Key Assessment Self-Reflection Paper

 Key Assessment Self-Reflection Paper

Instruction: Reflect on each of the following questions. Type your answer right below the question. Paper has to be submitted typewritten, single-spaced. Use this document as your template.

4a. Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with young children.

1. Write a reflection describing the relationships and interactions that you had with the children and the staff of your field placement this semester, including the following:

• How did you scaffold children in their development of self-esteem?

Scaffolding enables children to take advantage of self-directed and cooperative learning. The zone of proximal development is the best target for scaffolding (Vygotsky, 1978). With this in mind, I evaluated the children’s knowledge and set goals that were just above their abilities. This enabled them to be more successful without my support. I strived to time the goals according to the needs of each child.

• Describe how you are able to scaffold children in dealing with their feelings.

I considered the importance of peer collaboration and worked on creating opportunities for such activities. This allowed children to enjoy the benefits of social and emotional guidance. This also enabled me to direct my efforts to self-esteem management as opposed to behavior management. In this way, I was able to create a conducive environment for the children to learn.

• Did you do your planning in conjunction with other staff? How did this work?

I strived to engage other members of staff, including support staff, in planning my activities because there are many benefits to planning, cooperation, and teamwork. Planning allowed me to get my priorities right. I was able to utilize my time better and meet deadlines I had set for myself. This increased my productivity and allowed me to keep track of my goals to ensure I fulfilled all of them. Cooperating with other members of staff enabled me to gain insight into alternatives to problems. Members of staff found it easier to offer solutions and introduced me to their teaching approaches, allowing me to learn more. Members of staff were especially helpful with problematic children.

• How would you describe your interactions with the children?

The way I interacted with children was important to me because I knew that it had the potential to influence their learning, either negatively or positively. To ensure only positive outcomes, I worked on fostering a good relationship with the children. I tried to maintain eye contact when teaching during our interactions to affirm them and establish trust. I avoided language that the children might have a hard time understanding. I also made a custom of exchanging pleasantries with the children to make our interactions more comfortable, and as a way of reducing tension.

• How would you describe your interactions with the staff?

Because I was going to rely on other members of staff for support and direction, I immediately realized the importance of being respectful to them. I sought clarity when communication was inefficient and tried to use simple language during communication to avoid misunderstandings. I was mindful of the messages that my body language sent to other members of staff and focused on creating an impression of trust, respect, and openness by smiling, making eye contact, among others. Because I believe in reciprocity among peers, I respected their opinions and ideas so that mine would be respected too.

• How would you describe your ability to be a member of a caring community for children?

A caring community is important for the proper development of children. Because I would like to contribute to a positive community whose interests are aligned with a child’s needs, I decided to become a positive role model whom the children can emulate. Values that I tried to emulate include sharing, friendship, respect, and kindness. This was reflected in the way I interacted with children, their parents, and other members of staff. I hoped that by doing so, I could help bring up children whose moral compass points in the right direction.

 4b. Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education, including appropriate uses of technology.

2. Write a reflection regarding strategies and tools for early education, including:

• How did you plan for providing opportunities for both structured and unstructured activities?

Alternating between structured and unstructured activities allows the children to benefit from both models. For the structured activities, I was guided by the three components, which are a beginning, a middle, and an end. The structure gave the children a sense of order and allowed me to achieve the goals I had set by tailoring each component to contribute to the achievement of these goals. Unstructured activities, on the other hand, gave the children a sense of independence since they had the freedom to explore their imagination. The instructional materials provided helped identify the skills that were required of the children.

• How would you evaluate your ability to scaffold children with unstructured activities?

The absence of rules and restrictions from unstructured activities enables children to utilize their imagination and come up with creative solutions to problems by engaging with learning materials. This happens when they put together different items from different playsets and learning materials. Because I understood the importance of this, I encouraged the children to combine play items such as dolls with other items like wooden blocks in their activities. I remained conscious of the risks that came with unstructured play and was vigilant to ensure the safety of the children.

• Describe the cultural diversity of the children, family, and staff at your placement.

