Ms. Zaleski's Teaching Portfolio - Home



Kristen ZaleskiChild Development CenterStudent Teaching Assessment 5Table of ContentsNote: 3. of part I was handed in separately for confidentiality purposes.Part IA. 1, 2, & 4LEP 1 and Reflection__________________ Page 3-6LEP 2 and Reflection__________________ Page 7-10LEP 3 and Reflection__________________ Page 11-14LEP 4 and Reflection__________________ Page 15-18LEP 5 and Reflection__________________ Page 19-22LEP 6 and Reflection__________________ Page 23-26LEP 7 and Reflection__________________ Page 27-30LEP 8 and Reflection__________________ Page 31-34 B. Summary of student development_______ Page 35-36C.Family Involvement___________________ Page 37-38Part IISelf-assessment and Professional Reflection___________ Page 39-48Bibliography___________________________________________ Page 49Kristen ZaleskiGrade/ Development level: Preschool Length of time: 15 minutes Date taught: September 11, 2013Purpose: To introduce diversity and build classroom community through literacy and group discussion. Curriculum Standard(s): NH Early Learning Guidelines; Cognitive Development, the strand is critical thinking and; Communication and Literacy Development, the strand is listening comprehension.Objectives: Students will build community by discussing similarities and differences in appearances of animals. They will also demonstrate reading comprehension and critical thinking. Background Knowledge Needed: The students are at the age where they recognize that there are differences in appearances and cultures in and outside of the classroom. This lesson specifically focuses on animal differences such as skin, habitat, color, etc. The children must also be able to draw connections from the story to demonstrate comprehension. These preschoolers are ready for this lesson because they have shown an interest in differences within the classroom including appearance and language. Be ready to answer questions about the animals in the book, their habitat, and their differences. Materials Needed: The book, Is There Room On The Bus, written by Helen Piers and illustrated by Hannah Giffard, animal figurines (a lion, cow, elephant, frogs, sheep, tiger, crocodile, walrus, and a pig), and assessment sheet with children’s names for documentation purposes. Student Grouping: The size of the class is 16 children. For this activity, the children are divided into two small groups for easier communication. The groups rotate after the story and discussion has been completed. Children that are not in the active group will be having free choice until rotation. Preparation for Experience: For preparation, read through the story to make any changes to wording or shortening of the story. Since this is a reading rotation, I will be sitting at the reading area where children will rotate to me. This requires no movement of furniture. Once the activity is done, the children will rotate to free choice. For safety precautions, tell the children that they must walk inside when transitioning. Outline of Experience:Introduction/Orientation The introduction to this lesson will be discussing what we think diversity means. After allowing children to answer and agreeing on a class definition, I will transition to reading the story. Body of Lesson The story focuses on different kinds of animals from around the world getting together on the same bus. I will pause at certain points of the story to naturally answer questions and comment on similarities within the classroom. Conclusion When the story is finished I will ask the children what they notice about the animal figurines that are similar and different. This will be discussed in a positive manner. This will include color, shape, and size. Since this is a group activity, it will not finish early. We will complete the activity together. When the activity ends, I will ask students to rotate to choice time. Assessment Plan: My objectives will have been met if all children can show literacy comprehension by discussing diversity from the story. At the end of the lesson, children will be able to notice the similarities and differences between the animals mentioned. For example a child may recognize which animals have stripes and which live in water. For documentation I will record responses of the children as they discuss diversity. Child Guidance/Classroom Management Plan: For positive guidance I will give an example of with the animals such as hair color. I will also explain that there are similarities and differences beyond appearance such as where the animals lived. For the flow of activity I will wait until a child has given a response and move on to the next child. If the children are distracted call their name for redirection or ask them a question. If the children have a lot of energy I will ask them to breathe in the flowers and blow out the candles to take some deep breaths to calm down. Adaptions and Modifications: Some children have a difficult time with sitting for 15 minutes so I will have another teacher at the circle to help them stay focused. Some children may require sitting in a teachers lap to focus while others will just need reminding to sit criss cross. This group activity is fairly simple so no other modification needs to be done for students to be successful. The lesson is only 15 minutes, which should be long enough for the majority of the children to stay sitting. They will also be actively participating with responding to the story. Extension Plan: As an extension, the animal figurines will be left out for children to play with them to reinforce diversity coming together. We can also paint a bucket yellow to represent the bus in the story and load the animals in it according to sequence. The children take turns in discussing diversity in the group setting so there is no finishing early. Reflection: This lesson was a huge success. Since there were different developmental ranges, it was easier to modify. For higher developed students, I tried having them focus the group of animals as a whole while I would hold up two next to each other for the younger children. We first discussed what the word diversity or different means. I had great responses such as, “the sky and the stars are different”. After agreeing that different is not a bad thing, we began the story. We went over different elements of the story such as the kinds of animals as well as the sequencing presented in the story. All of the children with a couple exceptions were able to follow along with the story, but all were engaged in the activity. I asked what they saw in appearances that were different. With guidance, we then discussed cuisine, size, and where the lived. Both groups had similar responses and all understood the concept of different. I had children that needed to touch the animal figurines to be able to feel what may be different. I also had children asking about what they ate, comments on their sizes and different paws, and even pointing out which animals had horns. I feel as though I could have altered the lesson by having multiple figurines of each type of animals to allow the younger children to really see what the same looks like and what is different. I found that having older children in the group did help the younger children follow along. Holding up two animals next to each other worked out to be a great modification because a child who struggled looking at all of the animals seemed to struggle less with just two next to each other. We took turns so each child had a chance answer. Using the “talking block” was also a very useful tool in introducing taking turns to speak with the children. The responded to it very well and allowed all children to speak only chiming in with questions. I also noticed some children counting along as a read the story and counting on their fingers. I made sure to comment on what I noticed to encourage the children to join. All children participated during the activity whether it was through listening or responding. All children were willing to participate with the figurines because of the idea that it was something physical that they could touch. During the lesson, I did not change much. As stated before, the younger group focused more on differences between two animals rather than the whole group. It seemed as though having them look at the whole group was harder to find a similarity or difference. For the older children in the groups, looking at the whole group was fantastic. They noticed some great differences such as skin, color, paws, size, and lifestyle. My only struggle was trying to separate the children into two groups. We have many children that are behaviorally not ready to be together. Some of them did not want to participate unless they were together. This is a struggle. The assessment plan was successful as well. As children were rotating in and out, I was able to write notes from each child. These notes recognized how each child responded to the activities, which were listeners, and what their comments were. I also saw personality traits in each child of who seem to be the leaders and role models of the activities. I learned to modify lessons a little more. There is such a large range in age that I need to understand that the younger children may need some modifications. Other than this, story was a great choice for this age level to introduce differences as well as sequencing. I was able to keep children interested with the tone of my voice through the story, pausing to ask questions, and following with an interactive discussion. I also was very pleased with the effectiveness of the talking block. The children were very responsive to this and I intend to use this more often. I was able to manage behavior well here. Since the groups were smaller, I could work with each child and manage the group with the help of another teacher. I also saw how children acted in a small group setting. Some were very quiet while others tried to move around the room. For changes, I would modify the amount of animals being looked at to really show animals that are the same and animals that are different. I would also like to plan for another activity following the story to reinforce differences. Besides modifying, I felt that the lesson worked very well and helped me assess where the children were at with reading comprehension and cognitive development.Kristen ZaleskiGrade/ Development level: Preschool Length of time: 15 minutes Date taught: September 20, 2013 Purpose: To introduce diversity and build classroom community through literacy and group discussion. Curriculum Standard(s): NH Early Learning Guidelines; Cognitive Development, the strand is critical thinking and; Social and Emotional Development, the strand is identity.Objectives: Students will build community by discussing similarities and differences in appearances of themselves and their classmates. They will also demonstrate critical thinking and recognizing identity and self-concepts. Background Knowledge Needed: The students must recognize that there are differences in appearances and cultures in and outside of the classroom. This specific lesson focuses on understanding that it is okay to be different and in which ways we can be different. This includes appearance, lifestyle, location, and cuisine. There are different languages and ways of living. We have different shaped eyes, noses, ears, legs, bodies, etc. The children must also be able to draw connections from the story to demonstrate comprehension. These preschoolers are ready for this lesson because they have shown an interest in differences within the classroom including appearance and language. Be ready to answer questions about ethnicities within the classroom (Chinese, Albanian, Russian, Irish). Materials Needed: The book, Bein’ With You This Way, written by W. Nikola-Lisa and illustrated by Michael Bryant, large sheet of paper for listing, and assessment sheet with children’s names for documentation purposes. Student Grouping: The size of the class is 16 children. For this activity, the children are divided into two small groups for easier communication. The groups rotate after the