EDUC4882 Respectful Teaching With Infants And Toddlers

Respectful teaching involves the careful consideration of what very young children do as they relate to and seek to discover more about the people and the world around them. Focusing on the role that attachment and attunement play in early learning and development, this topic encourages students to explore contemporary and international perspectives on the foundational elements of high quality curricula for very young children. The reciprocal nature of the educator-child relationship will be of key consideration, using observation, reflection and planning techniques to question: what does it mean to teach infants and toddlers? Students will have the opportunity to study first-hand how to shape engaging and supportive educative care programs for very young children.

This topic aims to:

• Stimulate students to question the purposes and possibilities of respectful teaching approaches with very young children
• Support students to consider how to observe for, shape & implement a high quality curriculum for infants and toddlers
• Provide students with opportunities to apply their developing knowledge and understanding of infant/toddler curricula

1. Critically analyse and effectively support the socio-emotional, intellectual and physical needs, creativities and curiosities of infants and toddlers, in light of their familial, cultural and community contexts
2. Rationalise how curriculum for very young children is distinct from curricula for children over 3 years, noting parallels with the students own teaching philosophy and that of the early years sectors
3. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the role that the educator-child relationship plays in very young childrens learning and development