pooh Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Hi everyone Love to catch up on news etc. but still struggle with sending messages, hope I've got it right! Thought I was quite settled with EYFS have been teaching for many years and FS manager but recently have new head and now feel everythings wrong!!! Glad it's half term, anyway am now feeling very confused about structure and planning. new head wants everything planned and all school years r to 6 to look the same. Help, please can anyone share their Medium term and weekly planning formats so I can look at ours and assess. Everything seems wrong, comment re. outdoors, 'don't you use the outdoors all they ever seem to do is put things on washing lines, don't you have any toys - i had 10 green bottles to order and play skittles with - tally chart for scores, tyres numbered to deliverpost to when usung the bikes and scooters, a polar hunt to tally animals the polar exploreres found, not to mention building igloos. So sorry could rant on just SOOO fed up. perhaps if she likes the paperwork we can move on!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you all so much really don't want to be giving up but self esteem is diminishing fast and need top get to grips during half term or I think I'll be sinking fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tinkerbell Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 You can't plan like the rest of the school if you are following the children's interests on a daily basis. I have an over all plan for the half term and once I have introduced the topic I get the childrens ideas down on a large sheet of paper which I display ,we then build their ideas into the weekly.....which can still change! The weekly does have some structure,(phonics,reading ,use of hall for pe etc) but changes around these sessions with the childrens ideas. I write the 'master plan' on a white board each morning ,put a star next to the activities they will all do...then in a different colour write down their suggestions so when HT or anyone comes into the room they can see at a glance what is happening. I have a simple weekly plan which I add to every evening noting interests and changes ... I suggest you take photos of what you do in and outside and have them to show whoever is criticising your practice,I also suggest your HT goes on some early years training! I am sorry if I am rude but unfortunately so many senior leaders don't know what we are about. I have mentioned a few years ago the big book of photos I make which goes home with each child for one night to show mum and dad what goes on in class.Its a plastic wallet book A3 which we make each half term.It is really useful evidence for HT,LEAmoderators and Ofsted.This half term shows all our Chinese New Year activities...ribbon dancing,making a large dragon,chinese role play restaurant,banquet,lantern and envelope making etc etc.,reading,material work wood,wool weaving,clay modelling,floating and sinking,outdoor walk, you could take photos of all your exciting outdoor activities then tell the HT which of the 6 areas you are covering (all!!) anyway its half tem thank goodness have a break Tinkerbellxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catma Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 The drivers in school based provision do mean that unfortunately for some there is a compromise to be made around working from what children do and needing to follow school protocols such as planning formats. You have to consider is this a battle worth fighting or can you work from the EYFS principles yet meet the HTs requirements. For me, planning for the EYFS in reception is about several layers. Firstly: the continous provision - that which is there all the time, inside or outside. The writing area would be an example. You always have resources to support learing in this area. This is not planned for in the same way but through the provision you should be able to demonstrate that a child could access all 6 areas of learning and the aspects within them even if they were left alone by adults!! Secondly: the things you are going to add to any area in the room to promote independent application of other specific learning for example special pens to engage reluctant writers that may not be there all the time. For me this would be the "additional provision" Thirdly: the discrete taught activities - group work, adult lead activities, adult initiated etc etc. These are specifically planned for, e.g. a guided writing group in the writing area with a specific group of children. Finally: the adult "who, what, where and when" plan. This may be your timetable or your daily schedule but it is necessary to consider this in order to get the most contact with children from your available adults across the day, e.g. who is delivering the guided writing group and when, what are the other adults doing simultaneously?? You also have a different curriculum and a different pedagogy for delivering that curriculum. That said you can have similar focus aspects on your planning such as EAL/SEN targetted children or such like. But any planning whether in EYFS or KS1/2 should link to the following cycle of thinking. How it looks on paper is pretty much down to you as long (in my opinion) it can show the following clearly: 1) Identified learning based on assessment of children's starting points. What skills or knowledge will children have as a result of the work you plan to do with them that they do not have or are secure in right now? 2) What context is this learning going to be embedded in? How will you present it to children, bearing in mind interests observed or typical of the age group? This covers both adult initiated and additional provision in EYFS and is where the adult directed activities come in. 3) How will you know children have moved on in their understanding - what are your Look, listen and note pointers or assessment foci for the adults involved? If you think about how the proposed plan looks/works to identify learning you may be able to find compromise ground?? Could you add to the plan or change headings but stick to the layout? Cx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skittles Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Hi all! We are revising our planning too! At present, to follow school 'tradition' we have half term topics as an umbrella and we have to weave that in. However as newly appointed FS Coordinator, well ft for 6 months and then pt for a year as i will be co=coordinating, i am trying my hardest to make it more child based. I am interested in the mapping mentioned, how exactly do you approach this: on the monday go through it with them:asking them or do you base it on your focus children? Do you highlight on their the adult focus tasks to be aimed, ie, calculating or letter formation, based on your knowledge of the class? I have to deliver a strong basis for my opinion and belief that it will work but obviously having medium terms plans can be a hurdle. I am thinking of reviewing my class towards the end of March, as normal: flagging up next step areas to be covered, in general and specific needs of children to raise input/awareness and then in the mtp stating these/possible activities linked to the class - very creative class and girl heavy but they've loved our brief exposure to pirates and currently on superheros so they are enthusiastic to say the least. Also the next steps from the EYFS to try and achieve. Do you think i going in the right direction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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