Early Edition Autumn - 2022 by Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland

EarlyEdition AUTUMN 2022

Visit childcareconference.com.au to register for the ACA Qld 2022 National Conference!

Reimagining professional learning in 2022 Outdoor Learning is for you too, the educator! Supporting people in moments of dysregulation

All Children Count

JOIN ACA QLD Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland (ACA Qld) is a not-for-profit, member-funded association representing the early childhood education and care sector across Queensland. As the peak body we advocate for the interests of children and families and work on behalf of Approved Providers and operators to ensure that families have access to quality, affordable early learning. ACA Qld represents close to 900 early learning (childcare) services, with an estimated 16,500 early childhood educators and teachers, who educate and care for around 190,000 children of 250,000 parents in Queensland. ACA Qld is a reputable source of evidence-based advice to policy makers and a trusted source of practical guidance to service operators.

Who is a member? 3

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Approved Providers of early learning (childcare) services both private and community run Large national providers Supporter members, suppliers of both goods and services to the sector

Why become a member?

ACA Qld membership return on investment:

Membership of Australian Childcare Alliance (National) expert policy & advocacy Heavily subsidised Policies, Procedures and Forms (subscription) Listing of your service in FindChildcareNow.com.au Discounted professional development including conference pricing Low cost, high quality qualification training through your very own college, College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE) Free subscription to publications, Early Edition and Belonging and much more...

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Industrial Relations information and advice through Employer Services worth over $600 Heavily subsidised Policies, Procedures and Forms (subscription), SAVE over $700 Two ACA Qld conference registrations, SAVE $528 1 Diploma qualification with CAECE, SAVE $625

Conservatively that’s over $2000 worth of savings and it’s only the start!

How do I become a member? Visit Join ACA Qld at qld.childcarealliance.org.au to complete your application. For more information contact the ACA Qld team on 07 3808 2366 or qld@childcarealliance.org.au.

Follow ACA Qld

EarlyEdition AUTUMN 2022

ACA Qld

Contents

Location: 2/10 Welch Street, Underwood Qld 4119

ACA Qld President’s Report

ACA National President’s Report

Mailing: PO Box 137, Springwood QLD 4127

Reimagining professional learning in 2022

Telephone: (07) 3808 2366

Exploring NAIDOC 2022

Swim Safety

Toll Free: 1300 365 325 (outside Brisbane)

The children are the curriculum

Outdoor Learning is for you too, the educator!

Web: www.qld.childcarealliance.org.au

Staffing Issues

Supporting people in moments of dysregulation

Energy prices soar – are you paying too much?

CAECE Congradulates

Child Safety

Educator Wellbeing and the Will to Fill

Email: qld@childcarealliance.org.au Disclaimer: Articles published in this magazine are published as a service to readers and should not be substituted for specific advice in relation to any issue. While advertising in this magazine is encouraged, ACA Qld accepts no responsibility for the contents of the advertisements. Advertisements are accepted in good faith and liability for advertising content, goods or services supplied is the responsibility of the advertiser.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Executive

Committee Members

President - Majella Fitzsimmons

Nicole Fowler

Louise Thomas

Chief Executive Officer - Kate Tully

Vice President - Jae Fraser

Kerrie Lada

Brent Stokes

Office Manager - Jen Smyth

Treasurer - Linda Davies

Pam Maclean

Administration Officer - Michelle Morley

Executive Secretary - Debra North

Katy Mason

Marketing and Communications Officer - Rachael Stephens

Peta Pitcher

ACA Qld Office

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

ACA Queensland President’s Report Welcome to the 2022 Early Edition Autumn Issue. What a start we’ve had to 2022. The opening of Queensland’s borders in mid-December brought on the rapid escalation of COVID-19 cases as predicted, and our sector bore the brunt of this in the form of unprecedented staff and child absences. Services everywhere scrambled to maintain ratios and – where that was not possible – to close rooms, consolidate services or anything else they could do in order to continue to provide care and education for Queensland children. Like many of our member APs, your Committee members often found themselves back ‘on the floor’ to ensure their services could remain open. Many service operators have told us that December-January-February has been the most stressful period they have experienced in many years in the sector. Advice and requirements appeared to change on a daily basis, and the lack of clarity from our state’s decision-makers compounded the pressure. ACA Qld was in constant contact with both State and Commonwealth Government. We were pleased to see a number of ‘wins’ including changes to gap fee waivers and allowable absences to assist families, plus the sensible temporary relaxation of some regulatory requirements over the peak of the impact. We note, of course, that gap fee waivers are great for families but reduce a service’s income at a time when many costs are fixed. We continue to advocate for financial support for all services so that, in turn, they can offer financial relief to families. We have relayed to government the sector’s disappointment that its concerns appear to have gone largely

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unheard amidst all the planning and media attention around ‘back to school, back to work’. We have never left! The early learning sector has remained open for 52 weeks a year over the entire pandemic and struggled through the extraordinary impacts of the Omicron peak. I feel immensely proud of how we have managed to maintain service for so many Queensland families throughout what can only be described as a crisis. We have received very positive feedback on our COVID-19 Management Kit and will continue to update this as new developments emerge. Amidst all this, the expiry of the transitional arrangements for Early Childhood Teachers (ECTs) in Queensland came and went with hardly a mention. The sensible introduction of the Working Towards Special Exemption in late 2021 provided a reprieve for services without the required number of fullyqualified ECTs. That measure was introduced for the first half of 2022, and we are very keen to see what the Department of Education will do next regarding this matter, especially considering that few, if any studying ECTs could have been released for prac placements in the first part of this year. Of course, workforce issues continue to be of paramount concern for virtually every early learning service in Queensland. We have watched with great interest as other states have introduced initiatives such as support for accelerated ECT programs, scholarships and other incentives, and overseas recruitment drives. We will continue to press the Queensland Government to match these initiatives to ensure our state is not left behind in the battle to recruit and retain high quality ECEC staff.

More than ever, staff working in our sector need something to look forward to, so we are very excited that early bird registrations for our 2022 Conference are now open! This is always an absolute highlight of the year, a blend of learning and fun, fun, fun! Supporting your staff to attend is a great way to acknowledge their contribution during some very trying times. Last year’s conference sold out well in advance, so please don’t delay in registering your team. We are delighted that in 2022 your college, the College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE), will be adding the Diploma of Leadership and Management, completely contextualised for the early learning sector. Look out for more news of this exciting development for your emerging leaders. Your ACA Qld membership comes up for renewal at the end of March, you will have received an email recently about our new member portal. I do hope you plan to renew. Belonging to your sector peak body is the best way for you to stay informed, be supported, and lend your voice to advocacy for a strong sector that provides all Queensland children with the best start in life. We are proud of what ACA is continuing to achieve for our sector, both in Queensland and nationally, and look forward to ongoing successes as the year unfolds.