In any society, it is essential to appreciate the cultural diversity so that people can learn from each other and no one feels excluded. I would describe the children, family, and staff at my placement as moderately culturally diverse because there were people from different cultural backgrounds present. I feel like the cultural diversity there was appreciated and that children, family members, and the staff maintained respect, mutual understanding, and cooperation among themselves.

• What adaptations did you make to reflect these practices?

Because there were people present from various backgrounds, I was keen on making adaptations to be accommodative of all cultures and to respect them all equally. Therefore, I found that asking about the cultural differences enabled me to understand the perspectives of staff members and children better, which allowed me to develop better interpersonal relationships with everyone. I wanted all the children to respect each other’s cultures by examining the way they reacted to children from cultures different from theirs. I strived to respect the unique ways in which children and their family members spoke and dressed too.

• How would you describe your ability to engage in conversations with children?

My conversations with the children were aimed at enabling them to express their ideas, feelings, and needs appropriately. I intended to enable them to build their vocabulary, which I achieved by introducing rare words into conversations. Careful introduction of rare words allowed the children to understand their meanings because they could see the context in which I used them. I encouraged the children to narrate stories and come up with explanations of topics of interest. By encouraging children to engage in fantasy and pretend play, I was able to use conversation to broaden their imagination.

• How do you see your disposition to develop positive, respectful relationships with children, families, and staff?

To achieve learning goals, I realized that I needed to work with and not against or without the contributions of the children, families, and staff. Families are the primary teacher of a child. To develop positive relationships with family members of children, I tried to understand their cultural perspectives to treat them with respect. The same applied to the staff and the children. I appreciated the unique nature of every staff member, child, and family member, including their dressing, religion, and customs. This was beneficial because it supported the emotional learning of the children.

• In general, how would you describe your approach to teaching?

I love children and would not give up a career in childhood education for anything. Venturing into this field is one of the best decisions I ever made. I expect to find many challenges in my line of work, but just like in my placement, I expect to cooperate with all stakeholders to overcome them. I am patient and understanding, which is essential in childhood education because every child is different and special in their own way. I believe in a holistic approach that targets the emotional, cognitive, social, and physical development of an individual. Early childhood education is the foundation that further education of the child will be built upon, and so I have to use a holistic approach to make it strong.

4c. Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/ learning approaches.

3. Write a reflection on the classroom’s physical environment and its impact on the curriculum, including:

• Describe the responsibility that you had for organizing the space in your classroom.

The classroom needed to provide a positive learning experience for all the children. To do this, I needed to make the classroom comfortable and to eliminate stressors for the children. I frequently found myself rearranging furniture to remove obstacles during play. Other times I had to arrange furniture in a way that is conducive for structured learning. I also felt the need to involve the children in easy tasks like arranging dolls and wooden blocks to develop their organizational skills.

• Describe any changes that you made in the space.

I was unable to make major changes in the space, except for the rearrangement of furniture to suit the occasion. The classrooms in my placement were adequate for all the activities that the children and I were engaged in.

• What changes would you make if you had the opportunity?

In order to make more space for the rug, I would recommend that the teacher’s table was moved further to the left because it often got in the way. Also, the sensory table’s location is not ideal and should be moved away from the door.

• Describe how you scaffolded children in being responsible for the care of the room.

Sustaining children in ensuring proper room arrangement, maintenance, and cleanness is a necessity to ensure children can take up responsibilities in the future. As young as children are, duties should be allocated to them, and supervision is undertaken to certify that they did what was expected. I helped them arrange the first space and ensuring each one of them had an assignment to arrange their own space. This is by ensuring everything is placed in order and after use returned to where it is supposed to be. Also, the area has to be very clean. Children’s space is one that should be invested in to provide an atmosphere to invent new things and learn to utilize existing information.

• Describe opportunities that you had to set up indoor and outdoor play environments.

I got the chance to prepare the class space with the help of their teacher. She explained to me the activities they normally do, and with this information, I was able to set up a room with all the necessities arranged in an orderly manner. These included alphabet charts, puzzles, coloring books, and picture charts. I was able to set up an outdoor playing area with children balls, and I played with the children.

• Discuss how indoor and outdoor play environments could be improved at your placement.

