The following page samples a few projects I've done specifically focusing on early childhood curriculum and instruction.
Check out my "Why Education" Instagram poster to the right! Here, I sample a few of my reasons for joining the field of education: my love for creativity and kids, my cousins and younger brother, Blake, the importance of a growth mindset, and my belief that with education a student can do anything they set their mind to!
Dream Classroom - Floor Planner
I believe in a flexible classroom that is adaptable to the needs of students. This includes multiple opportunities for engagement and discussion through small groups, large groups, and individualized instruction. My dream is to vary seating types, corners dedicated to different subjects and activities, and encourage creativity in all that we are doing! Check out my Dream Classroom setup through the Floor Planner app: Field Experience
This was my first long-term one-on-one experience with a student. While I had done a few mini lessons with individual students, this was my first chance to work with one student each week and help them grow based on their individual needs. The parents of my student had asked me to help challenge their child in the classroom as she was already ahead for her age. They also asked me to work on building relationships in the classroom with her and her peers as well as teach her about personal space. With these parameters, I worked with her through a series of books that challenged her to work with letters she was not as comfortable using (which I found out about during her first assessment), created opportunities for her to problem-solve with peers, facilitated discussions, and even created a mini lesson on what it means to have a "personal bubble." My student showed exceptional growth in these areas by the end of the experience. This was a great opportunity for me to discover more about teaching individuals and meeting needs of each student rather than always teaching full-class lessons. |
Unit Plan
Check out the unit plan I created specifically to meet special needs of students in early childhood education: Parent Communication
~Personalized Student Portfolio: Throughout my individualized field with a preschool student, I worked to upload standards and activities I was implementing to my student's portfolio so parents could continually check-in for day-to-day updates. They were able to see a quick write-up on what was done that day, what standards were being reinforced, and how their child reacted to it. This portfolio was also a way of communicating the student's progress on required assessments that I administered at the beginning and end of the field. ~Family Night: During this time, the preschool also hosted a Family Night where students and their parents could enjoy a night of activities hosted by everyone working in the preschool. I aided in the creation of an alphabet bingo game that reinforced letter sounds. I also helped create a take-home bingo game that students could use as further practice. ~Classtag: Classtag is a great way to communicate with families individually and with the families of your entire class all at once. I used this platform to connect with the parents of my preschool student. I sent them updates biweekly on what I was preparing for their child and also got information from them on specific things they wanted me to work on while I was in the field. It helped me to better get to know my student and build rapport with the parents all while making my planned activities relevant to the student's needs. We were able to reach goals for the student much quicker as a team and celebrate success together. |