Majella Fitzsimmons ACA Qld President

ACA President’s Report The ushering in of the New Year always brings with it hopes for stability and balance, but with the highly transmissible Omicron variant now spreading across the nation, we’re certainly off to a colourful start! The management of positive COVID-19 cases in early learning services has now become a familiar process for many, with service providers doing a commendable job of keeping their teams of staff and families informed of the latest protocols. We hope that the Federal Government’s changes to isolation requirements for Close Contacts in our sector (with strict conditions to self-test daily for 5-7 days) have removed some of the pressure for service providers struggling with staff numbers under these conditions. Following our ongoing engagement with the Department of Education, Skills & Employment (DESE) we were gratified by the late January announcement about additional support to our sector from the government around COVID-19 measures. This includes more reasons to waive the gap fee, unlimited allowable absences throughout January and February 2022, exceptions to enrolments in the context of CCS absences and support for service closures via the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) Special Circumstances grant. On another note, we were all a little surprised that the Queensland Government’s Back To School plan announcement didn’t include any guidance or policy settings for the early learning sector in 2022. We know that the recent protocols in New South Wales and Victoria, which include rapid antigen tests for staff, have strengthened the confidence of families in the safety of early learning settings.

We have also submitted a detailed pre-budget submission to the Federal Government, which supports our long-held belief that the health and developmental advantages of early learning to all of Australia’s young children are now needed more than ever, and the long-term benefit back to our economy is exactly what our policy makers need to focus on.

With the right policy in place at the Federal and State levels, we can all ensure that every child in Australia has access to high-quality, affordable and sustainable early learning services, and therefore, every child will have the best start in life.

Our key recommendations include upgrading the Child Care Subsidy by extending the exemption to the activity test for the two years before school, and also reviewing the hourly cap rate, which hasn’t been increased beyond minor CPI increases since its introduction in 2018. In the COVID-19 context we’re also asking for viability support payments to cover those scenarios when services are dealing with unusually high absence rates due to isolation requirements or parental choice.

Paul Mondo ACA President

We will continue monitoring the impact of COVID safety measures on our sector and feeding this information back into government. ACA is extremely proud of our work in supporting the early learning sector through the COVID-19 pandemic and we will continue to work with the Australian Government to ensure a viable sector and that all Australian families, including those who are essential workers and/or from disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds, can continue to access our ECEC services.

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

Reimagining professional learning in 2022 Sarah Louise Gandolfo > Semann & Slattery

The argument against single-event professional learning or development sessions in the early childhood sector is not a new one (Hope, 2017). Over my own 20 years in the sector I have repeatedly seen two particular mindsets emerge as a result of these types of sessions: one, that educators were given a lot of new and amazing information but are unsure of how to actually translate what they have learnt into practice; or two, that they take one or two key pieces of information, implement them in their early childhood spaces immediately, but watch as familiar practices seep back in over time. Of course, this isn’t the fault of the provider or facilitator of the session. I, instead, simply blame a lack of time, for both the facilitation and for consolidation of the new information after the session has ended. We are, after all, a time poor sector! Now, while the pandemic has hit the early childhood sector hard, there was something good that I observed that came out of it, and that was a reimagining of what we understood as professional learning. I’m in Victoria, so for almost two years we have been unable to enjoy face to face events. Initially this meant an embracing of the webinar and welcoming familiar faces to our virtual staff meetings via Zoom. While this was a wonderful opportunity to continue spreading hope, joy and learning, I continued to observe the same problem: single events weren’t necessarily leading to sustained or meaningful change in early childhood spaces. So, what’s the alternative? Here I offer three suggestions on how you might reimagine your own or your teams’ professional learning in 2022.

Professional reading As a forever-student with a deep love of learning I get super excited about reading. I have a stack of to-read books next to me as I write this! Professional reading and engaging in research, from both in and outside of the sector, is a wonderful way to upskill, learn something new, and bring fresh ideas into your early childhood space. Professional reading can be engaged with in a couple of ways that make it effective professional learning. You might like to host or join a book club, where a group of early childhood professionals read the same book and come together on a regular basis to explore and unpack the key ideas, sharing their thoughts on how to turn

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

the information into practice. This is a great strategy for building your professional network as the group can be made up of anyone across the sector, not just your immediate team. Within your immediate team, though, you may also choose to engage with shorter articles (such as this one) using them as a catalyst for quality improvement discussions and planning. And, of course, you can choose to read on your own, exploring new ideas and engaging in the latest early childhood research. Keeping a journal is a useful way of consolidating what you are learning and documenting how you are using it to make a change in your practice. As a side note, if reading is simply not your thing, you can take advantage of the many podcasts that are available to us as a sector.

Professional networks While we would all prefer that our networking be done face to face, access to Zoom has made networking a much more accessible professional learning tool for us all. Coming together with other early childhood professionals to critically reflect on different aspects of practice is sure to provide an excellent level of professional learning. By having a singular focus over an extended period you may also turn your network into a community of practice!

Action research Engaging in action research might seem a little scary at first but trust me when I say that the results of engaging in this process with your team are incredible. Not only will you learn something new about yourself and your team members, you’ll also be actively invested in a particular topic while seeking to make long-lasting and successful change within your early childhood space. References Hope, K. (2017). Is it time to rethink professional development in the early childhood sector? The ‘expert’ model may not be delivering much bang for our training buck. http://thespoke.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/timerethink-professional-development-early-childhood-sector-expert-modelmay-not-delivering-much-bang-training-buck/