story and discussion has been completed. Children that are not in the active group will be having free choice until rotation. Preparation for Experience: For preparation, read through the story to make any changes to wording or shortening of the story. All of the “strange” words in the story will be changed to different to remove the word for precautions of negative use. Since this is a rotation, I will be sitting at the reading area where children will rotate to me. This requires no movement of furniture. Once the activity is done, the children will rotate to free choice. For safety precautions, tell the children that they must walk inside when transitioning. Outline of Experience:Introduction/Orientation The introduction to this lesson will be reviewing what we remembered from talking about different animals. I will then bridge over to connecting that people also share differences. After allowing children to comment, I will transition to reading the story. Body of Lesson The story focuses on different kinds of people around the world and that no matter our differences, we are still the same. The sequencing of the story allows opportunity for children to join in and sing. I will pause at certain points of the story to naturally answer questions and comment on similarities within the classroom. Conclusion When the story is finished I will ask the children what they notice about the people we saw in the book. This will be discussed in a positive manner. This will include appearance and any other differences discussed in the book. We will make a list together as we discuss to hang in the classroom. Since this is a group activity, it will not finish early. We will complete the activity together. When the activity ends, I will ask students to stand up according to a color they are wearing to head to free choice. Assessment Plan: My objectives will have been met if all children can show literacy comprehension by discussing diversity from the story and understanding a sense of identity. At the end of the lesson, children will be able to notice the similarities and differences between each other. For documentation I will record responses of the children as they discuss diversity and have a class list of our discussion that will be hung on the wall in the classroom. Child Guidance/Classroom Management Plan: For positive guidance I will give an example of what is similar and different between people. I will also explain that there are similarities and differences beyond appearance. For the flow of activity I will wait until a child has given a response and move on to the next child. If the children are distracted call their name for redirection or ask them a question. If the children have a lot of energy I will ask them to breathe in the flowers and blow out the candles to take some deep breaths to calm down. Adaptions and Modifications: Some children have a difficult time with sitting for 15 minutes so I will have another teacher at the circle to help them stay focused. Some children may require sitting in a teachers lap to focus while others will just need reminding to sit criss cross. When looking at differences I will turn to pages so the younger children have a point of focus to reference instead of feeling overwhelmed by the different faces in the group. This group activity is fairly simple so no other modification needs to be done for students to be successful. The lesson is only 15 minutes, which should be long enough for the majority of the children to stay sitting. They will also be actively participating with responding to the story. Extension Plan: As an extension, we can paint with multicultural paint or create a collage of the handprints of the children to show that though we may be different, we can still come together as a community. As a follow up I may ask the children to draw a picture of what their family looks like. We will then create a bulletin board of our classroom community to allow for a family engagement piece.Reflection: This lesson was not as great as I hoped it would be. Since there were different developmental ranges, it was very hard to capture the interest and engagement from all children because the book talked about differences in people. For higher developed students, the critical thinking factor worked great, but the younger children lost interest very quickly and didn’t even make it to the end of the book where they could even begin critically thinking. We first reviewed what we remembered from reading about animals and what their differences and similarities were. We remembered their skin, fur, and size being different. We read the story and I lost many children during it. It was not an engaging story for this age group apparently. The children that did make it through had some great responses and engagement. I asked what they saw in appearances that were different. All children engaged understood the concept of different. Some of the responses were beautiful because they were not judgmental. One specific child commented that being different is okay because we were born that way. For a five year old to have such an intelligent response was fabulous to see and hear. Because there was no sensory element to the activity, I lost the engagement from many of the younger children. I instead had a list that we wrote differences in the classroom on. The older children were happy to join, but as I stated, the younger children really needed a sensory experience. I feel as though if I had paper cut outs of different body parts for the children to hold, we could have all discussed class differences. I found that even having older children in the group didn’t seem help the younger children follow along. We took turns so each child had a chance answer Not all of the children participated during the activity. Some listened, some talked, but most seemed to walk in and out of the reading not being engaged at all. At morning circle, the children were told about fire fighter hats that would be put out for free choice. This obviously seemed like a more interesting activity than reading a story with me so I didn’t get to read the book to many. During the lesson, I did not change anything. I actually was unable to read the book with a second group because it was such a failure. Instead I just asked the children what they noticed that was different about each other. I was able to get more responses doing this than to read through the story and then ask. The entire lesson was a struggle to maintain engagement. Out of the entire class, I only had 7 engaged, which is not many. We have many children that are behaviorally not ready for a story like this. Some of them did not want to participate unless they were together. This is a struggle. The assessment plan was successful for the children that were interested. As children were rotating in and out, I was able to write notes from each child. These notes recognized how the children responded to the activity, which listened, and what their comments were. I learned that I must have some sort of sensory included in each lesson that can keep the younger children attentive and engaged. I also felt like a book was not even needed. We could have just had pictures of body features and discussed what was different. I was very disappointed in the outcome of the lesson because of the extensive planning that was put into it. I was not able to manage behavior well and felt that the entire lesson was a struggle. For changes, I would completely remove the story and use cut out pieces. I could also make a magnetic board with features so the children could build their own faces. The idea was too complex for this age group and I need to just focus on basic similarities and differences. This would provide sensory for the younger children and allow the older children to express the features they were using and what they noticed that was different and the same. Kristen ZaleskiGrade/ Development level: Preschool Length of time: 15-20 minutes Date taught: September 24, 2013Purpose: To create our own Chinese lanterns to hang in the classroom. Curriculum Standard(s): NH Early Learning Guidelines; Physical Development, the strand is small muscle development and coordination; Creative and Aesthetic Development, the strand is invention and imagination.Objectives: Students will utilize their fine motor skills and creativity to make their own Chinese lanterns. They will also learn about this cultural tradition as an introduction piece. Background Knowledge Needed: The students must recognize that Chinese lanterns are a cultural tradition not known to the United States. Common lanterns are red with gold decorations and tassels. The frame can be made from various materials like bamboo, wood, rattan, or steal wire. Paper or silk is used for the shade, and embroidery, painting, or calligraphy for decoration. Practical uses were to light an entrance-way, but the lanterns then became a symbol of status. They also make great flashlights. The lanterns are used at the Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Chinese New Year. The children must also be able know how to use scissors to create a lantern. These preschoolers are ready for this lesson because they have been building fine motor skills and enjoy learning about culture. Be ready to answer questions about lanterns and what they were used for long ago. Materials Needed: Lantern, red construction paper, star stickers, gold/red ribbon, gold pipe cleaners, and tape. Student Grouping: The size of the class is 16 children. For this activity, the children are divided into 3 small groups for easier communication. The groups rotate with two other planned activities in the classroom. Children that are not in this activity will be split into the other activities. Preparation for Experience: For preparation, create a model lantern for children so that they will see a finished product. I will be sitting at the art table area where children will rotate to me. This requires no movement of furniture. Once the activity is done, the children will rotate to other planned activities in the classroom. For safety precautions, tell the children that they must walk inside when transitioning. Outline of Experience:Introduction/Orientation The introduction to this lesson will be discussing what lanterns are. This will include traditions and common uses for them today. A real lantern will be brought in to show a cultural artifact. After reading some poems about lanterns, we will bridge into our own lantern making. Body of Lesson In the body of the lesson, children will begin decorating their red construction paper with available stickers. They will then fold their piece of red construction paper in half with guidance if needed. After this is completed, they will choose their ribbon colors and assemble the lantern with me. Once completed, tape the edges together and attach a pipe cleaner in the top to create a handle. Conclusion When children finish their lanterns I will prompt them with a question: “What do you like about Chinese lanterns?” This will be a documentation piece of writing responses. We will then discuss that our lanterns will hang from our ceiling like the night sky in China so we can look at them throughout the day. We can take them home after we finish our China unit. When the activity ends, I will tell the children that they can rotate to the next section. Assessment Plan: My objectives will have been met if all children can utilize their fine motor and creativity skills by using the stickers. At the end of the lesson, children will be able to understand what a Chinese lantern is and will have their own to take home. For documentation I will record responses of the children as they complete the activity and will also be taking photo documentation. The lantern itself will show assessment. Child Guidance/Classroom Management Plan: For positive guidance I will have a lantern already made to show a finished product. The groups will have varied age levels so the older children can be role models for the younger children. For the flow of activity I will have extra construction paper for mistakes. If the children