The indoor space was a bit satisfactory though I would increase the variety of books in the library corner to ensure children with different interests are taken care of. For the outdoor, I would invest more in it, given that this is an area that will contribute to children’s physicality, good health and stir up other interests. I would invest in different children’s games, including a shallow swimming pool with floaters, reading corners, and an area to stage plays and skits.

4. Write a reflection on developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches, including:

• Describe how you engaged children in spontaneous play.

Play as all health practitioners, and researchers would say it is vital to a child. At this early stage of life, play contributes towards the growth of the brain and hence improves a child’s ability to understand things fast. It also ensures bone strength by exerting these bones hence stimulating them to grow in their ability to support the body and movement. This can be evidenced by the conclusion of Piaget and Vygotsky in their research. Despite being something unplanned children do, there is a need for making it a crucial aspect of teaching and therefore showing the need to prepare and execute children play properly.

• How did you scaffold children’s play?

Supporting children in play is a crucial aspect of supporting their development, too, and something I personally emphasize on. Helping them play included joining them for play and providing positive competition and motivation. I ensured all the play equipment was available. These include balls and play attire. Sustaining children in ensuring proper room arrangement, maintenance, and cleanness is a necessity to ensure children can take up responsibilities in the future. As young as children are, duties should be allocated to them and supervision done to certify that they did what was expected. I helped them arrange the first space and ensuring each one of them had an assignment to arrange their own space. This is by ensuring everything is placed in order and after use returned to where it is supposed to be. Also, the area has to be very clean. Children’s space is one that should be invested in to provide an atmosphere to invent new things and learn to utilize existing information.

• How do you feel about your ability to deal with challenging behavior?

Children tend to exhibit negative behavior when they are not aware of what is expected of them or when they are not sure if what they are doing is appropriate. To avoid this, I give children an overview of what we will do the following so that they can ask questions and be prepared. I had a system of appreciating an exhibit of good behavior and encouraging it to ensure its reinforcement hence incorporation into a permanent behavior.

4d. Reflecting on own practices to promote positive outcomes for each child.

5. Write a reflection on your teaching practices and how they promote positive outcomes for each child, including:

• Discuss your ability to assess a child’s developmental ability.

Observation of children’s ability is something I really invested in. Looking at their ability to express themselves, self-awareness, intellectual, and body build. These abilities help me to come up with means to improve them hence ensuring that the child develops fully. I write down the strengths and areas of the child that require working on to help monitor any improvement and to make parents aware and hence aid in this process.

• How do you deal with individual differences among children’s ability?

It is expected each and every teacher should know children are not the same in intelligence, learning speed, outward appearance, or even emotionally. I develop a common goal and objective for the class, and it has to be met by all the students. I also do personal teaching of children based on their differences to ensure every child is well taken care of.

• Describe the activities that you planned with the children’s development in mind.

There were several activities. The first being staring at a mirror and putting the image they see on paper. Children who are loved at an early age develop to be of great emotional and relational ability. Those whose parents and guardians are supportive grow into courageous people who live peacefully with the rest.

The second activity was the utilization of a tape measure. We all encounter adding together and subtracting daily. The earlier the children can develop mathematical skills, the better they can navigate the world.

The third activity included asking children to write their names on paper and design; it then adds a favorite color. The children talked about these changes together with me. This worked on improving science skills

I gave children envelopes with guidelines for an activity such as running. The aim of it was to increase movement and physical ability. It allowed them an opportunity to exercise the muscles and to strengthen their bones further. This enhanced their hence physical intelligence.

The other activity was having children play with puppets and communicate using them. The use and practice of language also increase ability in literature, a significant need in the life of a person since language is among the primary forms of communication.

Arts improve all abilities. When children do something creative, almost all parts of their bodies are involved; hence their abilities improve. My activity involved using pom and clothespin to make caterpillars.

• Discuss how you encouraged children to explore, experiment, and increase their curiosity.

I did this by introducing fun activities. They loved the activity of mixing colors, and they kept asking questions. Repeating the same activity can be boring so to try and twist it by introducing new objects or ideas can keep them interested. Curiosity is increased by encouraging children to read books, opening them into a world of different possibilities. Asking children questions triggers them to do research. Also, it can be done by answering their questions in a way that they can all understand and relate to.

• Do you think that you are accepting of children that are different from you?

