Standard 1.2: Practice

How Standard 1.2 contributes to quality education and care

In their pedagogical practice, educators have a professional responsibility to build and nurture relationships with children, young people and families, provide a play-based environment, and facilitate and extend children’s learning, development and wellbeing. 

Educators are deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful in their decisions and actions. They are intentional in the roles they take in children and young people’s play and leisure, and how they plan the environment and curriculum experiences (Early Years Learning Framework; Framework for School Age Care). They value and respond to children’s ideas and curiosities, and extend children’s learning through open-ended questions, meaningful interactions and encouraging feedback. They promote each child’s agency to help them make choices and decisions that influence their world (Early Years Learning Framework; Framework for School Age Care).

Educators’ professional judgments and curriculum decisions are central to their active role in facilitating children’s learning, development and wellbeing. In making professional judgments, educators intentionally utilise their:

• professional knowledge, skills and experience
• contextual knowledge of each child, their families and communities
• understanding that relationships with children and families are critical to creating safe and trusting spaces
• awareness of how their own beliefs and values impact on children’s wellbeing and learning
• awareness of their own biases and how these might impact on inclusive practice
• knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
• knowledge and use of all components in the planning cycle (Early Years Learning Framework; Framework for School Age Care).

Educators also draw on their creativity, intuition and imagination, including engaging in critical reflection, to evaluate and adjust their practice to suit the learners, and the time, place and context of learning (Early Years Learning Framework; Framework for School Age Care).

Intentional and responsive educators actively engage in children’s learning as resourceful and respectful co-learners and collaborators and share decision-making with them. They use everyday interactions with children during play, routines, transitions and ongoing projects to stimulate children’s thinking and to enrich their learning.

Questions to guide reflection on practice for Standard 1.2 (for all services)

Educational practice