10-03-2016

(I didn’t took any pictures because I didn’t knew if supervisors orchildren parents let us to do that)

This day we outdoors had to go to Hokus Pokus kindergarten in Kristiansand and watch, observe how there is working with kids.

So our separated group divide in to 2 smaller groups and, we had to follow the group of kids (3-5 years old) with 2 supervisors to the Jegersberg. While we were walking all the time kids had to go in pairs by holding each other, ours or supervisors hands- very similar in Lithuania, because there when kids going somewhere outside of kindergartens territory they have to hold each other hands to. One of them was braver, even try to talk with us internationals, some was more shy and try to avoid us at first. When we get to the place where supervisors wanted to stay, I noticed wooden shelter and they explained me that it is built for purpose to kindergartens, In Lithuania you will never find anything built for kindergartens not in it’s territory.

Teachers: like I said before there were 2 supervisors or teachers, who had to take care of the kids, sometimes when kids gone away too far, were playing near the corner of the hill- doing something that’s too risky, teachers warn them, sometimes they helped kids to climb down the trees. But most of the time, teachers let to kids do what they want. Also teachers gave them some food, and try to teach patience and obedience some kids, who were hyper active and standing in line to the food. Also teachers were singing, counting- sometimes even in English language.

Area: again like I said before it was somewhere in Jegersberg near wooden shelter. Around the shelter there was ropes for playing, swings, trees, big stones.

Kids and risky play: All of them was energized and excited to play around. When supervisors let them play they spread around by doing almost everything, climbing in to the trees, boldering on the big stone and jumping of it, playing on the ropes and swings, exploring the environment. I was surprised how teachers let them do almost everything what they want, because in my home country you wouldn’t see that. It was nice to observe how kids just measure the danger by themselves. For example they were climbing in to the trees until they noticed it is too risky to climb more or just it would be too high, so they find their comfort height by themselves. Jumping from the stone for them was the same, firstly kids were doing that from lower height or some just sliding, but later when they understand they can jump from top of it, they done that, and stone, believe me, was really big. On the swings the same, one of them were swinging harder other slower. I think it’s very good learning system to let kids measure the danger by themselves- because they learning by doing- I mean by getting practical experience and in the future they should be more self-handed.

About Lithuania’s situation in kindergartens I have to mention that we are very young at this education system, because we “fight back” our independence from Soviet union in 1991 years, and we had to change everything ( old system and old attitudes) over not one, two or five years.

In Lithuania’s kindergartens there are groups of children (for up to four years) and one or two teachers (who substitute each other time to time), who supervises them. Most of the time kids are in the main building and classes with beds, tables, cupboards, shelf’s , chairs, dresser and toys. Outside around the territory there is always some playing constructions, swings, slides and more.   When there is a good weather (sunny, not rainny day) kids with supervisors going outside to play around kindergartens territory, very rarely outside it’s territory going for the walks. Also, kindergartens do not teach reading or writing but have a focus on personal and social development: music, drama, oral and story telling skills, physical development, and motor skills developed through a wide range of art and craft activities.

More than this, like I mentioned before, in Lithuania kindergarten teachers are much more stricter than Norway’s. Supervisors in Lithuania don’t let for kids to do risky plays and decisions, because of responsibility for them. We got many cases when for the kid happened something bad, for example he break his finger, and then his parents for the self profit or over reacting (I don’t know) wrote a statement on the supervisor. In this case it is very sad, because of people selfishness, arrogance we can’t move forward.