Exploring NAIDOC 2022 Deborah Hoger > Riley Callie Resources

Every year, it is with eager anticipation that we await the announcement of the NAIDOC Week theme, and each year the theme seems to be so timely, resonating strongly with current issues facing our community. 2022 is no different, and the announcement of “Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!” presents educators across the country with a unique opportunity to celebrate within their services the achievements of First Nations Australians; those who have come before us and paved the way, to those change-makers of today who are making a significant difference to fighting for change. When we look at this year’s theme in more detail, we see three overarching focuses, each with their own unique opportunities for embedding into your classroom: 1. Working together to achieve systemic change around the significant issues like environmental and cultural heritage protections, Constitutional change, Treaty, truth-telling and racism. This focus provides a platform for exploring some of the ‘big issues’ with your little ones. Through age appropriate methods, we can together learn more about the history of Australia from a First Nations perspective. Recently released books like Adam Goodes’ ‘Somebody’s Land’, introduce children to First Nations history and to the term ‘terra nullius’, and are a wonderful platform to invite learning around the position of First Nations people and why today we

continue to seek things like Treaty and Constitutional recognition. We can also use this theme as an opportunity to connect locally with our First Nations communities, and to learn more about the issues significant to them and our local areas. 2. Celebrating our leaders and change-makers. This focus encourages us to look at our Ancestors and Elders, from the frontier wars and our earliest resistance fighters, to the notable First Nations individuals today who are driving change in our communities and nationally. In the classroom, it is a great opportunity to introduce young children to First Nations achievements, strength and resilience. We can explore how these achievements are celebrated in our local community. 3. Take action. Be impactful. Move beyond acknowledgment, good intentions, empty words and promises and hollow commitments. This focus asks educators to look internally and ask the question, ‘what can I do?’ As educators of young minds, you have the opportunity to foster in children an understanding of empathy and a desire to ‘do the right thing’. Through participating in local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander events and celebrations regularly throughout the

year, you highlight to your children the importance of building relationships with community; the importance of standing up and being a part of the change we want to see in our country. This focus is an invitation for all Australians to consider how they might use their sphere of influence to amplify Indigenous voices and issues. One beautiful example of how you might further learning in this space is to engage in a ‘pen-pal’ type relationship with an Indigenous early learning service or school in remote Australia. Another way might be inviting your local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community to join you in the classroom in collaborative art projects; where you can together share in learning about culture whilst creating a shared artwork which visibly demonstrates your commitment to building relationships and respecting culture. As the NAIDOC theme highlights, “Getting Up, Standing Up, and Showing Up can take many forms”. It is a reminder that today is the day to make a difference, and inspires all of us to look at how we can come together in meaningful and positive ways to strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia.

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

Swim Safety

Emily McNeill > Australian Swim Schools Association

Nation’s peak swim school body’s water safety message. Drowning is silent and seconds save lives. This is the message Australia’s peak swim school industry body is spreading far and wide after the pandemic pause on swimming lessons led to a national skills regression among young children. After two years of ongoing disruptions which forced swimming lessons to shut down and operate at a reduced capacity upon reopening, there has never been a better time to discuss the importance of swim safety. Protecting early swimmers who have missed out on this vital stage of their development should be at the forefront of parents, carers and teachers’ minds at all times when in close proximity to pools or waterways.

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

Alarmingly, Australia has recorded a 20% increase in drowning deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic according to the Royal Life Saving Society Australia. With millions of swimming lessons missed across the country in 2021, drowning deaths among children ages four and under increased by 108 per cent and drowning deaths among children aged between five and 12 years increased by 56 per cent compared to the previous year.

Additionally, half of children leaving primary school can’t swim continuously for 50 metres or float for two minutes in deep water which is the national swimming and water safety benchmark. Helping put an end to child drownings, the Australian Swim School Association (ASSA) is supporting hundreds of swim schools and families nationally in sharing the water safety message.

We are reminding families that seconds count when it comes to child drownings and it’s not only the pool that offers risk - bathtubs, kiddie pools and ponds are also hazardous. From parents to carers, it’s everyone’s job to discuss drowning prevention all year round as you can never be too prepared. You cannot always hear when a child is in danger and that is why prevention is crucial - as is having an emergency action plan - should the other layers of protection be broken. If you haven’t thought about what you would do if there was an emergency in or around water, here are our top tips: 1. I f a child is missing, check any water areas FIRST - seconds count 2. E nsure everyone who cares for your child, including you, knows CPR

We recommend those responsible for supervising babies and young children to have a response plan in place and that this is updated and refreshed frequently.

out more about ASSA or for more tips on safer swimming, head to the website: australianswimschools.org.au

To open the conversation around safer swimming, ASSA shares vital water safety messaging year-round through their friendly mascots, the SAFERwater Warriors. Each SAFERwater Warrior has a vital message attached to them and is designed as a fun approach to spreading vital water safety messages. Swimming Skills = GLIDE Adult Supervision = SKYE Fences & Gates = FORCE Emergency Action Plan = DASH

3. Have an Emergency Action Plan in place, especially if you have a home pool or live close to a waterway

Furthermore, ASSA has teamed up with the Royal Life Saving Society Australia in support of their We Swim Campaign which advocates to the community the importance of getting back to swimming, swim lessons and aquatics.

4. Ensure all the other layers of protection are around your child supervision, barriers and swimming and water safety skills - dealing with an emergency is the second line of defence.

The Australian Swim Schools Association is a not for profit founded in 2016 and it is the national peak industry body for swim schools and learn to swim businesses, teaching swimming and water safety. To find

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

The children are the curriculum CAECE – College for Australian Early Childhood Educators

Curriculum encompasses all the interactions, experiences, routines, and events, planned and unplanned that occur in an environment designed to foster children’s learning and development. An important quote for the child directed learning environment, where children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching, and investigating (EYLF, Outcome 4.2), and provide children with opportunities for active involvement and a variety of rich and meaningful inquiry-based experiences (EYLF, Page 34). There are many challenges implementing the curriculum. Challenge yourself to reflect on the curriculum, develop ideas and actions that support inquiry and recognise interactions, experiences, routines, and events do influence our program.

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

The interactions An educator promoting inquiry is allowing the children to lead, investigate, explore, and research to come to their own ideas about how things work. Children must have power to make decisions, ask questions and put ideas into action. We need to allow children to lead this process and avoid temptation to give them answers, predict for them or tell them the outcome. Really see things from a child’s perspective, give them control to decide the paths their inquiry will take. Let them build things that are going to fall, let them make the mess.

The skills that come are going to be just as valuable in the learning process. Children can participate in routines and processes to reflect on why things did not work, how they need to change their ideas and what they can do differently next time and give them a next time.

