Innehållsförteckning för END OF YEAR DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 CHRISTMAS från Pedagogy+

Consider and reflect on the life of a classroom with children aged 2 to 5 years. The buzz in the room, the experimentation, and the tenacity of these young learners are infectious. There is something magical about each age group. You experience the world anew through their eyes—we need to pay attention and treasure these moments. For this article, we focus on theory making, philosophising and experimenting, which takes place with children 2 to 5 years of age. I have fond memories working with this age group and my deliberate attempts at providing them with intellectual stretch, the opportunity to think alongside others and materials and to make their ideas visible in different forms. In celebrating teachers, educators and children, we need to acknowledge the learning adventures and the gifts…

AND THE GRINCH WITH HIS GRINCH-FEET ICE COLD IN THE SNOW STOOD PUZZLING AND PUZZLING HOW COULD IT BE SO? IT CAME WITHOUT RIBBONS. IT CAME WITHOUT TAGS IT CAME WITHOUT PACKAGES, BOXES OR BAGS AND HE PUZZLED AND PUZZLED TILL HIS PUZZLER WAS SORE THEN THE GRINCH THOUGHT OF SOMETHING HE HADN’T BEFORE WHAT IF CHRISTMAS, HE THOUGHT, DOESN’T COME FROM THE STORE? WHAT IF CHRISTMAS, PERHAPS, MEANS A LITTLE BIT MORE DR SEUSS HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS 1957…

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;The children were nestled all snug in their beds;While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.Away to the window I flew like a flash,Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,When what to my wondering eyes did appear,But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny…

Now that our part of the world has begun to right itself, it is time to pause and reflect on our collective experiences of the past nine months or so. Take some time to acknowledge what each one of us managed to achieve amid a pandemic and an economic catastrophe. A time that changed the life we knew, in the workplace and the life that we are living, in this moment. It is time to give thanks…to everyone, for working in early childhood programs, before and after school programs and schools during this period, which was an incredibly brave thing to do. With little government support or acknowledgement of the possible risks, everyone grappled with the extreme protocols of cleaning and sanitising, and the new ways of being with children…

Neale is an iconic influencer in Australia’s interior design world. His personality as a magazine editor of luscious and beautiful interior design magazines, Belle and Vogue Living and as a presenter on lifestyle television, is endearing and attractive to many of us. We all anticipated his presentation with some frisson of excitement, hoping that his words would endow us with the knowledge of and provide the key for, including the ideal of beauty in our early childhood settings. Throughout his presentation, Neale in no uncertain terms provided evidence that his three-year-old and his eight-year-old self, lived a life that was full of impressions of place and space and ‘exotic glimpses of adulthood’, which led him to the life he leads today. His memories of his piano teacher’s house (smells of…

As we approach the end of yet another year, let us take time to pause and recognise the wonderful contribution you make to our world—to the lives and wellbeing of our youngest citizens and highlight the responsibility that you bear in ensuring that all children can enjoy the right to education. You hold a special place in the lives of the children you work with every day. Some will remember you clearly, some will recall you as a sense of security and the wonderment of sharing new knowledges and learning, while for others your presence will only be evident in the skills they have built on in the intervening years…regardless your influence as a partner in the education, care and upbringing of a child is life-long. While we wish to…

The Floral Decorator is a boutique florist hidden away in the heart of Erskineville in Sydney’s Inner West. The store is led by Kelly Thomas, a proud Wurundjeri woman. Kelly has worked under masters in Germany, designers in London, and Parisian front-liners, where she learned respect for flowers, appreciation for style and watching an event unfold. As a proud and culturally active Wurundjeri women, it has allowed her to stay connected to country and mother nature. 'It’s a privilege that I honour with great respect that I work amongst this countries offerings. I feel blessed and guided by my ancestors.' As Christmas approaches Kelly shares with us the process of creating a magical wreath. You can also view Kelly’s wreath making on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10155221253877005 TOOLS AND WORKSPACE - YOU WILL…

Christmas through faraway eyes ALMA FLEET I grew up in Saudi Arabia, having my fourth birthday on the flight to Dhahran, a desert ARAMCO oil company town. Christmas was multi-layered. The joy of it included the fact that summers were so hot that school was in three-month blocks, enabling all December to be at home, making cards, baking sugar cookies, decorating them with my mother, and turning the household into a feast of Christmas books and precious things. The religious part of it was also multi-layered: as a strict Moslem country, Christian religious events were supposedly not allowed. For example, Ministers of Religion/Priests had their occupations listed as ‘Teacher’ on their passports, and on the weekend (i.e., Thursday/Friday because Friday was the local religious day), ‘church’ services were events in…

I remember reading the seminal book by Alain De Botton titled ‘The Architecture of Happiness’ and the title immediately made me curious. Can architecture make us happy? To answer this question, I reflected on my relationship with architecture in the hope that I would resolve my question. I recalled my response each time I met the Sydney Opera House or the twinkle of Sydney Harbour, and how such contact resulted in an immediate emotional and physical response. I recalled each time I flicked through my iPhone to review photos of my first visit to the Louvre in Paris, and in doing so noticed the emotions that came flooding back. Thinking about my childhood home immediately stimulates pleasant memories of childhood. So, the answer I came to is an unequivocal ‘yes’;…

