Teaching and Learning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EF9ZrhBNsk&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Key Terms

• Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Activities for children that are age appropriate and individually appropriate

• Curriculum: A long range plan of activities and experiences for students. (Our curriculum themes have already been chosen. Your lesson must fit into the theme to create a uniform curriculum.)

• Thematic unit: once central topic of theme.

BLOCK 19:30am Parent Drop Off9:30-9:45am Free Play/Playground9:45-10:00am Morning Routine Circle Time (Pledge, Calendar, Letter/Number of

the Week)10:00-10:25am Story/Lesson/Practice ActivityBLOCK 210:25-10:45am Snack10:45-11:00am Free play/Playground (Physical Activity)11:00-11:25am Story/Lesson/Practice Activity11:30-11:45pm MusicBLOCK 311:45-12:15pm Lunch12:15-12:30pm Quiet Time (reading)12:45-1:00pm Story/Lesson/Practice Activity1:00-1:30pm Muscle Mania1:30pm Parent Pick Up

Preschool Schedule

What will we teach?

• When teachers develop a curriculum, they begin with thinking about what they want the children to learn.

• Our goal is for children to be prepared for Kindergarten.

• We are teaching “Kindergarten Readiness Skills.”

• LCPS Kindergarten Readiness Skills http://www.lcps.org//site/Default.aspx?PageID=396

What will we teach?

A well planned curriculum:• Engages students• Challenges students yet enables success• Sometimes includes different units based off

themes (THEMATIC UNIT)• Includes a variety of activities• Math• Music• Social Science• Science

• Movement• Dramatic Play• Language• Art

How will we teach it?

The better you understand children, the better able you are to create effective lesson plans.

Your lesson plans need to take into account how children learn. Children learn through PLAY, but specifically children learn:

1. By doing2. When using their senses3. Through trial and error4. When all areas of development are nurtured5. Through positive reinforcement6. Through imitation and role modeling

How will we teach it?

• It takes more than just an idea to make an activity happen. Each activity must first be developed into a lesson plan.

• A lesson plan is a detailed, written explanation of an activity. It is an organizational tool.

• Lesson plans enable teachers to work through their ideas mentally and on paper before acting it out.

• Many teachers use a pre-printed form for preparing lesson plans.

• Teaching in groups of 2 or 3.• No more than one ECE II student in a group. • Approximately one time per month.

Sometimes you may teach 2 or 3 times per month.

• Teaching is worth 300 points. To improve your grade, teach more. (With snow days and special closings and delays, there is no guarantee!)

How will we teach it?

• You will be able to choose a different partner at any time. • You will have some class time on Fridays to prepare for

your lesson. • Being absent on the day of your lesson is not advised. If

your partner can complete the lesson individually, you will not be penalized but will be required to complete a make-up assignment. If your partner cannot teach without you, or is also absent, you will receive a zero out of 300 points.

• Exchange phone numbers and/or email addresses with your partner to avoid these issues.

How will we teach it?

Teaching

Step 1: Determine what you want the kids to learn. It should be based on the current theme of the month, theme of the week, and core subject.Step 2: Complete a Lesson Plan Sheet Step 3: Submit it to the Curriculum Binder. (*Note 100 of the 300 points given on your teaching day is based on the lesson plan sheet. It must be turned in at least 2 days in advance of your teaching day to receive full credit).Step 4: Keep a copy for yourself. Step 5: Submit a supplies list to Mrs. Yeager two weeks in advance.

Steps to Lesson Planning

• Attention Getter: Something to draw students in. Video, poem, puppet show, skit, song, etc. (3-5 minutes)

• Lesson: Must be engaging, generate discussion, ask questions, encourage curiosity and fits into theme. (10 minutes/ 7-10 slides).

• Story: Must fit into theme of week and month; must be age-appropriate; pictures associated with words: remember they cannot read!!

• Practice Activity: Must be hands-on. (NO WORKSHEET) Showing a video is not a practice activity however you can show a short video clip to enhance your lesson.

Lesson Components

• Art: Your art project CANNOT be a coloring sheet. Think CRAFT! What can the students create? Coloring sheets will be given a zero.

• Music: Relates to theme. Teach children a song or to play with musical instruments; arrange for visit to band room; coordinate a song with a dance, etc.

• Muscle Mania: Not just going to playground! Must be an organized activity that relates to the theme; generates movement and exercise.

