1 Play and the professional e.c. teacher: A personal reflection

There is more than a little danger in holding on to an idea. The willingness to innovate, to be creative, to consider critically – these all niggle away at the value in holding firm to an idea. This has been one of my dilemmas as an academic in early childhood education. A child may still build sand castles or dig tunnel; but whereas it might be understood in the 1950s or the 1980s as ‘playing’, in the 2010s, it is likely to be interpreted as ‘educational’. So should I let go of the primacy of play in my understanding of how children grow and learn? I’ve wondered whether play has become problematic because of the educationalisation of early childhood (Stover, 2011); play and education can be awkward companions. But also awkward is the relationship between play and the perception of professionalism amongst early childhood (e.c.) teachers. Fromberg (2003) described the professional status of e.c.e. teachers as a “public relations nightmare ” (p. 177) in part because “most exemplary ” teachers appeared playful. This article draws together some reflections on play and professionalism in the historic context of the educationalisation of early childhood. Looking historically, I suggest tha