Day: February 4, 2021

February 2021 Student Spotlight – Michelle Kelley

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I have always loved taking care of young children.  I enjoyed working with early childhood since I was young, watching my mom who is a Montessori teacher throughout the years till the present time.  I would help her in her classroom with the little ones and help with line time and lessons. When I was able, I became a junior camp counselor and then counselor at my mother’s Montessori school.  I took courses in high school in early childhood education and completed my CDA there.  After high school, I went to Miami Dade College and received my AA in Early Childhood Education. While working towards my degree, I went and worked in different early childhood centers full time.  I have been teaching for the past 2o years.  Currently, I have been working at South Miami Hospital Early Learning Center for the past 15 years using High Scope Approach.

On my time off, I enjoy reading the Bible and spending time with my husband of 12  years and my 8-year-old daughter.  We like to go camping as often as we are able to and enjoy going on nature trail hikes and appreciating nature.

What motivates me to work with children is their eagerness and curiosity to learn.  I want to guide them in their path to becoming wonderful human beings.  And knowing that early childhood education is the foundation for their growth and so important to who they will eventually become, it is such an honor for me to be a part of that journey.  I want to be able to provide the opportunity to give them the tools to be whatever they want to be in life.

My favorite time of day with the children is choice time or what some call centers.  I enjoy seeing the children discover their interest and watching them use the materials in new ways.  I love watching their imagination grow and scaffolding their learning.The children’s favorite time of day is music and movement where they first get to greet all their classmates and ask them how they are feeling today. We then sing some of their favorite songs and do some finger plays particularly “Herman the Worm”.  They like to move their body around to different types of music.  This gives me the opportunity to participate with them, act silly, and laugh out loud together as well which they love.

I received my Florida Director’s Certificate renewal with CCEI.  I choose this program over others because my Director’s Certificate had expired and I wanted to continue to be highly qualified from a trusted training provider for a supervisor position when the opportunity presented itself.  In this certificate renewal program, I learned so much about what it takes to become a manager at an early childhood center.  The program covered many themes and industry-related topics.  I plan on taking more courses at CCEI.  I highly recommend and encourage my coworkers and friends who are in the early childhood field to enroll with CCEI.  I feel at ease knowing there is an accredited online training provider like CCEI where I can get relevant, research-based courses and certificates that specialize in ECE.  I had a wonderful experience and will most definitely be taking more courses in the near future!

February 2021 Newsletter: Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments – Teachable Moments with Coworkers

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Members of leadership are in an excellent position to use teachable moments to combat the we-have-always-done-it-this-way mentality. Using performance evaluation tools, leaders can identify areas or times of day when providers struggle most. They can then position themselves in classrooms during those times to look for and translate teachable moments into changes in teacher behavior.

The process is the same for adults as it is for children, watch, identify, ask questions, discuss, and make a plan to do things differently in the future.

Most teacher development occurs on the job, long after teachers leave their classrooms. Teachable moments can come in the form of positive recognition for a job well done, or quick suggestions for adjustments that leaders notice as they move through the building. Sometimes, teachable moments occur as a result of something more serious, such as a child injury. These teachable moments are vital to the future health and safety of children and must be addressed effectively.

You don’t have to be a member of leadership or a coach to take advantage of teachable moments with your coworkers. If everyone is on the same page about the value of these precious moments, anyone on the team can identify and promote teachable moments that arise in the learning environment.

Be sure to share this information about the value of teachable moments for everyone involved in the program. Commit to being open to seeing teachable moments with children, families, and other team members. Work with your team to come up with a plan to capitalize on as many teachable moments as possible.

For the main article Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments, CLICK HERE

For the article Capitalizing on Teachable Moments with Children, CLICK HERE

For the article Examples of Teachable Moments, CLICK HERE

For the article Teachable Moments with Families, CLICK HERE

February 2021 Newsletter: Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments – Teachable Moments with Families

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Opportunities for teachable moments with families won’t be as abundant as they are with children due to the small amount of time teachers and families spend together. But that does not mean that teachable moments don’t exist.

How you speak to children when they arrive and depart can be teachable moments for family members on how to have meaningful interactions with children. Prompting a child to use a self-calming strategy when they are upset during drop-off can also be a teachable moment for family members.

Teachable moments can also occur during family-teacher conferences, as teachers prompt families to think differently about their children’s behaviors or teach them simple strategies to promote learning at home. Look for opportunities for teachable moments with families during community events, family carnivals, and when family members volunteer in your learning environment.

It’s also possible to modify the idea of a teachable moment a bit by sharing information on a phone call about how you handled a challenging behavior with a child.  Notes home can also fulfill this modified purpose.

