupt her class too much - I think my 'old' children are going to be quite excited to see me in their school! Sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 How lovely! Shame it isn't 'normal practice'. We're lucky if we get a 'dinner lady' visiting from the local school! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 we found the 'old' children were excited to see us and wanted to show us around and include us in what they were doing. They showed us their learning journeys, and what they had been doing, played with us outside and overall not to disruption. it was more confusing for the children who had not been with us as they could not understand the fuss that was made about us being there! we also feed another school, and while she visited it was for a shorter time, and we did not get an invite into the school but she did say that one of the children had taken in the CD we made at the end of the year of the childrens photos, and they showed it on the whiteboard. It had proved very useful , and again children not in the pictures wondered and asked why they were not in them! Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wolfie Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Thanks for your replies Wolfie and Sam - forgot to say that she was very impressed with our Learning Journeys but completely horrified that we have to spend so much of our 'own time' completing them!!! Welcome to the real world! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heleng Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) Well Done if she was impressed with your learning journeys. Its very true we spend so much of our own time on them, teachers get paid to do that kind of thing so no wonder she was horrifed. samfrostie Sorry, as a teacher I would just like to jump in here. Yes, teachers do get paid considerably more then pre-school and that includes directed hours but I work very hard for my job and I do a lot of work in my own time, including learning journeys. I get to school between 7.45 and 8am and often don't leave until 5.30pm, sometimes later. I than take work home with me, including my learning journeys and often work in the evening as well as all day Sunday getting everything ready for the following week. I do school work during the holidays and spend evenings at meetings, parent's evenings and other events. I use my PPA time to visit the feeder pre-schools, to see the children in a place they feel settled and look at the work they are doing and have found it very useful. If I could I would spend the day but the cost implications are just too much. Edited March 23, 2009 by heleng Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 snap i am a manger of a sessional pack away pre school i arrive at my setting at 7.30 to set up to be ready for 9.15 i do nearly all my paperwork in my own time because we cant afford to pay otherwise we then have to clear it all away at end of session I am glad you had a fantastic day sunnyday We are hoping to get transition working in our area as it really does not exist. It is wonderful for a teacher to see what we do and how much we achieve with what can be in very difficult circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelllps Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Gosh I realise how lucky we are in that we visit our main feeder School every week and we also get invited for Easter egg hunt, Summer teddy bears Picnic and Christmas Party. The Early Years teacher visits us each term and is going to join us for half an hour during our Rising 5 session starting next term. The links really make a difference I think to how the children settle in at school. Rachel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Wow Rachel - you are lucky - that must be just wonderful for your children. Sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Sorry, as a teacher I would just like to jump in here. Yes, teachers do get paid considerably more then pre-school and that includes directed hours but I work very hard for my job and I do a lot of work in my own time, including learning journeys. I get to school between 7.45 and 8am and often don't leave until 5.30pm, sometimes later. I than take work home with me, including my learning journeys and often work in the evening as well as all day Sunday getting everything ready for the following week. I do school work during the holidays and spend evenings at meetings, parent's evenings and other events. I use my PPA time to visit the feeder pre-schools, to see the children in a place they feel settled and look at the work they are doing and have found it very useful. If I could I would spend the day but the cost implications are just too much. Just to say - of course I understand how hard teachers work and that much of this is unpaid too - just interesting to see her reaction to our 'learning journeys' and rather nice to have someone acknowledge that they are 'valuable' but very time consuming! Sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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