There is a Finnish proverb that says "Those things you learn without joy you will forget easily".
At All The Doo Dah Day all that we do is imbued not only with the desire to achieve maximum learning but also to achieve maximum joy. Joy and music have a couple of things in common - both make you remember things more easily but both are also crucial to healthy self-esteem, feeling like you belong, feeling like it is OK to be yourself.
What if we put aside curriculums that are all about improving children's cognitive skills and instead focussed on joy? What if we focussed on experiences that engendered laughter, enchantment and imagination? What if we sat and talked to children to find out what it is that they would like to learn rather than filling their little heads with what we think they SHOULD learn?
Lynda has coined a special term SPARKOLOGY to describe her unique teaching philosophy and pedagogy that sees children flocking to her for hugs after class or blowing her 50 billion million five hundred and twenty nine kisses; that sees children even 6 years after she has taught them call out to her in the street, shopping centre or swimming pool; that sees parents writing to her calling her the "Tay Tay of Pre-schoolers"; that sees educators sing her praises wherever she goes. Nobody has expressed Lynda's impact quite as beautifully as her colleague Michelle:
"The children respond to her in a way that I haven't seen with any other teacher before. Lynda understands the children, their needs and she holds them and accepts them for who they are and they accept her for who she is and I think she recognises herself in a lot of the children. That can't be made up, that's the real stuff". - Michelle, Team Leader, Wyndham Park Kindergarten.
What is SPARKOLOGY?
Sparkology is the art (with neuroscience thrown in) of combining learning through music, love, empowerment and joy into a bushel of sparkly goodness that is imprinted in the minds and hearts of children and adults of all ages, abilities and backgrounds so they believe they are seen, heard and can do and be anything! It is a safe place from which to soar.
Lynda prioritises joy in her teaching because she never experienced it at school. She seeks to give all children a voice because hers was silenced in really vicious ways by bullying educators who did not understand her and did not really know what to do with a curious, clever little girl who was different.
Sparkology is informed by:
Lynda's extensive experience with thousands of children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through her work at All The Doo Dah Day;
Cutting edge neuroscientific research and progressive early childhood theory and pedagogy, especially socio-constructivist theory and the Reggio Emilia Approach;
Lynda's own Masters' research on dance as a learning tool in early childhood which returned powerful findings on the impact of collaboration with children;
Lynda's personal journey overcoming trauma and her career transition from successful lawyer to early childhood teacher which has led to a life of authenticity, healing and happiness.
Not only is Lynda a good teacher but she is indeed a teacher that makes you feel good and that is really important.
#sparkology #thedoodahway #joy #teaching #teachingphilosophy #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhoodmusic #allthedoodahday #lyndaslavinskis