are distracted I will redirect them with a question about the activity. If the children have a lot of energy I will ask them to breathe in the flowers and blow out the candles to take some deep breaths to calm down.Adaptions and Modifications: For the younger children, I will assemble their lantern once they finish decorating it. I will have smaller and larger sized stickers for fine motor difficulty levels. This group activity focuses on creative expression and fine motor skills. The lesson should last between 15 and 20 minutes, which should be long enough for the majority of the children to stay sitting. They will also be actively participating. If some children do not finish, that is okay because it will be a two-day activity for the children that do not get to rotate to the activity. Extension Plan: As an extension, we take our lanterns outside and walk around campus with them for our own lantern festival. My hopes are that these will also be a point of interest at naptime to give the children who cannot sleep something to look at. Children may finish early and are free to rotate to other activities at their leisure. Reflection: This lesson was a great success. Having the lanterns precut was a great idea because the mastery of the lesson was to use fine motor skills with decorating the lanterns. For higher developed students, I tried help more with assembling their lantern. For example, I would have them put their ribbons in place while I taped or to have them string through their handles. We first discussed the Chinese lanterns. Some thought it was a ball and tried hitting it. I had to explain that this was an artifact that a child’s family brought in and that we must be gentle with it. Once the children looked at the real lantern, they began decorating their own. The children utilized their fine motor and creative skills to decorate their lanterns with stickers of all different shapes and sizes. All of the children were required to make a lantern to be able to hang above their rest area. The sensory and colors were inviting, so I had no issues with engaging the children. I would ask the children if peeling the stickers was hard, and several replied with no, but some said that it was tricky at times with the smaller stickers. None of the children needed assistance with peeling stickers. This was fantastic. Even the youngest children were able to peel of the smallest stickers successfully. This success told me that I really didn’t need to alter the lesson. All children participated during the activity! Some children wanted to use as many stickers as possible while others felt that two were enough. When the lanterns were assembled, the children walked around the room with them and watched the ribbons stream. I hung them up the next day so that they were up for rest time. It did help some children rest more peacefully, which was great! All children were willing to participate because the stickers were shiny and the colors were bold. During the lesson, I did not change much. We did not talk as much about lantern, but focused more on decorating. My only struggle was not having enough large stickers so that all children could have at least one. I ended up taking out neon circle stickers that were bigger to let children have a choice between smaller stars and circles. This ended up working out fine. The assessment plan was successful as well. I was able to document what I noticed with each child and captured some great photos. As children were rotating in and out, I was able to write notes from each child. I learned to have a larger supply of stickers where I do not have to worry about them running out. Developmentally, all children utilized their fine motor skills whether it was peeling small or large stickers or stringing their pipe cleaners through the handle. Other than this, I was very satisfied with the results. Many of the parents even commenting on the aesthetics of the classroom with the lanterns and that their child enjoyed it. The small groups worked extremely well for individualized attention with each child.For changes, I would have a variety of stickers to choose from and have more all together. I would also like to introduce the real lantern at morning circle instead of bringing it to the table of the activity for a full group introduction. I felt that the lesson worked was very successful and that the documentation validated that.Kristen ZaleskiGrade/ Development level: Preschool Length of time: 15 minutes Date taught: September 26, 2013 Purpose: To sort different colored cotton balls using chopsticks, a utensil commonly used in a China. Curriculum Standard(s): NH Early Learning Guidelines; Physical Development, the strand is small muscle development and coordination; Approaches to Learning, the strand is listening playObjectives: Students will utilize their fine motor skills to sort cotton balls using chopsticks. They will also learn about this cultural utensil and be introduced to sorting colors. Background Knowledge Needed: The students must recognize that chopsticks are utensils used around the world for eating. This specific lesson focuses on using these utensils to sort colored cotton balls into bowls. “Chopsticks are made of many materials such as ivory, plastic, wood or bamboo” (Olsen, page 15). The children must also be able know the different colors to be able to sort the cotton balls. These preschoolers are ready for this lesson because they have been building fine motor skills and are aware of their colors. Be ready to answer questions what kind of food the chopsticks are used on. China’s main dish is rice with steamed vegetables. This can be linked to the CDC’s Early Sprouts curriculum because of the exploration of vegetables.Materials Needed: Chopsticks, colored cotton balls, color inserts, and cupcake tins for sorting. Student Grouping: The size of the class is 16 children. For this activity, the children are divided into 3 small groups for easier communication. The groups rotate with two other planned activities in the classroom. Children that are not in this activity will be split into the other activities. Preparation for Experience: For preparation, practice using chopsticks to properly model for the children. Also have the color inserts taped into the bottom of each cupcake spot. There are six colors. I will be sitting at the math table area where children will rotate to me. This requires no movement of furniture. Once the activity is done, the children will rotate to other planned activities in the classroom. For safety precautions, tell the children that they must walk inside when transitioning. Outline of Experience:Introduction/Orientation The introduction to this lesson will be discussing what chopsticks are. This will be a guided discovery of what chopsticks feel and look like. After allowing children explore these cultural utensils we will begin the body of the lesson. Body of Lesson When the guided discovery is finished, we will begin using our chopsticks to sort colored cotton balls into cupcake tins that are labeled with colors (a red ball will be placed in a bowl with a insert). I will explain that this activity is called sorting and that we are being mathematicians. Conclusion When children finish sorting I will ask if it was easy or challenging to use the chopsticks. I will also ask what colors they sorted. For children that finish early there will be other objects to set aside to try use the chopsticks. There will be 5 spaces set up with bowls and cotton balls. When the activity ends, I will ask students to stand up and put their new pair of chopsticks in their cubby to take home! They can then rotate to the next station. Assessment Plan: My objectives will have been met if all children can attempt to use the chopsticks and correctly sort colors. At the end of the lesson, children will be able to sort colors and be knowledgeable about what chopsticks are. For documentation I will record responses of the children as they complete the activity and will also be taking photo documentation. Child Guidance/Classroom Management Plan: For positive guidance I will ask children how they think we should use the chopsticks. I will then model how to use them. The groups will have varied age levels so the older children can be role models for the younger children. For the flow of activity I will have extra cotton balls available if they are running out. If the children are distracted I will redirect them with a question about the activity. If the children have a lot of energy I will ask them to breathe in the flowers and blow out the candles to take some deep breaths to calm down.Adaptions and Modifications: I will use connected chopsticks for easier guidance with the children. For the children that are not interested in the chopsticks I will allow them to use their hands to sort the cotton balls. I will also have some unconnected chopsticks for the advanced children to challenge themselves. I will also limit to sorting just two colors for the younger children and keep four colors for the older children. We might also discuss socialization at meal times comparing the chopsticks used at mealtimes in China and the utensils we use here. Though utensils are different, we still socially gather to eat together. This group activity is fairly simple so no other modification needs to be done for students to be successful. The lesson is only 15 minutes, which should be long enough for the majority of the children to stay sitting. They will also be actively participating with responding to the story. Extension Plan: As an extension, we can use our chopsticks at snack to practice using them with food. We can also bring them to the dramatic play area to create our own Chinese restaurant. Children may finish early so I will have a pair of unconnected chopsticks available for them to try using it to pick up objects. Reflection: The children absolutely loved this lesson. I created connected chopsticks and had them sorting different sized pom-poms into cupcake tins. If I found that children were struggling with using the chopsticks, I said that they could just focus on sorting the colors. None of the children put down the chopsticks until they sorted a few colors. I was able to see which children were using a palmer grasp, which were transitioning, and which already transitioned to a pincer grasp. We first discussed look at the chopsticks and talked about what they are used for. Children said that they felt smooth, like wood, and that they have some at home or have used them before. I modeled how to hold chopsticks and then handed out the cupcake tins and baskets of pom-poms. The children had a ball. They successfully sorted colors while using their chopsticks. I feel as though I could have had the children practice gripping their chopsticks a little more before sorting. Some children held their chopsticks upside-down and needed me to physically position their hands on the chopsticks to hold them the right way. Once children were able to correctly hold the chopsticks, all were successfully able to pick up the chopsticks. My cooperating teacher even shared with me later that day they the children told her that the activity was fun. Now that sounds like success to me! I found that having older children in the group did help the younger children. Some would be showing them how to hold the chopsticks. Some children ended up touching the pom-poms to their face because they found the texture soft, while others formed snowmen with them. I had one child specifically calling out the colors and where they belonged as he sorted. What great engagement and creativity!Most of the children participated. Some were never able to rotate to the table, but I saved the materials for pulling it out as an activity if wanted or needed. All children were willing to participate because they liked the idea of using the chopsticks and several of them enjoy sorting colors. During the lesson, I did not change my original plan. The pom-poms were big enough to hold and the children were phenomenal. The assessment plan was successful as well. I took some great pictures capturing the children feeling the cotton balls and using their pincer and palmer grasps. The checklist was an excellent assessment tool here as well. I learned that children are very responsive to textures. They all commented on the sizes and softness of the pom-poms. This kept many engaged while the idea of sorting kept other engaged. There is such a large range in age that I felt I reached towards all needs. Since the groups were smaller, I could work with each child and manage the group on my own. There was no time for silliness because the children were focused on sorting.For changes, I would have larger connecters to grab even bigger objects and I would maybe think about sorting a different kind of object the next day like beads or small blocks. I would also like to plan for another activity to use chopsticks for eating snack to connect it more to China and their cuisine. The lesson worked so well and I was completely satisfied with the results.Kristen ZaleskiGrade/ Development level: Preschool Length of time: 15-20 minutes Date taught: October 1, 2013 Purpose: To paint our own ideas of Mount Everest. Curriculum Standard(s): NH Early Learning Guidelines; Creative and Aesthetic Development, the strand is invention and imagination.Objectives: Students will utilize their creative and aesthetic skills to paint their own idea of Mount Everest using white and black paint. They will also see the different shades of gray that black and white can create. Background Knowledge Needed: The students must understand what a mountain is and what it looks like. Mount Everest lies in between India (Nepal) and Asia (China). It is more than 1,500 miles long and the summit is 29,028 feet above sea level. