Standard IVa and IVb - Reflection Questions
Teaching and Learning
a. Connecting Children and Families
b. Using Developmentally Effective Practices
1. Describe 2 curriculum models you feel comfortable implementing in your classroom.
The teaching style is the vehicle through which a teacher contributes his or her unique
quality to the curriculum. Much has been written about teaching style, it particular, the
phenomenon of teachers modeling themselves after the teacher who influenced them in the
past. After working as a student teacher and having the mentor teacher feedback I learned to
step back and let the activities go through child directed not the teachers directed.
As per my philosophy and knowing myself and my values, I mostly preferred to use the
curriculum which age appropriate and the children interest. Freedom to explore and come and go
to their activity centers. My classroom has 15 months to 32 months old children, so I can’t force
the same activities to 15months old and 32 months old. I observe their activities at free play time
and make my lesson plan according to their interest. (Which mostly the trucks, cars, and buses)
For example at my activity time with the help of my coworker, I put materials for the younger
children on the table to draw or paint the objects they are interested and for the older children I
encourage them to play with Legos, connecter, or soft blocks and try to make their own vehicles
on the rug .And then I switched it with little more challenging for all the children.
Mostly I try to meet children’s developmental needs. I know that their needs are to selfactualize, to know and understand, and develop aesthetically. Also my curriculum will focus on
physical activities through outside play, music and movement, and circus and yoga which we
provide to the children in my workplace. The balanced curriculum which includes language,
mathematics, motor activities, arts and crafts, music, creative movements, and science
opportunities we try to provide to the children.
2. Describe how you develop positive and supportive relationships with children.
Through love, trust, understanding their needs for both physical and mental, and giving them
one on one time. When you work with infants and toddlers you have to follow their cue.
There are several meaning for babies cry, so when you understand it and provide the right
care, it will build the positive and supportive relationship with all children. For example one
child was very afraid to go to visit her biological parents with a social worker. She used to
cry and try to hide behind the cribs and finally the social worker has to carry her to the car,
while she was crying for the teachers. After observing this situation I started talking to this
child about social worker before she come to pick her up and reminded her often that, we are
going to wait for her to come back, so she can tell us about the fun she has. She started
believing it and finally she started going with the social worker without any fear or cry.
3. What are learning styles? How do you observe these in your classroom? How do they
affect curricular planning?
The young children’s attitudes and learning behaviors are the foundation of children’s
success. Hayson states that children’s positive approaches to learning include at least four
dimensions. These are 1. Initiative, engagement ,and persistence, 2. reasoning, planning, and
problem solving, 3. Curiosity, and eagerness to learn, and 4. Invention and imagination.
Again it’s always children’s interest, I observed it at free play time and asking parents about
their interest and what they love to at home. That’s give me ideas to make my curriculum
planning. For example I have two children who are very physical. They love to throw things,
pushing and pulling and wrestling games. When I talk to this boy’s parents about it, they told
that the boy’s dad and cousins play wrestling game with them. So I started implementing outside
games like succor game and tossing and catching the ball and bike riding with a friends or
pushing bike to help friend to ride the bike. Inside classrooms games like helping to push the
table and chairs and pulling the toy cart with full of toys. Also make them to help at lunch time
to pass the milk cups to their classmates.
The curriculum does not affect very much for me, because if children are not interested in
doing what I planned for, I moved to child initiated play and it’s become children initiated
activities.
4. Describe DAP? How do you know that you are practicing DAP?
Developmentally appropriate practice, often shortened to DAP, is an approach to
teaching grounded in the research on how young children develop and learn and in what is
known about effective early education. Its framework is designed to promote young children’s
optimal learning and development. DAP involves teachers meeting young children where they
are (by stage of development), both as individuals and as part of a group; and helping each child
meet challenging and achievable learning goals.
Though I’m still learning DAP, but mostly I provided age appropriate lesson plan. When I
observe children are getting bored, I try to approach it with big and bright color picture books
with changing my voice or asking them questions while reading. Sometime use music and
movement or through dramatic play to make their interest. So I know that I’m practicing DAP.
5. What might you include in your portfolio that illustrate your understanding and practice
of DAP?
I want to include in my portfolio my lesson plan and pictures (working with children) from my
student teaching classroom and more pictures from my classroom, which will illustrate my
understanding and practice of DAP. Also my professional development summary will show my
understanding of DAP.
Standard IVc and IVd - Reflection Questions
Teaching and Learning
c. Understanding Content Knowledge in Early Education
d. Building Meaningful Curriculum
1. What are the different content areas in children’s learning?
2. How can you deepen your understanding of each of these areas?
3. How do you design meaningful and challenging curriculum?
4. How do you evaluate that the curriculum you’ve created promotes comprehensive
development?
5. What might you include in your portfolio that demonstrates your understanding and
knowledge of “building meaningful curriculum”?