Week 8 Reflection

Holly Gibson
I. Your journal should include Reading Insights:
Reading Notes: Read each assigned chapter from the text or article carefully and record five
important concepts/insights you learned from all readings. Do NOT simply restate information
from the reading, but reflect upon and share things that are relevant to your teaching and
learning. For each insight, clearly state the insight, then you should include logical reasons
(rationale) for why your insight is important, and then explain how you could in the future
use or how in the past you have used these ideas. Do this for each insight. Submit five insights
(using these three steps) across the assigned chapters and readings and include them in your
weekly "reflecting on your practice journal" on I-learn (remember to submit insights along with
your reflections on differentiating, support teaching and lead teaching see syllabus pg 4).
Also, we will be discussing these concepts in class so if you'd like to bring notes of your five
insights to class to help the discussion that would be great.

1. My first insight is the foundation to DAP, the knowledge of child development and learning,
knowledge of effective teaching strategies, and content knowledge.
a. This stood out to me because I know many adults who run preschool/daycare
programs in their homes. These adults only have their experience of babysitting and
no formal education in early childhood. I completely agree that to run a
developmentally appropriate classroom at any age or stage birth through elementary,
middle, and high school. You need to have professionals that have the content
knowledge. I know that some states because of the teacher shortage will hire those
who just have a Bachelor’s degree to teach. That is not appropriate. As teachers in
training we need to be the ones to step up and teach. This also applies to knowledge
of teaching strategies and child development and learning. I was an elementary
education major before switching to early childhood special ed. I am glad I did
because I have had more training in child development that will not only help my
teaching birth through preschool but also in the early elementary grades K-3.
b. This is being used right now as I have been planning lessons in preschool and
teaching. Planning engaging activities that interest the children. I have used my
knowledge in child development and learning along with effective teaching strategies
and content knowledge to plan lessons. I will continue to use DAP in my future
career as a teacher planning appropriate and engaging lessons. I will also use this
information as a mother helping my child grow and develop the best that I can. I can
also help friends of mine who do not have the knowledge of child development.
2. I like the section on child development follows an orderly sequence more specifically the
benchmarks of development.
a. This is important to know because children develop at ALL different rates and times.
That is why benchmarks are important. This is also important information because as
 a early childhood teacher I can look at a child and their development and plan my
lessons to help those children reach their next developmental goals.
b. The best example of using this in my real life was while I was in toddler lab. We met
with the parents to create goals that we as teachers would plan for. We had children
whose goals were to work on language, speaking one or two words. We would
parallel talk with the children and would have words around the room on the objects.
Such as couch or slide. We saw improvement in many of the toddlers language as we
tired to personalize our teaching and plans to each individual child. Another example
of where I used this information was in my infant class with Sister Swenson. My
partner and I were assigned a toddler who was very behind in language. We used our
skills to create plans to help him progress to the next level. Our first goal was to
work on babbling. We would use songs that emphasized easy vowel and consonant
sounds. We worked with this child for about four weeks and by the end he was
babbling. I will use this in my future career as a teacher and as a mother and a friend
to those who have children. I can help them see where there child is at
developmentally and can give them information to reach out for help if their child is
delayed.
3. I completely agree that children are motivated to learn through a continuous process of
challenge and mastery.
a. In our preschool lab we have a few children who have a hard time sitting still. At the
beginning of the semester it was difficult for us as we tried to engage the children
during opening circle and gathering time. As the semester went on we realized that
we have to have engaging activities during opening circle, gathering time, self-
selected, and small focus. At the beginning we had many book activities where the
children would sit down and just listen to us the teachers. They would get bored and
would have no problem letting the teacher know they were bored. By the end of the
semester, we did a 180-degree turn. Our opening circle, gathering time, self-selected,
and small focus activities included activities that the children enjoyed and were
engaged in. We had science experiments, and making food, and more challenging
activities that the children would stay and play with for almost the entire time
because the activities were engaging.
b. I have used this in the past during my time in toddler lab, preschool lab, and even the
elementary school teaching. When I have a direct instruction lesson the children are
not engaged and they don’t pay attention and therefore do not learn because it is not
engaging or challenging enough. I was teaching math to a group of higher
functioning second graders at an elementary school. Our first day the material I had
planned was not as challenging as it could have been and the children were moving
around and talking with each other. When my partner and I handed them money
manipulatives and gave them an activity their motivation changed and were excited
for the activity we had.
4. I like that sensory engagement is listed as a common teaching strategy. I know through my
preschool and toddler experience that sensory is very important and it is not just the feeling
of different materials but the hands-on aspect of learning.
 a. This is important to know and understand because children learn best through hands
on experience. In the preschool lab that I am in. When myself or other teachers have
taught and we have had hands-on experiences about the topic the children are much
more engaged. I recently taught a lesson on baking and we made muffins at science.
A teacher read the recipe while the children took turns pouring in the ingredients and
mixing. They were very excited to eat the muffins they made during class.
b. I have used this during my experience in the preschool lab and I will also use this in
the future as I plan lessons at whatever age I end up teaching. The most successful
preschool lessons that took place were where the children had hands-on engagement
with the topic in the activities.
5. I found the guided practice strategy interesting. I did not think that guided practice was a
thing in early childhood. Guided practice includes repetition.
a. Repetition is so very important in early childhood! In my preschool lab, repetition is
something that we struggled with. In our plans we have to change our transition
songs so the children do not get bored from them. My teammates and I discussed
how important and how we wished we could use the same transition songs. In our
individual lesson plans that we created we used the same transition songs each time.
The children got use to each of the teacher’s transition songs they had chosen.
Toward the end of the semester the children would still sometimes ask is it time to
play yet. It would have been more beneficial to have the same song through out the
entire semester to create a routine that the children do not have to guess or worry
about.
b. Repetition in guided practice is something that I have been using and will continue to
use. In my elementary school class, I use the attention getter Chicka Chicka Boom
Boom. The children know when myself or my co-teacher says it the children stop
what they are doing and look at us. I can use repetition in my future home for
morning and bedtime routines. In my future classroom for transitions.

