Educational Professional Portfolio

Educational Professional Portfolio

Name

Institution

Biography

Education is critical to the development of any society as it empowers the people and changes generations positively. This is the mania reason and passion that has pushed me to be actively involved in transforming the society through education. Introducing the right concepts and ideas in life contributes to the strong foundation and framework that lays the path for the future. This is among the driving forces that have helped me work well with the children in my career to transform and change their lives. Early childhood education is a career line that has developed and enhanced my passion working with the children by empowering them through education. Teaching preschool children is an exciting career and job that I passionately embrace. This passion has made me spend six years in the institution and environment working with children. The future for me in this field is bright as I intend to develop my career along this line to the highest possible standards available. My commitment and dedication to teaching and working with children has given me the drive and desire that is required for successful development. The years I have spent teaching minors have enabled me to learn and develop relevant skills and techniques that facilitate positive development of working with the children through hands on experience. Working with children requires somebody who has good communication skills and is humble, who can communicate and help the minor’s progress and develop positively. As a hard working person, I have dedicated extra time and space working and structuring measures that are intended to improve the environment that children learn in by exploiting and utilizing the resources available for the benefits of the institution and the children as a whole. I am creative and innovative, and these skills, I believe, are essential for the development of the programs and careers that touch on children. For these reasons and competencies noted above, I am ready for any opportunity working and teaching the children that proves to be exciting and offers chances for growth and development.

Position Statement Regarding the “Montessori Method” Model of Teaching

There are numerous teaching methods and styles used in executing knowledge to children. Montessori Method is a teaching technique that is based on two important philosophies and principles for the developmental needs of the children. This has been labelled a philosophy of child development and also a relational for guiding child growth (Pitamic, 2004). The need for freedom within limits and carefully crafted settings that ensure contact with materials and experiences are the two important needs that facilitate execution and implementation of Montessori teaching model. The model allows children to develop intelligence, psychological and physical abilities. The aspiration of children to learn and their unique abilities to develop their own capabilities make Montessori Method of teaching an important style and technique for development.

The role that adults play is minimal as adult’s role and responsibility in such an environment is to expose the children to the potentials of their lives, but they must define the essence of all their possibilities. Montessori Method, therefore, gives children the opportunity to develop and nurture confidence in what they are at the earliest time possible. It also nurtures the attribute and behaviour of responsibility in the children and exploits their passion and talent relating to various fields and from such a method it can make the teachers and parents determine early enough the passion and line of professions that their children can take. The method allows children to be respected and to be treated differently from adults, and they have to be treated as individuals who differ from each other with varied tastes and potential, as well as views and analysis of issues. From the method, it is noted that children have usual sensitivity and intellectual ability to learn and absorb from the environment that are unlike those of adults in quality and capacity (Puckett & Diffily, 2004). Studies show that the first six years of life are critical for the growth of a child. Learning during these years is unconscious and at six years it starts emerging to the conscious level. Montessori Method, therefore, can be argued to be the best teaching method for children due to the empowerment that it creates in them, encouraging freedom and development of self-esteem as the children develop their confidence by analysing and developing personal unique understanding of matters.

Importance of Using Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Early Childhood Education

Due to numerous approaches and methods available for executing child in handling children matters, the methods that have proved to provide the children with effective and efficient developmental opportunities that encourage positive growth and development in terms of cognitive ability have to be encouraged. The practices should be able to empower and give the youngsters the opportunity to discover and realize various issues and concepts relating to education and life in general. Developing appropriate practices allows children to discover and explore various issues in life, and the course of learning and this approach is said to be among the best because self-actualization and realization are key concepts that contribute greatly to success in future. Developmental approaches allow the child to grow wholly in terms of the physical and mental development and this, according to experts and professionals in child development and growth, is the best method that should be encouraged as it has proven to yield results (Davis & Research and Education Association, 2006).

Developmental approach appropriates studies in early childhood education, therefore, presents scenario and condition where it is possible for teachers, among other adults who are concerned with the education of the children at such an early stage, to discover varied talents and opportunities that the children might be having. Discovery of such talents at the earliest time makes it possible and increases the chances of realizing and reaching full potential in life, as it presents them with the opportunities to explore, and exposes other talents that if nurtured can contribute greatly to the good and successful life. Developmentally appropriate approach, therefore, is important in early childhood education as it presents an opportunity to discover any abnormalities regarding the children development. There are some growth and development challenge that appear in children at a later stage of life and through such programs it is possible to realize and experience it .This allows early diagnosis and professional advice to be offered and done and, therefore, developmental appropriate actions and practices have to be encouraged in offering early childhood education.

Professional Development and Three Statements of Commitment

Professional development in any field is an important aspect that has to be considered and given a critical view and response. Professional development ensures that an individual grows and develop in terms of knowledge and skills relevant in the profession and fields that one works under. When one is developed professionally, specializations and expertise are nurtured presenting the individual with competent skills and knowledge that can lead one to progress and deliver effectively and efficiently in their work. Employees and workers in early childhood development among other related professional need to have professional development over the short term and long term periods in life. Developing professionally also allows the individuals to learn and acquire new skills that make the person dp the tasks and duties expected from one with a lot of professionalism and experiences. There are numerous methods and techniques that rise daily from studies and research conducted to find the best approach to deliver and encounter a certain challenges in life that either affects the individual life of a person or professional life. Educators, therefore, are encouraged to be on a continuous look on research and studies regarding the profession that they are involved in to get the ideas, information and development that can empower then positively. The following are the three commitments that I state regarding professional development:

I shall engage in further training and advance my knowledge and skills and competencies. Advanced training equips one with the relevant and new skills relating to professional developments and it also helps the teachers to become much better in executing and delivery of information to the children.

