Course Competencies

Marissa Haroldson
Practicum 2

Identify children's growth and development

There are many ways to identify how a child is developing. One of

these includes Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development. This states that
some children are more advanced for their age in certain areas, but are
lacking in others, or that several children of the same age will not all possess
the same abilities in the same areas. This also shares the idea that children
may not be able to achieve everything for themselves, but with the guidance
of a teacher or more skilled peer, they can accomplish the task. Besides
assessing the ZPD, we can analyze and childs development by observing
and writing down our observations. By doing this, we can not only see if
there is a reason a child doesnt seem to be able to perform a task, but we
can monitor progress and offer ways to better the method they are already
using.
Observation can also tell us where students fall in the spectrum of
abilities, such as observing that one student is particularly good at reading
aloud, but doesnt seem to share well or play nice with a specific student.
From note taking, we can determine if this issue is an environment problem,
a problem between just those two students, a materials problem, or not a
problem at all, and it was just a bad day. By knowing where a child is
developmentally, we can set our expectations for their progress as well as
our own. We can also identify a childs development by keeping milestones in
the back of our minds, but remembering that not all children will reach them

at the same time, which is not something to immediately worry about. It is

also good to remember that boys typically take more instruction and
practice, whereas girls catch on faster and mature faster. Boys tend to reach
milestones later, but will catch up eventually.

Maintain the standards for quality early childhood education

If there is one thing that will help bring you back to your ultimate goal
after a long day when youre not sure youre doing things right, its the
standards we have, whether theyre the states, or the ones we make for
ourselves. Our WMELS book lists several standards as guiding principles.
These include: All children are capable and competent, early relationships
matter, a childs early learning and development is multidimensional,
expectations for children must be guided by knowledge of growth and
development, children are individuals who develop at various rates, children
are members of cultural groups that share developmental patterns, children
exhibit a range of skills and competencies within any domain of
development, children learn through play and the active exploration of their
environment, and parents are childrens primary and most important
caregivers and educators. The first, that all children are capable and
competent, reminds us that even when children get frustrated and give up
on tasks, they are not incapable, they simply need to be taught a different
way, or the situation needs to be changed. Second, early relationships
matter. This is extremely important when working with infants, as they need
to feel loved and protected, and they can have the hardest time being
separated from their parents. It is optimal to form a bond of trust and

understanding early on, because it will build the foundation for all future
interactions. We must be positive, warm and responsive to allow for the bond
to grow. Third, development is multidimensional. This standard tells us that
learning is connected to more than just that lesson. Children can learn math
while doing science projects, or learn about colors while playing twister, or
learn to share while making Valentines Day cards.
We also read that expectations are guided by our knowledge of
development. This is important because it is not possible to succeed if you
dont know what to aim for. We need to know what is expected at their age,
but also that they may not be up to previous expectations immediately. This
correlates with the standard that children are individuals and develop at
different rates. Just because one child begins crawling at 6 months, doesnt
mean that same level of development should be expected from every child
when they reach 6 months. Also important is remembering that children are
different on cultural levels, and this fact should be included, not hidden, in
daily plans and actions. Amongst all of this, I believe one of our most
important goals to remember is that parents are the most important
teachers, so any knowledge we can extend to them can benefit the child
greatly.

Practice strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives

As educators, should pride ourselves on picking books for children that

are non-stereotypical, dont focus on only one culture, and dont promote
gender roles. A book that has a working black mother, a stay-at-home white
father, and adopted children of other races, or any variation of diversity,

would be ideal. There are so many ways that books engage children, so what
better way to show them that normal is the same as diverse. Growing up
in small towns, or towns with very few minorities, make it even more
important to display other racial backgrounds, simply to let children know
that not everyone in the world looks the way they do, but that doesnt make
them any different on the inside.
It is also important to keep in mind that bias is not only something kids
see, but something they hear or even experience. A teacher, who has had a
bad experience with one white family, may have a different attitude when it
comes to dealing with white students or their parents. The student may feel
exclusion for reasons they cant yet understand, and feel that they are doing
something wrong. A child may hear or see their teacher acting differently
towards their white friend, or notice that the teacher doesnt seem to like
their friend as much as some of their other peers. For a role model- and
someone who is responsible for a huge, important amount of lessons learned
in a childs life- to promote treating races differently, that lesson is
something that will follow the child until they can learn enough to change
their minds, or unfortunately have their feelings be validated by others who
tell them they are right.

Implement student teacher-developed activity plans

To make a good activity plan, there are a few things that have to be
covered. The first is that the teacher making the plan understands the age
group and the abilities of the students they are creating it for. Second, the
plan should be anti-bias, and not exclude anyone based on abilities, gender,
age, or other factors. It should be developmentally appropriate, safe, and still
be fun to let the children feel that they are playing. Also, the plan should be
engaging enough to hold most of their attention, but not involving the
teacher too much, so that if a few children arent interested, there are
options to do on the sidelines.
A good activity plan includes a hook to grab attention, whether its a
game, song, box full of goodies, or just a special ball to pass around, it needs
to draw their interest. It should also include transitions between the activity
and the clean up or whatever is planned later, and should allow the children
to participate in cleaning. A good plan follows the WMELS standards and fits
into a domain, following the guidelines and principles set for us.