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is where expeditions to Everest begin. The first expedition was in 1921. It was not until 1953 that someone reached the summit. When packing for a trip, many bring mittens, a climbing suit, glacier glasses, crampons (metal spikes that attach to boots to climb), trekking poles, boots, ropes, a radio, a backpack, oxygen mask, tent, shovel, ice ac, stove, and sleeping bag. You can find ibex (mountain goats) and snow leopards on a hike. Everest is very cold with high winds and heavy snowfall that makes climbing difficult. When snowfall builds up on a steep mountainside, a whole section of a slope may break loose and slide down the mountain. Moving at speeds of 200 miles per hour, avalanches are extremely dangerous. The children must also know how to use scissors to cut their mountain. These preschoolers are ready for this lesson because they enjoy painting and enjoy climbing the rock wall outside. They have a sparked interest in climate. Be ready to answer questions how big Mount Everest is and its climate. Materials Needed: White and blue construction paper, black and white paint, paintbrushes, paint cups with lids, scissors, smocks, “The Top of The World Climbing Mount Everest” by Steve Jenkins, and a reference to Mount Everest. Student Grouping: The size of the class is 16 children. For this activity, the children are divided into groups of 4 for easier supervision. The groups rotate between other activities planned or enjoy free choice. Children that are not in this activity will be split into the other activities. Preparation for Experience: For preparation, have a reference to what Mount Everest looks like so the children can model from it. Also have smocks ready at the table. I will be sitting at the art table area where children will rotate to me. This requires no movement of furniture. Once the activity is done, the children will rotate to other planned activities in the classroom. For safety precautions, tell the children that they must walk inside when transitioning. Outline of Experience:Introduction/Orientation The introduction to this lesson will be discussing Mount Everest at Morning Circle. This will include height, gear, colors, and weather. Children can chime in for comments on what they notice in the book “The Top of The World Climbing Mount Everest” by Steve Jenkins. Body of Lesson In the body of the lesson, children will begin painting a piece of white construction paper with white and black paint. This will allow for experimentation with color mixture to examine different shades of gray. After their paintings dry overnight, they will cut the top of the paper with their own ideas of what a mountain looks like. This new shape will then be pasted over a blue piece of construction paper to represent the mountain over the sky. Conclusion When children finish their mountains I will ask what shapes and colors they see and how they made their mountain. I will also ask open-ended questions about what should be brought on a hike. This will be bridge to the next day’s lesson of climbing our own makeshift Everest. When the activity ends, I will tell the child that they can rotate to the next section. Assessment Plan: My objectives will have been met if all children can use creativity to make a mountain. At the end of the lesson, children will be able to have an understanding with color mixing as well as some basic facts about Mount Everest. For documentation I will record responses of the children as they complete the activity and will also be taking photo documentation. The mountain itself will show assessment. Child Guidance/Classroom Management Plan: For positive guidance I will ask questions about mountains and color mixing. The groups will have varied age levels so the older children can be role models for the younger children. For the flow of activity I will have extra construction paper for mistakes. If the children are distracted I will redirect them with a question about the activity. If the children have a lot of energy I will ask them to breathe in the flowers and blow out the candles to take some deep breaths to calm down.Adaptions and Modifications: For the younger children, I will have paint cups with caps to prevent spilling. This group activity focuses on creative expression. The lesson should last between 15 and 20 minutes, which should be long enough for the majority of the children to stay sitting. They will also be actively participating. If some children do not finish, that is okay because it will be a two-day activity for the children that do not get to rotate to the activity. Extension Plan: As an extension, we can put some ice in the sensory table to feel the chill of the mountains. We can also create fake snow to put in the table to think about the weather that is on Mount Everest.Reflection: Another successful lesson! I have learned that sensory is the way to go with this class. Painting was a huge interest, so I decided that painting mountains would not only relate to my unit on China, but would also reach towards the interests of the children. I had constant engagement with this lesson and had several children paint more than one mountain. Since there were different developmental ranges, it was easier to modify by having two different types of sponges. One sponge had a handle for those that didn’t like getting paint on their hands. The other sponge had a texture that soaked up more paint and created a rock sponge effect on paper. For higher developed students, I encouraged them to tell me about their mountains they were painting. After reading a book about Mount Everest at morning circle, I completely captivated all children. I had their interest and they all wanted to paint. We talked about what we see on mountains and I had responses like rocks, snow, animals, and yetis. We then got our smocks on and started to paint our own mountains. I had several children showing me their rocks, snow, yetis, and even houses on their mountains. We talked about mixing black and white together to make gray shades that look like the rocks you would find on mountains. I also had engaging conversations about the Yeti myth and if it is real. I feel as though I could have altered the lesson by only allowing four friends to paint instead of five. Having five made it harder to share and individualize with children. Having mixed age groups was great because the older children were great models for the younger children in using paint. After the paintings dried overnight, we cut our mountains the next day. I had different pattern scissors and regular scissors. We talked about how to hold them and to hold your paper with one hand while cutting. I found that my original goal for children to use scissors was not reachable for all children. I then gave children the option of ripping their mountain shapes instead of cutting them. This worked exceptionally well and none of the children minded doing it. I think this really reflected my ability as a teacher to be flexible and ready for anything. All children participated during the activity, even if it was only for a couple minutes. All children were willing to participate since there was a strong interest in painting. During the lesson, I did not change much accept for giving children the option to rip their mountain shape instead of cutting it. The children came and went at their own pace, so I was able to have some great conversations. For the older children in the groups, painting was more realistic. I saw actual peaks of mountains and representations of snow and rock. The younger children had more abstract painting. The assessment plan was successful as well. As children were rotating in and out, I was able to write notes from each child on my checklist and my site supervisor was able to take pictures of the activity so I could focus on supervising and facilitating. I learned that painting activities require a lot of supervision. Some paint spilled on the floor, some got in the children’s clothes, and some even on mine. The smocks were extremely helpful, but there was not a moment that I could walk away to get another piece of paper. Setting a goal for a preschool class is also hard. There is such a large age range that I need to focus more on the mastery of the lesson for each individual child, not the class as a whole. I also learned that having the children’s names already written on the back of the painting creates easier organization and clean up of the area. I was able to manage behavior well here since another staff member was helping me document. Since the groups were smaller, I could also work with each child and manage the successfully. For changes, I limit to only four friends at a table. I would also have another teacher sit with me so I could get up to get that extra brush or extra piece of paper. Kristen ZaleskiGrade/ Development level: Preschool Length of time: 15-20 minutes Date taught: October 3, 2013 Purpose: To climb a mountain (hill) on the playground and think about hiking. Curriculum Standard(s): NH Early Learning Guidelines; Creative and Aesthetic Development, the strand is invention and imagination.Objectives: Students will utilize their gross motor skills and cognitive thinking to climb a mountain and think about what is needed to go on an expedition. Background Knowledge Needed: The students must understand what a mountain is and what it looks like. Mount Everest lies in between India (Nepal) and Asia (China). It is more than 1,500 miles long and the summit is 29,028 feet above sea level. