What brings joy to your teaching?How do you get renewed energy and inspiration?

These two powerful questions are worthy of giving time and space too.

This is a reflection during a busy day with toddlers that brought energy and joy into my day.

The two teachers, Narelle and Sonya have an inquiry underway and are looking at ‘Paper as an active participant in play: How does the paper speak back to the children?’

My observation began when Narelle and Sonya rolled out a long piece of paper that attracted the inquiry group of children’s attention straight away. I wondered what the intention was. Drawing I guessed?

I was surprised and intrigued when the children began jumping, running, twirling and rolling on the paper. I waited to see what Sonya and Nerelle’s reaction was going to be. Where was this going I wondered?

Before long I was mesmerised by the children’s actions and Sonya and Nerelle’s responses to the children.
“Twisting, turning, flopping, in’s and outs’, twirling”. They gave language to the sensations the children were experiencing. The descriptive words floated around the children as they engaged mind, body and soul.

As the children rolled in the paper and it enveloped them, the sound of the paper was loud; rustle, rustle, rustle, crunch, crunch, crunch! The paper was talking to the children, it had life, it had form. The children and the paper became one. In and out; the dance of the paper - the dance of the children.

After this encounter, Narelle and Sonya came together to look at the photos and videos and noted;

“Reyaan began by cautiously pulling on the edge of the paper. He seemed unsure, until the paper responded to his touch. The paper crumpled, it bunched, it made a noise.

Was this the paper's way of beckoning Reyaan, calling him to play?

Very soon a meeting of paper and feet began; meeting together in play. In response to the children's feet going pitter patter, tippee toe, stomp stomp and jump… the paper went crickle crackle, and rustle rustle, much to the children's delight.

The children quickly became very fond of the long lengths of paper: they are excited to greet it daily, eagerly extending invitations to the paper to join them in their play.

They do this by gently pulling on the paper, and then they wait and watch in anticipation.........

How might the paper respond today and what games will we play together?.”

When materials speak to us, what are they saying? Are we listening? Can we hear them? How does our body respond to the call?

It is inquiries such as this that engage kaiako’s minds and keep them wanting to go to work each day. I look forward to seeing where this inquiry leads the kaiako and tamariki.

Thanks to Sonya, Nerelle, Reyaan and Little Doves, Kristin, for sharing this moment with us.

Chris Bayes