Margaret Weber

May, 5, 2014
Self-Reflection: Teacher in Charge
What were you most pleased with?
I wa the !ot "leae# with the way the chil#ren beca!e in$ol$e# in the change
to the en$iron!ent an# to the c%rric%l%! acti$itie that I ha# "lanne#& The chil#ren were
really in$ol$e# with the "icnic "ro" bo' that I a##e# to the #ra!atic "lay area& The
chil#ren ha# "rea# the (%ilt o%t on the floor, "lace# the #ihe on the blan)et an# then
they too) the ba)et o$er to the in) an# hel$e to loa# the ba)et with foo# an# !ore
#ihe fro! the claroo!& I wa alo "leae# with the way the chil#ren %e# the
!aterial that I a##e# to the claroo! to enhance their learning& The !oon #%t in the
enory table, they a##e# the roc) fro! the fabric line# ba)et of roc) that I a##e# to
the cience area& I alo ober$e# the chil#ren b%il#ing ca$e for the bear in the bloc)
area& In the art area the chil#ren ha# the o"tion to create a bear fro! contr%ction "a"er,
a felt bear or a an#"a"er bear& The chil#ren were %ing the fabric cra" to !a)e be#
for the bear a well a to gi$e the bear clothe&

Where did you struggle?
The area that I )now I tr%ggle# wa large gro%" ti!e an# tranition& While I
ha# way to bring the chil#* attention bac) to !e I feel that large gro%" ti!e an#
tranition ti!e are area that I nee# to wor) on& + I wor) !ore in the claroo!, I
)now that I will grow in !y )nowle#ge an# )ill& I feel that !y large gro%" ti!e went
well b%t there i #efinitely roo! for growth an# i!"ro$e!ent& My goal i to wor) an#
!y trategie an# techni(%e for )ee"ing the chil#ren engage# in the acti$ity& I alo "lan
to b%il# !y effecti$e trategie to !anage gro%" ti!e %ch a a file of engaging ong,
finger-"lay, !o$e!ent acti$itie an# cle$er way to refoc% the chil#ren* attention&
What would you change if you could do it all over again?
If I co%l# #o !y teacher in charge #ay all o$er again I wo%l# change !y
tranition acti$itie& I learne# that it i better to ha$e an acti$ity that allow the chil#ren
to be #i!ie# for nac) in gro%" of two or three& ,y the ti!e nac) ti!e co!e, the
chil#ren* energy le$el i %" an# they are rea#y for o!e nac) an# then to tranition to
o%t#oor "lay& I notice# that a the -Te##y ,ear, Te##y ,ear, T%rn +ro%n#. acti$ity went
on, the chil#ren were getting retle& I then (%ic)ly a#a"te# the acti$ity to allow the
chil#ren to be #i!ie# to wah their han# in gro%" of two& My goal i to now b%il#
%" !y tranition acti$itie o that I will ha$e a $ariety of acti$itie, ong, an# finger
"lay to %e #%ring the tranition ti!e& ,y ha$ing an engaging tranition acti$ity for the
chil#ren, it allow the! to ettle their bo#ie #own an# (%iet their !in# a little fro!
wor) ti!e an# get rea#y for the ne't "art of their #ay&
The !orning tranition fro! large gro%" to wor) ti!e wa eaier for !e to fin# a
f%n engage g way for the chil#ren to "lan where they were going to "lay that #ay& /or the
firt #ay, I ha# two file fol#er ga!e that I ha# intro#%ce# #%ring large gro%" ti!e& The
chil#ren were $ery interete# in the ,rown ,ear an# the co%nting t%rtle ga!e #o I ga$e
one ga!e to one gro%" of chil#ren an# their teacher an# then ga$e the econ# ga!e to the
other gro%" an# the teacher& The chil#ren ha# f%n "laying the ga!e a a way to tranition
into gro%" ti!e& When it wa their t%rn to ay where they wante# to go "lay, they "lace#
their ga!e "iece on the boar#&

