We often ask this question when teams invite us to work alongside them to review how they plan and assess. Why does it matter? Your philosophy states what you believe and value, so it should guide your everyday practice.
Teams often use statements such as 'children are capable and competent', and there is nothing wrong with this statement. Things get messy, though, when the statement doesn't match what is actually happening in teaching and learning.
Consider these examples:
The philosophy says children are capable and competent, but the program is planned weeks ahead and leaves little room for children's ideas, questions or theories to shape what happens next.
The philosophy values partnerships with families, but families only ever see the program as a sheet on the wall. Nobody invites them to share what they know about their child.
The philosophy celebrates play-based learning, but documentation mostly ticks outcomes off a checklist and says little about what children are thinking.
The philosophy honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, but these perspectives only appear during NAIDOC Week.
None of these teams are getting it wrong on purpose. More often, planning has become a routine and the philosophy has become a document that sits in a folder.
So where do you start? Choose one statement from your philosophy and look for evidence of it in your planning. Ask yourselves: Where do we see this in our program? Whose voices are shaping the learning? What would a visitor notice?
When your planning reflects your philosophy, it becomes more than paperwork. It shows who you are as a team and what you believe children deserve.
How does your philosophy show up in your planning?