ROAST TURKEY WITH NATIVE HERBS AND SPICES GOURMET TRAVELLER INGREDIENTS 1 free-range organic turkey (about 6kg)1 cup cup finely grated citrus rind (3 tbsp each pink grapefruit, lemon, lime and orange rind)8 lemon myrtle leaves8 aniseed myrtle leaves (see note)1 tsp mountain pepper (see note)7 large black garlic cloves (see note)24 sprigs native thyme (see note)200 gm sea salt flakes55 gm (¼ cup) brown sugar3 large potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, scrubbed, coarsely chopped50 gm (¼ cup) duck fat, melted375 ml (1½ cups) Madeira1 litre (4 cups) chicken stockFried saltbush (optional; see note), to serve Click here to view the full recipe GLAZED CHRISTMAS HAM WITH BUSH HERBS GOODFOOD INGREDIENTS 8kg whole leg of ham100g dark brown sugar75g castor sugar½ cup golden syrup¼ cup soy sauce½ cup…

It is easy to say the first thousand days are the most important days of our lives. It has become a mantra that we use to demonstrate how vital this period of infancy and toddlerhood is. What do we really mean? As more and more research is undertaken in this area, we have learned that these earliest experiences and relationships lay down the foundation for the next 30,000 days of our lives. That is 82 years! This is a huge responsibility for the amazing people who care for and teach our youngest children. Parents entrust infant and toddler teachers and educators with their precious babies and these educators step up to the challenge every day in every way. Infant and toddler teachers and educators know the responsibility, but they also…

PLAY SCHOOL CELEBRATES 55 YEARS! Playing proudly since 1966, generations of Australians have a very special place in their hearts for Big Ted, Little Ted, Jemima and Humpty! Now with treasured new family members, including Joey and Kiya, and a clan of diverse and talented presenters, Play School hosted one of the biggest (and silliest!) fiestas to ring in Play School’s 55th anniversary. The Very Silly Special highlighted Play School’s evolution over the decades. At its foundation are stories, songs and play, but in this highly anticipated birthday episode, imagination runs wild with the help of TV magic and innovation. Catch up on ABC iview, then turn viewing into doing with ideas from ‘My Very Silly Play School Play Date’. You might even find a place on your table for…

Firstly, snails understand and embrace slowness. Rather than trying to get somewhere quickly, their sights firmly set on reaching a destination or an endpoint, snails seem to delight in the journey - in the pauses, in the moments of stillness, in taking their time. Do we bring this same attitude to our lives, and in particular to our work alongside children and families? The word ‘slow’ is so often given negative connotations - “You’re so slow!” or “Max is a slow learner”. We need to reclaim ‘slow’ as a positive. Snails remind me that ‘slow’, as a way of being, can refocus my gaze and energy on depth rather than breadth, on listening, on time for revisiting and making connections, on the authenticity and richness of processes, rather than the…

Meet Ewan Maddock Ewan is getting around to completing a Bachelor of Arts (International and Global Studies) at the University of Sydney. For work he builds fences and is outdoors as often as possible, although significantly less than he would like. Since returning to Sydney he has attempted to make the most of its waning night life, although it’s apparently coming in a distant second place when compared to Cocklebiddy Roadhouse. He enjoys cooking, climbing, kayaking, coming up with unachievable pipe dreams and frightening his friends and parents by failing to make contact after many days in the bush. Ewan currently lives in the Sutherland Shire and is thinking of selling all his belongings and moving to Nepal. Earlier this year Ewan decided to don boots and backpack and head…

How the giving goes… a gift dances in the airgraceful gratitudescheeks dusted with kissesthe giving and receivinga reciprocal pairanticipation, a bow flows freepaper rustlesthe gift unfoldedand in between we wait awhilebecause best of alla gasp of delight and a smile The giving of a gift – a seemingly simple concept. But is it? The influential French anthropologist Marcel Mauss (1872 - 1950) observes in his classic 1925 essay The Gift, how giving a gift is giving part of the self. So, if Marcel has it right, gift giving has much deeper implications than we think—Each gift is tied with a social, psychological and emotional bow. It is a meaningful, reciprocal activity that creates bonds, builds our relationships, our commuities and our wellbeing. Giving part of yourself also means that it…

Christmas Classics Love Actually - Stan or Amazon Prime Miracle On 34th Street -Amazon Prime White Christmas - Stan It’s A Wonderful Life - Stan Meet Me in St. Louis - Apple or Amazon Prime Fun Festivity The Christmas Chronicles 1 & 2 - Netflix Elf - Netflix or Stan The Santa Clause - Disney+ How The Grinch Stole Christmas - Netflix or Stan Home Alone - Disney+ Netflix Selection Last Christmas - Netflix The Holiday Calendar - Netflix Holiday In The Wild - Netflix Holidate - Netflix A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding - Netflix Feel-Good Favourites Wild Mountain Thyme - Stan Bridget Jones’ Diary - Netflix Chocolat - Stan While You Were Sleeping - Disney+ or Amazon Prime Little Women - Amazon Prime…

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS Author: Clement C Moore Illustrated by: Roger Duvoisin ‘Twas the night before Christmas…’ begins the timeless poem by Clement C Moore—this recent edition of the 1954 version of the Christmas Eve story features the atmospheric and evocative artwork of Roger Duvoisin. Moore’s rhyming prose is perfectly enhanced by the limited-palette pictures, and the long narrow shape of the book. A classic restored, it is an ideal read-aloud for families on 24 December. HARVEY SLUMFENBURGER’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT Author: John Burningham (1993) A modern classic. This endearing, wonderful story warms the heart of all readers; Father Christmas has just one more gift left to deliver, and he must make every effort to reach the top of far, far away Roly Poly Mountain to get it to Harvey Slumfenburger.…