The experiences We need to let go of reasoning and thinking on limitations for the curriculum. It can be difficult to provide a variety of rich and meaningful inquiry-based experiences (EYLF, page 34) in the confines of the learning environment, service policies, risk assessments and general routines and demands of our role as educators. The planning, program, and documentation needs to work for us as well as our own problem solving and creativity. We may not be able to witness the full operation of a functional coal mine that the children are interested in, in the world of technology we have so many opportunities that break those limitations – we need to put in the groundwork and make them work for us. Experiences may need to adapt to suit the context but can certainly come into the environment with technology available to us. In an online world of YouTube, internet, face time, printers, instant photos, mobile devices, and more – the possibilities to watch a coal mine in operation could make its way into the environment. Another barrier to experiences is availability of resources to provide the variety of rich and meaningful inquiry-based experiences to meet the interest for every child. Physical storage and access to resources is just the beginning. The challenge to get resources and respond to children’s interests before the child finds something else to focus their attention on is a challenge for every educator. Organisation is key, as educators we must make the environment work for us. Every shelf, every storage area and every cupboard must have a purpose and work for you and the children to provide the resources and materials that will really allow children to explore their interest and test ideas and inquiry processes that are so important!

Routines If routines are not flexible and supportive of children’s interests, then interactions and experiences are influenced.

Do not assume that inquiry-based opportunities only present themselves during the timeframe in the routine for “planned experiences.” Children may eat later, learning may not fit into the timetable of the routine, we need to come back to it or have the time we need to find the answers we are looking for. Educators need negotiation skills; negotiate with other staff, advocate keeping lunch warm until learning is done. Advocate importance of routines to educators who do not value the process. Think about how routines work best in our environment, and how we involve children in routines and not just have them participate in the timetable. Routines need to contribute to children’s developing autonomy and independence (NQF, Page 189). Supporting routines may mean having all resources and equipment organised to be self-sufficient in our learning environment. Make a list of the tasks you do for children; think of ways to support children to do this themselves and the resources and equipment that they need to do this.

Events The show must go on and learning is the show. Events can be formal, planned events including excursions, incursions, visitors, special events and our calendar of events. But what events really mean are those events that impact the curriculum and influence the success its interactions, experiences, and routines. Educator absences, illness, availability, children’s attendance, availability of resources and equipment, sharing resources, service budgets, developing risk assessments and the list goes on. We can all create reasons why it is hard to let the children’s ideas and interests lead the curriculum and the program. We need to learn to overcome obstacles, find ways around these challenges. Set yourself up with systems that support the learning to be the show and let the learning go on. Reflect on your curriculum, reflect critically on your interactions, experiences, routines, and events and what is impacting on them for you. Challenge your excuses and reasons, develop your strategies to make them influence the curriculum in a positive way and let the children be the curriculum.

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

Outdoor Learning is for you too, the educator! Rebecca Burch > Nature Play QLD

A small group of children are sitting under a She-oak tree huddled together creating little mini kingdoms for their “fairy dragons”, they are using the sticks, leaves and plentiful she-oak seedpods that are scattered around them to create little homes. Another group of children are squealing in delight as they jump into a puddle repeatedly, finding joy in the water splashing up their legs. Other children have climbed the big tree and are perched among the branches. Each little nook of this natural bushland has children deeply engaged in play, full of focus and learning naturally.

Nature Play and outdoor learning is becoming more of the norm in early childhood spaces. In the last 5 years we have seen a rapid increase in services providing Bush and Beach Kindy programs, taking children out beyond the fence to explore, discover, play and learn in community spaces. We have also seen playground structures being replaced with innovative, dynamic, flexible nature play spaces to maximise children’s learning outcomes through nature.

focus and attention span and they are more likely to engage in critical thinking skills, show initiative and build decision making skills. There is a direct correlation to more time outdoors and greater development of resilience. Socially we see children engage in increased teamwork and demonstrate collaborative skills. Outdoor play actively builds independence, fosters confidence and positive self esteem. The list goes on.

Educators are doing this because of the immense benefits to children’s learning, development and overall wellbeing. The research is clear and comprehensive and consistently tells us nature is good for our health and to spend more time in nature. For children we know nature play and learning improves their range of movement, muscle development, spatial awareness, agility and co-ordination. On top of the physical skills, outdoor experiences build children’s immune systems, increases vitamin D levels and improves eyesight. On an intellectual level, when children are engaged in learning outdoors they show increased

Whilst the benefits of nature for children are extensive, well known and frequently discussed, we don’t often hear about the benefits to educators. We are in this industry because we are caring, nurturing souls dedicated to meeting the needs of the children in our program. Our focus and attention is on providing quality education and care for children. I ask educators to pause and reflect, and really consider what makes you the best educator? What supports you in providing high quality care?

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Staff wellbeing. Yes your wellbeing is a key factor in being able to do your job the best you can. It is crucial to have staff that are happy, content, healthy and feeling fulfilled. And nature is one solution to this. Nature has an almost instant positive effect on us all with its calming effect on the nervous system. Nature helps to clear our minds and silence the noise of our busy minds. Studies have shown that it even lowers blood pressure. Being in nature actively reduces stress, anxiety and depression. It releases ‘feel good’ endorphins, elevates mood and increases energy levels, all important aspects of positive mental health. These benefits are significant to children, but equally important for educators. Educators that spend more time outdoors in the nature nooks in their playgrounds or head out of the fence to local parks and natural environments consistently provide feedback of enjoyment in their job. Jane told us “At our rainforest program, it felt so nurturing and healing, being able to play without rushing to the next routine, the session is at slower rate, child led and it allowed me to build stronger relationships with the children in my care”. The break away from the busyness of our classrooms, the noise and the over stimulation to our senses to then venture into nature spaces that are quiet, relaxing, unhurried has a substantial positive effect on staff. Educators note that nature spaces give time for children to be present in the moment but also themselves, to build stronger connections with one another and enjoy play and learning together.

we started a Bush Kindy program at our centre, staff were definitely more happier and content with their jobs, and word soon got out and I had potential employees approaching our service seeking work to be part of our innovative team heading out into the rainforest each week.” Early learning centers can be stressful environments, with high demands, both physical, mental and emotional placed on staff that can take its toll. They are busy workplaces, often with competing priorities and little time to focus on oneself. But imagine being able to take a solution to your leadership team, one that is easily accessible and affordable. Its as simple as nature immersion. Talk to your team about how you can utilize the outdoor space more often, or how you might be able to extend you curriculum program to accessing community spaces. Initiating a bush or beach kindy program in your service may be the solution you are after, a program that looks after the wellbeing of both children and educators. We all want to offer quality education and care and nature immersion is a great step forward. Nature Play QLD is a non profit organization that can support educators to take this next step through training or mentoring or resources, feel free to get in touch if we can support you. www.natureplayqld.org.au

