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This interview is originally from May 2020, filmed during the Covid 19 pandemic. Although some of what is covered is related to the reopening of the Early Years after lockdown, the importance of trauma-informed practice has not diminished.
At our record-breaking Famly Sessions event on Reopening Childcare, Mine Conkbayir was one of the most popular guests we had on, and with good reason. She is leading the way right now in helping us to rethink the way we approach early years, trust our instincts, and put children at the very heart of it all.
We knew we had to talk to her again, and so, over Zoom, Mine and I sat down for half an hour to cover some of the bits we didn’t quite get to. We talked about the virus, what it will mean for young children’s mental health, and how we need to respond as early years practitioners.
What does she advocate for? Well to start with, traditional behaviour management needs to be thrown out the window, and replaced with child-centred practice that seeks to understand every child, where they come from, and what their behaviour means. What we need, is trauma-informed practice.
Most importantly, it’s a chance to see the positive in this difficult situation. Massive societal changes like we’ve experienced over the last few months, Mine argues, are always a chance for us to reshape the way we do things. Time to get to work.
Mine is a lecturer, award-winning author and trainer. She has worked in the field of early childhood education and care for over 17 years. She is currently undertaking a PhD in early childhood education and neuroscience to develop her work in the complex and challenging subject of infant brain development.
In this wide-ranging talk, Mine and I discuss a whole range of topics, including:
You can find more information about Mine’s approach and research on her website, and catch up with her latest thoughts and projects by following her on Twitter.
Please note: here at Famly we love sharing creative activities for you to try with the children at your setting, but you know them best. Take the time to consider adaptions you might need to make so these activities are accessible and developmentally appropriate for the children you work with. Just as you ordinarily would, conduct risk assessments for your children and your setting before undertaking new activities, and ensure you and your staff are following your own health and safety guidelines.
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