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is where expeditions to Everest begin. The first expedition was in 1921. It was not until 1953 that someone reached the summit. When packing for a trip, many bring mittens, a climbing suit, glacier glasses, crampons (metal spikes that attach to boots to climb), trekking poles, boots, ropes, a radio, a backpack, oxygen mask, tent, shovel, ice ac, stove, and sleeping bag. You can find ibex (mountain goats) and snow leopards on a hike. Everest is very cold with high winds and heavy snowfall that makes climbing difficult. When snowfall builds up on a steep mountainside, a whole section of a slope may break loose and slide down the mountain. Moving at speeds of 200 miles per hour, avalanches are extremely dangerous. There is also a mythological creature that lives on Mount Everest called the Yeti. The children must also know ideas of how to be safe when going on a hike. These preschoolers are ready for this lesson because they enjoy climbing the rock wall outside and have a strong interest in camping. They have a sparked interest in climate. Be ready to answer questions how big Mount Everest is and its climate. Materials Needed: Hiking backpack, rope, logs, orange and red tissue paper, cauldron, Everest stickers, the book, “Betty and the Yeti”, written by Ella Burfoot, flashlights, and mugs. Student Grouping: The size of the class is 16 children. For this activity, the children will be divided into two groups. One group will be climbing the rock wall while the other group is at the campsite thinking about hiking expeditions. The children will rotate from the wall to the campsite to have an expedition experience. Preparation for Experience: For preparation, have all materials for the campsite ready to be brought outside. There must also be constant supervision at the rock wall. I will be rotating back and forth between the areas. Once the activity is done, the children can resume to outdoor play.Outline of Experience:Introduction/Orientation The introduction to this lesson will be talking about going outside to climb our own version of Mount Everest and I will introduce the objects we will be bringing outside. This will talk about how to use equipment and how to be safe outside. Body of Lesson In the body of the lesson, children will be climbing the rock wall that will be our pretend Mount Everest. They will then rotate to our fake campsite to sing songs and tell stories about the yeti. I will read “Betty and the Yeti” at our campsite. We will have mugs for fake cocoa and a fake fire to set the atmosphere. We will also have flashlights if any children are intrigued about finding the yeti. Conclusion When children come inside from the outdoors they will be presented with “I climbed CDC’s Mount Everest” stickers. We can then talk about what we remembered from the activity at book circle before lunch. This will transition into our daily book circle that will conclude the activity. Assessment Plan: My objectives will have been met if all children climb the rock wall and use their imagination to create a successful definition. At the end of the lesson, children will be able recognize their body movements while climbing. They will also be experts on imagining an expedition. For documentation I will be taking photo documentation. Child Guidance/Classroom Management Plan: For positive guidance I will ask questions about hiking and expeditions. The groups will have varied age levels so the older children can be role models for the younger children. For the flow of activity I will have teachers in both areas to have supervision. If the children are distracted I will redirect them with a question about the activity. If the children have a lot of energy I will ask them to search for the yeti on the playground or run around the playground sidewalk.Adaptions and Modifications: For the younger children, I will have teachers ready for them to fall from the wall. This group activity focuses on gross motor and aesthetic development. The lesson should last between 15 and 25 minutes, which should be long enough for the majority of the children to stay engaged. They will also be actively participating. If some children do get to climb, that is okay because it will be a two-day activity for the children that do not get to rotate to the activity. Extension Plan: As an extension, we can put count the steps it takes to climb the rock wall for a mathematical component. We can also put furry material in the science center to represent the Yeti’s fur. Reflection: I was so proud of the lesson. So much planning went into this. With having the supplies, creating the stickers, finding appropriate literacy, and finding way to engage the student, I knew it was going to be a success. I received amazing feedback from the families saying that this was the lesson their child talked about at the dinner table and that it was their favorite part of the entire unit. We first discussed what items you need to go on a hike. I gathered objects in a bag so that the children were engaged in guessing. I the pulled out the items (mugs, pans, flashlights, rope, markers, and tissue paper for fake fire. The children were able to touch the items. After this introduction, we went outside for our expedition. The children were looking forward to this and explained that they had never been camping before. I had the group of boys that like to get silly help me roll heavy logs earlier that morning to put around our fake campsite. This gave them that focused energy and created a much calmer morning. Once outside, I documented that all children tried the rock wall, even the ones that had never done it before. I was so proud that the children tried. They had the incentive of getting a sticker at the end so it worked really well. We talked about the big muscles we need to climb. After we climbed, we walked over to the campsite. Here, I read “Betty and the Yeti”. The children were so engaged and loved that the yeti was not a big monster, but a little creature instead. After I told the story, the children began telling their own stories. We had sharing of mugs and equipment. There were a few sharing disputes, but everything worked out great. The other class even became engaged. I had staff support and great pictures documented. The children really made the most of their expedition and were talking about it for days. They were proud of themselves after I gave them each a sticker saying that they climbed the centers Mount Everest. All children participated during the activity and truly used their imagination. They not only focused on gross motor development, but also had great community building with sitting together and telling stories. This lasted the entire outside time (over an hour), which is tremendous for this age group to stay engaged so long. All children were willing to join. During the lesson, I did not change much. I did have to put the rope away because of a sharing dispute, but it could be taken back out. All children mastered the lesson in their own way whether it was trying to climb the wall, reaching the top, or joining in the campsite. The assessment plan was successful as well. I captured a range of photos showing the rock wall and camping site. I learned that outdoor activities are great to utilize. Children can get their energy out and really have learning opportunities. We learned about sharing, camping, telling stories, and community building together. I was able to keep children interested for the entire day as soon as I brought out the mystery bag of camping materials For changes, I would find more materials so that sharing disputes would happen less. I would also think about having a tent for the children to have a turn seeing what its like to be in a tent. The experience was wonderful and my hopes are that they will remember their Everest Expedition with me for years to come. Kristen ZaleskiGrade/ Development level: Preschool Length of time: 8 minutes Date taught: October 7, 2013 Purpose: To explore different yoga poses while engaging in gross motor movement and understanding of the body. Curriculum Standard(s): NH Early Learning Guidelines; Physical Development, the strand is large muscle development and coordination.Objectives: The children will use gross motor developmental skills to engage in a series of simple yoga poses. Children will also respond to sensory cues such as music transitions into new yoga poses. Children will transition smoothly, calmly, and collectively into the next activity through completion of this one.Background Knowledge Needed: The students must understand what yoga is and why we do yoga. Yoga is a relaxation technique that allows us to focus on calming our bodies and balancing. Yoga stretches muscles and focuses on breathing techniques. These preschoolers are ready for this lesson because they show strong interest in yoga and need an activity like these to calm down. Be ready to answer questions about the different cultural music featured on the CD and questions about the poses you will be doing. Materials Needed: -This activity uses: an accompanying CD and a poster showing the yoga poses to be done during the activity. Student Grouping: The size of the class is 16 children. For this activity, the entire class will participate. There is enough room that all children can participate. In an open area, children will find a spot to stand and hold their arms out to make sure they have enough space for their body.Preparation for Experience: For preparation, have the reference poster hung up so children can observe the poses they should be doing. I will be sitting at morning circle to ring a bell where the children will come to me. This requires no movement of furniture. Once the activity is done, the children will transition to their cubbies for going outside. For safety precautions, tell the children that they must walk inside when transitioning. Outline of Experience:Introduction/Orientation The introduction to this lesson will be discussing the importance of yoga and what it means to relax our bodies. We will also recall our past activities of looking at differences and relating them to this activity, which focuses on different yoga poses. Body of Lesson In the body of the lesson, children will be going through a sequence of yoga poses while I play an instrumental in the background. This instrumental has clips of cultural music, which relates to our poses. This also reinforces different cultures and their traditional music. These poses include an airplane, a cobra, a lion, a tree, a boat, a plank, and a warrior. I will be narrating along with the music to describe our poses and how they relate to the music.Conclusion When children finish the yoga we will fly back to the classroom in our airplane pose and then fly to our cubbies calmly to get our jackets on to go outside.Assessment Plan: My objectives will have been met if all children can focus on balancing their bodies while calming their bodies down. At the end of the lesson, children will be able to understand the poses we complete as well as relate them to the culture they represent. This may not happen right away, but after a series of yoga activities, they will begin to make connections. For documentation I will use anecdotal recording and photo documentation. Child Guidance/Classroom Management Plan: For positive guidance I will ask questions what it means to relax and if they can feel their bodies being strong. The groups will have varied age levels so the older children can be role models for the younger children. If children are getting loud, I will refocus by asking them to listen for the next clip of music to know what our next pose is. If the children are distracted I will redirect them with a question about the poses. If the children have a lot of energy I will ask them to breathe in the flowers and blow out the candles to take some deep breaths to calm down.Adaptions and Modifications: For the younger children, I will be modeling the yoga poses and pointing out which children have great poses for them to be models as well. The lesson is only about 10 minutes, which is long enough for the children to participate. They will also be actively participating. All children will finish since it does not require any work, only the use of their bodies. Extension Plan: As an extension, we can have a new yoga pose every week that can be read along with a poem to keep the children interested and engaged. We can also trace the outline of children’s bodies in their favorite yoga pose. I may also ask the children to think about creating their own yoga pose to share with the class. Reflection: After having behavior management problems in the morning transition to go outside, I decided that the yoga would be good here. Boy was I right! The entire atmosphere changed. With multiple components to the lesson, I had all children engaged through the actual poses, the music, and the narration. We first talked about what yoga is and what it means to be calm. Children said that we