Reflection of the December observation video

I know it has taken a while, but after watching it a few times I have reflected on the video of me and the flour exploration that took place last December, 2012.

I think this video was good for me to see, as I do find it uncomfortable to watch myself. I always seem to see all the faults, things I don't like, but I know this activity was right for this group of children. It was following on from a similar activity the previous day with flour on trays at the table, and I thought directly onto the table would be a good idea. I sat down at the children's level as I shared out the flour. By using the one scoop, I was able to model sharing, rather than a separate scoop for each serve. It possibly wasn't obvious to the children, but I like to add those little touches, just in case they are noticed.
I began to model circular movements in the flour, and some children began to imitate, while one child just observed me. As a child patted their flour, I then became the imitator, reinforcing the action they chose to do.  One child in particular seemed more interested in moving her chair, and so I redirected her back to the activity, adapting the activity by encouraging her to manipulate the flour on the floor in a similar way that we used our hands.
Charlotte began to get upset as I walked past her, so I was able to reposition my self to be nearer both her and the child that was moving the chair. I was really pleased with the amount of time she spent at the activity - when she first began with us, Charlotte appeared to not be very comfortable participating in any group activities, let alone a messy activity. So by joining in with flour play shows how far she has developed. She was ready for a sleep, so my colleague was able help by readying her for bed so that I could continue to finish up the activity. As the children removed themselves from the table, I was ready with a face cloth that I could offer, allowing them the opportunity to respond by holding out their hands.
In the background of the video, the vacuum cleaner could be seen. I had made sure all resources needed were ready before we began. After the video had ended, I plugged in the vacuum to clean up the flour and this was the beginning of another great activity. Some children who decided not to explore the flour decided that they would like to help use the vacuum. I believe that children should have the choice whether they want to participate or not, as they are not all interested in the same things. By having this divided into two activities, different interests were catered for, showing that I am able to recognise and support diversity among groups and individuals. It also displays ethical behaviour and responsibility; respecting the rights and choices of the individual children.