I’ve had great success using a feeling chart. Sometimes as a part of circle time I will ask each child come up and point to the emotion they are feeling at that moment. I think the best way to teach regulation is to model it. It can also be helpful to give children an outlet to express big emotions. Like inviting them to throw a ball or do…

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It’s a sign that I need to take some extra time to do self care and maybe rely on my co-teacher a little bit more that week. If I was feeling compassion fatigue I’d pick a night to have some alone time and a bath. Or on the other end of that I might ask a friend if we can have a vent sesh over some sweet treats.

In the instance of infants if they point to something you should name the object. With toddlers it could look like reading a book but asking them to turn the pages and point out things that you can observe. With a preschool age child it could look like taking time to explain to them how to best ask another child if they can use they toy the…

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If I’m having a particularly rough day I have a playlist that helps me center myself. It’s called “decompress”. It’s just mostly ambient music to help me center myself and breathe deeply.

It can be difficult but try to make time to have a solo moment with each child in your care. It doesn’t have to be a long conversation but just exchanging eye contact and sharing a laugh or something about how you appreciate them can help increase a connection rapidly.

I think these policy’s are important to keep in the front of mind when you are caring for a child that is exhibiting challenging behaviors. I don’t think any of us as educators want to intentionally hurt a child but when you are tired or dealing with difficult things outside of work, trying to redirect a child can be especially challenging. So…

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Either a bassinet, single level crib, or play pen with a firm mattress and maybe a sleep sack. But no other items should be inside.

I really like to have dance parties in my classroom. Sometimes we use scarves and other things to make our movements bigger but its fun for both my students and I. During fire season when we couldn’t go outside I used some sleeping matts and cushions to make an obstacle course for my students. It was also an opportunity for them to try…

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I made up a song for hand washing! It talks about when we wash our hands and what steps we need to take to wash our hands properly.

I would explain our sanitizing routine and if they have young children I would show them the tool we use to determine if an object is a choking hazard.

I would want to discuss what I observed with a trusted member of leadership to make sure that my concern is something that they would also consider reportable. I might try to have a private conversation with the child after that and then call CPS. Its good to remember its not our job to investigate if abuse is happen but only to…

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My biggest worry about keeping children healthy and safe is how my own actions and behavior may effect their development. As humans we cannot be perfect 100% of the time and that goes for in the classroom. I hope this class addresses how we as educators can take accountability for mistakes with our students in an appropriate way.

Be genuine and put effort into those relationships. You spend almost more time with their child than they do. Its comforting to parents to know your background as well as a little of theirs. It also aids in small talk during pick up and drop off which adds to the overall vibe of a classroom environment.

The first thing would be patience because if I know anything is that no matter the temperament of a child they will always test the patience of the adult responsible for them. Secondly I would want my provider to share their unique view of the world. It’s probably at least slightly different from my own families and I would want my child to…

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I think it’s important to prioritize discovery when planning activities. There maybe a specific way to do an activity but its important to emphasize to children that they can be creative and encourage them to experiment with the materials.

When heading into a transition it can be really helpful to start early. Especially if you already know your students don’t have their best listening ears on that day and extra 5 minutes to do a transition can keep you on track with your normal routine. Using songs to call attention to children that a transition is starting is also really…

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Some components that I find especially important is for the space to feel welcoming and secure. We want our students to feel safe and at home in the space. We can make our spaces more secure by making sure you can see into every center without much effort and that the design is broken up into an organized fashion.

First I would make sure to have documents or some sort of record related to the screening. Before talking to the parent I would practice the conversation with another teacher or member of leadership. Practicing will help ensure that only objective language is used when speaking to the parent about their child’s development.

Observations help inform us of where a child is at developmentally and what their interests and strengths are. This can then lead us to building a curriculum that is better suited to them. Targeting their interests, maybe a developmental area that needs more attention, and allow them to show off their strengths and build confidence.

I think showing short clips(max 3 mins) can be invaluable as a tool to help introduce a topic or idea for an activity but only should be introduced no earlier then preschool. I’ve observed how interested a two year old can be in seeing images on a phone but you could easily print out things they might want to explore.

I think it can be as simple as being present. Of course we have other things that need our attention sometimes like cleaning and planning but this has been a good reminder that following a child’s lead during play and engaging with them is critical to their cognitive development.

I would have a one on one conversation with the parent to ask if everything is alright. We are here to support children but also their parents. I don’t think a parent would be late intentionally and if there was a situation that was happening that was making them late a conversation with a teacher could intiate a discussion to remedy the issue.

Reflect on the ways people respond to one another when points of view differ. Do we ever change our views? What kinds of things influence us to change our perspective?

I think sometimes it can be very jarring to hear that someone may have a completely different way of viewing something. But its important to not just give a knee jerk reaction or…

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1. I discovered that their are a lot of WACs! The guidebook makes it easy to find them and they are all outlined in a very detailed way.

2. I was surprised to see 0465 regarding physical records. I understand the need to hold onto records but how close are we to having everything digital?

3. I see the WACs as the groundwork for my daily practice…

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