Identify the elements of a developmentally appropriate

environment

One very important aspect that can often be overlooked in a child care
center is the feeling of comfort and an accepting, loving environment. For a
child to be comfortable in an environment, especially the younger ones who
may be away from their family for the first time, it needs to have a homey
feel, while still being appropriate for learning. One way to achieve a more athome feel is to avoid having an all-plastic room. While it is a common and
practical feature, plastic can feel artificial, cold, and sometimes even

overload the senses with colors. Keeping plastic furniture, play areas and
chairs to a minimum can make way for more comfortable options, plastic
toys are always okay in excess. Having a traditional, soft rocking chair, a rug
or carpeted area, a pillow/blanket corner, and/or a calming little couch can
add a home vibe and offset the colors and plastic that usually overrules
classrooms. In an infant toddler room, its also a necessity to include an area
for infants to practice jumping, walking, crawling, rolling, and pulling
themselves up. These skills need to be practiced, so having an area where
this can be done independently and safely is essential. As stated before, the
room should be colorful, but not overloaded, as this can cause behavior
problems. However, if a room is already too colorful or busy, changing it
drastically can cause an upset as well, so changes should be made slowly
and in small doses. Along with those infants who are mobile, there should be
a safe area for infants who cant move to be set down, such as a gated
corner, a swing, or crib. For the toddlers, a dramatic play area, inviting
spaces, and comfortable places to read are important assets. Dramatic play
corners or areas should be more than just a bin full of dress up clothes. There
are tons of ideas and sets you can look up and purchase, but as Lisa Murphy
says, sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Draping lights or blankets
over a corner can drastically change the feel of the center, and children will
enjoy making sets to transform play areas into castles or caves or forests,
making it a win-win.

Implement positive guidance strategies

In our reading I came across the quote, While patient teachers are
likely to see themselves as martyrs, struggling through days of adversity
imposed by the children, professionals will celebrate with children the
process of growth. This seems to perfectly portray the two types of people
at most jobs. Those who feel as though they are stuck where they are and
are suffering from having to do their job, and those who are willing to go
above and beyond, commit themselves to a cause, and do everything they
can to get the best out of what you have to work with. We, as educators, can
prepare ourselves best by learning guidance strategies for individual
situations, and find the most effective way to solve problems as they come
up, or we can resort to yelling and punishment without looking for a deeper
issue.
There are several guidance techniques that approach problems in
different ways. They include, Ignoring behavior: The adult chooses not to
respond to the child in any way and may even become occupied elsewhere
while the behavior persists, Active listening: The adults listen carefully trying
to understand what the child is saying beyond the words being used. Then
they reflect back in their own words what they think the child has said,
Reinforcement: Is the process in which a behavior is followed by a
consequence that is likely to make the behavior repeated, Redirection &
Distraction: Adults make an accurate assessment of what the children really
want to do, from there they can consider alternatives that permit the desired
activity, Giving choices: Suggest two choices when there is the possibility of
resistance. The choice must be valid and acknowledge childrens growing
ability to deal with responsibility and help them practice making reasonable
choices, Setting limits: setting boundaries to help children know what
behavior is appropriate, Problem solving: The adult guides children towards
solutions but does not solve the problem for them, Natural & logical
consequences: Natural consequences let children experience the natural
outcomes of their actions. Logical consequences are a function of what

adults impose, Time-out: removing a child from a play area when, owing to
anger, hurt, or frustration, the child is out of control. The teacher is firm and
consistent as the child is removed, Physical Intervention: physical actions to
prevent children from hurting themselves, others, or property. By choosing
which strategies will be most appropriate for each behavior, we can make
the biggest impact. It is in each person to be the best they can, for the future
of the children, and implementing positive strategies is the best way to
ensure we are sending the best messages we can.
I also enjoyed reading the quote The outcomes of guidance- the
ability to get along with others, solve problems using words, express strong
feelings in acceptable ways- are the goals for citizens of a democratic
society... Guidance is not just keeping children in line; it is actively teaching
them the skills they will need for their entire lives. I feel as though that
really puts into someones head how sponge-like a child can be, and how
important being a role-model can be. What you are teaching them during
every social interaction, every fight with another child, every tantrum over
sharing, is how they will learn to handle future situations. If that doesnt
motivate someone to want to learn how to best prepare their child for being
a proper member of society, I dont know what could. The fact that not
educating yourself on the best way to handle a situation that involves a child
could cause them to grow up never learning how to properly handle those
situations by themselves seems to me to make a good argument for every
new parent to have to take some of these classes.

