Welcome to my 'Taylor Made' blog

I've started a blog to..

Share teaching ideas, play-based learning resources, parenting and family play tips, book reviews and more. It's a new beginning for us all, so please check back in regularly. Who knows where this conversation will take us!

First of all, a bit about me!

I live in Adelaide, South Australia and love spending time in and around the ocean, travelling with my family and seeking adventure. I also LOVE reading books, learning really random stuff, laughing with children and chatting to five year old's. I am passionate about play and giving children time and space to simply 'be'.

I've spent half of my life living and working in the field of education, with a passion for outdoor learning and play. I have never strayed far from a calling to walk alongside others as a guide and mentor. I believe that this is what I was put on the planet to do, and I continue to love every minute of it.

I am fortunate to have found purpose and connection with others through my life's work. I am grateful for every moment I have to learn, play and connect with others.

Curious to learn more? Read on my friends..

West Coast Adventures

I began my teaching career over 20 years ago, on the West Coast of South Australia, where my classroom (almost) overlooked the ocean and the wild Southern Ocean set the scene for adventure on weekends. The West Coast of SA continues to draw my family back for holidays, some 20 years later. It's the place I found my feet as a teacher and eternal wanabee surfer.

I love challenge and embrace change, so after a few years I moved on to seek adventure further afield. I moved to the United Kingdom and taught in inner city London schools before moving to Scotland to learn a thing or two from the Scottish. I taught in a number of rural schools and was supported by the most amazing teaching teams. The children in my care often finished their year with a slightly Australian 'twang' in their accents, but as much as I tried, I could never sound Scottish. I still haven't mastered how to say Loch..

There really is no such thing as bad weather. Only inappropriate clothing.

One of the biggest lessons from living in Scotland. You don't wait for the weather to clear before going outside. 'There really is no such thing as bad weather. Only inappropriate clothing,' as the saying goes. It's a lesson that has served me well. However, trying to dress a class of Primary One's for the 'wee' (little) break during the Scottish winter is an experience.

My small school in the beautiful Scottish Borders town of Peebles

In both the West Coast of SA and the Scottish Borders, the townships and villages were an extension of my classroom space and my student's and I relished every opportunity to explore beyond the gate. I learnt more from the students in my care and more about these vibrant young people, whilst on these adventures that I could ever hope to achieve in the classroom.

Today I support teams with rhythms, routines, and specific skills to lead groups beyond the gate.

An abundance of Connections

A love of travel and a constant curiosity to learn from others through personally connecting with other teachers, inspired me to travel the world over, where self-guided study tours made travel and teaching merge in the most perfect way. From high altitude schools in the Himalayan mountains, to the smallest schools in Tanzania and rural schools in the South of Italy, a truth was ever present.

Teachers all over the world are creative, resourceful and teach with heart and soul. They use what they have and do the best they can. Powerful teaching comes from connection, intention and an attunement to the learners at hand.

It is one of the cornerstones of my approach today. I support educators to find the magic in the everyday and to do more, with less. I focus on methods to support connection, intention, and an attunement to learners.

Talking about a revolution

When I returned to Australia, I taught in both Catholic and Independent schools and completed a Masters in Educational Computing to bring the newest digital tools into my classrooms. I spent years integrating digital technologies into my learning environments and showcasing how digital tools bring communities together. Little would I know that this skill set would be so useful in 2022.

And yep, I started out when internet was dial up, 'the' school computer was shared between classrooms and wheeled from room to room. Way back in 2003, the fanciest digital tool was a 'blurry' digital camera! It took the photo below..

'The' school computer lived on a trolley and shared between classrooms. The blurred nature of this image is intentional. Digital photography has come along way in the last 20 years.

Things really have moved on a little in the digital world. These days I build multimodal learning platforms, create online content and facilitate learning experiences online. I am all for the use of technology and digital media in schools - when it goes hand in hand with considering purpose and intention.

The changing landscape of school life

Since settling back into school life in Australia, having two children and juggling ‘all the things’, something else was rumbling away under the surface. I found that, alongside supporting the parents and children in my classrooms, I was being sought out to mentor and guide early career teachers, colleagues, and teachers from various networks with my approaches to literacy, digital technologies, outdoor and play based learning.

I embraced these connections and found that I loved, ‘this new’ aspect of teaching as much as I loved teaching young children. I jumped into the world of mentoring teachers through professional associations and continued to guide colleagues on their own personal pathways.

A leap of faith

In 2018, I took the leap out of the school system to work in the not-for-profit sector as an educational consultant of sorts and continued the work of spreading the play-based, outdoor learning gospel. Once again, I relished supporting educators from all over with professional learning, mentoring and resources created for specific audiences in early childhood and primary education.

Connecting it all back to a (crowded) Curriculum

I acknowledge that a school day is busier than ever. I am concerned that an overcrowded curriculum is making life harder for teachers and leadership teams and bringing an added level of stress to the lives of children.

I am committed to ensuring my contribution never adds work to an overworked workforce, but value adds and allows everyone to slow down - even if for short bursts.

Honouring a legacy

Play is a means of thinking. A way of nurturing creativity. A way of finding out about people. (Kate Burden, 1996)

In an age where children’s worlds are becoming increasingly ‘adult’ like, I continue to advocate for children’s right to play and need for play. I have developed strategies that create opportunities for play and experiential learning in an overwhelming curriculum. Connection to concepts and one another, through play has always been a pillar of my approach. This was modelled brilliantly by my earliest mentor in education, Kate Burden. Mentoring others is how I honour Kate’s legacy and continue her pioneering approach.

My approach has also been informed by another mentor and friend, who continues to inspire and showcase the amazing potential for learning outdoors, Juliet Robertson of Creative Star Learning.

Juliet with some of her #1 fans

These days, I support schools and teachers to rekindle the magic and joy in learning, with purposeful play, inquiry, and connection. Together, we find simple ways to embed new approaches to support all areas of curriculum teaching and learning.

I absolutely love my work, supporting educators and school leaders to reimagine learning environments (both indoor and out) and use them with exceptional skill and confidence. My interests include early childhood education, teaching and learning in outdoor environments, playful approaches to literacy and math's, designing thinking and creativity and wellbeing through nature connection. I am passionate about supporting children and educators to do more, with less.

If you're still with me, thanks for taking the time to read. I’m excited to explore how we can connect, learn, and play together to celebrate the curious spirit in learners, young and young at heart.

Get in touch with me at maria@mariataylorconsulting.com if you would like to begin a conversation or jump on all the usual channels and say hi.

Yours in learning and play,

Maria

Taylor Made Education - A place to Connect, Learn and Play