"Why do we do THAT?"
This episode of the Mindful Turtle Podcast originally aired January 5, 2025. To receive podcast updates and other nature-based early childhood education news, subscribe to Samara Early Learning’s weekly newsletter written by Dr. Rachel A. Larimore.
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In this episode of the Mindful Turtle, Rachel invites listeners to embrace their inner toddler by asking "Why?!" related to our teaching practices. By examining the intentions behind program structures, physical environments, and teacher-child interactions, nature-based educators can better understand what's working and what might need adjustment--ultimately leading to more meaningful experiences for children to learn with nature.
This week’s invitation is to ask “Why do we do THAT?” As you move through your week ask yourself, about those things you've "just always done."
As we enter 2025, it seems a good time to reflect on our educational practices by asking a fundamental question: "Why do we do that?"
This simple question can help us examine every aspect of our teaching methods and daily routines.
Before implementing changes, however, it's important to evaluate current practices.
Areas to examine:
Schedule Structure: Every moment in the classroom should serve a clear purpose.
Material Selection: Each item should support specific learning goals.
Routines and Rituals: Consider how each routine contributes to children's development.
Teacher-child interactions: Moving to more descriptive feedback creates meaningful dialogue that promotes growth and learning.
The goal is to create more intentional teaching approaches that support children's development and understanding of their environment. Through this reflection, we discover practices that need adjustment or confirm the effectiveness of our current ones.
