Name of Facility/School: GV Christian School Teachers Name: Denise Marian

Address & Telephone #:711 Valle Verde Court Henderson, NV 89014

702-454-4056

Ages & Number of Children served in the classroom observed: 4 & 5 year olds, 16 children (8 boys & 8

girls)

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (may include pictures for 10 pts extra credit)

Classroom:

1. Type/Name of Learning Center

Library
a. Number of children center can accommodate

The library center only has 2 benches holding 2 children each. A space in front provides

additional space for the children to sit.

b. List of equipment/material and furniture in center

Equipment: Book rack, benches

Material: Books
 c. Types of learning experiences possible in center

Reading skills, listening skills, sharing skills

Classroom:

2. Type/Name of Learning Center

ABC Rug

a. Number of children center can accommodate

The ABC Rug can accommodate the entire class of 16 children

 b. List of equipment/material and furniture in center

Equipment: ABC Rug

Material: Different materials are used during ABC Rug time. This is used to have the children sit

and give attention to a story book, show and share, the calendar where they learn their days of

the week and months of the year, and this is also where the children are taught to lead prayer.

c. Types of learning experiences possible in center

Listening skills, being able to sit still, questioning & answering skills, leadership skills, knowledge

of days of the week & months of the year, skills to retell parts of a story

Classroom:

3. Type/Name of Learning Center

Train Table
a. Number of children center can accommodate

There are 2 Train Table learning centers that together can accommodate the whole class of 16

b. List of equipment/material and furniture in center

Equipment: Train table, tracks, trains, building

c. Types of learning experiences possible in center

 Children can learn how to connect and build the tracks and use imaginative skills to place

buildings throughout the table while interacting with other children to create a play city. Here

the children can share, be creative, build, and roll play

Classroom:

4. Type/Name of Learning Center

Play kitchen

a. Number of children center can accommodate

This learning center can accommodate the whole classroom of 16

 b. List of equipment/material and furniture in center

Kitchen table, chairs, sink, stove, refrigerator

c. Types of learning experiences possible in center

Roll playing, playing with other children, sharing, imaginative skills

Outdoors:
1. Available equipment:

Jungle gym, slide, monkey bars, tic-tat-toe

2. Fixed components:

Picnic bench, shade area, storage shed, wall, side walk

3. Natural features:

Grass, mulch
4. Types of learning experiences possible outdoors beyond the standard gross motor and

sand play opportunities

Playing with other children, learning the object of playing tit-tat-toe, climbing, overcoming fears of going

down slides or crossing the monkey bars, encouragement skills by cheering on other children to do

certain things on the jungle gym, social skills, strength building skills

Evaluation: Physical environment

The physical environment of the classroom both indoors and outdoors was quite inviting. The classroom

itself was spacious with plenty of room for all the activity areas. There were several art display boards

on the walls so the children can hang their work. There was a homework chart for the children to be

able to keep track of their homework progress. When you first walk in you see the ABC Rug which is

where the students join at the beginning of class and they face the wall with the calendar on it that they

learn days of the week and months of the year. Here on the calendar board they also have their job lists

that they sign up for at the beginning of the day. To the left of this area is the small library area, teacher

desk and to the very left against the wall is desks and chairs where they have snack time, desk time, and

arts and craft time. To the right of the ABC Rug is an open area that has a play kitchen with sink, table,
refrigerator and stove. In this area there are also cubbies hung on the wall that hold balls, and outside

toys and another that holds backpacks. This is also the area where a door leads to the outside

playground. When you first walk out to the playground you see the jungle gym set that is covered by a

shaded tarp. To the left of the gym is open area with a picnic bench that is not shaded. To the right of

the gym is another picnic bench and this area seemed to be shaded by the surrounding building. The

outdoor area is surrounded by a brick was for safety.

Appropriate practices I observed in the physical environment were when the children help in the serving

of their snacks to each other. A few children were designated to pass out the cups of sliced apples, and a

few were designated to pass out napkins. By carrying these items from one place to another the children

were working on developing their gross motor skills. Along with this I observed move to music. During

the morning calendar time the children sang and danced to songs that helped them remember the days

of the week and months of the year. By dancing they were developing stronger gross motor skills. Daily

activities should include many opportunities for young children to develop competence and confidence

in their gross motor skills. For example, as part of the daily routine, children carry objects, take nature

walks, exercise and move to music, and engage in role-playing actions and short dramas. DAP,117.