The innovative nature programs we see with services taking children out into bushland, rainforests, mangroves, creeks, beaches and rockpools are invigorating and inspiring for educators. “It gave me a renewed enthusiasm for my job, teaching at bush kindy was so enjoyable for me because we were in a beautiful calm eucalypt forest and the children were so engaged in nature play and their interactions were so positive and so full of joy. We were constantly discovering new things and learning together.” shared Rachel talking how her passion for teaching was revitalized by heading outdoors. The natural environment brings with it a world of discovery and explorations. Children may find a stunning web and begin investigations about the type of spider that lives in it. Or they notice holes in the leaves on a tree and are curious about who created it. These child led instigations capture children’s focus and attention and stem off into inquiries that often lead to long term learning projects. Nature offers vibrant and flexible learning environments that provides endless provocations for learning, that evolve as the seasons change throughout the year. Nature provides fresh new content and experiences, a place where educators are colearners alongside children which bolsters motivation and increases job satisfaction. Employee Wellbeing is about how your job affects your overall health and happiness, and incorporates things like your stress level, the environment, job satisfaction and your duties of your role. Research shows that productivity is boosted when the wellbeing of staff is fostered and not only that but keeping staff happy and healthy, builds stronger teams and long term employee engagement in the workplace! Looking after staff is in the best interests of any organization. Kelly, a Director recently noted “Once

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

Check out our

new and exciting

courses available in 2022!

The College for Australian Early Childhood Educators is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and a specialised provider of early childhood education training to the long day care sector. By choosing a career in Early Childhood Education and Care, you are dedicated to providing quality education to children in the development of successful lifelong learning.

Qualifications The College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE) is committed to delivering high quality and practical training to the early childhood education and care sector. We currently offer the courses below for those looking to gain qualifications, develop their knowledge and skills, and further their career opportunities. We also offer in-service First Aid and CPR refresher. CHC22015 Certificate II in Community Services

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You will receive the most supportive guidance and an individual study pathway catered to your needs!

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Thank you to all of the team! I have had such a wonderful experience with CAECE and the support given to me was fantastic!

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CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (Skills Assured funded program) CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (Skills Assured funded program) BSB50420 Diploma of Leadership and Management HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (in service) HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting (in service)

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07 3299 5784

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Staffing Issues Jon Webb > Everton Park Child Care

The last two years has been a very difficult time for many industries as the world attempts to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic that is still devastating so many communities. We have seen countless industries struggling to survive through lockdowns, closures and economical impacts. We have been introduced to new classification of our professions, some deemed ‘nonessential’ and closed indefinitely while other ‘essential’ business were forced to remain operating at full capacity despite the uncertainty and genuine concern of staff left to operate these. The Early Education sector has been in a very volatile position since the beginning of the pandemic and this pressure is not getting easier. In fact, I believe that it is actually compounding, and the situation is only getting more dire! I am lucky to work for an extremely high-quality centre that has been very fortunate to be in an area where we have not had as many large-scale outbreaks as others around the country. We have remained operational throughout the pandemic and have not been forced to reduce our staffing numbers. I do also work providing consulting with and training other Early Childhood Educators who have not been as fortunate as those in my service. Although our situations dealing with the pandemic have been vastly different, the resulting problem we are all facing now is the same and that is staffing! We have all seen reports through the media and many ECEC bodies report that there is a significant staffing shortage across the country and there is a push to have more people sign up to reskill or re-join our sector. There are some issues with this though. Currently I have contact with many centres who are in desperate need of multiple qualified staff immediately (my centre included) just to meet legislated ratios and yet after running many job ads and conducting some interviews

these roles still cannot be filled. Often centres are then forced to call on agency staff or seek an exemption for the day, costing the business huge amounts of money and reducing the quality of care and education provided. Centres that do manage to find a new staff member (either qualified or working towards their qualification) are forced to invest time, money and resources to upskill these staff members to suit the centre. As we all know this is not something that happens overnight and requires ongoing commitment and dedication from all parties involved in what is already a very busy and stressful day. This is causing another problem entirely… staff burn out. Amazing high quality early educators who have been working tirelessly throughout this pandemic despite their own stress are now being asked once again to push through and work even harder to deal with these staff shortages, increased workload and extra obligations as they help train new staff, all while working in a drastically underpaid and underappreciated career. I have now started to hear scary reports of many of these educators deciding that they have had enough and leaving the sector altogether. This makes me wonder what the future of our sector looks like! The early education sector has grown and changed as science has shown the importance of this in childhood development and the demands on educators has increased, the regulations, NQF and EYLF have also developed to ensure children are being afforded the best possible start to their education journey. However, with all these issues with finding high quality, dedicated and professional educators I am concerned we may be heading away from Early Education and back towards Day Care!

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

Supporting people in moments of dysregulation Kimberley Harper & Sonia Adolphs > Yourtown

Whether you are an educator, director or parent, we have all experienced dealing with others who may be in a dysregulated state. Dysregulation can often be contagious, and we can become infected without knowledge. The nature of dysregulation means that our thinking brain is not exactly in its best state to respond to the situation. The level of how contagious it might be also has something to do with us. Some of us feel comfortable and supportive of a distressed or dysregulated person.

How do we know if you are a person who struggles when others become dysregulated. How do we regulate ourselves and then be the best support for the person who needs us? Firstly, does your brain just kind of switch off; do you tend to talk faster? Is everything feeling rushed? Is your heart beating faster? Do you suddenly feel hot?

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

Note this will look different for everyone. We want to know our signs of dysregulation first to catch and regulate ourselves. It’s not easy, especially when dealing with a distressed or dysregulated person. If we have the space to prepare, assessing distress can be practical and a way to determine the pathway of support. Who am I supporting? What has happened? How do I feel about the current situation? What do they need? What are my role and responsibilities? The above are all practical questions to think about and assess if you find yourself in a situation. They consider both the person and where you sit. Regardless of who they are to you and the relationship you share, putting yourself in their shoes and providing an empathetic lens of support can create a feeling of being in the moment with the person you are supporting. Understanding what distress or dysregulation looks like for someone can also pave the way to be in the moment. Different people, when distressed, respond differently and have conflicting behaviours in changing circumstances.

We want to listen to the language that the person is using and stay within this language group to assist them in regulating. If we remain in their space where they feel the most comfortable, when they are distressed, we are less likely to retrigger someone and more likely to regulate them to when they can have a clear and supported conversation. Gauging what state a person is experiencing distress can determine how you support the person. Help regulate them in their present. When a distressed person is using emotional language, we want to use this language to systematically calm them by saying things like, I can see that you feel let down; I want to help you. Why not explain it to me slowly; we can figure it out together? When someone is presenting, using action style language, they may want information such as what happened or try and understand why. When regulating someone, we want to stay in that space. We can respond with I want to understand too. I want to hear what you have to say; we will figure out this moving forward together. When the person is calm and regulated, resolution conversations can occur.

