Leaning into Love and Compassionate Care in my Early Years Practice.

‘What does education need now?’ My research suggests the violence children are subject to is at an all-time high. The need for children to experience Love and Compassionate Care within our early years education system is needed now more than ever. Our policies favour terminology such as ‘whole systems approach’ and ‘economicus’. The standardisation of children’s learning is facing a worldwide crisis of outcome-driven goals. Emphasising literacy and numeracy with the effect of pushing down ‘schoolifcation’ on our young children. The purpose of this study was to examine myself both professionally and personally by exploring my ‘Living Contradictions’ with the intention of improving my own practice. Relational and holistic care are central to my values. I aspired to intensify my knowledge and professional practice by means of practical environmental interventions and observing the impact of the adult/child and child/child relationships. This research challenges the somewhat deficit-based lenses of trauma-informed practices. Rather viewing the research through a relationship-based lens seeking to buffer the effect of trauma on a person’s life outcomes. My self-study project employed qualitative research using Korthagen’s action research cycle and this was extended by using Brookfield’s lenses to allow the participants, theoretical richness and meaningful voices to be understood. Data was collected through reflective journaling, anecdotal evidence, reflecting mapping and experiential questionnaires. My results established innovative guiding principles for our preschool ecosystem. Our relational-based holistic pedagogy encompasses the self, the physical and affective environment which extends to the transformative effects of myself, my colleagues, and the children. The overarching themes emerging from my research were the ‘Good Enough Educator’, ‘Holistic Curriculum’ and ‘The Ripple Effect. The conclusion explains the benefits of radical love as a revolution. Bringing forth multiple fields to seek the same goal. Defining what how predominant values are in decision making and how we need to pull them apart and interrogate them. Allowing innovate teaching and practice to emerge It explores what came from my dissatisfaction of the literature. Radical love promoting human kindness and compassionate care. The research end with recommendations for future practice including links to policy. Key Words: Self-study, Action Research, Critical Reflection, Love, Compassion, Relationships, Transformational Education, Schoolification. Good Enough