I shall participate actively in research and studies conducted within the children development and growth that touches on children early education. Participating in research actively gives one an opportunity to get information first hand and learn as well as nurture one’s study and research skills.

I shall discuss and share with my fellow teachers on the experiences and challenges realized during the course of performing my duties and tasks and seek the best possible advice to overcome the challenges faced as well retain and progress the positive steps and developments generated. Discussion allows sharing of experience within the teachers, and it is a chance for learning.

Plan for Parent Communication

Parents and guardians form a significant part of the education process and family. This is because parents have an important role to play that determines in one way or the other the success of the programs and initiatives in early childhood development that determine and shape the success. Communication is an important element in life that ensures the right information is delivered to the right person at the right time. Communication between and among parents and educators should be encouraged so that the two parties can share information regarding the developmental progress of the child of the right information and steps to be done. At such early age, parents play an important role, and the relationship between the parents and the kids determines how the goal intended in the programs are realized. Communication between parents and the educators has to be consistent, and both have to share the observation and developments noted from the children. For instance, in developing a plan for on-going parent-educators communication, the frequency of communication should be established whereby the educator can tell the parent the progress that their children are making regarding various developmental concerns of the child. The reports should be given out at specified times and period that is the subject of the educators and the parents to determine (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). Provisions should be made and included allowing both parties to comment information regarding the child’s development and progress so that the right program or method can be developed to facilitate the positive development of the child. It should be noted that each child has unique and special abilities and, therefore, children’s development is also affected by the action that both parties take. The parent and the teacher should exchange notes regarding the child development from the two set ups that the children are engaged in school and at home. The environment of the school is different from the home environment and both places shape and affect the development of the child in one way or the other.

Anecdotal Records and Checklists

There has to be measures that determine and give direction in any organization and institution that tells if the required results and goals and being met. There has to be measures that act and show as indicators in any circumstance. In the education sector, there are numerous methods that can be used as indicators to show sings and determine the level of progress made in achieving desired or expected results (Gawande, 2010). Such indicators are important because they give an opportunity to rectify the results into an alternative means in the event the initial method does not work. The most common assessment methods used in the education sector and in particular in early childhood education are Anecdotal records and the Checklists. Early childhood education and development involves a lot of observations because the children have not yet developed fully the conscious reasoning and mind in making decisions that in most cases occurs after the age of six years.

Anecdotal assessments method involves several strategies that include taking notes. The notes are used to observe specific observation on specific individual’s behaviours, and this has worked well in the case of early childhood education. The child behaviour is observed keenly in terms of the behaviour, skills and attitudes and compared to the outcome of the studies. The notes are then analysed and compared to expected results and observation to provide further direction regarding the subject under observation. Most of the times, anecdotal notes are written as a results of on-going observations and at times it is written after the students ascertain certain performance over a given task. The notes written are brief and focus on a particular aspect under investigation of interest to the researcher. It is encouraged for such notes to be written immediately after the activity to increase the accuracy and the chance of forgetting important concepts or observation made. Such notes are encouraged to be shared with parents in the case of early childhood development as noted earlier through the parent and teacher communication presented above. Experts have reiterated that Anecdotal notes taken in early childhood classes and education programs serve the main purpose of providing information relating to students’ development over a given period of time. It is important to keep records on the development of instructional competencies and needs of an individual. Anecdotal notes can also be used to capture the non-verbal behaviour of an individual that most of the times tells the character and attitude of an individual regarding a certain matter or concept. Learning is a continuous process, and such notes provide forum that can allow continuous assessments of an individual growth and development to determine progress. Such information can be shared with parents and guardians among other stakeholders, and the information has to be used constructively to point out the drawbacks that might be limiting the individual from realizing and achieving full potential in terms of growth and development.

On the other hand, checklists have also proved to be relevant and important technique used to assess progress and development towards a stated goal. Check lists in most of the cases already have measures and attributes that are expected from a certain scenario and, therefore, the teacher uses the technique to ascertain and reinforce various outcomes that were expected at one time or the other. The descriptors chosen for assessment determine the quality of information acquired and used in the assessment (Gawande, 2010). Checklists offer systematic ways of collecting data about specific behaviours, skills and knowledge about an individual or group relating to a given topic and element under observation. In most of the cases that result from the uses of check lists, it requires students to get involved directly and give their views and opinions regarding the issue. The direct involvement in understanding and involvement over an issue helps provide the feedback required in assessment of information. The checklists have proved to be important because they provide tools for systematic recordings of observations. They also provide tools for self-assessment as well as give sample for students to evaluate themselves and assess development of their own skills, strategies, attitudes, and behaviours necessary for demonstrating learning. The two assessment criteria above have proved to be useful in assessing progress in children education among other aspects of life. In most of the occasions, a combination of more than the two mentioned criteria are used both at the same time depending with the attribute that want to be measured and assessed.

References

Davis, A. P., & Research and Education Association. (2006). The best teachers’ test preparation for the FTCE: Elementary education K-6. Piscataway, N.J: Research & Education Association.

Gawande, A. (2010). The checklist manifesto: How to get things right. London: Profile.

MacNaughton, G., & Williams, J. (2009). Teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press.

Pitamic, M. (2004). Teach me to do it myself: Montessori activities for you and your child. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series.

Puckett, M. B., & Diffily, D. (2004). Teaching young children: An introduction to the early childhood profession. Clifton Park NY: Delmar Learning.