Video transcript - What do teachers and educators enjoy most about their work?

Children’s imaginations and ideas can surprise and inspire parents and educators alike. Quality early learning values every child’s unique interests and views, and children’s perspectives and contributions shape the learning programs. In this video, educators and teachers from services around Australia talk about how children’s ideas and opinions contribute to quality early learning.

00:00 – 00:08
Audio: [Soothing music] [Young girl] We can have ... no, sugar icing on pancakes and even syrup, and even lamingtons.
Visual description: A blonde preschool-age girl wearing a green and blue dress is sitting on the branch of a tree. She is talking to her educator who is standing nearby. The educator is wearing a black hat and an orange shirt and her back is shown while she is speaking to the girl. A preschool-age boy is sitting on another branch of the same tree.

00:09 – 00:12
Audio: [Music]
Visual description: Message appears on a pink background: ‘What do teachers & educators enjoy most about their work?’

00:13 – 00:22
Audio: [Educator] I think part of the real joy in our work is the surprise that we will get from children. The ideas that wouldn't have occurred to us that occur to them. Because they can see the world so differently.
Visual description: A female educator wearing a blue top and a blue jacket is speaking in her service’s garden area.

00:23 – 00:33
Audio: [Young boy] You’ll need a hat, some body, and some wigs, and then I guess some string. It would have to be right up there.
Visual description: A preschool age boy wearing a dark blue jumper is talking to a female educator.  They are standing in an outdoor garden area at an early learning service.  

00:34 – 00:37
Audio: [Music]
Visual description: Message appears on a pink background: ‘Children’s ideas and opinions contribute to quality early learning’

00:38 – 00:44
Audio: [Young girl] Carrots? [Educator] Carrots. Yum, maybe. [Young boy] No carrots, no carrots. 
Visual description: A young boy wearing a red jumper and a blue hat and a preschool-age girl wearing a pink hat and a pink jumper are talking to their educator. The educator is removing peas from their pods and only her hands are visible.

00:45 – 00:54
Audio: [Educator] Because we’ve given them so much agency from the moment they’ve started here, they’re really confident in telling us what they want, and what they enjoy, and what they want to do next time, or what they want to do today.
Visual description: A different female educator wearing a grey jumper is speaking in her service’s outdoor area. 

00:55 – 00:59
Audio: [Young girl] See, the ice cream’s going to be bigger, so, I need someone else’s play dough.
Visual description: A preschool age girl wearing an orange full sleeve t shirt and a beige knitted vest is making pretend ice cream from play dough. She is sitting at a table in her service’s indoor area.

01:00 – 01:03
Audio: [Young boy] No, no. That’s the cake. [Educator] Oh okay. [Young boy] And under there’s the surprise. [Educator] Okay.
Visual description: Two preschool age children, a girl and a boy, are both wearing hats and talking to their educator in a service’s outdoor area. Their female educator is holding a container of mud and searching through the mud with a spoon. The young boy is pointing out a surprise in the mud.

01:04 – 01:14
Audio: [Educator] When an educator is able to sit with a child, and engage in a two-way conversation, and to actually show that we've responded to that as well, that's something that is deeply heartfelt here.
Visual description: [Series of shots] The female educator wearing the blue top and a blue jacket is standing in her service’s garden area speaking about two-way conversations. A blonde educator wearing a green shirt is shown sitting on a bench talking to four young children.

01:15 – 01:17
Audio: [Children talking]
Audio: [Young boy] No, that’s no more.
Visual description: Message appears on a pink background: ‘We value every child’s unique interests and views’. 

01:18 – 01:23
Audio: [Young boy] They’re flying a balloon at the city. [Educator] Oh wow!
Visual description: Children in an outdoor area of a service are sitting on the grass. Two little boys are standing together looking at a book in their educator’s hand. One little boy is wearing a blue jumper and a blue hat and the other little boy is wearing a red jumper and a blue hat. The younger boy is talking about the book as he points to a picture. 

01:24 – 01:29
Audio: [Music]
Visual description: Message appears on a pink background: ‘For more info visit StartingBlocks.gov.au’. The StartingBlocks.gov.au logo appears on screen.

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