I was chatting it up today with Lisa FAREYGAWDMATHER OOEY GOOEY Murphy and some other EC nerds like Professor Heather Bernt-Santy and Jeff A Johnson. Lisa reminded me of something I said a few weeks ago about how teaching feels so different when you aren’t ‘playing teacher’ and are instead a facilitator of play.

There comes a time in the classroom, that a facilitator of play will feel like they aren’t doing anything. And it can be a weird and uncomfortable feeling because our view of a typical teacher is commanding, in control of the learning and very present. We feel if we aren’t ‘doing anything’, we aren’t teaching and therefore it continues the narrative that early childhood professionals aren’t ‘real teachers’.

But, if you have spent time doing and being allllll of the things to those children, there will come a point when their needs are met,
they are capable of solving problems on their own, they become engaged in play and don’t need you!! It feels weird and uncomfortable at first, but, you should be SO PROUD when this happens! It should be a celebration because when you find yourself standing on the sidelines observing the play, it means that you have already done everything!

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