To understand deeper the everyday life in kindergartens, we went out to visit Anna Havana, a kindergarten located in Islands Brygge, Copenhagen. We did an open interview with Janni, who has been working there for 19 years.
The interview was conducted inside, in her usual work environment with the children around, and therefore they were also observed. Janni told us that they use quite a lot of time to plan and document their pedagogic work, and showed the different papers and folders used in the documentation. She problematized the spreading of diseases in the kindergarten, but stated that children needs some bacterial exposure to develop a strong immune system, and that they themselves are responsible for washing their hands well, several times a day. Before lunch they all ran to the washroom, and washed hands without requests. This observation, along with the pedagogic expectations, went well in line with what we had been reading about the values of Nordic pedagogy. The overall focus of the Nordic pedagogy is on developing independent and responsible children, with abilities to concentrate and learn on their own initiative.
One of the biggest fears and dangers, faced in the everyday life in the kindergarten is, according to Janni, the safety of the children. Anna Havana kindergarten is located in an apartment, and does not have an outside area attached: when the children go outside it is excursions in public zones. On excursions two pedagogues has responsibility of twenty-two children. Janni says the children are behaving really well and have good understanding of their limits and own responsibility, but eitherway she fears to suddenly loose a child. She counts the children extensively and is very strict with towards them, when they are outside. Towards the question of, if any device would be helpful, she stated that it would just be an extra load, if she had to keep an eye on one more thing.