Yes. Being a teacher or a contribution to a child’s growth means acceptance and seeing diversity as beauty and necessity. It is a hard task, but one you must adapt to. Refrain from judgments but rather encourage the development of uniqueness. The teacher must impact positively and should do everything to fulfill this obligation.

5a: Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines: language and literacy; the arts-music movement, dance, drama, visual arts; mathematics; science, physical activity, physical education, health and safety; and social sciences.

6. Write a reflection, including:

• Summary of the content areas that you planned activities in.

In mathematics, the area of focus was using a tape measure to acquire measurements of different objects. In literature and language, we used puppets to improve on the ability to tell a story and communicate efficiently. In language, we also used books by reading a story that most of the children were interested in. In arts, children made caterpillars that engaged both their muscles and brains hence improving on both physical and intellectual abilities. In physical education, the children engaged in plays that involved movements hence working on those abilities.

• Evaluation of your ability to plan for a group of children.

I was involved in preparing for this activity with the contribution of both the children and the teacher. The implementation of the plans turned out to be very entertaining and including both the children and myself. I was able to interact with the children and understand their needs and hence focus on that. Though I could work on improving the period it took to feel present in the children’s space fully. The children asked so many questions, and from their end, they were very entertained and educated.

• What content areas do you feel confident in planning?

The children’s abilities majorly influence planning lessons. Doing a small test to range their abilities is necessary. After that, you can set objectives and hence activities to be undertaken to implement that. In science activity, we mixed colors, which was a great idea and an interesting one for the children and me.

• What content areas do you feel that you need continued development in planning?

I feel i need continued development in planning in the areas of proper participation in children’s activity. This is something I can work on to make the children feel more free and comfortable around me. I also need to develop more planning on coming up with student-based activities depending on student abilities and challenges and not a generalized plan.

• What resources do you use in planning the content areas?

I read content from books and researched more in other books in public and university libraries. I used teacher resources to gather information for planning, and when I had further questions, the internet helped me answer them.

• How did you increase the children’s knowledge of the world?

Reading books is the main way of doing that. When children read, they get to know stories and how others all around the world live. Asking questions to both the parent and teachers is of great help. This could not only answer their concerns but also stir up conversations about other things happening around them.

• Describe how you scaffolded children with their language and literature development.

I used puppets in class so children can talk to them and improve their communication skills. Talking to puppets was a way to make them comfortable to communicate. Reading a book helped children learn the language and grammatical correctness.

• Describe how you scaffolded children with their cognitive development.

I gave each child a box. Each was curious to find out what was inside. Also, each followed proper directions, which was encouraging and a booster to their intellectual abilities.

• Describe how your activities scaffolded children with their creativity.

We made caterpillars from clothespin and pom pom. Children were very active in this activity, which not only worked on their intellectual capacity but also on their physical and emotional abilities.

5c:  Using own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate developmental and learning outcomes for every young child.

7. Write a reflection describing:

• Your ability to utilize the CT Early Learning Standards in planning for children.

I was able to satisfy the needs of the children by using the tool to work on engaging topics. I aligned with the interests of the children. The tool provided guidelines that prevented me from overestimating their abilities.

• Give an overview of how the school that you were in functions. What are the strengths and what improvements are needed?

They need to work on their mathematics team to help those children with immense abilities in mathematics. On other issues, the school was perfectly fine. The teachers did proper planning and delivery of information to children. Follow up is taken very seriously, which is encouraging.

• Describe any management responsibilities that you had? How do you feel about your ability to do this?

I spearheaded planning for the lessons. I also ensured the implementation by giving the children information and supervising them work on it. The outdoor play gave me a room to interact with the children on a higher level. I was able to understand a lot about them, and as management, I ensured they were comfortable with me to foster trust and encourage communication.

6 a. Identifying and Involving Oneself with the Early Childhood Field.

8. Write a reflection describing your personal mission statement, including:

• Define being an Early Childhood professional?

As teachers of children being able to understand and tolerate their behavior is a necessity. It involves knowing child development. It also consists in being very creative to maintain the attention of children all the time. It is a big responsibility since I must impact on the life of this child.

• Describe what you have learned about professionalism, including your individual work with children.

