If we were proven, beyond all doubt, through enormous amounts of widely accessible research and evidence, led by neuroscientists, doctors and educators, the world over, as the VERY best and most engaging way for children to learn and yet… we were uninvited to schools and kept out of almost every classroom!
What if you were play?
If you were play and you knew the children preferred you, you were proven beyond any measure of doubt to be inclusive, accessible, fun, exciting, kind and valuable, and THE answer to developing a life long love of learning and yet… nope, no time for you!
If it was clear as day, that given half a chance, you could play a huge part in raising attendance as a positive and more effective alternative to fines and threatening letters, but nope you are not even considered as an option!
That you place no strain on stretched budgets and you prepare children for their futures, helping them to practice crucial skills that they are missing out on without you… but no!
That you could be the difference to so many children (and educators) who hate going to school, because of how it is… but still no!
If you knew that you were the answer to countless behaviour issues, you had the power to build and restore relationships in every direction and you would do so joyfully and with ease but NO… you are not valued!
You knew that you could ease the pressures on educators, giving them a space to rediscover and enjoy all the reasons why they wanted to teach in the first place, but you also know they have been conditioned to feel worried about including you in case it makes them ‘look bad/lazy/incompetent’ so you won’t get a look in!
If you knew that you could be easily introduced and that you would quickly prove that you would improve academic results and raise standards in every respect… if you were just given the chance…
What if we were play?
If we knew we had so much value and yet we were ignored, overlooked and seen as a waste of time… and we also knew that, given the choice, every single child would choose us… but it’s still a no!
It is a mission of mine to find ways to stop play being a dirty word in education and to find ways to unleash the power of play in all our primary classrooms; revealing that play IS learning, play is key to really raising standards and including play is totally the way!