Strategies for Partizipation in Morning Circles: A Comparative Study of Russian and German Kindergartens

1. Different strategies in realizingpartizipation in russianandgermanmorningcircles. Exploratoryvideoanalyseofcircles in 2 Kindergartens Prof. Dr. Ursula Stenger University of Cologne

2. Lookingatthesocialsituation: Performative turn (Wulf et al.) • Cultural historicalapproach (culturaltools, meaning, values...) • Socialrealityas a bodylyperformedcreativeproductionofrealitybetweenpeople, material, surrounding: concretesituations • Quality emerging:Microanalyze: howparticipationiscreatedbetweenpeople, whotakepart in it (Sheridan, Shiyan et al.)

3. What means participation? • Childrens‘ right as an central pedagogical aim (Veraska et al.) • Realize participation means (western): Each child as an autonomous individuum has the right to bring in and represent his/her own interests and arguments in a group. • Anthropological consideration: child as an individual should learn to decide and act alone (Co-Construction) • This is very importand! Are there more ways (cultural tools) to participate in a group? • Общение = communication= co-construction?

4. Participation • To share oneself with the other? • To share/feel a common space (Culture) in which it is worth to live, in which sense is growing, in which everybody needs knowledge and capacities to form and feel the space of togetherness and trustness (Nancy) • Connection of culture and individuality

5. Indivudalityandtogetherness/belonging • What strategies are used to create belonging or partizipation in a morning circle? • Strategies can be to use Thinking, Expressing, Singing, Clapping, Exploring, Exchanging, Playing, Moving...

6. Kindergarten in a German city and Moscow Data: • Video: 4 Morning circles • Observationswholeday (3 ormoredays, ethnographicaldiary) • Fotos: rooms, things, productsofchildren • Dokuments aboutpedagogicalwork (Books, Articles, concepts, groupdiscussionswiththeteams)

7. Methods and conclusions • Analyzing documents, videos and fotos to understand the lived experience • Question: Strategies and processes to build togetherness, to realize partizipation

8. Childrensconference in germancity (everymorning) • Determinewhois Leader ofthecircle (list): Leader lightsthecandle (withhelpersometimes) • Welcome song: Wewaveatus • Orientation: Leader iscountingthechildren, determinesthedate, day, monthanddelateshisname in thelist • Narrative round (one time replasedbyreadingchristmasstory,one time discussionofbehaviouralrules in narrative rounds) • Classificationofchildren in lerning/playing-areas by Leader orTeacher Manysituationswithfocus on onechild. Child isleader, but needsveryoftensupport.

9. Morning Circle in „Moscow“ • Begin: Everybodystandingandcountingone after another • Rhythmpatternsuggestedbychildandmorningsong (Option: gamewithrhythmandspeach/tasks) • Sitting (sendingthearrow) • Narrative round (oncesupplementedbytalkaboutsleeping in kindergarten) • Games, songs, poems • Lying on thefloor: Reading thestory/fairytaleoftheday • Game ofthenewfairytalerandclimbingbefore breakfast Manychangesofdoingsthtogetherasgroup, tellingsthalone, suggestingsthtothegroup. Teacherisleader

10. Different strategies Germany • Focusingthe individual child. Leader getstasks, otherswaitandlook • Narrative roundwithchildasleader. Teacheradressestheleaderchildtolead! • Discussion: Istheleaderallowedtostop narrative round, if he feelsboring. Sampling arguments. Teacher: We do not knwowhatisright. Help ustodeside! (democraticvote) • Teacherisonlyallowedtotalk, whentheleaderchildiscalling her. Moscow • Changes in group activity (synchron or in row) and individual expressions. Change body position and play togehter • Narrative Round. Teacher as Moderator. Childrens topics. • Teacher: Sorry, let us stop narrative round, because there is no attentive listening to the stories of children. It hurts me to see this“ • Talking about sleeping in kindergarten: let aus talk about sorrow and fear about this. Teachers offers strategies to struggle with feelings.

11. Differences in adressingindividualityandcreatingtogetherness • Democratic Partizipation – Circle • Linguistic discursive elements as main strategies to involve children. Sitting whole time. • Children decide, what they want to learn, are responsible to express their opinion. • Role of teacher: Support autonomy. • Children are mostly not much involved. Only one child is acting and looking for attention in one moment. • Different types of situations and different cultural tools: Talking, arguing, tasks in science, playing, singing, clapping, climbing et al. • Work with emotions and body movement (synchronisation of attention not only by thinking) • Views on single child and group change often. Teacher is responsible. Children mostly involved.

12. 2 kindergartens: pedagogicalconcepts • Child isresponsibleto design andcontrollhis/her owndevelopement • Teacherasco-constuctersshouldstimulatechildrensinterestsandtopics • Important: Observation anddocumentation: Learning stories, childrendecide • Childrenaresupportedindividually in different rooms Democratic togetherness: morning - conferenceleadedby a child (list) • Kindergarten as a livingculturetolearneverythingaboutlife: Thinking, emotions, open yourheart, playandfeeljoy. • Leadingorstimulatingteacher in specialsituations: Music, gymnastic, exploration, mathematics, art ... (eachday/per child: 30-60min.) • Free play in- and outside (Teacheronlysupporting, ifasked) • Morning: drawingandwritingstories in individual books (readlater): intensiv attentiontosinglechild Morning circlewith different parts, leadedbyteacher

13. Conclusion • Cultural practices and strategies create a shared room, in which the teacher also co-exists with the children • Democratic orientation and an autonomous child are importand aims • Partizipation needs many cultural tools to separat not one from others • Working with Emotions and Bodies must be topic of research. • Not only one strategie is needed!

14. Embodied culture • Soul as a namefortheopennessandtouchcapabilityofthelivingbody • Embodiedculture: importanttofeelthesharedfeelingsandmeanings, - beingaffectedfromthemandreact in the same momentto open oneselftotheothersandcreatetogetherness • Itis not only a capabilityof a subject. Itislisteningtowhatisgrowingbetweenthem (vgl. Tobin et al)