There are a few pet peeves I have about Early Childhood Education.
Anyone I teach in the ECE Program or any of my colleagues could probably write the list of my peeves without much difficulty (turning on listening ears, running feet, squishing baby bumble bees...etc...GRRR).
But today I want to talk about the weather.
It's been a wild weather week here in BC.
That weather has sparked many discussions with and by the children.
As it usually does.
Because children live in the world with all their senses and they truly do notice the weather.
They know when they walk outside what the temperature is and they can usually determine what clothing they might need.
The don't generally reach for their gloves in the middle of a heat wave.
They know if it's raining they will get wet, there will be puddles.
They know when it's foggy or windy or sunny or hot or snowing and they learn how to manage themselves in the weather.
They notice when the landscape and weather changes to herald a new season, they easily discuss the changes, notice the leaves falling, the spring blossoms, frost.
They will notice the the time change - the change in when the dawn breaks and when the sun sets.
And IF we don't influence them with our own thoughts they make very little judgement about the weather and accept it for what it is.
And they very often embrace the weather and it's side effects.
You've seen the magnetism of a puddle right?
The joy in watching a kite fly up into the sky?
The feeling of a warm rock to rest on?
The wind in your hair?
And all of these experiences happen outside.
Where the weather actually is.
Which is why you will not see us using weather charts and wasting circle time asking children what they think the weather is doing day after day...
We just open the door and go outside.