Strategies for deescalating distress: • Talk slower • Think about your facial expressions – do they convey empathy? • Is the tone of your voice calm? • How could your body language be perceived? • Empathy • Connection – I want to help you.

Supporting someone who is displaying anger can be challenging to regulate. We must remember that this does not have to be a negative emotion, but it is valuable to identify how you sit with anger. Is it confronting, do you feel challenged, or is it a space you can work well? Whatever your status, safety always comes first. When a safe space is shared, you’re in a position to support anger by modelling calmness, displaying a willingness to listen and aiming the conversation that focuses on information. Sometimes you actively need to slow it down to promote meaningful dialogues whilst using open-ended questions that encourage explanations and validation while avoiding arguments. Some encouraging statements may include: I know this is important so please elaborate? I want to get this right to help you. Not being in a rush to fix or reassure someone experiencing anger is key to showing empathy and focusing on a non-judgmental approach. Supporting someone in this position goes beyond the communication skills of active listening; the use of silence, non-verbals, minimal encouragers, paraphrasing and utilising clarifying questions are equally as good. Although these skills are crucial for successful interactions with a person in distress, we must be also self-aware in the moment of supporting a dysregulated situation. Being present and remaining calm is comforting for people who cannot connect with other social supports. When traumatized people feel safe and, their vulnerability is triggered, they are likely to let out their frustrations, anger, resentment and blame. Look beyond these emotions to establish the underlying need. It is crucial to take a non-judgmental view of the individual and not personalise this behaviour. Being self-aware in dysregulated situations is key to successfully supporting a person experiencing this distress. But equally as important, you must practice self-care by choosing activities that help you reflect and learn from dysregulated situations. Remember, these can be different for each of us so, detailing an incident and off-loading your experience can assist self-regulation. Of course, being kind to yourself is a given, so make sure you take time out and do something meaningful to yourself.

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022 15

Energy prices soar – are you paying too much? Make it cheaper

For businesses, there are a number of fixed costs that don’t change. Then there are those expenses that you can negotiate on, like energy and electricity rates – and these represent some big opportunities to make significant savings. Wholesale electricity prices in some states have sky-rocketed recently, at a time when renewable energy is booming and making the overall energy market more affordable. Just 18 months ago, Queensland was the cheapest market in Australia for energy. It’s now the most expensive, with costs above their 2017 peak. According to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), average quarterly prices increased in both Queensland and Tasmania in the last quarter of 2021 (compared to Q3 2021), with prices ranging from $30/MWh in Tasmania to a massive $111/MWh in the Sunshine State. A decrease in prices was recorded in all other states and territories, but that doesn’t mean the energy plan you currently have is necessarily the best deal. In fact, the difference between what your early learning service is paying now and the best deal on the market could amount to thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars each year.

“ We can now see far enough into the future to be confident that power prices paid by consumers will continue to trend downwards over the next three years,” said AEMC Chair Anna Collyer. But if the trend is energy prices decreasing, both now and in the future, why are many consumers and businesses still paying too much? Every market is struggling with their own unique set of challenges. South Australia, which runs largely on wind and solar, has been seeing an uptick in average prices recently. NSW has the staged exit of Liddell power station, one of the biggest coal-fired generators in the national electricity market, in 2022 and 2023.

and advice, contact the Free Business Energy Advice Program (BEAP). Childcare centre to save almost $40,000 per year You can offset these costs by shopping around for the best deal, no matter where your early learning service is located. For example, KU Child Services, who offer 128 early education services to almost 11,000 children across Australia reviewed their energy costs with Make It Cheaper in November 2021. With over 2,200 staff and a number of different costs to balance, every dollar saved counts. They still had 8 months remaining on their existing energy agreement, but many businesses don’t realise they can still negotiate or shop around for a better deal, even if they’re still in a contract period.

If energy prices are trending down, why are prices going up?

And while rooftop solar is currently the second-largest fuel source nationally behind coal, the energy industry is scrambling to work out how to pay for solar infrastructure and manage the costs of excess energy feeding back into the grid. Increasingly, these costs are falling on energy customers.

Several energy companies were eager to win their business, with the best offer amounting to $23,850 or 7% in energy savings back to KU Children Services. When this offer was shared with their existing energy retailer, they were willing to not just match the offer, but exceed it.

Driven by our adoption of more renewable energies, consumers and businesses are set to enjoy both lower emissions and lower costs in the future, reports the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC).

Looking ahead, with supply issues such as the Callide power station outage in Queensland and the closure of NSW assets driving uncertainty and price volatility, energy generation is becoming extremely expensive.

KU Child Services secured a saving of $39,671 (12% in energy costs), as their retailer agreed to backdate their offer within their existing contract. This gave KU immediate price relief, as the savings kicked in right away.

The good news is, these wholesale price increases have not yet been passed down to small business contracts – so now is time to review and lock in low rates. For free help

MiC is the official energy partner of the Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland (ACA Qld). To review your current energy costs and plans phone 02 9137 5239 or visit makeitcheaper.com.au/landing/aca-qld

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

NATIONAL CONFERENCE Early Education... IT STARTS WITH US 3 - 5 June 2022 - The Star Gold Coast #ACAQld2022

Join us for an incredible conference weekend which includes a standout line-up of speakers, including Marc Armitage, Nathan Wallis, and Anthony Semann, dedicated Approved Provider Panel Discussion, and our ‘Wild Wild West’ Gala Dinner! All ACA Members receive Member pricing to the ACA Qld National Conference.

Con’grad’ulates

RTO: 40933

CAECE is delighted to present recent graduates who have completed their Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. Over the last quarter we have had the opportunity to congratulate CAECE graduates from both our Diploma and Certificate III qualifications. With the ongoing support from our lovely CAECE trainers, students have been guided to achieve their goals in becoming fully qualified educators. If you, or someone you know, are interested in studying and working towards your qualifications in early childhood education and care, our friendly staff and trainers are willing to guide and support your early learning journey! For more information please contact our team on 07 3299 5784 or email admin@caece.com.au.

