Did you realise you are a teacher?

There has been a subtle change to terminology in the most recent versions of Ofsted’s ‘Evaluation schedule for inspections of registered early years provision’ and ‘Conducting Early Years Inspections’ documents.

The documents have introduced the term ‘teaching’ into a number of their paragraphs. For example the bullet point,

“how well teaching strategies, together with support and intervention, match individual children’s needs and ensure that they make good progress”

is included as evidence to support how well a childminder is meeting the needs of the range of children who attend their setting[1].

Although some qualified teachers do become childminders, many childminders are not qualified teachers and so may be concerned that ‘teaching’ is now referred to in these Ofsted documents. Ofsted clarify their use of the term by footnoting the bullet point with the following statement:

“Teaching should not be taken to imply a ‘top down’ or formal way of working. It is a broad term which covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities: communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges. It takes account of the equipment they provide and the attention to the physical environment as well as the structure and routines of the day that establish expectations. Integral to teaching is how practitioners assess what children know, understand and can do as well as take account of their interests and dispositions to learning (characteristics of effective learning), and use this information to plan children’s next steps in learning and monitor their progress”

This is quite a full paragraph but our interpretation is that it covers what you are hopefully already doing through your observation, assessment & planning as well as your daily interactions with your children in your appropriately equipped setting.

If you are still unsure, have a look at our ‘A guide to Observation, Assessment & Planning’ ebook and our ‘Introduction to the Characteristics of Effective Learning‘ ebook for more support on this.

Thanks for reading,

Amanda

Source used in the document: 

Evaluation schedule for inspections of registered early years provision – Ofsted November 2013

Conducting Early Years Inspections – Ofsted November 2013

 

The information contained in our blogs, newsletters, resources and website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by us and we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to our blogs, newsletters and website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website, blog or newsletters for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of our blogs, newsletters, resources or website.

 

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 12th, 2013 at 8:09 pm and is filed under Sector changes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.