Lesson Components

Rules for you Lesson• Use a variety of teaching tools. • Do not use the the promethean board for EVERY lesson. • You must fill the block of time allotted for your lesson (usually 45

minutes). • Be careful not to go too far over or under the allotted time. It will

affect your grade.• Have “emergency” activities for them to do if they finish too

quickly. Also don’t plan a project that will take 3 hours! • Books: Use the classroom library; Ms. Jespersen in the JCHS library.

The librarians can order you a book from another school, however, give two weeks’ notice.

• If you are teaching on or near a special day, (Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, etc.) you may create a special lesson that deviates from the normal routine. Please notify me in advance.

Rules for your Lesson

You will be graded on an individual basis for your lesson. Each group member needs to play a part. Your grade will be based on the following:• Does the lesson comply with core subject (Math, Science, History, or LA)?• Does the lesson comply with the weekly theme?• Was the story age-appropriate, theme appropriate, well read? • Did the teachers ask appropriate questions related to the story?• Was the lesson age-appropriate and engaging for students? • Did the teachers ask good questions, show examples, pass around objects,

etc.? • Was the Practice Activity interactive and did it appropriately practice a skill?• Was the art project creative, well-organized, age-appropriate, and well

executed?• Did the lesson fill the allotted time? Did it run over or under?• Did teachers handle transition times well? Were they set up and prepared

for each part? Did they manage the classroom well?

Total 300 points

Grading

Teaching Day Grade SheetCriteria Comments Points

EarnedPoints

PossibleLesson Plan Sheet 100

Lesson fits into assigned theme 10Attention Getter 10Story Time 20Lesson 30Practice Activity 30Art 20Transitions 10Time Frame 20

Group Total Points 250

Individual grades for each group member are calculated based on professionalism (prepared for lesson, in dress code, copies made, etc.) and added to group total points to equal the final grade.

Group Member #1 __________________________________________ Professionalism Grade = ________/50 Points Final Grade = _________/300Group Member #2 __________________________________________ Professionalism Grade = ________/50 Points Final Grade = _________/300Group Member #3 __________________________________________ Professionalism Grade = ________/50 Points Final Grade = _________/300

Teaching Day Grade Sheet

Learning centers create an environment where the preschool student is in control of their own learning. Students get to explore, make choices, interact socially, etc.

• Centers replace lesson time several times per month during your class period. During center time you will rotate centers with your preschool student every 10-15 minutes.

• You will use this time to work on the goals your preschool parent has asked you to work on (via the Goals Journal) as well as build a relationship with your student. You will get a participation grade for the day.

What about Centers?

Rules for Learning Centers

• Only four students per center. • Students can rotate centers freely with your

supervision as often as they want to. • Encourage the students to interact with each other but

also play nicely and share. If a toy is being fought over, first see if the students can share, then remove the toy.

• Centers should be fun. Don’t frustrate your student by trying to make them learn a skill. Remember this is when they get to make choices! Help guide their learning, but also ask them what they would like to do.

• Writing Center: Students are given materials to practice writing letters, numbers, and their name.

• Math Center: Students are given materials to practice shapes, patterns, counting, money, etc.

• Library: Read to students or practice phonics. Let them look at pictures and tell you what they think is happening in the story.

• Imagination Station: This is the kitchen, house, and puppet center. Play with your student and let their imagination do the work!

• Exploration Station: The Science Discovery center and light table. Find bugs or leaves and look at them under the magnifying glass. Look at X-rays on the light table. Lead them through a simple science experiment. Point out different places on the globe. This is a great station to ask your student questions to get him/her thinking!

Learning Centers

• Art: Instead of telling your student what to make, let them create whatever they want. Don’t overwhelm them with supplies, just get out a few things and see what they think of!

• Blocks: Blocks are a great manipulative to get little hands working. Encourage them to build things together.

• Puzzles: Puzzles are also a great manipulative. Have them sort pieces by color, ask questions, create a learning opportunity.

• Touch Table: This table is all about sensory development. The table will be filled with dried beans with different objects to play with. It’s messy but the most popular place in the classroom.

• Computers: Students can practice the letter of the day or a different letter, play games, review the calendar and other learning activities on www.starfall.com. Please limit time on the computer to 15 minutes.

Learning Centers

Learning Centers

To keep learning centers fun and interesting, many teachers will add items to the learning center depending on the monthly or weekly theme. The chart below is a way to plan learning centers.

• Let’s practice! Learning Centers Worksheet

Questions?