I share a lot about flow.
Csikszentmihalyi has inspired this to some extent - but also Indigenous elders/thinkers/scholars talk about flow - recently I was listening to an interview of Tyson Yunkaporta on the podcast The Emerald where flow was being talked about. And in another of the Emerald podcast words are discussed (Holy River of Flows: words and discourse in declarative times).
The focus is on the flow of words and that being in flow maybe is more important than the message - and the disconnect between the flat words written on paper over and over that have become ever flatter and one dimensional is that they have lost some of their power because the emotions, body language, context etc are no longer connected to them.
Both these podcasts talk about the importance of being unhurried and that a state of flow is connected to deep listening
And I think this is the case with play too.
There is a deep listening to the flow of the play. Time melts away as the objects become more than objects, and the space between those playing and the stuff they are playing with is filled with energy that when we are in flow we can feel/listen to.
It requires a vulnerability - because it's not entirely controllable - we need to be open to the whim of others (human and more than human).
Jonna Bornemark uses the term pactive - a state of both being passive and active at the same time - and I think this is what play is. We actively engage with the world, but we passively follow the lead of the play - how fast the slide is, is not something we can control exactly (even though we can do many things to actively affect this) the slide will has its own way in combination/dialogue with the weather and clothes we wear - often I see two children both seeking speed on the slide but only one achieving it because their clothes create less friction.
As play responsive educators we are also pactive - we work WITH the flow of the play and not against it. We are not trying to hurry children to be ahead of the flow, or to go in a specific direction - we instead check the play ecosystem and design the play landscape so that the flow is safe, adventurous and offers opportunities for discovery and learning (because we are working in early childhood EDUCATION)
Designing for flow.
The more I research and learn about play, children and education the more I realise that it's really all about autonomy, flow and togetherness.
If I focus on the community and belongingness of the group, on creating opportunities for both play and learning flow and designing the space for autonomy rather than control, hierarchy and blind obedience then I will create a space where diversity is a strength, where curiosity is a motivating force of education and where joy creates a collective power of community.
Belonging is NOT about fitting in - it is about acceptance, respect and equity. It is not about being the same, it is about being ourselves in such a way that also respects and values others.
I think much of our inclusion practice is tokenistic - as a society there seems to be a genuine lack of challenging limited normative views to widen and include and accept - instead the drive is to pull the othered into the normative through making them change, with the occasional person being allowed to be themselves as a token.
Flow is not found in uniformity. It is found in diversity. It is found in being true to ourselves.
This is why my rules of play are so connected to flow and being ourselves.
Deep play and deep learning comes from within our authentic selves. Autonomy is being our authentic selves together with others.
Entangled flow
In play, flow is entangled - the flow of each child participating, the flow of the materials/stuff being used and the flow of the in-between.
The in-between is not empty.
It is filled with energy.
It is in this space, this in-between where play and flow is found (unless daydreaming, then I think play is within). In other words play is not in the object or the place, or in the child, or imagination but in the space in between these - where objects/places inspire the imagination, react to our touch and send signals as to how to continue. Flow/play is the relationship, the dialogue, the to and fro-ing of signals…
The flow is entangled with norms. Some of these norms will support the play to thrive - while others, rooted in bias and prejudice will limit or warp the flow.
Anti-bias work is important to ensure the flow is not stopped by unnecessary hinders - these hinders might not affect all children, but it is essential we all do the work to truly listen, respect and value.
The joy thread of Original Learning is the trinity of love, well-being and equity. I also describe play as choice and joy. Not joy as being happy, but as a positive frame of mind, as a motivating force to want to continue - even when it's hard work.
Anti-bias work is about dealing with the systemic hinders to the flow of joy.
As Malaguzzi said "nothing without joy"
As play, authentic autonomous play, is rooted in joy we can become aware of the entangled flows we are nurturing - play flow, joy flow, learning flow, curiosity flow - in fact I think all ten essential threads of Original Learning should be considered as worthy of flow... (wonder, curiosity, joy, knowledge, imagination, interaction, risk, time, reflection and listening)
As play-responsive educators we seek to nurture flow. Play flow, learning flow, joy flow etc
We understand that the entanglement of these flows is greater than the sum of all its parts. We also pay attention to the risk of recirculating holes that prevent the usual flow - those gaps in children's lives that require them to constantly circle back to fill that gap while at the same time trying to move on. There is an illusion of movement - of whirling and bubbling, and maybe at first it is fun, but the nature of recirculating hole is that the gap cannot be filled.
It is the educator's responsibility to create unhurried environments that together with the child can fill the gap, overcome hinders and allow flow.
In the imagery of the Original Learning loom where learning and teaching are woven into the play warp threads - gaps are created when we are in too much of a hurry to pull on tangled threads and they snap - resulting in a hole in their life fabric.
Levelling up at specific ages and stages risks creating multiple holes for vast numbers of children because we are not focusing on the child’s ability to learn and understand but on getting to the destination as fast as possible which sometimes means some children have to take shortcuts, resulting in gaps/holes, and some children having to start the next topic/learning area without fully understanding the former - resulting in holes/gaps.
Being unhurried and noticing the flow of each child means we have the time to de-tangle those threads the children are struggling with - as well as make choices to choose threads from other, more appropriate, more respectful, more aligned with the evolving child. We also teach the children how to detangle their own threads to weave into their fabric, so they can be autonomous in their learning.
in flow. when the world around disappears and we become one with the play.
as always is you have a question, comment or story to share - please use the comment button
the sixth post in my post every day in September 2024