For the main article Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments, CLICK HERE

For the article Capitalizing on Teachable Moments with Children, CLICK HERE

For the article Examples of Teachable Moments, CLICK HERE

For the article Teachable Moments with Coworkers, CLICK HERE

February 2021 Newsletter: Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments – Examples of Teachable Moments

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There are hundreds of seemingly routine moments that can turn into teachable moments if you have a watchful eye and are willing to make time for them.  While you can’t necessarily plan a spontaneous teachable moment, you can promote teachable moments through the types of explorations and interactions you bring to the learning environment.  Here are a few examples of events that are likely to trigger teachable moments:

  • Asking questions during read-alouds – Pre-read new books before reading them to children. Determine 2-3 questions that you want to ask at the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Rather than asking children to recall parts of the story, ask them questions about how they feel about the events or characters in the story… follow the conversation where ever it leads.
  • Field trips and visitors (when it is safe to do so) – Any time children can explore a new space or interact with a new person, there are opportunities for teachable moments. Again, come prepared with a few questions of your own to prompt children’s thinking and boost their engagement in the activity.
  • Loose parts, art, and sensory play – Open-ended materials present many chances for children to make discoveries, which can lead to teachable moments if you are observant.
  • Meaningful mealtime conversations – Sit with children during mealtimes and model for them how to engage in turn-taking conversations. Tell stories about your childhood or something funny that happened to you on your way to work. Ask and answer questions. Wonderful teachable moments can arise from these meaningful conversations.
  • Address gender stereotypes – It is common for teachers to have to address gender stereotypes, such as, “Girls can’t play with trucks,” or “Boys don’t play with baby dolls.” When you hear children say things like this, you have been presented with a powerful teachable moment. Be sure to talk with children about their misconceptions. Present real-world examples of dads who take care of babies and the milk delivery person, who is female. Remind children that in the classroom, anyone can play with any of the materials, regardless of their gender.
  • When children express strong emotions – Early childhood is filled with moments that are emotionally charged. These moments present opportunities to help children build self-regulation and self-calming skills. Hopefully, you have introduced these strategies before needing to use them, so that the teachable moments can be about putting familiar strategies to work. You won’t have much luck introducing a new skill to a child who is overwhelmed with emotion.
  • When children make mistakes – Whether they messed up their artwork or a block tower fell over, mistakes are great teachable moments. Talk with children about how they could fix their mistake and how revising and trying, again and again, is part of learning.
  • When accidents happen – Sometimes milk spills. Sometimes children don’t make it to the bathroom in time. Having quick, positive discussions with children about what they can do differently next time are common teachable moments in child care.
  • When conflicts arise – Children who are working and playing together are likely to have differences of opinion about how the play should proceed. This is common in most environments where people collaborate, so conflict resolution is an important skill to learn early in life. Helping children resolve conflicts as they arise is yet another example of a powerful teachable moment.

For the main article Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments, CLICK HERE

For the article Capitalizing on Teachable Moments with Children, CLICK HERE

For the article Teachable Moments with Families, CLICK HERE

For the article Teachable Moments with Coworkers, CLICK HERE

February 2021 Newsletter: Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments – Capitalizing on Teachable Moments with Children

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In order to make the most of teachable moments, educators must first recognize them as they arise in the learning environment. Recognizing begins with understanding that children learn about the world and their place in it through their interactions with materials and other people. Be sure to provide a variety of opportunities for children to play together, explore materials, and engage in meaningful conversations with adults. It is in these moments that teachable moments will emerge.

Teachers should also become curious about the children in their care. Watch children as they play. Notice the way they are manipulating materials and the conversations they are having with peers. Make note of what children can and cannot yet do. Having information about the skills children are working toward can lead you to be present for children during critical teachable moments.  Notice children as they make new discoveries and enthusiastically share their observations. Make note of topics that hold children’s interests and attention.

Consider this example that occurred one day in a preschool classroom. After coming in from the playground, a child noticed a large bug on another child’s coat. Several children approached and looked at the bug.  Fortunately for the children, their teacher recognized this teachable moment and said, “I see that you are really interested in this bug.  I don’t want it to get hurt. How could we watch it safely?”  A child suggested they use one of the bug boxes from the science center and together they caught the bug and carried the bug box to the table for further observation.

Enough of the children were interested in observing the bug that the teacher put the lessons she had planned on hold so that the children could continue to observe the bug. Children not interested in the bug were encouraged to pick a learning center to explore. One teacher stayed with the bug watchers and listened to their comments, answered their questions, and posed a few questions of her own. This went on for about 15 minutes before the children slowly started to turn their attention to other activities.  The teacher suggested that the few remaining children work together to create a plan to return the bug to the playground, including the safest place to set it free.

