A day at Boldon Outdoor Nursery

Boldon Nursery is an outdoor learning centre. The children play in their outdoor garden all day. There is a sheltered indoor space for lunch and a cosy open cabin for solitude and hot chocolate. There is also a studio that is indoors for children to make and create. Hopefully I'll be able to add photos once I get my camera to talk to my iPad. Dave at the centre assures me he can make this a possibility. 

So, my day. . .

I arrived today at Boldon nursery to be greeted with a hug. Sue and I are old friends now that we've shared a meal and a hot tub. When we entered the indoor space I could see small groups of children with educators preparing to go outdoors. It's quite a process to put on waterproofs, wellies and a warm jacket as well as beanies and gloves. As this was going on I was walked through the area and was shown the learning spaces. These are set up invitingly as workspaces, but I'll focus more on that next time I'm here, which will be on Thursday. Today I want to talk to you about the outdoors and about the leadership. Leadership here is owned by everyone, children, educators, parents, as you will see as you read on.

OUTDOORS

Donning a warm coat I stepped out into the misty and chilly air. I was taken on a tour, first by Sue, then by Sam, one of the educators. I was shown the mud slide and the sand pit complete with a replica of a local light house. There was a mud kitchen too. Going into the allotment, which is a space especially set aside for growing produce I could see a neat placement of veggie and herb gardens and a chicken coop. With pride Sue told me of its development, as parents raised the funds completely to provide the garden beds, a toolshed and a chicken coop. I watched in fascination as chooks walked amongst the small group digging in the soil. They were looking for worms. Now I like worms, I think they are lovely and I often rescue them when rainy weather brings them to the surface and they are at risk of drying out on paths. I watched the children digging along with the chooks and then offering up their find. I was sad to see the worms getting gobbled up with great enthusiasm (by the chooks not the children) and told myself to deal with it. It's the cycle of life, and the children obviously found great delight in the process and the chooks in the product. 

As it started to rain I came inside to get a waterproof jacket and then I was handed over to Sam. Now I've come across a lot of enthusiasm on this trip and enormous amounts of passion in every educator I've met, but Sam takes the cake. In the light rain her face lit up and her whole body moved as she expressed the delight she had in her job. Everything about Sam oozed pure enthusiasm and a belief that these children had the best that early education had to offer. She came here by accident, as a prac student a number of years  ago and only as a means to getting into pediatrics. She of course never left and now can't imagine doing anything else. So I listened with great interest as she talked about her work and the philosophy behind it. Having never worked in a regular 'nursery' (their name for a preschool), I think that if she had to do so she would fade away. This place offers such vibrant opportunities for staff to learn, to grow with the children, to be partners in their learning and to fully engage in relationship with children, parents and each other. As she took me around, each play space had a story, a particular enchantment for children and another way for children to learn. We came across a large 'lying down tree', a willow tunnel, a hide and a den. I asked her about what happens when children go from this place to the more formal expectations of school and her answer was pure gold. I recorded it and will share it with you another day. 

LEADERSHIP

I've been inspired by Sue and her vision for providing the best education possible for all children. Many of the children here come from disadvantaged backgrounds and this nursery is a place for all children to gain education and care of the highest quality. I'm very interested in how leaders enable change and empower people to grow and develop professionally. If you asked her how she did it she would tell you that she provides training and support, but mostly I think it's because she is often on the floor, mentoring, modeling and coaching. She has conversations with each educator regularly and these conversations are about reflecting. 

As I write this she's busily preparing for three days of presentations but has time for me when I ask her the question, "What is it about your leadership style that has brought this about?" I'm anxious to get her thoughts and processes about leadership reflective of her, not me. 

As is her habit she answers with great humility and eloquence

"Well it has to be right for them (the staff) doesn't it, but mostly it's about the children. The children need to be at the centre so I make sure that everyone is looking at things from the child's point of view, to see what it's like for the children"

"So what was it that started you on this journey? Where did you initially get your vision?"

She smiles a bit dreamily and says "I have always been able to see the potential of the early years and I knew where I wanted to be. It came from my own childhood. Those skills and memories will never go away. Being young, making dens, concocting perfumes. Being out until dark and then being in a warm and loving home with bath time, meal time, story time, and finally bedtime. I'm passionate about children making memories that will stay with them and that's what I aspire to here. When I went to Reggio, to Auchlone, it just cemented this belief. It's always been there and I've built on it and learned about it from there."

