Interview(part 1 ) Windescence A. Brogan

Table of Contents Education philosophy Classroom management plan Different school models Effective lesson planning and design Assessment matters

My Education Philosophy As an early childhood educator I believe children learn through play. There are many benefits to play for children's intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and language development. Children at play act in response to everyday life events creating themes, exploring and establishing environments, solving their own problems, and developing shared understanding of each other.

Play is what children love to do; they play with no set boundaries Play is what children love to do; they play with no set boundaries. When children play with no set boundaries they will be more likely to explore and understand the materials they are playing with on a much higher level. I believe when children are able to play with materials freely, on their own level, and when they chose, they will gain more knowledge about the material. Children should have the opportunity to play every day exploring and understanding what they are doing, building knowledge as they explore, and doing it with no set boundaries. I believe when children engage in play without restrictions they will create, they will experiment, they will explore, and they will associate earlier play with the new play adding knowledge each time. I believe children should be able to play with little guidance from myself, allowing children to explore on their own, giving them open-ended, age appropriate materials. Children learn to think when they play by exploring and experimenting. Children learn to solve problems with other children during play.

Classroom Management Plan The goal of having a classroom management system is to ensure that the students and the teacher work together to create an environment that allows for learning.

Preschool children need to have guidelines and rules in place along with a schedule so they understand what is expected of them. When a teacher organizes and plans for an environment to meet the needs of the children in the room effective learning can happen. Preschool children need plenty of room to explore the environment and space to create. Materials in the preschool room need to be age appropriate and in good repair. Materials should be well organized in clean labeled places ensuring materials get returned in their proper places. Planning ahead, organizing the room, keeping a schedule, having age appropriate materials, and meeting the needs of the children in the room are all part of classroom management.

Different School Models Charter verses Public

  Charter School (Kindergarten teacher) Public School (2nd grade teacher) Differences/Similarities identified between schools. Points to consider. Total population, demographics 691 students, k-8 school, urban setting, 72% eligibility for free or reduced lunches 497 students, k-8 school, urban setting, 92% eligibility for free or reduced lunches Both offer grades k-8 in same building, both are in urban settings, and both schools have many on a free or reduced meal plan. The charter school does have a higher enrollment of students. Student to teacher ratio 28:1 21:1 The charter school had a higher ratio of students per teacher than what the public school had. Key issues that are faced Student behaviors, lack of administrative support, high staff turnover, and lack of commination between administration and teachers Parent involvement is very low and home environments effecting the students ability to come to school ready to learn and participate Both teachers mentioned different issues they face in the classroom. The teacher in the charter school seemed to have less support from administers in the building than what the public school teacher has. The public school teacher has issues with family involvement. Role of technology Balanced in the lessons with use of overhead projector connected to computer, individual computer use to refine matching, sorting and letter sounds, and use of headphones to listen to stories on tape. Integrated into the lessons with use of smart board, computer connected to overhead projector, and computers for students to work on individual learning. Both teachers use overheads connected to computers to reinforce lessons. Both teachers offer computers for individual use in the classroom. Differences would be the listening devices used in the kindergarten room and not in the classroom of 2nd grade teacher. The teacher in the 2nd grade room did have the use of a smart board in her room. 21st century skills Uses technology in the room and ensures all students understand each skill before moving on. Teaching students to solve the problem and problem solve to find answers. Often makes mistakes on purpose so students can find, identify, and resolve. Has students work together doing many hands on activities. Each teacher reinforces 21st century skills differently in their classrooms. Both teachers had a different understanding of 21st century skills.

Effective Lesson Planning and Design Students should be challenged, engaged, and be able to build on prior knowledge of the learning objective. Learning objectives are not mastered at once but instead develop with practice and skills provided by teacher activities. Learning objectives should not explain what the teacher is doing.

Teachers need to understand what it is the students need to learn Teachers need to understand what it is the students need to learn. Activities should be planned according to what the student outcome is expected to be. Teachers need to understand that students generally don’t understand or master a learning objective at once but rather gain knowledge over time and build on prior knowledge. Many times teachers spend countless hours finding activities but have no ideal what it is they want the student to gain by the activity. Another pitfall is the amount of amount material a teacher covers. If a student is overwhelmed and lessons are crammed, then no learning is being achieved. Important elements of effective lesson design is to have a clear purpose, address the needs of the students, and addresses objectives

Assessment Matters To provide quality education teachers need to know what their students know and understand. Teachers use assessments to find a student’s strengths and needs gathering feedback from the students in the form of assessments.