CAECE would like to congratulate the following graduates and wish them all the best for their future as an early learning educator! CAECE graduates for the last quarter: Adryin: Little Scholars School of Early Learning - Ormeau 1 – Certificate III (Trainer Melissa-Ann)

Dani: Little Scholars School of Early Learning Yatala – Diploma (Trainer Melissa-Ann)

Brodie: Jimboomba Early Childhood Education and Care Centre - Diploma (Trainer Meaghan)

Dayna: Smart Start Early Learning Centre - Diploma (Trainer Meaghan)

Lauren: Educating Kids Childrens Centre Kirwan - Diploma (Trainer Lainie)

Dovessa: Little Wonderland Childcare - Certificate III (Trainer Meaghan)

Mae: My Cubby House – Certificate III (Trainer Sonya)

Ester: Kids Bizz Childcare Centre – Diploma (Trainer Lauren)

Meiwei: Perfect Beginnings Child Care Centre Holmead Road - EMP 2 – Diploma (Trainer Melissa-Ann)

Brooke: Elephas Education Loganholme – Certificate III (Trainer Melissa-Ann) Caylan: Petit Early Learning Journey - Burdell 2 – Certificate III (Trainer Lainie) Chloe: Eastwood Early Education Diploma (Trainer Kellie) Chloe: Junior Campus Southport – Certificate III (Trainer Sonya) Christie: Cubby Care Early Learning Centre – Coomera – Certificate III (Trainer Melissa-Ann) Clare: Capalaba Kids Early Learning Centre - Diploma (Trainer Tanya) Courtney: Sesame Lane Child Care – Dakabin - Diploma (Trainer Lauren)

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

Hollie: Little Scholars School of Early Learning Yatala – Certificate III (Trainer Melissa-Ann)

Kristy: Petit Early Learning Journey Burdell 1 – Certificate III (Trainer Lainie)

Melanie: PCYC Annadale OSHC Diploma (Trainer Lainie)

Holly: Little Scholars School of Early Learning - Redland Bay South – Certificate III (Trainer Tanya)

Nicole & Simone: Educating Kids Childrens Centre Kirwan – Certificate III (Trainer Lainie)

Hope: Play and Learn - Upper Coomera – Diploma (Trainer Sonya)

Otare: Educating Kids Childrens Centre Domain – Diploma (Trainer Lainie)

Isabella: Educating Kids Childrens Centre Domain - Diploma (Trainer Lainie)

Rebecca: Community Kids Jimboomba Early Education Centre – Diploma (Trainer Meaghan)

Jessica: Junior Campus Southport – Diploma (Trainer Sonya)

Rhianna: Kindamindi Development and Learning Centre - Diploma (Trainer Lauren)

ADRYIN

BRODIE

ISABELLA

TYRAH

HOPE

DAYNA

TIM

DANI

Rhiannon: St Lukes Catholic Child Care Centre - Certificate III (Trainer Tanya)

Shearty: Little Scholars School of Learning (Burleigh) – Diploma (Trainer Sonya)

Tim: Bright Buttons Kindergarten and Child Care Currumbin – Diploma (Trainer Sonja)

Tenille: Green Heart Montessori – Certificate III (Trainer Tanya)

Yvette: The Hills Montessori – Diploma (Trainer Tanya)

Selena: Kindamindi Development and Learning Centre – Diploma (Trainer Lauren)

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022 19

Child Protection and Safety Nicole Talarico > Talarico Consulting

Let me ask you if, every day, whilst undertaking your role as an early childhood professional, children’s safety and wellbeing is at the centre of your thoughts, values and your actions? If you feel like yes, it is, then can I ask you another question? Do you consider children’s protection, from abuse & neglect, part of that everyday checklist? It is children that are central to the profession we have chosen, so we should have a greater level of attentiveness towards their safety. So why is it then, that we are not leading the way, in the capacity of child safety and prevention? One of the reasons is that the simple phrase “child abuse” is an “umbrella” term that covers a wide range of activities that harm children. It is a form of ‘shorthand’ and as such has advantages and disadvantages: “ …The use of a short and simple label allows us to communicate without the need to repeatedly define and redefine our terms.” (Goddard, C. & Tucci (2006) State of Child Protection). Having Child Abuse & Safety permanently on team agendas will increase opportunities to

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

communicate and identify harm. This strategy creates conditions that allow services to be more responsive to any concerns, disclosures, allegations or suspicions and reduces the likelihood of maltreatment to children. Everyone needs to take charge in their local context. When you know what signifies abuse, and the warning signs, as well as support networks that are available, then you have an opportunity to prevent possible abuse or neglect re/occurring. What is also necessary to know are the indicators, that would help determine, if a child’s environment is safe and nurturing. In recent years, the experiences of children and young people witnessing violence, have been increasingly understood through the lens of

complex trauma. Trauma is commonly understood as a distressing or lifethreatening situation. Complex trauma is cumulative, repetitive and interpersonally generated. Queensland’s Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy 20162026 (Queensland Government, 2016a, p. 1), identifies domestic and family violence as “any behaviour that is physically, sexually, emotionally, psychologically, economically, spiritually and culturally abusive, threatening, coercive or aimed at controlling or dominating another person through fear”. Children’s exposure to domestic/ family violence, which has increased as a result of the global pandemic (https://www.theguardian.com/ society/2020/dec/01/the-worst-year-

towards child protection means communicating with children, their families, and the wider community, to better support individual children’s safety within a group. We need to utilise the framework of consultation and collaboration with others to facilitate a holistic understanding of the best ways to prevent harm. Be obliged to have your safety procedures meticulously planned, executed, regularly reviewed and improved if you are going to be attentive to your service provision in its entirety. domestic-violence-soars-in-australiaduring-covid-19), has profoundly damaging impacts on children’s psychological, emotional, physical safety and wellbeing, as well as compromises their educational and social development. Interruptions to children’s attendance at school/ children’s services and their opportunities to socialise with peers add to the impact of this type of abuse. Trauma informed pedagogy provides educators with great insight for co regulating with children in children’s programs. The ability to act on knowledge, makes us better able to make informed decisions, with logical and ethical grounds considered in the process. Significant advice is outlined in the online Qld Child Protection Guide (CPG) When working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, ‘it is important to seek to understand strengths of their unique parenting practices and kinship structures, the strengths of community caring, collective decision making and network capabilities surrounding the child and family. Cultural connection is a strong protective factor for keeping children safe within their families, significantly influencing their identity and providing a sense of belonging that will contribute to the child’s safety and well-being’. We are often best placed to identify signs and behaviours, that may indicate that a child has been subject to abuse, but we need to become conscious in our environments.

Are there opportunities to share key information, and undertake dialogue among your colleagues, regarding individual children’s wellbeing, inclusive of concerns (warning signs)?

