I loved being part of the Collegial Research Group this year. It was enjoyable and valuable to take part in the course with Jenna, my co-teacher this year. Yvonne’s introduction to the Pedagogy of Play opened our eyes to a new way of thinking about childhood education—both broadly and within the context of our classroom. The course offered us the chance to engage in playful learning ourselves, strengthening our planning sessions and deepening our engagement with the content we were teaching.
The after-school classes with Yvonne were collaborative and each session allowed the space for thoughtful conversations and meaningful reflection with colleagues. I still remember our first session, when we were invited to use a variety of materials to create a representation of playful learning. I used Legos to build a staircase—symbolizing a learner’s journey, with moments of tumbling and getting back up. To me, this captures the heart of playful learning: it honors the process over the product. That, for me, is the most valuable takeaway.
Throughout the year, Jenna and I had the opportunity to bring playful learning into our classroom in meaningful ways. It not only enriched student learning, but also strengthened our co-teaching relationship. We genuinely enjoyed planning these experiences and watching our students engage with such joy and focus. We observed increased attention, deeper understanding, and better retention of new skills and concepts.
One of the most powerful aspects of CRG was the opportunity to visit other educators’ classrooms. After spending time in our fellow teachers’ classrooms, we felt inspired to try some of their approaches. These visits gave us real-time insight and directly influenced our teaching. When Jenna and I hosted a session in our classroom, I valued the opportunity to meet and discuss our plans with Yvonne, to meet with colleagues before the lesson, and finally, to reflect together afterward. So seldom do we engage in a cycle such as this and aside from being fun, the workshop/lab design is incredibly rewarding and has a long-lasting impact.
Overall, I came to understand that playful learning does not mean simply allowing students more time for unstructured “play time”, such as going outdoors for recess or having more choice time in the classroom. Rather, it is a new perspective and approach that can run through any subject at any point in the year. It allows students to take ownership of their learning, make powerful choices as learners, and enjoy the process in a more child-centered way.
While this year was so full of learning and growth for me as an educator, I also feel like I only scratched the surface of the Pedagogy of Play. I believe there is so much more here to learn and dig into. I would welcome the opportunity to participate in this learning experience again!