"Titta! Vi håller på att lösa ett problem, vill du vara med?" : En essäuppsats om pedagogers delaktighet i barns lek

Sammanfattning: This essay begins with a story that reveals the encounter between pedagogues and children in their free play. In the first part, To be with or stand outside I describe how me and my colleague who are in the pre-school yard meet children through the different ways we participate or don’t participate in their play. In the second part To lose participation, I present a situation where I participate in the children’s play. When I start reflecting on what happens among the other children, I lose my participation on the game. With a starting point in these situations my dilemma becomes how we pedagogues act and interpret children’s play in different ways even though we follow the same curriculum. The purpose of this essay is to investigate pedagogue’s participation in children’s play. I reflect on questions about what is happening in children’s play, what role do pedagogues have regarding children’s play and how children´s play affects by participant pedagogues. In my essay, I try to reflect over the meeting between me, my colleagues and the children on the pre-school yard. In the essay, I rely on Rogers Säljö’s sociocultural theory on how individuals are influenced by the interactions around them. In this case, I refer to the children’s interactions with their surroundings. I reflect upon how pedagogue’s participation is both important for understanding children’s play, but also in creating fun-filled learning. I also reflect on how children’s play must be respected and handled with care in order to not be interrupted or disturbed. During my writing, I have gained an understanding of how educators can be present in children’s play and how a varied view of educators can create a more nuanced approach toward the child group.