The National Quality Framework’s key objective is to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of children attending education and care services first guiding principle is that the rights and best interests of the child are paramount. Most notably, it is a legal requirement that ‘every reasonable precaution must be taken, to protect children from harm and any hazard likely to cause injury’. Child Safety is a mantra we ought to be embracing. There is a pressing need to upscale our quality, to include abuse detection, if we are going to pride ourselves in having the highest standards of service provision. Our services must be regarded as grounds for perpetrators or else we will neglect children in our care, we will fail in our supervision. Your thoughts and ideas, to make your setting the safest place possible, need to be consuming, and deeply considered.

Children have a right to be consulted, about the decisions that affect them, and can provide the most accurate accounts of safety. Children can provide great feedback into circumstances that have made them feel unsafe, and it is this information, that can help address oversights. There needs to be a strong force of proactivity, for minimising risk of harm coming to children, and for providing them the tools to know their own self-worth. Being astute would mean the entire centre community acts with the perception that “children’s wellbeing is at the forefront of all thoughts and decision making” and therefore the organizational culture will take on a zero tolerance to abuse & neglect. Embracing a socio-cultural approach

Advocating children’s rights means proactively safeguarding children, by providing a stronger defence. We must sharpen our clarity and tighten our security, to the point where we deter anyone, who considers breaching a child’s right to safety. It is time Early Childhood Professionals step into a new paradigm of child protection, one that endorses child safety prevention, as well as detection. If you believe a child is in immediate danger or a lifethreatening situation call Triple Zero (000). Child safety service centres are located in communities throughout Queensland. Child safety service centres provide support and a range of services to children, young people, families and carers to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing and to prevent children from being harmed

References https://www.cyjma.qld.gov.au/protecting-children https://www.familychildconnect.org.au/ professionals#contact https://cspm.csyw.qld.gov.au https://secure.communities.qld.gov.au/cpguide/ engine.aspx Australian Childhood Foundation (2013).Safe and Secure: A trauma informed practice framework for understanding and responding to children and young people affected by family violence. Melbourne: Eastern Metropolitan Region Family Violence Partnership.

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

Educator Wellbeing and the Will to Fill Christopher Phoenix > Phoenix Support

There is a common belief that happiness is supposed to be our natural state in life, and that if we are not happy most of the time then there must be something wrong with us. Further to this, there is also a belief that it was important to remove all ‘negative’ thoughts and feelings, and that any form of anxiety is a bad thing. Somewhere deep down, there is even a belief that life is meant to be easy, and if it is not, then we are doing something wrong. Unfortunately, some of the self-help books, psychology texts, and philosophies, that try to ‘fix’ what we think is wrong with us, also tends to leave us feeling worse. It looks like what

EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022

is working for others isn’t working for us, leaving us feeling that there must be something inherently ‘unfixable’ within us. There are a few distinct psychological frameworks and philosophies, however, that actually hold some promise. One book, which I suggest to everyone I present my Educator Wellbeing workshop to, is called The Happiness Trap, by Dr Russ Harris (no affiliation). This book helped me realise that what we usually define as happiness (feelings of pleasure, gladness, or gratification), is only one definition. The problem is we seem to pursue this form of ‘happiness’ relentlessly, and as it is almost always unsustainable, it can lead to a lot of dissatisfaction. Another definition put forth by Dr Russ Harris, however, is that of living a rich and meaningful life, where we live in accordance with our values. This aligns more with living a fulfilling life, where the other form of ‘happiness’ is a bonus by-product. So, how do we determine what our values are, how do we know when it is okay to not feel satisfied, and what can we do to live a fulfilling life? To answer these questions, I first need to briefly introduce you to a psychological framework call the Phoenix Cups. Influenced from the work of many educators, psychologists, philosophers, behaviour guidance practitioners, and emerging research from the Positive Psychology movement, the Phoenix Cups represents five different basic human life needs that we all have. Now imagine those needs as five different sized Cups. We call those Cups your Safety Cup®, your Connection Cup®, your Freedom Cup®, your Mastery Cup®, and your Fun Cup®.

The difference between each of us is that we all have different sized Cups which makes up our unique needs profile. When our Cups are full (or filling), we have a strong sense of wellbeing. When they are emptying, we are driven to choose behaviours to fill them. So, utilising this framework, how can we determine what our values are? What we have discovered is that often your values algin with your dominant needs (Cups). For example, I value a sense of autonomy and independence. I like to be creative, care about my individuality, and I dislike feeling restricted. Therefore, one could say that one of my core values are that of Freedom. It just so happens that the basic human life need that is dominant in me is also my need for freedom. Therefore, by already knowing that I have a dominant Freedom Cup, helps me determine what my values are, as they align. Once you determine your Cups profile (the different sizes of your Cups), you can begin to determine what your values are. So how do we live a fulfilling life that doesn’t require us to always feel positive, and have everything always go our way? What we need to do is determine our Cups profile, and then design a Cup filling plan that is aligned with our values. If you can fill your Cups at home and at work, when a ‘negative’ event occurs, it will only take a splash out of our Cups, and not empty them. Rather than aiming for happiness, let’s aim towards fulfilment, where ‘happiness’ is a bonus by-product.

I mentioned at the start of the article that there is also a belief that it was important to remove all ‘negative’ thoughts and feelings. In the Happiness Trap, Dr Russ Harris mentions how trying to remove unhelpful thoughts can sometimes lead to more disharmony, as we become so worried about trying to feel good all the time. Instead, we should learn to make room for them as they are a natural part of life (within reason). It is fine to not feel great all the time. Furthermore, you do not need to get rid of negative feelings to be able to live a fulfilling life. Existential philosophy also notes that many of these feelings (moods) are an alarm system of sorts that is there to help you determine what truly matters to you. This brings us to a concept called the Will to Fill™. The Will to Fill™ is an unconscious internal driver, or Will, that motivates us to choose certain behaviours to fill our Cups when they are emptying. In short, it’s the empty part of our Cups. The thing about the Will to Fill™, however, is that it motivates us almost via a form of ‘suffering’. Therefore, what initially might be seen as a ‘negative’ thing, is actually a great warning system to let us know that our Cups are empty, and that we need to fill them. Therefore, we can reframe our negative feelings towards the Will to Fill ™ to one of gratitude.

Early Edition Autumn - 2022

Articles inside

Child Safety

CAECE Congradulates

Supporting people in moments of dysregulation

Staffing Issues

The children are the curriculum

ACA Qld President’s Report

Exploring NAIDOC 2022

Outdoor Learning is for you too, the educator

Swim Safety

Reimagining professional learning in 2022

ACA National President’s Report