Observing and Interacting With Professionals, Children, and Families in an Early Childhood Setting

Observing and Interacting with Professionals Children, and Families in an Early Childhood Setting

I arrived early at Beginning Preparatory School to see what a regular morning was like in Ms. Kim’s classroom.  The Beginning Preparatory School is a small school, and it has a low teacher to student ratio. The parents were coming in one car at a time greeting each other at the door.  The teachers are greeting parents and students with a smile, and a friendly good morning to each other.  The parents discussed with the teachers about their concerns, pick-up, and how their child is feeling from the night before.  What type morning their child is having that day.  Teachers communicate with parents every day through face to face, email, phone, students’ FISH book, student’s notes, and parent conferences. 

Beginning Preparatory School is a very quiet calm, and peaceful environment that person can only hear teachers teaching in their classroom.  The program has an enormous amount of strength keeping parents informed, and planning an activity that not only challenges as well broaden children’s academic ability. The students’ learning environment is well planned that makes their scaffolding experience a great one making it just that much engaging for them. 

 Integrated art is already being applied to all the subject areas at the school.  This is my first time seeing a program that incorporates subjects, and the arts together. The school does not have extra curriculum activities for the students to participate in at the school.  The director has a Spanish teacher, and a drummer to come in to visit the children.

I spoke with a Kindergarten teacher, one parent, and Ms. Kim about what did they think about the school, and any concerns they wanted to share.  The teacher I spoke with is an employee as well a parent who has a child that attends the school.  She told me that it is a great school, and her daughter’s teacher keeps her informed about everything.  She replied, “I have the best of both worlds as a parent first, and next as a teacher”. (Kindergarten teacher, personal communication, January 29, 2013).  The teacher told me she wished they had more parent involvement at the school.  She said, “I know as a parent it can be quite difficult to be involved in their child’s education with so much going on”.  “(Kindergarten teacher, personal communication, January 29, 2013).  They have a great school with wonderful teachers ready to work with students, and along with their families.

I spoke with a parent as she was dropping her son off at the school.  She was really happy about the services that the school was giving along with her son.  The teachers are friendly, and they keep me informed about my son’s progress at school.  My son's teacher sends home extra work to help in certain areas he may not progress in right now.  She works on it with him at home.  The teachers are always available to answer any of my questions, and I can schedule to meet with my son’s teacher at a private meeting.

Ms. Kim told me her major concern was her students’ low in their reading skills, and she has sent home materials for parent to work with them.  Some parents will make an effort to at least try to work with their child at home. Ms. Kim, “ that additional support is very necessary in helping their children to build their skills or correcting it, so it will no longer hinder the child’s learning ability.  Parent involvement is another problem, and they have many events on site for their entire family. Ms. Kim said, “we still have a low turnout of parents”. 

  

What I learned is as early childhood educators we face the same problems in our programs.  Our problems can be early literacy, safety, health, bullying, parent involvement, and obesity in our child care programs.  It is important for us as advocates in these issues to join together solve these issues.  Everyone does not have a good quality solid program like Beginning

Reference

Kindergarten teacher, personal communication, January 29. 2013.