”The Big Re-Opening” – Possibilities during Covid-19
Re-setting our ECE settings
I must admit, I’m feeling wobbly about writing on the topic of Covid-19 (a little like the image of the knot that you see here!) I am not a scientist, or a medical professional. I am an early childhood educator, teacher educator/collaborator, advocate, consultant, and writer. And yet, part of my role is to support educators in any way I can in their return to their early years settings. I have been thinking – along with colleagues across Canada and around the world – about the impending ‘big re-opening.’ We are all hearing from our field, and families, about their natural nervousness concerning keeping children, and ourselves, safe. Adding further complexity to our worries is that many of us don’t have protocols from our regulatory bodies – yet. So we are in a state of limbo and agitation as we fret and imagine what could be.
As someone who supports educators in their work, I also have to wonder: What will be the effect of ‘the rules’ on our rich and engaging programmes? How do we still provide imaginative and provocative environments for young children in this new climate? How can we protect both the children and our values?
Yesterday, I was fortunate to take part in a conversation with a group of thinkers in the Halifax area of N.S.: The Early Childhood Research Discussion Group. Our topic – The Environment as the Third Teacher – was inspired by a recent blog post by Diane Kashin, and we were delighted when she was able to join us in our Zoom meeting. In our group were early childhood educators, pre-primary (pre-K) educators, directors, consultants, instructors. Many perspectives! And inevitably, the conversation quickly turned to ‘what will happen when we re-open?’
While we all harboured concerns about how ‘the new rules’ may alter programmes, the bulk of our conversation focused on new possibilities. Matthew Sampson, for instance, felt that this was going to be an exciting time – an opportunity to re-think what we do and why we do it that way. Carrie Melsom felt that this could be a time to ‘re-set’ and to reflect on our programmes and routines, and consider new ways of being in our settings.
This idea of re-setting led me to think about an old article from many years ago (sadly no longer find-able!) where a nursery school team, wondering about what children really need from their environment, emptied their classroom completely – including taking out furniture! They asked the children – What would you like to have back in your classroom? There were no limits or guidelines. The children chose 2 items: blocks and pillows. They played happily and with rich ideas for many weeks with just these items. What does this tell us? Maybe that children don’t need all this ‘stuff’ that we surround them with; that our environments should be intentional, responsive, and in particular, carefully curated. What do our children really need? Sara, yesterday, shared that she and her staff have spent this time away from children to go through the whole centre, examining everything, thinking about each material and wondering ‘do the children ever play with this?’ and decluttering accordingly. The environment is now much simpler. Yes, we are thoughtful in setting up environments, and yes, we want to provide beauty and provocations, and yes, we want to reflect children’s cultures and communities. But, this is a new era, and perhaps simplicity will be the key for the time being. It can still be beautiful and enticing, but perhaps a little easier to manage in the time of Covid. And one day, when we feel safe and ready, we can think about whether or not we want to add more, based on the children’s responses to materials. How did they play within this simpler environment? What does that mean?
We also, of course, discussed the outdoors. What a perfect time to take our programmes outside. As educators, we know the value of connecting to the earth, the sensorial opportunities, the freedom to move and to discover, the curiosities that children have about the natural world, and its messages to us. It is a safe classroom waiting for us in all it’s glory. A place to breathe.
And, we discussed the importance, when the children come back, of watching and waiting. The need for patience, to see ‘where children are’ in response to the pandemic. They will have opinions and fears. They’ll need a safe place to express them. Therefore, we as educators also need to know and face our fears, and have a place to discuss them. Online forums can work, as can team meetings. How can we help children, and ourselves, to find ways of feeling safe?
As they return, how will children show us what they know about Covid? Probably, as some people have already seen, through ‘Covid play,’ just as children played out the events of 9/11. And we can think about the possibilities of art. Painting, drawing, modeling, all provide outlets. We wondered, in our discussion, about dramatic play, and how this could be made safe. And yet, I have to believe that children will act out their ideas whether they have typical ‘props’ or not. The language of drama is a broad one. Fabric, outdoor nooks, branches, etc. provide ways to act out ideas. Children have acted out world events for hundreds of years without any help from us; they will continue to do so.
What about group sizes? Yesterday, we tossed around our imaginings about a small group of children each with their own educator, moving through the day together. Think of the deep relationships that could be formed in this type of grouping. And, children are not likely to be returning all at the same time. There will be many parents who are conflicted about sending their children back. Therefore, small groups may be more doable than ever before, giving us a chance to slowly re-establish relationships, to really observe, and reflect with our teams about responses.
One member of our discussion group, Janette, shared that her staff, while not together in person, have been thinking together about their values, and how to protect them. This is so heartening to hear. Rather than beginning with the new rules -whatever they may be – they are beginning with their values, and then striving to find ways to make the rules fit around those.
We are all in a state of disequilibrium; we have no road map. For some, this in itself is anxiety-producing. Perhaps those of us in supporting roles can be of help here. To see this ‘great pause’ as an opportunity to re-think, re-set and embark on a new journey. Let’s go back to our values, wait and see what the new normal, (ie the new rules), will be, and be a part of putting those two entities together. We – early childhood educators and leaders – are a creative bunch. We will keep talking and thinking and finding new ways to move forward. We’ll share, and provoke each others’ thinking, and puzzle our way through. We’ll find a way; it’s what we do.