I learned how to be flexible and be able to opt for other ideas in the process of practice since we live in a dynamic world. I have learned to be calm and understanding. I have learned I have to help children in their growth, which is a tasking obligation, but one is willing to pursue.

• In what ways do your attitudes and dispositions affect your professionalism?

I have a very positive attitude towards impacting children. Being able to mold the future generation in the most authentic ways is my primary purpose. I do not happen to have negative attitudes toward this career.

• What resources do you utilize to uphold your professionalism?

I am using libraries to increase my information. I also get knowledge from already practicing professionals. There are also articles on the internet that contribute to this information hub.

• In general, how do you feel about yourself as a teacher? What are your strengths, and what other things do you need to work on?

I feel incredible for having the opportunity to impact the lives of children. I am very interactive and confident. I am well informed about children-related topics, which will be a significant contribution to their education. I can spot discomfort among children and hence deal with it. I need to work on improving the speed of creating a comfort zone that allows ease of communication with the children.

6b. Knowing About and Upholding Ethical Standards and Other Professional Guidelines

9. Write a reflection on NEAYC Code of Ethical Conduct including:

• Describe how you view your responsibility to uphold and model ethical behavior.

By respecting those I work with, I can observe ethics. Also, I focus on positives in children and not the negatives. I encourage children to be friendly to one another and to communicate their issues without fear

.

• Site several examples of “unethical behavior” that you have observed or heard discussed in your coursework.

There was no unethical behavior that I observed. All teachers carried themselves with dignity in accordance with their work.

• Reflecting on the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct site violations of the Code in one or more of these examples and suggest appropriate resolutions utilizing the Code.

The Code of conduct among employees in a specific sector, is basic ethics. The respect of one another at the workplace and being dignified in how you act is ethics. Ethics defines how you will respond to situations that are difficult and ambiguous. You should be able to create a trust for communication. It is your obligation to impact the life of a child. You should be able to respect the bond between children and parents and also respect diversity in these children. A breach of ethics is unacceptable and punishable by the association of teachers.

6c. Engage in Continuous, Collaborative Learning to Inform Practice; Using           Technology Effectively with Young Children, with peers, and as a Professional Resource.

10. Write a reflection describing how your learning has continued to develop throughout the program, including:

• How you view your ability to work as a member of a team.

I have worked in groups before, and my team spirit is commendable. I appreciate the importance and contribution of each and every member. I will bring that to my teaching career by ensuring that I am in good terms and working on projects with other teachers, children, and their parents. By using diversity as a tool to bring people together, I hope to create a great team in school.

• How others view you as a team member.

One of my friends claimed that I always ensure everybody is satisfied by decisions being made by the group. A previous employer mentioned that I have a way of making people feel safe, encouraged and trusting and hence able to manage teams

.

• How you view your ability to handle challenging classroom situations.

I am a very calm person who rarely gets angry. I maintain a sober mind even in hard situations. I would like to hear the origin of the problem from every party involved and try to get to the most peaceful solution possible. I would allow turn-taking ensuring every person is listened to carefully.

• What resources would you seek to address classroom situations?

I am reading books, researching from the internet and libraries, and also consulting from other practitioners.

• How you have improved your own classroom performance by your own learning efforts.

Being well informed, I can deliver this information to children. I would seek information from children about their preferred method of learning and implement it. This is to ensure they stay attentive and listen to the information. I would find activities that keep the children interested all the time hence being able to learn more.

• Describe your use of media and technology with young children. How did you decide if the media and technology were appropriate? How did you integrate it into the curriculum? Did all children have access? Did this use of media and technology enhance children’s creativity, problem-solving, mastery of a learning area, and conversational skills?

I use technology in researching and planning. I also use technology in availing tools such as printed charts for lessons. I noticed that the internet is full of information that could go to waste if not utilized, so I decided to put this to use by acquiring knowledge and delivering it. I get the information during planning, and in the implementation, I deliver it in the simplest language. I ensure all children have access to information and materials. I noticed the use of media such as charts improved children’s speed of learning by relating pictures to words hence creating a lasting memory.

• Contrast and compare the activity that you planned and presented for ECE 101 with the best activity that you planned and presented this semester. Over the course of the program, how have you improved? What have you learned from your coursework to assist you with your activities.

