The striped rug next to these spaces allows them to sit on the floor while attending to their school-bags. The left half of the room is furnished with natural wooden desks and chairs; their shapes and sizes are designed to meet the needs of 6-7 year old kids. Two groups of six desks are set-up in a pod format, because small group layouts enhance students’ collaboration and material use. Between two groups of tables, a low, colorful, stand-alone shelf is arranged enabling pupils to find and select the materials they wish to work with. More of these shelves can be found throughout the room.
Observation Assignment #1 Observe the Students in the Class Type of Setting & Grade Level: The grade level I observed for this assignment was head start at Jones Elementary. The head start program is similar to that of a preschool, children are ages three through five and classes have students with and without special needs. My observation settings were both in the classroom and outside on the playground. While inside the classroom, the majority of my time with the students was spent during their morning circle time and their play time which they are divided into groups for. While observing outside, I interacted with the students while they played amongst one another.
I was able to observe a class of 3 year olds and noticed how the teachers interacted with the children and that they were very friendly, caring, and encouraging. I was also happy to see that the teachers were experienced teachers and the children were in an environment that was warm, clean, and safe. Inside the class room there was 20 children and 3 adults which 2 had their bachelor degree in Early Childhood education. I looked very closely observing the classroom and looking for all the health and safety concerns. I like that the entire exit signs were visible and that there was parent update information board in the classroom.
When you first enter the class room, you walk in to the Circle Area that has cubbies for the children along both walls. This is where the children can store their coats, sweaters, backpacks, and spare clothes. Each cubbie has the child’s photo and name on the outside and a small shelf where notes and papers are placed that are to be sent home. The Circle Area has a round carpet (though pictured as a square on the diagram) in the center of the area. The circle carpet is for when the class has “Circle Time.” This is where the children can come together in an open space and be active, social and interactive in their learning at the beginning of their day.
For infants there should be 25 square feet of play and 30 square feet of sleeping area. All classrooms will have sliding glass partition walls for easy viewing inside each classroom. Acoustical surfaces that minimize noise levels in the classrooms will be built in the walls, and each room will have the following spaces sand and water play, art, music, dramatic play, manipulatives, science and math, block, and woodworking areas. The use of lofts, risers, and ramps will be added to give more options for grouping and activities. The infants on the other hand will have an open activity area that provides them opportunities for discovery and learning.
First I would like to say how accessible and convenient Small World makes to its parents and students. Small World opens at 5:45 a.m. and closes at 5:45 p.m. to help working parents with extended hours. I think this is fantastic considering the surrounding facilities have a strict policy of 8-5 operating hours. Each caregiver that is employed by Small World is given a state licensed background check, a reference check, and formal interviews, along with a drug screening before employment is finalized. Small World ensures safety, love, and quality care in every aspect of childcare and security/privacy is nothing short of just that!
The observation took place at Children’s Learning World in Niles, IL on Monday, August 29th 2011 at 10:05 in the morning. I was observing a group of 15 children, ages 3 to 6 years old during the open work time. Children were playing in different classroom areas. Children’s interests, type of play they were involved in: Children were divided into small groups and involved in different types of activities. One group was painting and coloring; second group was playing with instruments and singing; third group of children was playing with manipulatives; fourth group was building with blocks; a girl was doing puzzles; one boy was reading a book; two children were eating apples and two more children were waiting for their turn to eat apples, they were sitting in “waiting chairs”.
Classroom Activity For my classroom observation I had the opportunity of sitting in on an Inclusive Education Preschool age classroom of 3-year-olds. I called a head of time to inform the head teacher, Mrs. Kamanski, that I would be observing in her classroom October 4th and 11th for two hours each. She was very thorough and upfront with me that the
Teacher calls clean up time and child stays seated continuing to play games. Other children come into the classroom from playing outside and child closes computer game and walks over to large group time carrying green sweater in his hands. He sits down on the carpet with classmates body on the outside left of the group next to shelving. Children are seated on rug talking amongst each other and the child I am observing is silent. He ties his sweater around his waist and rests right hand on his lap with left hand holding his chin while elbow is on knee.
Sidney Stelly OVERVIEW: This lesson will be used to teach 6th graders how to say, in English, things that they would find in a kitchen. Everybody needs food to survive so it would be important to know how to talk about items in the kitchen if they were in an English speaking country. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to say the names of important kitchen items in English. (Ex. Stove, oven, refrigerator, microwave, sink, fork, spoon, knife, plate, bowl, glass, table, chair, etc.)