Supporting resilience in early years classrooms: the role of the teacher

Abstract

It is an accepted fact that resilience is a multifaceted phenomenon which has been proven to affect the learning, growth and development of individuals. A child's formative years are a time when resilience needs to be promoted so they can cope with the challenges of life. This paper reports some of the findings of an Australian Research Council-funded longitudinal study which investigated resilience in the context of significant transitions in the lives of children and young adults. This study explored the conditions and characteristics of resilience, looking at the educational, health, work-related or leisure interventions that support and foster resilience. Outlined in this paper are findings from the early years cohort of the study involving teachers' pedagogy informing the practical approaches and strategies that promote and protect resilience in young children. It is argued that teachers working with young children need to be mindful of using enabling strategies in which their practice works purposively with the school environment and the building of relationships. IntroductionResilience is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that has been extensively researched across a number of disciplines due to the impact it has on individuals' learning, growth and development. The importance of the early years (pre-schools and schools) as sites for supporting resilience by teachers in their everyday practice is the focus of this paper with examples drawn from an Australian Research Council-funded longitudinal study which focuses on investigating resilience in the context of significant transitions in the lives of children and young adults. This study explores the conditions and characteristics of resilience in young children, teenagers and young adults, and their families and communities, looking at the educational, health, work-related or leisure interventions that support and foster resilience. The findings from the early years cohort of this ARC study informs the practical approaches and strategies that promote and protect resilience in young children outlined in this paper, and are drawn from the voices of teachers in both pre-school and early years classrooms. These strategies revolve around the environment, relationships and practices, and highlight aspects such as supportive relationships with

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