How did you respond to the ideas and interests of the children?
I re"on#e# to the chil#ren* nee# an# interet by gi$ing the! choice to a##
other !aterial to the art acti$ity %ch a other ite! fro! the art elf& +lo when the
bear were "lace# on the art table the econ# #ay, a co%"le of girl tarte# %ing the fabric
cra" to try an# !a)e clothe or 0ewelry for each other& To %""ort their c%rioity an#
interet in thi I a)e# the! o"en-en#e# (%etion %ch a -how #o yo% thin) yo% co%l#
%e that long tri" of fabric.1 The girl ha# alrea#y !a#e e$eral bear an# thi wa a
nat%ral e'tenion of their learning, the fabric ha# create# an interet in how they co%l#
!a)e clothe or 0ewelry& 2ne chil#, +$ery fo%n# a afe way to "%t o!e fabric on one of
3alerie* earring to !a)e her !ore fahionable& +lo the chil#ren #eci#e# to !a)e bear
ca$e o%t of o!e bo'e when they aw the bear f%r in a bo'&
How did your curriculum take into account the information you have gained from
the DRDP or observations?
I belie$e that !y ober$ation of chil#ren an# !y )nowle#ge of the 4R45*
hel"e# !e "lan for c%rric%l%! acti$itie that wo%l# !ea%re the chil#ren* ability an#
)ill with the 4R45 !ea%re& Thro%gh !y ober$ation of the chil#ren, I )now that
one of !y circle ti!e acti$itie wo%l# be -6oing on a ,ear 7%nt. #%ring the intro#%ction
to the "ring %nit, the chil#ren were learning abo%t the ani!al an# how they wa)e %" in
the "ring& Se$eral of the chil#ren ha# a)e# abo%t when they were going to #o the bear
h%nt again& I wante# to "lan acti$itie that I co%l# incor"orate the 4R45 !ea%re in o
that I co%l# not only how that I can "lan to ae the chil#ren b%t alo beca%e I wante#
to ha$e !ore "ractice with ober$ing an# aeing the chil#ren a they #i# the acti$itie
to ee where they are in their learning b%t to alo !a)e %re that I a##e# the correct
!ea%re to !y acti$ity "lan& I belie$e the !ore "ractice yo% ha$e at #oing anything
fro! "lanning acti$itie to aeing chil#ren the !ore )ille# yo% beco!e&
How did you support diversity in your curriculum?
I %""orte# #i$erity within !y c%rric%l%! fro! the ite! I a##e# into the
claroo! to the acti$itie I "lanne#& The claroo! ha# blac) bear an# brown bear o
to thoe I a##e# a "an#a bear an# a c%b an# a "olar bear an# a c%b to how that there are
#ifferent ty"e of bear an# they are not all the a!e& /or !y creati$e art acti$ity where I
"ro$i#e# bear for the chil#ren to create an# #ecorate how they wante#& I %e# brown,
blac) an# white contr%ction "a"er, brown, an# blac) an# off white felt& + well a a few
ha#e of brown an#"a"er bear& I alo a##e# colorf%l "o!-"o!, "i"e cleaner an#
cra" of fabric& In the "icnic "ro" bo' there wa a et of i' #ifferent color of "late,
!atching c%", bowl an# for) an# "oon that the chil#ren co%l# %e for their "icnic, to
co%nt an# !atch the colore# tableware which alo how the #i$erity in e$ery#ay ite!
in o%r ho%e&

How did you feel delegating duties to others?
+t firt I tho%ght it wo%l# be har# to #elegate #%tie e"ecially to the teacher in
the roo!& 7owe$er, a I began !y firt teacher in charge #ay, I fo%n# that when I
#elegate# #%tie to other, it relie$e# o!e of the "re%re of being e$al%ate#& I en#e# %"
feeling confi#ent in !y ability to #elegate #%tie an# co%l# then foc% !y attention on the
chil#ren& +n e'a!"le of how I #elegate# o!e of the #%tie wa I ha# another t%#ent
"re"are the art table with the bear, fabric, "o!-"o!, wiggly eye, gl%e an# "i"e
cleaner&
Other thoughts?
I really en0oye# !y teacher in charge #ay an# I alo feel that they ha$e gi$en !e
the confi#ence that I can go into a "rechool claroo! an# be the lea# teacher& I belie$e
that !y teacher in charge #ay went $ery well an# that there are till area I nee# to wor)
on to grow in !y )ill a an effecti$e "rechool teacher& Thro%gh !ore e'"erience
"lanning an# i!"le!enting c%rric%l%! acti$itie, wor)ing on b%il#ing !y tranition
acti$itie o that there i le "otential for beha$ioral i%e to ha""en #%ring that "erio#
of #ay& +lo a I wor) !ore in the "rechool claroo! I will beco!e !ore confi#ent in
!y )ill for "oiti$ely g%i#ing chil#ren* beha$ior thro%gh conflict reol%tion, R 8 R
tate!ent, nat%ral an# logical cone(%ence, I-Meage an# ti!e-in to na!e a few of
the trategie an# )ill gaine# thro%gh !y chil# #e$elo"!ent co%re an# i!"le!ente#
in the claroo! #%ring !y t%#ent teaching lab ho%r an# !y teacher in charge #ay&