II. Your journal entry should include how you implement what you are learning:
Implementation of learning
a) A list of your goals from the previous week;
a. This week my main focus is to speak in a positive manner of what the children
can do instead of can’t.
b. I also want to work more on helping the children work on their goals.
b) The progress (successes and struggles) you are making in implementing the goals
(include specific examples of your implement with children) and;
a. It is still difficult to speak in a positive way about negative things. Especially at
the sensory table when the children are making a mess. I never know the right
words to use. I try not to say, “We don’t throw the materials out of the table, we
need to keep them inside or else we won’t have any to play with.”
c) Your goals (some may carry over from week to week) for the coming week.
a. This week my main focus is to speak in a positive manner of what the children
can do instead of can’t.
b. I also want to work more on helping the children work on their goals.

III. Support Teacher or Lead teacher

Reflect on the top set of questions if you were not a Lead teacher this week. If you were the lead
teacher even on day this week reflect on the second set of questions.
Lead Teacher
1. What went well today? Provide 2 specific examples of children’s actions/comments that
occurred during self-selected activities. What evidence do you have for your conclusion? DO
NOT use the words, “loved, liked, enjoyed;” rather describe the evidence of children’s reactions
to the learning experience.
The activities that went well today was small focus and art. During small focus we
created our own rain sticks. The children were engaged because they were able to create their
own musical instrument that they would be able to take home. During art children had the
opportunity to create their own egg shakers. There were many children who visited at and made
their own egg shakers. Many of the children made more than one egg shaker that they took
home.
2.Evaluate gathering time. What were some positive aspects of gathering time? What were the
participation needs of the children and how were they met? What would you change for next
time?
A positive aspect of gathering time was the ITBE on making our own musical
instruments. I showed my examples of the egg shaker and rain stick I had made at home the
children were smiling and chattery as the instruments were passed around. Another positive
aspect was the giant drum I used to show that we can make music loud or soft. The children need
engaging activities and I thought that their engagements were met. I had the children drum along
with me on the floor loudly and softly. If I could make this again, I would make the activity a
little more engaging. Maybe I could bring little drums in that the children can take turn
drumming loudly or softly.
3.Evaluate small focus groups. What were some positive aspects of small focus groups? What
were the participation needs of the children and how were they met? What would you change for
next time?
 Small focus group was a success. The children liked the hands-on activity of making their
own rain sticks that they could take home. The children in our lab need engaging hands-on
experiences. This was met because the children were able to put the card board in the paper
towel roll and the beans to make the rain stick. I wouldn’t change anything for the next time
because the children were engaged in this activity.
4.Evaluate closing circle. What were some positive aspects of closing circle? What were the
participation needs of the children and how were they met? What would you change for next
time?
My closing circle activities were engaging. I used a film canister rockets the children
were engaged to see the rockets hit the ceiling and pop up. I also made a activity to do with there
as an old lady who swallowed a fly. This required the participation of all the children. They each
had an animal that the old lady swallowed and would put it in the old lady’s mouth. I also had
the parachute and music activity. I feel that my activities met the engagement of the children.
Many of the activities involved the participation of the children. I would change my organization
for next time. I was very unorganized in my activities and when I brought them out.
5.How did you set clear expectations for children’s learning/ behaviors throughout the day?
Aren’t these the same question?
I am not sure I set expectations other than we need to keep the materials in their
respective areas and we need to take turns with our friends. I know those are different questions
but they are very similar.
6.What changes, or deviations, from the written plan did you make? Were they helpful? Why or
why not?
We did not have any deviations from the plan. All the materials were available.
7.If you were to teach this plan again what would you do differently? A reflective practitioner is
able to identify those things that would make a lesson more effective – more engaging – more
appropriate for children as well as those things that went well! Provide specific examples!
If I could teach this again. I would choose ITBE that were more similar and flow together
better. My ITBE went from we can make music loud or soft to we can make instruments at home
or buy them at the store. I think it as difficult for the children to grasp.
8.How was your lead teaching better this time compared to the last time you taught?
I thought my lead teaching went better than last time because I chose a topic that the
children were interested in. The activities ere very engaged with all of the activities. I thought
that all of the different sections of my plan were much more engaging for the children than the
last time.
What did you learn about yourself as a preschool teacher? What are some specific goals you
would like to work on for your next lead teaching day?
 The planning and carrying out the lesson plans is still difficult for me. These lesson
plans are much different from toddler or elementary school. For my next lead teaching day I
would like to have more Christ like love in my heart. I want to help the children learn and
grow in the lab as much as possible.

Log:
Record the time in minutes that you spent outside of lab and class time doing the following:
Reading assigned reading 60 Minutes
Writing your insights 45 Minutes
Writing and reporting Goals 25 Minutes
Writing Reflections on Lead or Support teaching 45 Minutes
Writing a preplan 0 Minutes
Writing a Lesson Plan 0 Minutes