Another appropriate practice I observed in the physical environment was the space that was available

outdoors on the playground. Whats important in a developmentally appropriate movement program

for young children is for the young child to develop physical skills plus an awareness of how movement

concepts relate to those skills. Limiting childrens movement experiences simply to throwing or kicking a

ball (manipulative skills), for example, without introducing the concepts of kicking hard, throwing high,

or kicking under, fails to provide the knowledge base young children need to become movement

proficient. DAP, 118 By providing the children so much open space on the playground and a great

amount of outdoor toys such as balls, bats, jump ropes, etc. the children dont seem to have many

limitations on developing skills to become more proficient in movement.

From the online reading of Week 1 slide # 3 it states, Begin by considering a specific age range. What

are these children generally capable of? How do these children generally learn? I feel from my

observation the teacher appropriately succeeded in all these areas for her classroom. Every

activity/learning center was geared to the ages in her classroom. All off these centers didnt seem to be

overly challenging for the children but still had the appropriate amount of learning possibilities for them

to enhance their skills.

I did not observe any specific inappropriate practices with in Denise Marians classroom for the physical

environment. Everything was well spaced out giving plenty of room for the children to roam, everything

was age appropriate and there were a variety of centers for the children to do and never having the

chance to be bored.

SECTION 2: CURRICULUM

1. Philosophy

a. Center/School: Copy of their stated philosophy

Our purpose at GV Christian School is to serve our Lord by providing our community with the best

possible Christian education. We are committed to providing the finest staff and learning environment

to nurture your childs spiritual growth and social development in these most formative years and
encourage you to take part in your childs learning experiences. GV Christian School is also a ministry of

GV Christian Center. It is our prayer that the un-churched would come to know Gods saving grace. We

pray every year that the Lord would place students and parents at GVCS to whom we would be able to

minister. It is our belief that you are not here by chance but by the divine order of God.

b. Teacher: Interview the teacher re: her/his philosophy

Denise Marians philosophy is simply to lead her students in the ways of the Lord while providing a

loving Christ-centered environment.

2. Goals (what the children are expected to learn)

a. Program Goals: Typically found in the parent handbook

http://www.gvchristianschool.com/index.php/preschool/course-content/kinder-prep

b. Classroom Goals: Interview the teacher regarding her/his goals for the class

Denise Marians philosophy is to first and foremost teach the children about the love of God.

Secondly it is Denise Marians mission to prepare her students for kindergarten by guiding them

into proper respects and behaviors in the classroom and towards other. Denise Marian is

dedicated to helping her students develop the basic skills needed to succeed in kindergarten

such as learning the alphabet, writing letters, spelling their names, listening and sharing skills

along with learning to be separated from parents for a time.

2. Classroom Schedule: Include activity and time

There was no posted classroom schedule. Denise Marian said that in her class they are pretty

flexible with what they do because the children are only 4 and young 5 year olds. This is the

schedule I was able to observe with no set times

*Morning gathering with all classes in Pre-school

(This was a time when parents dropped off children and the children gathered together to play

until class started.

*Carpet time

*announcements of the days activities that are planned

*assignment of class jobs

*prayer over the day

*calendar song and dance

*prayer over snacks

*snacks

*show and share

*art time

*song and dance break focusing on the weeks letter, color, and shape

*free play time/outside play time

*bookwork focusing on the weeks letter, color, and shape

*dismissal
4. Lesson Plans: Obtain a copy of one weeks lesson plans

There is no set lesson plan for the summer for the GV Christian School. In Denise Marians classroom

they focus on one specific color, letter, and shape to work on throughout that week. With this they

include desk work which consists of writing, coloring, and matching activities. They also have songs that

reflect the lesson of the week along with art activities. During the regular school year the school

provides curriculum that is more structured.

5. Individualization: Interview the teacher regarding

a. Children with Identied Special Needs: How does she/he accomplish the inclusion of

this child and family? n/a

If she/he doesnt have any children with special needs, what would

she/he do if she/he did?

Denise Marian does not currently have any child identified with special needs nor does the school as a

whole. Denise Marian and fellow educators are trained in how to handle teaching a child with special

needs by providing extra help/attention to that student and also with the help of multiple teacher aids

to assist any child that needs.

Typically Developing Children: How does she/he attempt to meet the needs of typically developing

children who have difculty following routines, problems with social skills, difculty with cutting,

difculty sitting still, etc.

