Intentional teaching: Teacher decision making in kindergarten

Indoor play

Making table

Teacher

You know how their skin is really bumpy and leathery? It’s not really smooth, is it? Looks a bit like that.

Xavier

Well, some crocodiles have some green.

Teacher

Mmm. So you’re thinking you’re going to use this to cover this box to turn it into a crocodile? All right, so how big will that need to be?

Xavier

Cutting it.

Teacher

So, can you find some scissor? Go and get some scissors. Xavier, if you hold on to this piece here with this hand, that will help hold – keep that nice and flat while you’re doing that cutting job.

Outdoor play

Superheroes

George

No. No, Hayden!

Teacher

Now, Hayden, let’s have a look at what’s happening here.

Liam

That’s a wall.

Teacher

These are the walls for the superheroes. Can you see George and Liam have been building a space to play the Superman game?

Hayden

Yep, but I want to be Superman.

Teacher

Are you still building with your building, or is that finished now?

Hayden

Yep, it’s finished.

Teacher

Okay. So, Hayden, eyes here and look to see what these children are doing. Look what Liam and George have been collecting the blocks and doing the busy working.

So is it fair for you to come along over here while they’re doing that building?

George and Liam

No.

Hayden

No.

Teacher

No. So what could you do?

Hayden

Stand back.

Teacher

You could stand back over there, or you could collect some more blocks to help, perhaps.

Hayden

Can I collect more blocks?

Liam

Yes, you can.

George

Yes, you can.

Teacher

Great choice.

Group and routine times

Reflecting

Teacher

Now George, do you know, yesterday you were in the robot shop and the superheroes weren’t even on the board. But that’s a new game that started today.

George

Yes.

Teacher

So let me pop the superheroes up here and then you can come and move your photo. So there was you …

George

Yes.

Teacher

…and there was…

George

Liam.

Teacher

…Liam.

Ben

I was there.

Teacher

And Ben came towards the end. You started to make your things, didn’t you? So Ben, do you want to come and move your photo as well?

Ben

Yeah.

Teacher

And Hayden? Or would you like to come and move some footsteps? Have a think. You would like to do the footsteps. What would you like to do, George?

George

Move my…

Teacher

Move your photo. All right.

Daniel, did you come to the superheroes?

Um, Sunday, this was the superhero game that we were just talking about at the moment, so these people are just moving their photos over. I think Ben’s interested in doing some footsteps from his game, because you really were visiting …

And Ben, you were also at the river rocks game. Goodness, you’ve been to a lot of places today! Over past the river rocks and then all the way to the superheroes.

Routine

Hand washing

Teacher

Beautiful, start those bubbles. Fantastic, we turn on the water. Wash your hands after you blow your nose. Start that in between, all the way around, under the water.

Fantastic. What’s next? And then what do we need to do here? Give that little shake, get those drips off. Fantastic.

Oh, well done Tim, you’ve started your bubbles. Thanks Miranda. Are you ready to play again?

Miranda

Yes.

Teacher

Let’s find out. Miranda, I wonder if you’re having that picnic? Good job, Tim.

Group time: Small groups

Group 1

Teacher

All right … number ones, would you like to come out with Danielle and have a look in your locker? So Danielle, they're going to look in their lockers and see if they have anything to bring. And if they don’t, that’s okay. They’ll do the talking together.

And then would they like to make a space, wherever you’re comfortable.

Danielle (Parent)

What is it, Daniel?

Daniel

It’s all the animals that live in the backyard.

Danielle

All the things that live in your backyard. Can you tell us what some of them are, so in case we can’t see?

Daniel

That’s a bee. What’s that one?

Child 2

A butterfly. A rat.

Danielle

What’s that one?

Child 1

A kiwi?

Danielle

That’s called a whimbrel.

Child 1

Oh, I thought it was a kiwi.

Group time: Small groups

Group 2

Charlie

Look Hayden, it’s a plane.

Teacher

It is a plane. Do you know what sort of plane it is, Charlie? Because you know a lot about planes. Do you know what sort of plane it is?

Charlie

It’s a Hornet.

Teacher

Is it a Hornet?

Charlie

Yeah, Hornet.

Teacher

And whereabouts is the nose of the plane?

Outdoor time

Running game

Teaching assistant

Okay. We’ve got to listen, remember?

Children

One, two, three, four, go! Yay!

Teaching assistant

They set their game up, asking for a running game. They wanted to take turns. They came up with the idea of taking turns and they came up with the idea of somebody having to start them. So it doesn’t matter what they’re saying, whether it’s one, two, three, go, or …

Teacher

Okay. So they’ve got different codes for going.

Teaching assistant

It’s up to the person who is doing the starter and they’ve decided that. And they know that the word they can start running on is ‘go’.

Teacher

Then the others are waiting along those chairs, so that’s the waiting space?

Teaching assistant

They’re waiting.

Teacher

Yes.

Teaching assistant

They’re all just seeming to take turns. Sometimes they don’t. They’re just choosing who they’re going to run with. It’s not necessarily which order they’re sitting on the chairs, but they’re really going well.

Teacher

Good, okay.

Outdoor time

Camping

Child 3

You have to have some marshmallows when you start because that’s when the fire gets …

Teacher

Is that when you light the fire when you go camping at night time? So you can sit around the fire?

Child 4

It’s night time now!

Teacher

And have marshmallows as a treat? Is that what you do when you go camping, is it?

Child 4

It’s night time now!

Teacher

I don’t know where the tents are, though. Have you seen the tents?

Child 5

Hey.

Teacher

I wonder where we’re going to sleep?

Child 5

Hey, I got some marshmallows.

Outdoor time

Packing up

Teaching assistant

Timmy, Timmy … stop. Be safe. Tim. Thanks Bree … Judd, thank you.

Teacher

People who were playing in the digging patch camping, time to come and do all of the washing of the soup dishes. Everybody else, could you start looking for the small things first?

See where the shed is? All the way. Careful lifting …

Teaching assistant

I'm so pleased you’ve come. I need you right here …

Outdoor time

Reflecting

Teacher

Now, Liam, here's some blu tack. Can you think about where your favourite place to play was today? Have a look at the pictures.

Liam

It won’t go.

Teacher

You might just need to give it a bit of a push. Where are you thinking?

What about you, Charlie? You were doing that climbing. You were taking the plane up here with Louise, weren't you?