"Did you have to make many changes to get it to here?" I ask

"Well yes but I think the most significant change is that we are more reflective and that enabled the changes. It's developed over time. I remember a time when things were done because that's the way they were done. Things were provided for children because we believed that that was what made a good nursery program, but now, through reflection, we never really know what we are doing. We are constantly tweaking things to make them better, or we get rid of them altogether. We found we couldn't do both. We tried that and it nearly destroyed us. We had to get rid of some things to make way for a new way."

I comment, "It takes courage to let go of the control we often hold onto. Being in control makes us feel safe, we can anticipate what to expect, we can feel secure within the structure. I think that if we can just let go, even a little, we give ourself space to be flexible and the structures become less  and less important"

"Yes" she replies. "It takes a huge leap of faith. You have to let go. You can't keep doing what you've always done as well as this," and she waves a hand towards the outdoor garden. "For example, for a long time we kept doing the regular nursery things indoors, like blocks and puzzles and home corner. It took a while to realise that it wasn't working, it wasn't in harmony with what we had created for the children outdoors. We had to let it go, give it up, and now our indoor space is simply an extension of the outdoors. A place to prepare or to reflect."

"Did you have to give up things that you really liked"

"You can ask the team that. No, I don't think so. We gave up what we didn't need. The things we liked like the art studio, we held onto. We work hard at allowing the children to lead the learning. It's never about us it's about them."

"I can see that the team here is very engaged, very happy. They seem to find great rewards in their work" I notice.

"The well being of the educators is very strong. They have opportunities for professional learning, they enjoy good relationships with parents and each other,  and they are able to enjoy just 'being'"

I understand what she means. The educators can be seen within small huddles of children, completely in the zone, at one with the group, learning alongside and modeling, reflecting all the wonderment that each experience has to offer. 

STAFF REFLECTION TIME

As the day was drawing to a close the children got all cleaned up (some needed showers). Once they had been collected the staff tidied and prepared for the next day. Each day they sit for a reflection time from 3:15-4:00 and I was invited to observe this. It proved to reinforce what I had gathered from talking to Sue about her leadership. They were able to affirm each other, to question and to challenge. There was a great sense of trust and respect within the group. The process was just as purposeful and meaningful and authentic as all the other learning that had gone on there today. 

They questioned each other, made suggestions, considered what was significant for certain children and considered where to next. The conversation flowed, there was no one leader. There was genuine interest in the insights each had to offer. I commented on the ease with which they reflected together. 

"We've had to develop this. We have learnt to challenge each other and push each other out of our comfort zones."

"And what sorts of changes have you made to your planning?"

"We used to plan things more in advance but now we are a lot more flexible. We do a lot of in the moment planning, responding to where children are taking it."

"It takes a massive amount of trust with the team, this responsiveness to children and each other. We recognise that whatever each staff member is doing, it's intentional and we are aware of each other's movements. There has to be an understanding of where people are needed and nothing is set in stone. It takes flexibility, understanding, communication and trust." 

"Being flexible is important, and knowing that you'll learn the most when things don't work."

"We have moved in such a way that we've been able to do things when they seemed right. We are walking into the unknown all the time and even though we know it's the right thing to do, it takes commitment and it's scary. Letting go of that element of control is frightening. It's good and it's pushing you further all the time. The adults not being in control is harder. For example, facilitating the children all talking the way you do around a dinner table. It can look quite chaotic but it's about the adult letting go. Through all the chatter the children bounce off each other and everyone is equal. If they have something to tell you they need to tell you. They won't be able to listen to anything else until they've been heard so it's important to acknowledge them and listen."

"And it's not about us knowing things. The children come up with amazing ideas and theories. They might be wrong but if that's their theory, they can run with that. They work it out themselves and they'll remember it and know it. This type of learning is contextual, real, authentic. The children here rarely ask why. They are too confident in making their own theories, testing them, or being supported to research them. This gives them the experience of finding the answer, of being resourceful, of making connections. I don't want to be their teacher, I want to learn along with them."

Phew. I've been writing for a few hours now and I could go on with so much more, but you're probably tired of me rambling on as is my want. I didn't even get to tell you about the children on the mud slide but perhaps the photos will tell that story. 

It's been an awesome day. I can't thank Sue and her staff, the parents and the children enough for all I've learned from them today, for making me so welcome and for sharing, always sharing. They have this wonderful belief that learning is for all children everywhere and this is their contribution to our children in the Western suburbs of Sydney, freely given. Tell me what you think, tell them what you think. I'd love to hear from you.