While observing an art project, the children who had difficulty cutting on their own were provided pre-

cut paper objects and they were also provided a sheet with the objects not cut out so that they could

still practice the technique. The teacher and teacher aids also assisted these children by demonstrating

and guiding them in cutting.

While observing there was a child who seemed a bit shy and stood off alone when the other students

were interacting with each other. Denise Marian seemed to notice quickly when he was like this (it

happened several times), Denise Marian would gently coax him back into the group of children and sit

with him until he seemed comfortable with the other children.

Evaluation: Curriculum

In my observation for the curriculum, I felt that there could have been a more structured curriculum. It

is the summer session so I do understand that it is more lenient. The teacher did have a general plan and

was flexible to the schedule as should be when it comes to 4 and 5 year olds.

An appropriate practice I observed for the curriculum was the focus on one specific letter, color, and

shape throughout the entire week. By doing this the children learn best by focusing on one thing instead

of multiple things at a time. DAP, 130 state, That is, because they are just on the cusp of grasping a

variety of concepts, words, and skills at a new level, they learn best when they can attend to just one

thing at a time (e.g., putting all the yellow crayons and chalk in one bin and purple crayons and chalk in

another-cementing awareness of color) rather than attending to multiple things (e.g., yellow versus

purple, crayons versus chalk, and broken versus whole, which is too many concepts to achieve success).

DAP, 131 states, Make-believe or pretend play, with guidance and support from adults, blossoms in the

preschool years and allows children to make a number of cognitive gains as they try out new ideas and

skills. In Denise Marians classroom they have an area in the classroom dedicated to make-believe and

pretend play. This area is set up like a kitchen that provides a pretend stove, refrigerator, dining table,

and pretend foods. When the children play over at the kitchen they develop skills that enhance their

imagination along with social skill development.

In WEEK 3 SLIDES 4 AND 5 It states , Curricular Domains include the following

 Aesthetic: Appreciation of the arts &

enjoyment of sensory experiences

Affective: Trust, autonomy, initiative,

industry, self-awareness, self-esteem

Cognitive: Perception, physical knowledge,

logical-mathematical knowledge, scientific understanding, critical thinking skills Language: Receptive

language, listening

skills, expressive language, reading & writing

Physical: Fine & gross motor skills, body

awareness, physical health

Social: Social skills & socialization.

In my observation of the arts and crafts project for the day I seen that Denise Marian had an appropriate

DAP approach to this activity. She provided a craft that was enjoyable to the children. The paper was

red, white, and blue and also glitter was provided to enhance the sensory experiences. The teacher and

her aids were going around encouraging the children and telling them how amazing their works were

providing them with self-esteem. Also when a child struggled the adults were right there helping them

figure out the problem also providing self-esteem and critical thinking skills. During this activity cutting,

gluing and placing paper shapes in certain areas provided fine and gross motor skills. This art project

also included social skills by the children helping each other and sharing the necessary items such as glue

sticks and glitter.

I did not observe any inappropriate DAP practices in the way Denise Marian delivered her class

curriculum.

SECTION 3: GUIDANCE

1. Routines: Write 2 observations of routines occurring in the classroom.

a. Prayer over the day and prayer over snack time. At the beginning of class children are chosen and

they pick a classroom job. One of these jobs is a prayer leader. In the morning the prayer leader sits in

front of the class and leads his friends in prayer over the day. This same child does the same thing when

its time for snacks. Each prayer the children have a special prayer saying that helps them to remember

to thank God and to bless them.

b. Show and share is done every Friday. The children all get very excited about this. Each child gets a

chance to bring an item from home and share it to the class. They get about 2-3 mins each and then
after the child is done sharing the other children get to ask questions about the item. There are

limitations on how many questions are asked.

2. Classroom Rules: Write the posted classroom rules. Follow by writing 2 detailed objective

observations of how children are reminded of the rules.

There are no posted in the classroom. All the children seem to be very well behaved. Here are two

examples I seen most from the children.

a. Respecting each other. Many of the children were saying please & thank you to each other every

time they needed something.

b. Being quiet when others have the floor to speak. Most of the children had a bubble in their mouth

when another child or adult was speaking. Sometimes the children got excited about something and

would become overly chatty. At this, Denise Marian had a little bell she would ring only a few times and

it would quickly redirect their attention to be quiet.

