While co-presenting at the NCaeyc
60th annual conference on the
topic “Integrating Children’s Interest
in Lesson Plans with Supportive
Activities and Documentation” a question was posed “How to take children’s
interest in prescribed lesson themes”? Teachers
are asked to facilitate preschoolers learning of lesson plans as opposed to the
plans being teacher-directed all the time.
Therefore, the teacher was wondering how to work through this dilemma. Also, the teacher is assigned an evaluator
who conducts at least 3 announced and 1 unannounced formal observation. In conjunction, a mentor will work with the
teacher in an array of supportive ways throughout the school year.
The situation is one that must be handled professionally due
to the ultimate goal is how best to provide the children with the best
high-quality education. Here are some
helpful ideas:
1.
Communication
is the key to get changes made in a program; however, you must show the
benefits and rational (research) to support the change prior to
meeting/discussing with administrators.
2.
Set up a
meeting with your administrators sharing the importance of having children’s
interest direct future lesson plans having supportive research on the benefits
of child-initiated plans.
3.
Remember
the evaluator and mentor is there to support YOU ensuring you maintain a level of proficiency or higher on the
teacher evaluation rubric. Therefore,
you must communicate if being scored low on teacher rubric evaluation
components share and ask for ideas and/or strategies to resolve the
matter.
4.
After you
have met with administrators and the result has been the prescribed topics
must be used throughout the school year here are some suggestions to document
child-initiation for lesson plan theme.
a.
Review upcoming
lesson themes and set out different materials to peek children’s interest and
record questions and/or comments that can lead the center activities.
b.
Record comments
on the K (know) and W (what they want to know) of the K-W-L chart as your
research information that is child-directed for the lesson.
c.
Document the
process for developing the lesson from children’s interest and input to
activities. The documentations can be
photos of work, children’s dictations, K-W-L chart and so forth for your
teacher’s portfolio.
These suggestions should assist as you try to accommodate
what is being asked from administration and what is culturally developmentally
age appropriate ensuring high-quality education for preschool age
children. There may be time when you the
teacher will have to prompt children toward ideas and information they would
like to know on a topic. Enjoy the
school year with child-initiated theme where you serve the role of facilitator.
