Developing the Whole Child: Becoming the Whole Teacher Chapter 16

Selecting Values and Priorities in the Curriculum Priority 1: practice Intentional Teaching – use observations and assessments for planning. The mission of the intentional teacher is to ensure that young children acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in school and in life Priority 2: Incorporate developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) – provide activities that matches child’s development and inspire the child to go just a bit further Priority 3: Develop an integrated curriculum that supports the five selves (physical, emotional, social, cognitive and creative) of the whole child and teaches to multiple intelligences – when planning activities, ensure that all the areas of development are addressed

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences Linguistic Intelligence Logical-mathematical Intelligence Spatial Musical Bodily-kinesthetic Interpersonal Intrapersonal The teachers should attempt to teach to all of them throughout the curruculum

Priority 4: Find ways to encourage child-centered active learning; use an emergent curriculum approach (teachers make plans in advance and have ideas for possible topics, just as children do) – the idea of a collaborative learning together approach between the child and more knowledgeable teacher is the Reggio Approach

Some Basic Principles to Remember When Using the Emergent Approach Foster the children’s ability to generate their own creative ideas: provide materials so the children can use to connect them in new ways to create creative thinking Base the curriculum on the interests of the children as their ideas develop Remember to keep the pathway focused: Don’t let it branch off in too many directions The number of children’s ideas increases if the teacher recognizes their value and responds to them positively – the teacher who is willing to let the children put their ideas into practice offers strong positive reinforcement for this behavior

Use language consistently along with more concrete ways of trying out ideas – combine written and pictorial documentation to use for the children’s direct benefit and to keep the families informed about what is going on Enable the children to translate their ideas into concrete experiences – try out possible ways to solve problems Allow children to experience failure (“what do you want to try next?”) Make certain the children use some form of expressive medium to explain to other people what they have found out (the hundred languages of children)

The project approach: the topic is chosen, and children investigate that topic for a long period of time: Phase 1: topic can be suggested by the teacher or can emerge form the children’s interests. Creating a web about what they already know and what they want to find out Phase 2: the teacher reexamines the children’s webs and ties the upcoming activities to the skills and concepts that are appropriate for the children to practice Phase 3: in concluding the project, the teacher helps the children express what they have learned

Priority 5: focus on teaching happiness and joy in learning as much as academic skills – reflect on the meaning of teaching. What are our basic goals of education? What goals do you have as a teacher?