3. Teacher interactions: Write 2 observations the teacher interacting with the children/child

during regular activities/lessons.

a.snack time- during snack time the teacher and teacher aids would go around to the children at

their seats and ask them random questions such as how was your morning?, Do you have any

plans after school?, are you enjoying your snack? The teacher and teacher aids would also sit

by the children having these conversations as well. One of the snacks was some cookies and

Denise Marian asked the children if they knew what was in the cookie, when they didnt really

know she then went on to explain what was in it.

b.song and dance- during the morning calendar time there is a variety of songs that go along

with learning the days of the week and month of the year. During these songs there is also

dance movements. Some of the children were lost with the dancing and didnt know the moves

or just didnt want to participate. In these cases Denise Marian and the other teacher aids would

go to those children and hold their hands and show them the moves or just try to make them

more comfortable so they would become more involved. When the adults were not doing this

they were still dancing showing the example to the whole class.
4. Social-Emotional Guidance Techniques: Write 2 detailed objective observations in which the teacher

utilizes guidance techniques regarding the childrens social/emotional behaviors (appropriate or

inappropriate behaviors).

a.Inappropriate- a child called another child stupid. The teacher calmly pulled the child who said that

aside and explained how it hurt the other childs feelings. She continued by asking this child how it

would make them feel being called stupid. She then gave waring that if it happened again the childs

parent would be called and he would be removed from the class for the remainder of the day. The child

then later called his teacher stupid. At this point the child was removed from the class and sat in the

office until the parent was reached by phone and able to speak with the child.

b.appropriate- during the prayer time, the student that was given the prayer leader job was a little shy

to be leading in front of the class. The teacher gave cues to the child as to what to say. She would say a

few words and the child would then repeat them and remember the rest of the sentence that followed.

4. Evaluation:
DAP, 155 states, Teachers recognize the importance of both child-guided and adult-guided

learning experiences. In supporting childrens deep engagement in play and other child-guided

activities, teachers find opportunities to enhance childrens thinking and learning. I observed

this kind of practice when the show and share was being held in the classroom. It was child-

guided with the students leading with questions and answers. When the children would get lost

as to what to ask or comment about the teacher then guided them in what kind of questions

they should ask. This is an appropriate DAP approach.

DAP. 154 states, Teachers promote childrens learning and development by scaffolding; they

provide assistance and/or add supports to enable each child to master a challenge just beyond

his current level. I observed this as the class was doing their art project. Some of the children

had no problem cutting out the paper stars for the project. Other children struggled and they

had pre-cut paper stars. The also had a sheet of stars that were uncut and the teacher and aids

assisted them to cut out the stars and gain some practice. They guided the children by

demonstrating and then by placing their hands on top of the childs and cutting the start out

together. This is an appropriate DAP approach.

WEEK 3, SLIDE 7 states, Helping Children Build on Prior Knowledge

Cueing and questioning. I observed this DAP approach in a appropriate way when Denise

Marian was going over the calendar portion of her class. She would ask the children, What

month comes after June? when they didnt know she cued them by saying, It also starts with a

J just like June. There are 4 letters in it. By cueing the children she was guiding them into the

right answer.
 I did not observe any inappropriate practices for DAP in guidance.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE GATHERED WHILE OBSERVING FOR CLASSROOM EVALUATION

Evaluation.

1. When entering the school, what specic strategies did the school utilize to encourage

parents to feel welcomed?

The staff from the moment you walked into the school was all smiles and very welcoming. There was a

definite secure feeling in the school by the staff being very on top of security protocol such as signing in,

reason for visit, identification.

Since I didnt know anyone, everyone I came in contact with greeted me with an introduction and

handshake.
 2. When entering the classroom, what specic strategies did the teacher utilize to encourage

parents to feel welcomed? Cues regarding this dynamic may be reected in how the teacher

helped you to feel welcomed.

Denise Marian welcomed parents and students alike with big smiles and conversation.

3. Stumbling blocks: Consider the DAP guidelines for establishing reciprocal relationships with

parents found in the Reading Assignment for module Building Partnerships with Parents.

a. Describe specic stumbling blocks you observed at the school and in the classroom which may get in

the way of establishing reciprocal relationships with the parents.

I didnt observe any specific stumbling blocks that would get in the way of establishing reciprocal

relationships with the parents. The teacher and parents seemed to have very open relationships and the

children for the most part seemed very receptive to their teacher and each other.
b. Interview the teacher, asking her/his what kinds of stumbling blocks they feel parents

encounter regarding feeling welcome at this school/classroom.

Denise Marian did not feel there were any stumbling blocks. She said she strives very hard to have a

relationship with the parents so that they always feel welcomed in the classroom and that they know

their opinion and feedback about their child is very important to her.