My first presentation was years ago, and my best presentation was on physical this semester. Over the years, my confidence to stand and present my ideas has improved. I have been able to do more research, so I had more information on my presentation this year compared to the first. I have been able to simplify my language is one that can be understood by students. I have become more interactive with children hence building more trust and being able to communicate well with them.

6d. Integrating knowledgeable, Reflective and Critical Perspectives on Early Education

11. Philosophy

• Describe your personal philosophy of early childhood education.

Children can grow more and work on abilities in an environment where they feel loved and cared for. Different children turn out differently depending on their exposure to the world and environment. All children are unique, and that should be built to create authenticity in the human race.

• How has it changed during your student teaching?

I have been able to identify this uniqueness and come up with different teaching methods for each child. I have been able to solve conflicts and hence to ensure the comfort of children with the aim of a proper environment for learning. I encourage children to learn about their culture from their parents, and we create a session for sharing where each child gets to respect the other.

6e. Engaging in Informed Advocacy for Children and Professionalism

12. Letter to your legislator:

• Identify a situation that you feel needs advocacy for children or the profession’s needs.

The advocacy for diversity rather than conforming to existing ideas and stereotypes in children

• Write a letter to your legislator applying principles of effective advocacy that you have learned in the program.

Dear legislator,

I hope this finds you well. I want to bring to attention the need to advocate for diversity among children. Most of the education system is aimed at making children similar rather than working on their differences and using that as a tool for making them better. I hope teachers could use different teaching methods to encourage these differences. That children’s differences were applauded rather than discarded. This will improve creativity and the ability to make discoveries.

Thank you

2 a. Knowing About and Understanding Family and Community Characteristic

13. Write a reflection of family and community characteristics including:

• A statement summarizing the family characteristics of the families that you worked with.

They were very interested in helping and following up on the education of their children.

• Describe the community characteristics in which the families lived.

Most families lived in the school surrounding. Most of them were young parents and in the middle class.

• Do you think that you have an understanding of the families and their communities?

Yes. I appreciate diversity, and even though we are very different people culturally for me, it was exciting, interactive, and a learning experience too. I also realize that children and vulnerable support families.

• How would you rate your ability to accept children and families from diverse settings?

I would say I am accommodative of people from all cultural backgrounds. I view myself as a role model for the children. Therefore, I need to encourage them to embrace diversity by openly appreciating it and respecting their differences.

2b. Supporting and Empowering Families through Respectful, Reciprocal Relationships

14. Write a reflection of your relationships with parents, including:

• Write a letter of introduction of yourself to the families that you are working with.

Dear parents,

I hope you are well. I want to appreciate the opportunity you have given me to work with your children. I have personally interacted with the class, and I would love to do it again. I have one academic semester left, and I will come back to teach these incredible children. Hope to meet you again

Thank you.

• Describe your attendance and participation at a parent conference and/or parent meeting.

I attended all the parent conferences from the beginning to the end. I got to learn parent’s concerns for their children, and I contributed the ideas I had towards ensuring quality and holistic education for the children.

• Describe your interactions with parents during your fieldwork experiences and work experiences.

I frequently interacted with parents as they brought their children to school and as they picked them up. Most of them had a concern about how well their children were fairing, and I reassured them that they needed not to worry. I also encouraged them to also participate in teaching the children.

2c. Involving Families and Communities in Their Children’s Development and Learning

15. Write a brief reflection regarding involving families in their children’s development and learning, including:

• Summarizing your suggestions in your activity planning of how families could support the learning opportunities at home.

I suggested that they buy children’s books and make sure that they read. They could do that by asking the children to narrate the stories. I suggested the children should be supervised as they do their homework, and parents should ensure that they finish all assignments. I also suggested parents should buy children materials to use in study when at home, for example puzzles and they can help them solve it.

• What specific knowledge and skills have you gained that will help you with involving parents in their children’s development and learning.

I discovered that parents are a necessity in the implementation of the school curriculum. Most of the parents are very involved and willing to help accomplish that. So parents should be educated and given information to help them assist their children with school work. Being able to create an atmosphere of trust is essential. Since it is the responsibility of both parties to impact the child, then communication is vital.