This example demonstrates one of the most important characteristics required to capitalize on teachable moments: flexibility!  Teachers must be willing to adjust and shift when necessary to make time for meaningful interactions to become teachable moments.

For the main article Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments, CLICK HERE

For the article Examples of Teachable Moments, CLICK HERE

For the article Teachable Moments with Families, CLICK HERE

For the article Teachable Moments with Coworkers, CLICK HERE

Confirmation Bias and How it Detracts from Teachable Moments

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This month’s newsletter focuses on those ever-present opportunities to build skills and promote development through teachable moments.  Skilled early childhood educators are on constant watch for teachable moments and recognize the value of these spontaneous learning events.  Unfortunately, it is common for adults to fall prey to a phenomenon that can actually decrease our ability to recognize teachable moments as they present themselves.

This phenomenon is called confirmation bias. 

Confirmation bias can be described as the inclination humans have to seek out information and evidence that aligns with their previously-established beliefs. In addition to being drawn to ideas that we agree with, confirmation bias also tends to reject or discount information that is counter to our beliefs.  In simple terms, confirmation bias is a tool we use to validate our thoughts, opinions, and beliefs.

In a learning environment, confirmation bias can present itself in several ways:

  • Teacher A doesn’t believe children can be trusted with tools. Teacher A focuses only on instances of children using tools improperly, rather than recognizing all of the instances of proper tool use.
  • Teacher B feels that toddlers are too young to participate in family-style dining. Teacher B reluctantly sets up family-style dining meals for the toddlers in her care because it is program policy. However, Teacher B only notices the messes children make during meals rather than observing the benefits of the learning experience.
  • Teacher C believes that outdoor play is not valuable and is too risky and dangerous for children. Every time a child gets hurt on the playground, Teacher C’s belief that outdoor play is dangerous and unnecessary is reinforced.
  • Teacher D believes that Johnny is a “bad” kid. Throughout the day, Teacher D (perhaps subconsciously) looks for evidence that proves the belief that Johnny is bad. This drive will likely prevent Teacher D from recognizing all the times that Johnny is engaged appropriately with toys and peers.

In each example, the teachers’ beliefs influence the observations they make. Research on confirmation bias shows that people are more likely to look for evidence that they are right than evidence that proves they are wrong.

This tendency can have a detrimental impact on a teacher’s ability to notice the teachable moments that emerge throughout the day, especially if they are strongly convinced of their beliefs.  Teachers might not notice an opportunity to show children the proper way to hold a tool or spoon if they don’t agree children should be doing so in the first place.  Teachers won’t engage children in exploring safe risks on the playground if they don’t believe that safe risk-taking is good for children. And teachers might not step in to coach Johnny through a conflict with a peer if they are already convinced that he is a “bad” kid who can’t learn appropriate ways to solve problems.

To combat confirmation bias, early childhood educators must reflect upon their practice regularly. They should ask questions about their beliefs about children and how children learn. They should challenge their preconceived notions about what children, families, and early learning should look like. They should look for their own teachable moments as strongly held beliefs and opinions arise.

You can read more about studies that have been conducted related to confirmation bias and why it exists here.

February 2021 Newsletter: Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments

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Early childhood educators spend hours of their lives reviewing assessment data, gathering information about children, and planning curriculum activities to effectively engage the children in their care.  This is definitely time well spent and of great value to children and families.

Teacher preparation programs and professional development agencies devote hours of training on curriculum planning to ensure providers give children a solid foundation of high-quality care.  There are, however, extremely valuable learning experiences that all of the curriculum planning in the world can’t capture.  These learning experiences are known as teachable moments.

Teachable moments are those spontaneous, often fleeting, moments during the day where valuable lessons can be taught.  In some cases, children learn lessons from these moments on their own. In other cases, learning is dependent upon adults in the environment recognizing and capitalizing on the learning opportunity.

Consider these examples:

  1. A child touches a hot stove – Most likely, the lesson is learned without the need for adult intervention.
  2. A child asks why a man in a store is using a wheelchair – In this case, further conversation with an adult can promote a better understanding of the needs of individuals who have disabilities.

In this month’s newsletter, we will explore how teachers can begin to take advantage of these common and invaluable learning experiences.

For the article Capitalizing on Teachable Moments with Children, CLICK HERE

For the article Examples of Teachable Moments, CLICK HERE

For the article Teachable Moments with Families, CLICK HERE

For the article Teachable Moments with Coworkers, CLICK HERE