Amber's case study

Stage Three: How have I changed?

Amber’s journey in RESPECT enabled her to think about her professional priorities and whether/how they differ from parents’ priorities for their children:

• Critical reflection – What is appropriate? Who am I to say? Made me question my own thoughts and expectations. Questioned myself and my practice. For me: rethinking, changing image of parents. For participants: asked questions to see parents’ expectations, values, morals; parents that were silent now speak more for children. Flow-on effects of parents/staff relations for children.

Amber recognised that there are many complex and diverse views of the child and that she needed to remember this when engaging with parents. Having said that, she felt that her unease about early childhood education’s move away from its ‘nurturing’ role had been vindicated:

• ‘How can I respect differing views of the child? Focus on … (the importance of) … social, emotional or relationships.