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Feature Article

Looking Back to Move Forward(continued)

By Roxie Nestlerode, Early Learning Specialist

It may sound strange, but looking back will help keep you heading forward. Taking the time to reflect is a critical piece of early education and teaching. Reflection allows you to look at what you’ve done and gives you pause to think about how you are doing things and why you do what you do. As you look back, you’ll get a better view of where you need to be going, new ideas for getting there, and a fresh outlook. Once you have had the chance to reflect and assess where you are, you’ll have new ideas and a better sense of where to head with planning. Now that the holidays are over look at what you’ve done since fall. Here are some thoughts to focus your reflections:

“(Early childhood professionals) consider both what to teach and how to teach, developing the habit of reflective, responsive and intentional practice to promote positive outcomes for each child.”   (NAEYC  Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs, 2009. Standard 4.  Using Developmental Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families, p. 15)

Keep your eye on the prize – children’s healthy development and early learning.

• Review your observations of children and their portfolios. Look not just at what assessment objectives children have met, but individual characteristics and interests. Use the children’s interest for planning and developing themes. Ask them what they want to know about topics.
• Think about what you might not know about a child. Make a plan for doing more focused observations. Over the month, find out two new things about each child.
• Since children are more settled into routines and are connecting with other children, you’ll be able to spend more time with individual children and small groups. What are some one-on-one activities that you can add to the day? How can you strengthen your relationship with a child? Make a list of ideas.

Freshen up and make over the environment.

• As children grow, the environment needs to change to meet their new skills and abilities.
• Look at the play areas. Does the layout still flow? Are there any areas not being used a lot? Changing the room arrangement allows you to focus on different center areas and add new equipment. Look at seasonal needs. Since outdoor time may be limited in the winter, can you create more open space for movement activities?
• Sort through materials. Replace or remove materials that are worn out, outgrown, or rarely used. Can materials be used in different ways or can you add some unusual materials? Do you have extra materials that you can add to the classroom? Adding more challenging materials allows children to try new skills. Plus it can spark interest in a center area that is currently not a favorite choice.
• Look at how materials are stored and organized. Now that children’s skills are growing, you could try different storage containers (use lidded boxes instead of baskets) or rearrange (put dress-up clothes on pegs instead of in a crate).

Out with the old, in with the old – repetition is good.

• Introduce new activities and materials to children to challenge them and to have them try new skills. But it is also important for children to practice and master skills. As the year goes on, have a balance of old activities and new activities.
• Consider how children are doing with the new skills and concepts you introduced in the fall. Are children maintaining skills and concepts? Or are the skills still developing? Include past activities in current plans to reinforce the skills and concepts that you’ve covered earlier in the year.
• Review past plans. Was there something that fell flat? Was it because the activity was a bit ahead of children’s development? Consider trying it again. Ask children what activities they enjoyed or let them choose an activity each week to add to the plans.
• Take older activities and expand them. This will allow children to practice and refine skills. Instead of tearing paper for collage designs, encourage the children to cut pieces. Have children “read” a favorite book to you. Add a new piece of equipment to obstacle courses.

Go for the goal.

• Review the goals you have set for the children and your program. Are the goals still reasonable? Compare your goals for the children with your program goals. Are they compatible? You may have set professional development topics and chosen fundraiser items to meet program goals to expand the science/nature area, but you find that children are having difficulties with gross motor developmental goals. Do you continue with your original plan or use fundraising monies for more gross motor equipment and attend some workshops on active play?
• Look at what resources you and the children will need to reach goals. What new resources will you need to add? Think about how and where you have gotten resources and supports in the past, and consider new sources that you may have learned about this year.

Accomplished early childhood teachers consider reflection on their practice central to their responsibilities as professionals to steadily extend their knowledge base, improve their teaching, and refine their evolving philosophy of education.”  (NBPTS Early Childhood general Standards, 2nd ed., 2001, Standard IX:  Reflective Practice, p. 59)

Take time for you.

In addition to looking at the children and the environment, take a look at yourself. How are you doing? What do you need help with to move forward? Going back over professional development ideas can spark new ideas and motivate your teaching. Information and ideas that did not fit your situation last year might be just what you need now.

Here are several Better Kid Care resources that might help you look back and move forward:

Past e-news articles:

• Program Evaluation – Measuring Up!
• Designing the Human Environment: Connecting with Children
• Energize Your Program and Each Other With New Ideas

Tip pages:

• Using Reflection to Connect and Inspire Learning
• Reflections to Move Forward: Gaining Insights from Your Work
• Shaping the Plan: Elements to Consider in Approaching Teaching
• Intentional Early Educators: Tell Me More

Caring Ideas for children:

• Winter Resources
• Activity Pages
• Lunch and Snack Ideas

With the New Year, it is natural to reflect on the past and to take stock of your program, so start the New Year by resolving to review, reflect, regroup, and re-energize!

References:

“Early Childhood/Generalist Standards (for teachers of students ages 3–8) Second Edition.” National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Arlington, VA: 2001.

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