Maximising Opportunities for Play

This past week has been exciting as I have had conversations with the VP (Vice Principal) for Organisation, principal and the future PYP Coordinator about maximising opportunities for play in Kindergarten next year. 

These weekly posts document my inquiry - sometimes framed by a question, a wondering, a theory to propose and test, or a statement of intent to unpack and explore. They tell the story of playing with ideas and possibilities... which of course will evolve in September with the reality of teaching a specific group of learners. 

We have decided to move away from pre-determined lines of inquiry. Units will have a conceptual focus and the lines of inquiry will be crafted in negotiation with the Kindergarteners. After initial provocations, we will observe to see what they are curious about and want to spend time exploring in their play. Observation, documentation and responsive planning will be key here and, no doubt, feature in future blogs. 

The schedule for single subject teachers next year has been developed to maximise uninterrupted opportunities for play, minimise transition times and promote collaboration and transdisciplinary learning.

One French lesson is scheduled at the same time as Early Learners which gives the French team flexibility to use multiple classrooms (Early Learners and Kindergarten are next to do each other on one floor) for play. The other French lesson is scheduled back to back with the library and allows the librarian and French teachers to collaborate, use the library space flexibly, and explore storytelling in multiple languages. 

One art lesson is scheduled back to back with music allowing teachers to collaborate on arts projects together. The other art lesson is scheduled in the classroom and allows the art teacher and I a chance to plan collaboratively and for children to continue art work after the lesson is over if they choose to. 

One afternoon a week, we have scheduled "Paris as a Classroom". Each week, we will go out of school to visit and revisit areas close to school that children are curious about. Nearby, we have a nature trail, a park, a metro station, restaurants, shops and other services. I wonder what different learners will gravitate towards and how this will impact on learning back in the classroom through their role play, construction and drawings etc. 

Each year, we send a letter to the students to tell them who their new teacher and classroom assistants are. In Early Years, we have decided to send a video message so the students can see our faces and hear our voices. I hope they will be excited by next year!

What decisions have you made to maximise uninterrupted opportunities for play? 

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