Saturday, January 19, 2013

Interviewing Two Professionals in Early Childhood Care and Education



Hello Everyone,

     On Tuesday, I went to do my field hours at Sunshine Hills Preparatory School with host first grade teacher Ms. Kerri Johnson. The Sunshine Hills Preparatory School has aged VPK through the first grade, and they are some amazing students.  Ms. Kerri Johnson is a great first grade teacher show has been teaching for three years.  Ms. Johnson has ten students in her class having a small group students makes easier to give extra assistance. The Sunshine Hills Preparatory School is the first program I have seen that incorporates art into their curriculum. The walls are covered in art it seems like drawing or painting was done by professional artists.  


     I got a chance to interview Ms. Johnson when her students were participating in an exciting drum activity.  The drum activity was outside on the back on the patio that is attached to classrooms. It gave me a chance to speak with Ms. Johnson.  Ms. Johnson shared with some the same issues I was concerned the early childhood profession. The issues we raised as concerns are becoming more of a problem every day in the early childhood field.
                                                   

                                                            
     My host teacher and I shared the same concerns on my topic What Early Childhood Educators can do to Improve Students’ Literacy Development?    My three focus points are parent involvement, assessments, and qualified teachers in Early Childhood Programs. Ms. Johnson told me that I choose some good points for my advocacy paper.  She added some more advocacy issues to my list that need to be addressed.  Ms. Johnson said, “ She thought there should also be advocates for social skills, bullying, parent involvement, and literacy” (Ms. Johnson, personal communication, January 15, 2013).  She said, “It is not to say that someone already an advocate for these issues”(Ms. Johnson, personal communication, January 15, 2013).
Ms. Johnson mentions how she felt that students were under too much pressure to perform based on the standards.  When students feel the pressure they become uninterested in the lesson or activity the teacher is teaching them. Parent Involvement is also another major concern for teachers in getting them into the class.  Ms. Johnson and her colleagues have discussed this during meetings how to get parents involved in their programs at the school.  I replied,  I think that is currently an issue for all schools, child care centers, and Head Start.  Ms. Johnson said, “We plan a variety events for our parents, and we have very low turnout.





     The second person I spoke with at a child care center was Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Teacher  I told her my research advocacy paper title.  She told me it was a very good topic.  As an educator, we must start preparing our students in the child care setting reading, and doing assessments regularly on our students.  Literacy is important in every subject that children take like Mathematics, Science, Reading, and Language Art.  She did not have much to add the discussion, but told me that I was going in the right direction with my paper.  It is a great need to improve the literacy development with the younger children.




     My topic  is What can Early Childhood Educators can do to Improve Students Literacy Development?    The three focus point of my paper will be parent involvement, assessments, and qualified teachers in the educational system.  I think these are three important points when comes to improving literacy in our educational system.  I would like for the child care center to partner up with the school system in assuring children are on the same curriculum. Teachers will know where students left off as far standards from the previous year.





The question I have for my colleagues is about my topic on literacy development?





  1.  Do I need to go in another direction with my advocacy paper besides the three points mention in my discussion? 
  2. What point(s) do you think I need to take away from my discussion?
  3. What website can I visit to find information on my topic?

  
 I will greatly appreciate any comments from my professor, and as well as my colleagues in the class.  Thanks!!!!

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