A couple of days ago, I was home on my day off. I had a couple of tasks on my to-do list that were going to require some focus to get through, and I got started on them as soon as I had sent the last of my kids out the door for school. As I often do on my days off, I also had some laundry going. I pulled out my computer, settled in, and got to work. Just as I was picking up some momentum, the washer and dryer buzzers went off. I contemplated just letting the ...
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Music & Movement
It is well documented that learning is enhanced and deepened when it is multisensory. Children who are able to use their visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic senses in the classroom come away with a greater understanding of the concepts they are being taught. Preschool children are made to move, and any teacher knows that asking young children to sit still for extended periods of time is an uphill battle. When preschoolers are asked to sit still for ...
Unintended Consequences–Relationships
In this final week of my Unintended Consequences series, I highlight the importance of building relationships in the early childhood classroom and compare how they might differ in teacher-led classrooms vs. child-led classrooms. I think it's important to note that no matter what type of classroom you teach in, you have the sacred role of fostering a loving relationship with each of your students. The effort you put into knowing your students as individuals--their ...
Unintended Consequences–Observation
This week I'm going to dive into the topic of observation in teacher-led classrooms. In teacher-led classrooms, children commonly move from one activity to another on a predictable schedule. Time periods are designated for specific activities that the class as a whole participates in, with some small group and independent time sprinkled in. A typical schedule in a teacher-led preschool might be broken into segments that include circle time/calendar, centers ...
Unintended Consequences–Play
In week 2 of my Unintended Consequences in Teacher-Led Classrooms series, I explore the ins and outs of play and why a teacher-led model shortchanges our kiddos when it comes to play. Teacher-directed classrooms are frequently structured with a working schedule in mind. The day is broken up into segments of specific learning times and transitions happen by the clock. The program I currently work in has a unique schedule that consists of rotating through 5 ...
Unintended Consequences–Choice
I have to believe that the intentions of every early childhood program start in the right place. Why else would anybody dedicate so much time and energy to it? It's certainly not for the money! We do it because we truly desire to see kids grow and learn and succeed. Unfortunately, so many programs fall short of being developmentally appropriate for the children they serve. A few weeks ago there was an activity on the lesson plan at school that asked the ...