HEI Schools Lara Early Learning Centre supports a community with diverse needs.
Children attending the service present with differing circumstances and backgrounds. Educators observed a need for further support to assist their everyday practices, where they encourage the building of resilience and the emotional regulation needs of the children in their care.
Professional Learning opportunities
The Centre Manager, Ying, sought further Professional Learning opportunities for the team to engage in, to build knowledge. She also identified an educator who would complement the shared learning she envisaged.Jemma could enhance the approach of rounded assistance and understood how to respond and approach situations that were occurring in the service space.
Both Ying and Jemma were able to attend the Therapeutic Storytelling webinar hosted by Be You. This webinar encouraged them to build on their existing storytelling skills and use therapeutic storytelling as a practice to support children presenting with heightened emotions, helping them to process and cope.
Ying and Jemma, by attending together, were able to continue their shared learning and support each other in the implementation of strategies and practices in their service.
Professional conversations supporting educator practice
Registration for the Be You webinar also gave all participants the opportunity to attend a follow up interactive session, a Be You Spotlight. This was a more informal way of not only participating but also contributing to the professional conversations within the group attending.
Both Ying and Jemma used this opportunity to consolidate their understandings taken from the webinar content. They also were able to discuss and refine the strategies they planned to implement, removing any remaining uncertainties they had relating to their context.
Together with the group, Ying and Jemma engaged in this virtual space where everyone had the opportunity to reflect, collaborate, share practice, examples and experiences, all learning together and from each other’s contributions.
These professional conversations led to Ying and Jemma wanting to continue the connections they had made. One of the ECA Be You Consultants suggested Ying and Jemma join an online community with a network of educators from learning communities who have shared interests.
Here they could continue to connect, share knowledge, reflect and take action to lead learning in their context, whilst also accessing support from other educators.
Membership to this Be You Connected Community allows Ying and Jemma to actively participate in ongoing professional conversations, which enables their joint professional learning journey to continue. It supports their own development and has lasting beneficial impacts within their learning community.
Explore the Be You website and register for upcoming Sessions and Events to further support your practice.