Demonstrate professional behaviors

There are many ways to present yourself as a professional in the early

childhood field. One of these, in my opinion an important one, is dressing the
part. An ECE should dress to get messy, that is not wearing anything you
wouldnt want to get stained, something that allows you to sit on the floor
with children or climb the stairs on the jungle gym, and is not revealing.
Words or messages on clothing should not be vulgar or imply innuendos.
Another very important aspect of demonstrating professionalism is having an
open, honest and well-spoken line of communication with the parents. This
will help when there is problem behavior, an important event like a birthday
party or snack day, suspicions of abuse, or something you would like the
parents to know or start doing. There are a million reasons why it is
beneficial to have a good relationship with the parents, but it can take effort
sometimes when not everyone sees eye-to-eye on discipline, diet, lifestyle
choices, and guidance strategies.
To be professional you must also watch what you talk about in front of
the room, making sure to keep childrens private moments private, like
needing rash cream on their behind or pooping their pants, to ensure you
dont indirectly contribute to or cause bullying. This goes hand-in-hand with
talking to children at their level during serious matters and pulling children
aside to talk about behavioral problems, being sure not to make them feel
ganged up on or humiliated. It is also necessary to be punctual, and to
ensure youre giving as advanced of a notice as possible for cancellations
and sicknesses. There are few things more disrespectful than finding out at
the last second that the center is closed and you have to find somewhere for
your child to go for the day or contact your job to call in.
Along with respecting the parents and the schedule, you must be
respecting the children as people, making sure not to look down on them for
not knowing something, and remembering that if they dont know it, you
probably didnt at one point, too. It is also expected of a professional to keep

a clean, sterile, safe environment, and one that allows for children to grow
and develop their use of their bodies.

Utilize care giving routines as curriculum

While there are windows of opportunity for developmental milestones,

there are also windows of opportunity for teaching infants and toddlers,
without using lesson plans or activities. These are moments of daily routine,
such as diapering, bottle feeding, rocking to sleep, or getting dressed, that
create chances to include learning. You can count toes during diaper
changes, making math and a sense of their own body a lesson thats fun and
easy, or you can sing a dress up song to distract a fidgety, squirmy baby and
make a troublesome routine into a music lesson. Counting sheep while
putting an infant to sleep, or asking about the colors on their clothes as they
put their arm through are all other examples of including learning in daily
routines that would otherwise be silent or stressful. Building bonds during
alone times will further achieve the goal of a loving bond between baby and
caregiver, which helps the children feel that their needs for interaction are
being met. This helps in the separation process from parents, as well as the
trust needed to try new things.
Learning opportunities can be created during adding layers to go
outside, by counting mittens, boots and hats, while waiting in line for the
bathroom by playing I-spy, or cleaning up after science projects by
separating and differentiating what gets put away and what gets thrown
away.

Utilize positive interpersonal skills with children

Interpersonal skills are the skills a person uses to communicate and

interact with others. They include persuasion, active listening, delegation,
and leadership. To create positive interpersonal skills with children, its
important to both treat them as children, and as human beings. They need to
be given slack, as they are still learning everything in the world around them,
but also need to be taught about responsibility for their actions and to be a
good person. To establish good communication, children need to trust the
adult they are with, and have a good foundation in the relationship. If you
have a trusting bond with a child, it is easy to communicate to find out what
the issue is, and how to resolve it. If a child doesnt know you, how you will
handle a problem, or how you treat them in problem situations, they could
very well lie or blame someone else, or just cry endlessly with fear.
To help that bond even more, we need to be good listeners, and offer
non-praising feedback when they ask for input or approval. When they feel
that we listen to them and really care about how they feel, they will be
comfortable sharing their feelings. When they do that, we can show them
that expressing their feelings in words leads to better results than crying or
violence. It is important, though, not to make the children feel that you are
just their friend and will let them do anything they want. You must firmly
stand by what you say you are going to do when you inform them of the
consequences of actions, or possible punishments if actions persist. If you
dont follow through on your word, it will mean nothing to them. You must be

their leader and their guide through learning and playing, and even a friend,
but not their equal. Finding a balance of loving caregiver and helpful friend
will ensure the best communication with a child.

Utilize positive interpersonal skills with adults

One of the greatest honors a parent can give you is trusting you with
their child. Breaking that trust is not something to take lightly, and you must
treat the responsibility as seriously as it calls for. To keep a good relationship
with parents/guardians, it is important to maintain levels of respect for each
other, respect for the work they do as parents, a respect for center hours or
sick days, and a respect for the trust they have put in you. Mountains can be
moved when adults trust, respect, and value one another.
Being able to talk openly without fear of blame will allow for honest
and productive conversations, and knowing that neither side will try to blame
the other for actions committed by the child creates an openness that will
accomplish far more than sugarcoating ever could. However, it is also our
responsibility to take action when we feel someone is to blame for something
like abuse, drug use, or neglect. This does not mean approaching the parent
directly when they come to pick up their child, but finding a time to talk
about your suspicions where the child does not have to hear. Creating a
positive bond with parents is one of the best ways to ensure a childs needs
can be met outside of the center too, because as we know, parents are the

most important teachers, and what we can do for them inside our walls
doesnt come close to what the parents can give to them if we help them do
it.