A chance to reflect Young children learn through play. That’s something we’d all agree on, even if there are myriad theories and interpretations of what exactly ‘play’ entails. Reflecting on young families I know, I’m left wondering what might be the implications of the imposed lockdown for children’s learning and development.…
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The actual going live and teaching is the easy bit… It’s the 33 emails I’ve received before 2pm that all require responses to, it’s the filing every piece of work that’s sent to me by a parent into corresponding folders for that child, it’s the planning which has to be finalised a week before implementing so it can be uploaded for the parents to print and prepare, it’s the resources that need sourcing, it’s the adapting of lessons so that they work with no human interaction through a screen, it’s the SEN children I need to support in impossible ways, it’s the intelligent children I need to challenge but not single out, it’s the work that needs differentiating 5 ways although it’s already done 3, it’s the uploading of great work to our wow wall, it’s the class information that needs sending to the reps, it’s the groups that need changing because someone’s unhappy, it’s the links that need sending for each individual subject to each individual child daily, it’s the endless phone calls with staff trying to support through a screen, it’s the online training that needs completing, it’s the lack of separation between home and work, it’s the never ending to-do list, it’s the anxious mother who needs reassuring, the EAL child who needs 1:1 support at the end of every Webinar, it’s the lack of sheets in case someone doesn’t have a printer, it’s the grumbling parents because their child wasn’t picked to answer every question, it’s the pressure as parents sit and stare as I teach their child, the scrutiny and no room for error as my every move is judged, it’s recording my live lessons to then upload for the school to watch, it’s the not having access to my school folders and resources, it’s trying to get used to a new online system with no training, the not moving from my screen for 12 hours a day, the pain of not being able to reach through the screen and give your child a hug or help with what they are stuck on, it’s the not sleeping because I’m worried I’m not doing a good enough job or remembering something else that needs doing….…
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In these troubled times of crisis management and a global world that is discovering a new sense of self and identity albeit within isolation, can we sensibly use the ‘F’ word! In this turbulent uncertainty during the Covid 19 virus we present narrative and voice from dominance filtered into our homes via the media but can we really begin to articulate how we really feel?…
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I was so scared. At the beginning the social distancing guidelines were misunderstood in our setting and management suggested that if the school was closed we could all come in and hang displays and tidy cupboards. As some of  the lowest status staff we usually do exactly what we are told.…
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‘Living through a pandemic’ Saying goodbye to a class you love is never easy, saying goodbye to your class and not knowing when you will see them again is even harder. On Friday 20th March 2020 our school gates were locked, not for a pleasant Easter break, but as a matter of life and death.…
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Dear Members, Over the past few months TACTYC trustees have been posting blogs onto the website in relation to issues in the early years which they have concerns about. However in these very recent days as a committee we are aware that many practitioners are working in challenging circumstances and we would like to hear from you those challenges.…
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  As someone who has worked in SEND for twenty five years as a teaching assistant (TA) in both mainstream and special education, as Portage worker, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and  having recently authored a book relating to SEND, I have found myself becoming increasingly alarmed by the many media articles over the past few months (House of Commons: 2019, Guardian; 12/2019, Nursery World: 2019) relating to the breakdown of SEND provision for some of the most vulnerable children in our society.…
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We told you so… but are we being heard? With the recent election bringing a hefty government majority for the foreseeable future, it’s time to ask ourselves what this may mean for young children and those who work with them.  TACTYC has been campaigning vigorously in opposition to some of the policies of the Conservative government, so it can be discouraging to wonder whether some of these may be steamrollered ahead in spite of informed, evidenced objections from the profession There is one government policy I fear will now go ahead, regardless of all our efforts to the contrary. …
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For 40 years TACTYC has advocated and lobbied for professional development in order to ensure the educational wellbeing of young children. During that time, there have been countless policies and initiatives that have directly impacted professional practice for those working in early years.…
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