shouldn’t be pushing anyone, we should have our hands to ourselves, we should not be running, etc. I was very pleased with their answer because they understood that yoga was for calming their bodies down and bring their minds back in the classroom. I began the CD and we got into our airplane poses. I saw the imaginations running wild as the children had their eyes closed while I narrated. I told them we were taking off and flying into the sky, above the trees, cars, and that we could feel the wind trough our fingertips. I saw the children focusing on this and saying things like flying over dinosaurs, animals, or their house. We went through a series of poses (lion, tree, boat, plank, warrior, and cobra). She children loved the narration and music and made sound effects to the appropriate animal poses. If it was getting loud, I would point to our listening ears and mention that we needed to be listening for the change in music so we could be doing our next pose. I feel as though I could have altered the lesson by having mats set up for each child to have their own individual space. I found that they were moving quite a bit and had no designated spot All children participated during the activity whether it was through listening or doing the poses. All children were willing to participate and eventually had favorite poses after repeating the yoga a couple times. They loved the tree pose the most and I would catch them at certain points of the day doing it. I found that the transition aspect worked really well. They flew to their cubbies in their airplanes and put their jackets on. During the lesson, I did not change much. All developmental ranges challenged themselves by balancing or holding a pose. This was fabulous to see. I was mindful of a whole group experience, but the lesson was so captivating that it was not a problem. The assessment plan was successful as well. I had our methods student taking pictures as I modeled the poses for the children. This worked out well because the pictures showed me that children were really trying to hold a particular pose I learned that movement lessons are fantastic for having the entire group focus on one thing and get ready to transition into another. I hope to plan future lessons around movement to release some build up of energy. I was completely satisfied with the turnout of the lesson and kept my yoga poses on the wall for the children to look at. On my last day in the center, I had children asking me who would take over yoga. To have them reflect on this and want to do it over and over again validates that the lesson went great. For changes, I would think about having the mats to evenly spread the space. I would also think about adding in new poses every few weeks to keep the interest sparked. I was able to model the poses and even had the poses on the wall so this was great for the younger children. No other modifications seem necessary. Success!Kristen ZaleskiGrade/ Development level: Preschool Length of time: 15-20 minutes Date taught: October 8, 2013 Purpose: To assemble a panda bear while recognizing our own body parts. Curriculum Standard(s): NH Early Learning Guidelines; Health and Safety, the strand is self-care and Physical Development, the strand is Body awareness and control.Objectives: Students will think about healthy a safety by recognizing where their body parts are and putting a panda template together using their knowledge. Background Knowledge Needed: The students must understand what panda looks like. Pandas are the national symbol of China. Legend has it that they wiped tears from their eyes with dirty paws and their eyes forever had black on them. They eat bamboo and can be found all over China. They have black and white fur and have four legs. The children must also know where their own body parts are to be able to assemble the panda. This includes eyes, ears, nose, mouth, legs, and chest, and belly. These preschoolers are ready for this lesson because they can point to their body parts and have an interest in animals. Materials Needed: Panda template, panda poem, crayons, google eyes, and a popsicle stick. Student Grouping: The size of the class is 16 children. For this activity, the children will be divided into small groups. Groups of 4-5 children will rotate to me for this lesson. This provides more individualized attention within each group.Preparation for Experience: For preparation, have all materials ready for children to use. Have enough materials for at least 5 children at a time with their names already written on the back of each template. Once the activity is done, the children can resume to free choice.Outline of Experience:Introduction/Orientation The introduction to this lesson will be reading a poem about pandas at morning circle with a panda yoga pose to go along with it. This will introduce the panda activity and have the children engaged.Body of Lesson In the body of the lesson, children will be putting together a panda template. This will require them to color their panda and glue it together. I will be taping the stick to the back for them. The children will connect their body parts to the pandas and notice what is different and what is the same. This will facilitate body awareness as well as recognizing differences. Conclusion When children finish their pandas they can use them as puppets or put them in their cubbies to take home. We will sing head, shoulders, knees, and toes to reinforce body awareness before they break off into free choice. Assessment Plan: My objectives will have been met if all can recognize body parts on themselves as well as on the panda. At the end of the lesson, children will be able to see the difference in human body parts and panda body parts. For documentation I will have a checklist with commentary for how the children assemble their pandas. I will also use photo documentation. Child Guidance/Classroom Management Plan: For positive guidance have a panda already done for the children to use a model. I will also use glue sticks instead of glue paint to assemble the pandas for easier assembly. The groups will have varied age levels so the older children can be role models for the younger children. For the flow of activity I will be sitting near the younger children for individualized attention. If the children are distracted I will redirect them with a question about the activity. If the children have a lot of energy I will ask them to do their panda yoga pose from the morning.Adaptions and Modifications: For the younger children, I will be sitting near them. I will also have glue sticks instead of glue paint. This group activity focuses on fine motor skills while also teaching body awareness. The lesson should last between 15 and 20 minutes, which is long enough for the majority of the children to stay engaged. They will also be actively participating. If some children do not finish, that is okay because it will be a two-day activity for the children that did not get to rotate to the activity. Extension Plan: As an extension, we can use the pandas as puppets for dramatic play. We can also use them for counting and pointing to body parts. I can get some bamboo and fake trees for the children to make most of their dramatic play experience. Reflection: This lesson was not only popular in the class, but also a great success. Since there were different developmental ranges, it was easier to modify. For higher developed students, I tried having them create their puppet without needing any assistance. The younger children obviously needed some scaffolding to get their panda finished. We first did a panda pose for yoga and I read a poem while they held their pose. I think that this went well because many of the children were really focusing on holding their pose that misbehaving was not an option. The poem was very informative and tied in with China very well. After the poem, I led a group of children to the art area to make the puppets. Almost all of the children were able to place the panda’s body parts on their own. For the children that are not expressive, I had them point to where their body parts should go. Only a few children struggled with placing the eyes and arms/legs. This activity was engaging for all of the children. I asked questions about their panda and some of the children gave their pandas names, some colors them with different colors, and some created a realistic panda. The lesson could have been better if we used paint glue instead of glue sticks. I found that the pieces were not sticking well and the children needed to come back to fix them. I actually ended up using the tape to keep the pandas together. Having older children in the group did help the younger children tremendously with this lesson. I had some children that really wanted to help the younger ones.All children participated during the activity and were willing. It reached towards creative development and body awareness. During the lesson, I ended up using a lot more tape than I wanted to. My intentions were for the children to glue, but the glue sticks were not working. If I had a different kind of glue, I think the flow of the activity would have been a little smoother. As stated before, the younger group pointed to the body parts, which allowed me to assess that they knew body parts. I saw a lot of leadership and individualistic ideas through this activity. This was one of my only struggles. The rest of the activity was great. Since I had the materials already cut out and put in a basket, the children did not need to wait for them. The assessment plan was successful as well. As children were rotating in and out, I was able to write notes from each child. The photo documentation was great too. I had the children hold their puppets up so I could have a sample of their work shown in the picture. I also took pictures of the process of making the actual puppets. I learned to have multiple types of adhesives available. It did affect the flow of the lesson, but not dramatically. Other than this, the children absolutely loved the puppets. I had a parent even tell me that their child brought it out that night for entertainment with family friends. These are the moments that validate what I am doing. I was able to keep children interested because they had multiple steps to finish their panda and I would give them each piece to the panda one at a time. For changes, I would obviously have better adhesives and longer popsicles sticks to prop the pandas up better. I would also like to plan for another activity following the puppets. This could be a possible dramatic play activity.Summary of student development and learning based on your evidence Over the entire unit, the children stayed engaged and interested. I made sure to stay with the theme of China while tying in the interests of the children such as painting, going outside, using our bodies, etc. By incorporating their interests, they responded very well to the unit and will take away some of their favorite memories such as climbing Mount Everest or going on a yoga adventure. Cognitively, children were able to really think about what living in China might be like. They experienced the culture through extensive planning. They were able to think about differences in our classroom and differences with animals around the world. Through the communication and literacy domain, children were able to demonstrate reading comprehension through the majority of literature that I provided. I strongly relied on literature for the children to be able to comprehend what we would be learning about. This may have been through poems, songs, or short stories. Literature opened the idea of what we were focusing on that day and helped the children really put it in perspective. With physical development, this unit strongly incorporated fine and gross motor skills. With it being so crucial for this age group, I incorporated it in as many lessons as possible. They were able to use their hands and bodies in a variety of ways (using chopsticks, painting, climbing, making Chinese lanterns, yoga, etc.) The entire lesson incorporated opportunities for social/emotional