My own viewpoints and the roles of assessments in the classroom are very important to me and the students I work with. To provide quality care I believe as an early childhood educator I need to know how to properly assess the students in my room and the age group I work with. I use formative assessments in my classroom gathering assessments daily as the infants interact. I need to know how a student is developing and what it is that I want them to understand and learn. I need to know each students abilities and need to gather information on learning in a formative assessment. My students don’t master a skill all at once but instead development happens in steps. If my students are observed with formative assessments, and I see they are not progressing, then I can make adjustments on their individual plan to ensure developmental growth. My assessments are shared with the families ensuring that their child is progressing.

Link to part 2 and the Big Interview… Link to part 2 and the Big Interview…. PowerPoint to part 2 follows this slide

Interview(part 2 ) Windescence A. Brogan

Table of Contents My education philosophy Classroom management Model of teaching I prefer The role students play Building a wide-range learning community What to expect when entering my classroom

My Education Philosophy “Children’s minds, if planted in fertile soil, will grow quite naturally on their own” ~ Jean Piaget

My mission is to support and encourage life-long learners in an open and creative environment. I believe that students learn best through open learning. Students who learn on their own can act in response to everyday life events creating themes, exploring and establishing environments, solving their own problems, and developing a shared understanding of each other. I believe that students should be allowed to learn openly with little direction from myself, allowing the student to explore on their own, giving them the chance to gain life-long skills of problem solving. I believe when a student is encouraged to solve their own problems they will create a more meaningful experience and build on that adding to the next, creating a life-long learner.

Classroom Management "Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression. ~Dr. Hiam Ginnot

The goal of having a classroom management system is to ensure that the students and the teacher work together to create an environment that allows for learning. When a teacher organizes and plans for an environment to meet the needs of the students in the room effective learning can happen. Planning ahead, organizing the room, keeping a schedule, having age appropriate materials, and meeting the needs of the students in the room are all part of classroom management. Rules and expectations in the classroom need to happen to allow for learning, students need rules to set their boundaries. Rules should be respectful of all the students in the room and be positive.

Model of Teaching "Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand." ~Chinese proverb

I believe students who have worked threw a problem they have solved on their own and used their experiences to find the answer will have a deeper understanding of the problem and answer. Because the students are active in the learning they are doing they will gain a much deeper understanding of the concept and skill being taught. Each time a student has the ability to find an answer and gain knowledge they are building knowledge for the next level of learning, scaffolding as they go.

The Role Students Play "We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today." ~Stacia Tauscher

The role students play in my classroom make them an active learner The role students play in my classroom make them an active learner. The students will actively participate in problem solving skills and learn from problem solving. Students will be encouraged to work with peers to accomplish lessons and while doing so strengthen social interactions needed for a life long learning process. The role of the students in the room is to also understand the rules and why they are in place. The students can help in the making of the rules and with guidance from me and they will understand why they are in place. Students will develop skills to behave and be understanding to the needs of their peers in the classroom.

Building a Wide-Range Learning Community "Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world." ~Maria Montessori

To build a wide-range learning community working with other professionals in the same building can strengthen the community of the school. I believe when teachers collaborate with each other they can gain knowledge and skills so higher achievements can be reached by the students. Teachers who collaborate together understand that continuous learning is knowledge needed to improve student learning for all the students. I also believe that learning is a process not only for the students but for the teachers as well. I understand the importance of professional development courses and the need to learn myself to meet the needs of my students.

What to expect when entering my Classroom "A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils." ~Ever Garrison

We have to be creative in the way we teach to reach all the students We have to be creative in the way we teach to reach all the students. When a teacher lectures a class on a topic some students may not grasp the information while others do gain information. When the teacher reinforces the information with a movie, hands on activity, or other ways of getting information to the student, more students then have a better chance of grasping the information. Teachers must understand the group of children they have and understand how that particular group learns. When you enter my classroom you can expect to see students working together to solve problems. I will have hands on activities often to reinforce lessons and involve the students in the learning.

by: Windescence A. Brogan