Kaitlyn Piro

EDUC 111- Virtual

Professor Myers

4/15/2017

Effective Teaching Strategies

Which strategies did you see used most often?

In the Preschool classroom I observed, I noticed the teaching using many different

strategies. The teacher was most frequently using the acknowledging and encouraging, giving

quality feedback, modeling, demonstrating, questioning and co-constructing strategies. It was

clear that she remains calm and positive as the techniques she used to work with the children

appeared to come naturally to her; interacting with the children did not seemed forced. The

children in her classroom seemed to respond well to her.

Which strategies were not used at all?

During my two-hour observation, there were some strategies that I did not observe. I did

not see the teacher giving cues, hints and offering assistance. The teacher worked with the

children when there was a problem, but I didnt notice her really building off of their prior

knowledge to solve a problem they were facing. I also did not observe her creating and adding

challenges. This strategy was almost seen when the teacher was working with children who were

building a block ramp for cars, but the teacher was more questioning than creating challenges.

The other strategies I did not observe was giving direct or explicit instruction. The children were
engaging in free play and centers when I was observing, which seems to be the reason the

teacher did not give direct and explicit instruction; she was allowing the children to learn and

explore independently. Lastly, I did not notice the teacher using the scaffolding technique; again,

because the children were engaging in free-play.

Which strategies were combined together?

The strategies that I noticed being combined together were questioning and co-

constructing. The teacher was observed while building a block ramp with a group of boys. The

teacher was asking the boys what they could do to make the cars go further/ faster down the

ramp. She was asking them questions and then working with them to figure out a solution. I

thought these two strategies worked well together. I liked how the teacher gave the children a

question to think about and then worked with them to come up with a solution.

Which strategies did you observe most effective?

The strategies I noticed being most effective was demonstrating and modeling. I liked

how it gave the children not only the opportunity to see the correct solution, but also a

opportunity to them practice the solution. For example, I observed a child asking the teacher how

to write Dear mommy on a card for her mom. Rather than the teacher write directly on the card

for the child, she took another piece of paper and wrote it for the child to then copy. The teacher

provided the child with the solution, and gave the child a chance to do it herself.
 15 Minute Snapshot

Child S. is building in the block center. S. is arranging the unit blocks on the shelf, then

takes one off at a time and starts building a tower. Ss tower has 11 unit blocks. S. is using his left

hand to take blocks on the shelf and his right hand to put the blocks on the tower. S. stands up

when he cannot reach the top of the tower; S. now has 24 blocks on the tower. A child throws a

car at S. tower, it misses and S. shouts STOP IT H!. S. goes to another shelf in the block center

and gets a triangle block to put on the top. Ss tower falls when he tries to put the triangle block

on the top. Child H. laughs at the tower falling and S. starts to cry. S. runs over to the teacher and

says H. laughed at me! the teacher tells S. to tell H. how that makes him feel. S. runs to the

bathroom. S. washes his hands and uses 4 pumps of soap. S. rubs the soap halfway up his elbow

and smells the soap on his arm. S. runs over to the teacher and asks her to turn the water on. The

teacher tells S. We only use 1 pump of soap S! You know that and why is the soap up your arm!

We wash our hands when we go to the bathroom!. S looks at his shoes. S finishes washing his

hands and gets two paper towels; and immediately throws them in the trash. S. goes back the

bathroom and starts talking to another child. The children are laughing and the teacher tells S. to

find a center to play in. S. goes back over to the blocks and joins two other boys.