development. Children were given opportunities to understand themselves while learning about others. They were given chances to share, work together, and problem solve. Creative and aesthetic development was an area of particular interest for this group. They loved working with paint, imagining, and inventing, so I provided opportunities for this through our Everest lessons, Chinese lanterns, yoga, and more. The children really had strong moments of imagination and creativity and it was well documented through the experience. The other developmental domain I made sure to include was health and safety. These children were able to recognize what was safe and to be aware of their surroundings. All learning goals and unit objectives were met and the children responded great to it. I shared this information with my cooperating teacher through daily meetings and reflections. I showed her the documentation and discussed how we felt the children responded to it. With other professionals, I discussed the lesson and collaborated with different pieces of literacy and objects to enhance the lesson further. We discussed possible changes and ideas for future lessons. With families, I would write our daily lessons on a white board everyday so that parents could know what we did when they came to pick their child up that day. Information on the white board included activities, interests, and literacy. Listing the literacy used gives parents the opportunity to bring the lesson home and extend learning there. I also printed off a newsletter for families to know what we were learning about during my unit, some key vocabulary, and some helpful tips to get involved. All families responded well with this. These were ways in which I shared what we did. I would also give highlights for lessons to the parents and have the children point out their work hanging in the room to their families.Family involvement strategies utilizedOne of my goals for these past seven weeks was to involve families as much as possible. With this being a preschool setting, family involvement is more important than ever. I established relationships with each family from the first day of placement. I was able to greet families every morning as they dropped off children in our room. I also created an introduction letter to myself allowing the families to get to know me on a more personal level. Another piece that I sent home was a newsletter outlining my unit. It included topics, key vocabulary, suggested literature, and tips to help family get involved at home. Some of these tips included going to a museum, going to a guided discovery website, or talking about family heritage. I received wonderful feedback for doing this. I have also collaborated with several families with bringing different cultures into the classroom. Since my unit was themed around China, I collaborate with the Chinese family in our class. They brought in several cultural artifacts that the children could look at. I displayed these objects in a cultural box and invited families to think about their own culture and to bring in their special artifacts to share with the class. I also asked for different words in Chinese-Mandarin to share with the class so we could understand that there are different languages. With a very diverse classroom, my goal was to include as many cultures as possible. We talked about Mexico, Ireland, Russia, and China. I think the children really understood the concept of differences and similarities within the community. I have also gone to family events to meet and greet families. I also talked about daily activities through a whiteboard that families could look at. Photo documentation was also an important piece to share with families. I did make some photo pages to put in the classroom so parents could see their children at work. I also displayed their artwork in the classroom for parents to observe. The children were able to take their work home at the end of my time in the center to share with their families. These strategies have empowered families in my setting to become engaged in their children’s learning. I have invited the lessons to come home as well as the families to connect it to their own lives. This unit worked specifically well because it had families questioning where they came from and what their heritage was. The feedback was absolutely wonderful. Children were talking about our lessons at the dinner tables and families were relaying back that they were so thrilled that their child was engaged. I think many of the families felt empowered to because they not only were invited to share their history with their own children, but also with the class. I had cultural objects coming in from places all over the world. The children even took pride in their heritage. A validation of this was a goodbye present I received from one of the children. She gave me different kinds of candy that were from Ireland. I was not only touched, but I was reaffirmed that my unit did make a difference and made both children and families critically thinking about where they came from and what community building is all about. Part II: Self-assessment and Professional ReflectionThere are four classes at the CDC. These classes range from infancy to preschool. The school population is around 50 children. My classroom was the green preschool, which had 19 children, with 16 max on a daily basis. The ages range from 2.5 to 5. My overall experience teaching this unit was very positive and successful. During the first weeks I was able to learn the transitions and routines of the day. When I was lead teacher, I took over these transitions and routines. Transitions included going outside, morning meeting, book circle, and snack/lunch. As lead teacher, I led these transitions through a variety of classroom management strategies. One of these strategies was yoga. I felt that the children responded really well to my yoga lesson that we included it as a daily transition. Children were able to transition through this short activity with calm bodies and minds. I also taught the children a phrase. When I said, “one-two-three, eyes on me,” the children would respond, “one-two, eyes on you”. This worked tremendously. After a couple days of practice, I was able to successfully get the attention of the children with this. I found that if they were being silly, telling them to breathe in the flowers and blow out the candles helped as well. With managing the youngest children in the group at circles, I would give them small objects or books to hold. This kept them still and not disruptive to the class. Other strategies for managing transitions would be by singing songs, asking the children if I could see their eyes, or making train lines to reach a destination. For assessment, I often relied on checklists and photo documentation. I was able to create a scrapbook at the end of the seven weeks with photos of the children to show the activities we completed. I analyzed these photos and made them family friendly to read. The checklists were more of a private assessment allowing me to look at each individual child during the lesson. At times I would use anecdotal records if necessary. I found myself often writing in a notebook when I observed a child doing something concerning or extraordinary. I also took pictures of student work since I couldn’t take it home with me. This allowed me to assess their actual work as if I took the work samples home with me. Family involvement was very important to me. I collaborated with several parents in successfully planning my unit. I was able to find artifacts from China, Ireland, and Russia through the families of the classroom. This not only created a great way for children to see objects from other countries, but also a way for families to really get involved. I talked with families every morning. On my last day, a mother told me that her child had never bonded with a teacher before and that I was the first he became attached too. She thanked me for expanding his emotional development and capacity to feel cared for. Moments like these with the families validated why I am a teacher. I wrote notes to families and shared our daily experiences with them during my lead teaching. I tried several teaching approaches. I wanted to reach toward each child and their area of interest. I dipped into every developmental domain for children to not only grow, but also expand on their curiosities. One of my main approaches was to show empathy and care through everything I did. These children are at an age where they need to feel loved and cared for. I think I was able to provide this since some of the children were very upset with my parting. I was able to touch their lives as they have touched mine. Another teaching approach I used was simple scaffolding. For the younger children, I would help with bits of the lesson, but would then I would encourage them to try it on their own. This worked very well. Using literacy through each lesson was also a primary focus for me. I am very passionate about children’s literature and wanted to expose the children to several types of books. My approaches proved to be successful through my lead teaching weeks at the CDC. Planning and Preparation I learned that the planning process requires a lot of content knowledge and research. Without this crucial information, a lesson can quickly turn awry. Children will often ask questions that the teachers must be prepared to answer. I also learned that there must be extensive planning around the behavior management of a lesson. With this specific class, the age range varied so much that behavior management was often the primary focus while facilitating a lesson. I must be prepared with strategies to manage behavior and implement a successful lesson. The planning process also requires a lot of collaboration with team members and at times, family. Staff must be aware of the daily schedule and be able to provide possible resources to enhance lessons.To improve my preparation related to content knowledge, appropriate goals and assessment approaches, effective teaching strategies, role of play, knowledge of students and school setting, research is crucial. I can easily find this information by researching standards, assessment approaches, content knowledge, and role of play. I can also look at files of children for preparation to get a better understanding of their needs. Professional development opportunities can also help expand my knowledge of approaches and strategies. One assessment approach that is effective is the ASQ. This screens the developmental performance of children in areas of communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem solving, personal-social skills, and overall development across time. This is effective because it can show which areas children are developing in a little more slowly than others. Another assessment approach is to evaluate student work. Having a child cut, paint, or draw can show fine motor development, creative development, and approaches to learning. Photo documentation can also be a great assessment tool. This is a tool I heavily relied on because I could see the children’s emotions and capture the moment to assess instead of reflecting on it later. There are several assessment approaches, but these seem to be most effective for me. Learning Environment: This was definitely an area of focus for this classroom. I needed to have effective techniques for managing routines and guiding children’s behavior. With my specific class, I came up with a variety of techniques that seemed to work well. I would say, “one-two-three, eyes on me” and the children would say, “one-two, eyes on you”. This helped getting children to regroup and focus. Another strategy to help focus was to flicker the lights or ring a bell. I also had children show me their eyes and point to their listening ears. With the younger children, I used a “one-two-three” system. I would explain that I was going to count to three and if I got to three and they were not completing a task that I asked them to do, that I would help their body do it. This worked really