Last week, students from our Early Childhood Education and Care degree presented their Creative Reflexive Practitioner Displays. These displays are unique creative models designed to reflect their personal, academic, and professional journeys.
This project encourages students to explore the experiences, challenges, values, and achievements that have shaped them as developing practitioners, using symbolism, creativity, and reflective practice to tell their stories.
Among the displays was Alyssa’s mixed media model of a mountain and fairy garden, representing the highs and lows of her university and professional experiences. Through features including bridges, stepping stones, reflective pools, and recycled materials, her work explored themes of perseverance, sustainability, growth, and supporting children with SEND.
Lucy’s display reflected her aspirations within the early years sector, including her ambition to one day open her own setting. Her model incorporated elements such as scaffolding, climbing frames, stepping stones, and pine trees to symbolise resilience, humility, family support, and professional development. Lucy also highlighted the educational theories and pedagogies that have influenced her practice, including the work of Montessori, Vygotsky, Ainsworth, Bowlby, and Bronfenbrenner.
The displays demonstrated not only the students’ creativity, but also their ability to critically reflect on the experiences and values shaping their future careers in early childhood education and care.
We are incredibly proud of the honesty, passion, and thoughtfulness shown throughout the project.
Find out more about Early Childhood Education and Care here.