You will submit a field experience journal here detailing your virtual interview here. The interview should have addressed the guiding questions that were provided to you from Week 4.
Your field observation journal should be submitted as a typed Microsoft Word document using Times New Roman, double-spaced lines, 12-point font.
PLEASE NOTE******YOU HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THE VIRTUAL INTERVIEW/Field Experience Placement Information/Virtual Questions to Consider ASSIGNMENT, IT WAS DUE ON 6/21.
These are the guiding questions that should have been addressed during the interview:
- As an inspiring future educator, what advice would you give me before I enter the field?
- How do you approach discipline in your center, and what strategies do your teachers use to promote positive behavior without using punishment?
- What methods do you use to help children develop emotional regulation skills and recognize their own feelings and the feelings of others?
- How do you foster social competence in young children, especially when it comes to sharing, cooperation, and conflict resolution?
- What steps do you take when a child consistently displays aggressive behavior, and how do you involve families in addressing these behaviors?
- How do you handle bullying behaviors in early childhood settings, and what proactive measures are in place to prevent them from developing?
3
Field Experience Placement Information
Rayleighn Player
Jackson State University
Course
Instructor’s Name
I virtually interviewed the center director of Greenwell Springs KinderCare, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As someone passionate about Early Childhood Education, I was excited to receive insights into the daily practices and philosophies followed in an NAEYC-accredited center. The director was friendly, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about early learning and family involvement.
When questioned about what she would tell a future teacher, she stressed the need to be flexible and have profound empathy. “You might plan a lesson,” she said, “but the actual lesson might be in comforting a child during a difficult emotional time.” Her advice to “see the child before the behavior” was very powerful. Scully (2019) states that getting to know the specifics of home life and the current level of development of a particular child is the key to effective teaching.
On discipline, the director said that they do not punish the children but instead reinforce positive behavior. Teachers use redirection, visual prompts, and praise to direct children. She continued by saying, “We teach the behavior we want, rather than simply responding to the one we don’t.” It is also consistent with the ideas suggested by Scully to teach proactively and provide an example of respectful behavior to encourage positive social development (Scully, 2019).
The emotional regulation is facilitated by the implementation of the daily activities called the feeling circle during which children name and share their feelings. Teachers also apply visuals, puppets, and books to make children comprehend not only their emotions but also the emotions of their peers.
Additionally, social competence is developed in small group activities in which the children learn to cooperate, share, and resolve conflicts. The director stressed that the teachers are coached to guide the children through a conflict rather than intervene at once, encouraging problem-solving abilities.
Whenever there is a problem of aggressive behavior, the staff involved makes a thorough observation and engages the family as early as possible in the process. They give behavior plans and promote consistency between home and school. The director mentioned, “We never work with families and point an accusatory finger at them,” which aligns with Scully’s (2019) opinion that cooperation with families is the most important aspect of successful behavioral support. Bullying, which is not common in early childhood, is prevented by training in empathy and inclusive classrooms. Children are also trained to identify when they are not treated fairly and they should stand up to help one another.
On the whole, this experience made me even more appreciative of thoughtful, caring early childhood practice and the importance of family-school collaboration in supporting the development of children.
References
Scully, P. (2019). Families, Schools, And Communities. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., pp.1–56.