well. This will be a routine I take with me to the grave.With managing routines, I found that movement activities are needed. The children cannot sit still for long periods of time, so to break up the lesson by singing a song with movement; they can have that release of energy. Another effective technique is to give a consequence. For example, I explained to the children that if they could not quiet their voices, that we couldn’t continue reading the book. Techniques like this were great a times, but still wasn’t one to use for every routine. Social curriculum helps children respect themselves as well as other children. It also helps them learn self-control instead of being controlled. Social curriculum also focuses on building community and working together. Morning meeting is an example of this. This influences learning by children participating with each other, building community, and learning self-control. Morning meeting allows children to greet each other, share, and problem solve. This highly influences learning because it creates competent and critical thinking citizens. The children learn to work through their problems instead of being lectured by a teacher. Learning is influences from daily events and occurrences that allow children to work together and solve their problems. Part of the social curriculum is also eating snack and lunch together. This invites social conversation and builds community. One way I can improve is through my wording when talking with children. Instead of saying no or don’t do that, I could say, what is your idea, or do you think…? I could also say, I noticed… or show me how you might… This type of wording promotes the social curriculum because it allows children to think, problem solve, and talk through their issues. I can also model positive behavior and have guided discussions about how we should behave. I would also like to research other movement strategies to help children with transitioning. I found that heavy lifting works really well with some children that have a lot of energy; so finding activities focusing on this may be helpful too. Instruction: Engaging the children’s interest is absolutely crucial to having a successful classroom. If children are not interested, they will not participate. I found that out during my second lesson. The children were not interested in my specific topic and did not participate. Thankfully, I planned the rest of my lessons around their interests while still tying into my theme of China. For example, I knew the children liked to sort colors, so I created a chopsticks activity allowing them to do so while still focusing on China. I also had them do a lesson outside because they love the outdoors. These were the successful lessons because the children wanted to do them. The lessons that were the most interesting were the ones that were being talked about at the dinner table with the family. Pacing and timing was definitely and area I learned a lot from. I found that many children would wiz through a lesson that I took weeks to plan while they would take longer with the lessons I planned a few days prior. I learned that pacing during morning meeting was very important. If a book that is too long is being read at morning meeting, the children will lose interest and start moving around. I learned that morning meeting should be quick, but effective. There should be a greeting, song, short story or poem, and plans for the day. If the meeting is longer than 15 minutes, the children will lose interest. I had mornings like this and they were not fun!I learned that feedback is so important. Something that I may not pick up on during teaching may be very aware to another teacher. Feedback provides chances for changes, extensions, and opportunities for growth. I was able to improve my strategies, techniques, and management styles through the feedback I was given. This helped me realize what type of teacher I am and what type I aspire to be. Responding to children’s needs is so important. I had many children missing families, having a rough day, and needing that extra attention. We had a class that required a lot of individualize attention. Meeting their needs seemed difficult at times, but I managed to make all feel comfortable. This is actually one of my favorite qualities of myself. I have a unique ability to connect with children on higher levels allowing our relationships to become special bonds. I have also learned that there must be a range of activities presented. Having all fine motor activities will not allow children to develop in other areas. It is crucial to have activities that touch upon all developmental areas to provide learning experiences and room for growth. I made sure to create a range of activities that related to China. When I was not doing my unit, we did activities with painting, sensory, science, literacy, dramatic play, blocks and many other areas. These activities provide chances for social interactions, problem solving, and expression. One type of activity cannot provide all of this. With instruction, there are a few ways that I can improve. I can first expand the range of activities in each developmental area. For example, instead of always painting for creative development, I can try block building, using stickers, drawing pictures, or having an extensive dramatic play area. I can also utilize all areas of the classroom for instruction. I wasn’t in the math or sensory area very much so I would like to incorporate more of these areas when instructing. I can also improve with my pacing and timing. The important thing is to be prepared for anything. If children end early, I should have my extension ready to go. If a book is taking too long at morning meeting, I need to be flexible enough to cut out other parts of the meeting. These are definitely areas for improvement, but I do feel like I respond to children’s needs exceptionally well. Professional Responsibility: Communication and collaboration with colleagues is very important to having a supportive environment. I would communicate and collaborate with my team on a daily basis. When there is negativity or uncertainness in the classroom, the children feed off of this energy. I made sure to explain to both teachers in the room what my plans were and what the day was going to be like. I was able to collaborate with teachers in my classroom as well as other classroom for resources and support. After learning about my mother being diagnosed with cancer, I needed this support. By communicating with them, I was able to get the warmth and love that I needed to keep me going. I know my relationship with my cooperating teacher will be a lasting one. We not only became co-workers, but we became friends in the process. Developing respectful relationships with the families of my students also created an environment of care and joy. I was able to talk with them about their children’s progress while also engaging in conversation about other things than school. We talked about museums, vacations, and other topics that allowed us to have a relationship of respect and rapport. I have learned that through these past seven weeks alone, my growth as a teacher has taken leaps and bounds. I am more confident with behavior management, managing routines, and leading activities. Though I am more confident, I am still developing n these areas. I have grown with simplifying lesson plans for younger age groups, but wish to focus more on the mastery of the lesson for each child instead of having one goal or outcome. I have made last relationships with colleagues and children. I was validated of my growth when my students were sad to see me leave. This told me that my time spent there was meaningful. In just seven weeks I was able to create bonds with children that they will keep with them as they grow. I was able to reach in towards a child that had little development with emotional development. My ability to stay motivated and determined through my mother’s diagnosis has showed me my own strength. I know that I am in the right career path because of my experiences at this center. I have also learned that no matter the age I work with, I can make a difference. I explore the dynamic nature of teaching and learning process by observing and continuing professional development. These tools allow me to view other styles of teaching and how I can use them in my own style of teaching. I have seen a presentation on SCEFEL and have been very inspired by it. There are so many different ways to reach out to children. It takes a lot of research, devotion, a practice to really explore what else is available and ready to use. I demonstrate professional and ethical behaviors that meet high expectations and standards through communication and rapport. I understand my obligations as an educator and follow the code of ethics. I create a safe environment for the children, communicate with other professionals, and follow all other ethical codes. I do not share information that is private and I do not share information about the children or families. These are all behaviors that meet expectations and standards. I completely understand the world from multiple perspectives. I not only respected the different cultures in our class, but I included them. I understand that there are multiple perspectives and that every child is different with different traditions and upbringings. I try to make each child feel comfortable and safe in the classroom. I also wanted each family to feel included and warm in the classroom. I keep an open mind through planning, facilitating, and communicating. I also contribute to a just and equitable world through all of this. I believe in inclusion and making each child feel welcomed and cared for. I teach to create future citizens that will also contribute to a just and equitable world. Change can only begin with teaching children. Modeling fairness and being unbiased will promote children to do the same. Summary: I show my identity as an early childhood professional in my professional practice through my compassion and empathy towards children. Each child deserves care and love. As an educator in this field, I can make them feel warm, safe, and cared for. I also show my identity through my creativity in the classroom. I like to create lessons that children will not only learn from, but will also remember. I am specifically thinking of my Mount Everest lessons. The children built community, problem solved, and worked on gross motor skills while creating memories that they will remember for years to come. I show my identity by creating these experiences and lasting impressions that children will be able to remember me as the teacher that cared. I show my identity with including family in every aspect of my teaching. As a family oriented person, I feel it is necessary to involve other families. I am very passionate towards what I do and want to put my entire heart into it on a daily basis. The next steps I will take to advocate for children and families will be continuing my professional development to learn new strategies and techniques. I will also create classroom that feels safe and inviting for children and families. I will support them through letters, journals, blogs, and any way of communication that promotes working together.I will provide opportunities for sharing, problem solving, community building, imagination, creativity and so much more. I will offer my heart and compassion to support children and families. Most of all, I will promote optimal development and opportunities for growth. BibliographyBurfoot, E. (2010). Betty and the yeti. London: Macmillan Children's.Child Development Bureau. (2005). Physical Development. New Hampshire Early Learning Guidelines. New Hampshire.Jenkins, S. (1999). The top of the world: climbing Mount Everest. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.Lisa, W., & Bryant, M. (1994). Bein' with you this way. New York: Lee & Low Books.Olson, K. M. (2003). China. Mankato, Minn.: Blue Earth Books.Piers, H., & Giffard, H. (1996). Is there room on the bus?. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download