Becoming a whole teacher | Applied Sciences homework help

Becoming a Whole Teacher Sunshine2016Looking Ahead: Becoming a Whole Teacher In order to effectively piece together what we know about child development and developmentally appropriate practices and how both work together to help us become effective teachers, we must first develop a plan to help us meet our goal of becoming a Whole Teacher. The first discussion of this course is designed to help you map out that plan. Initial Post: To complete the Whole Teacher matrix, include each of the following components:

• Column 1: Choose eight tips from the “Tips for Teachers” provided in figure 1.1, page 9 of your course text. The tips you choose should hold meaning to you and in your work with children.
• Column 2: Reflect on ways in which you can uphold the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct (Links to an external site.) for each teaching tip. You are required to reference and cite from the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct for each section of this column.
• Column 3: Explain specific strategies you can utilize to incorporate social justice into each of the teaching tips you chose in the first column. To help you organize your thoughts for this column, review the article, “Embracing a Vision of Social Justice in Early Childhood Education (Links to an external site.).”
• Column 4: Organize the five suggested priorities from Chapter 16 of the course text with each of the teaching tips you chose that they correlate with. Note that some priorities will fit into more than one category.
• Summation: In a paragraph, summarize how you will use this matrix to develop your philosophy of education statement and why it is important to have a well-written philosophy of education statement. Please refer to the instructor guidance for tips for completing this section of your discussion.

16.2 Priority 1: Practice Intentional Teaching

Intentional teachers are mindful of their teaching goals and strategies—ever on the lookout for teachable moments and assessing the effects they have on the children, families, and educational community. Rather than discounting standards and assessment, intentional teachers use them for the betterment of the children and for appropriate planning for the individual learners in their care. Intentional teachers have a sense of purpose and devote careful thought to the curriculum, the educational environment they help to create, and most important, the relationships they nurture within the classroom. Through caring and intentional teaching, the curricular goals that have been suggested throughout this text can be addressed: inclusion of children with disabilities, family involvement, enhancement of the developing five selves, learning standards and assessment, and meeting academic goals. In the book The Intentional Teacher: Choosing the Best Strategies for Young Children’s Learning, Epstein (2007) states: The mission of the intentional teacher is to ensure that young children acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in school and in life. To fulfill this mission, intentional teachers conscientiously address every area of early learning—intellectual, social-emotional, physical and creative—with sufficient range and depth.... Moreover, intentional teachers attend to their own personal development. They regard themselves as lifelong learners—studying the children in their care, updating their knowledge of the latest child development theory and research, and examining implications for their practice. They are also collaborators, teaming with coworkers and families to apply their expertise and resources toward children’s optimal development. (p. 21)

16.3 Priority 2: Incorporate Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)

By now it should be clear that each child’s development is unique. It is important to know where each child fits on the developmental continuum so as to teach at the appropriate level and inspire the child to go just a bit further. In addition to being knowledgeable about typical development, the teacher must use a variety of assessment techniques throughout the year. We need to know which are areas of strength and which are areas where we can help the youngster gain competence. By incorporating DAP in our teaching, we ensure that each child’s needs are considered and met. Whether children are physically disabled, developmentally delayed, or intellectually gifted, whether they are overweight or hyperactive, we are able to provide an educational experience that is suited to their interests and abilities and encourages optimal growth. In working to revise the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) position statement of developmentally appropriate practice, Copple and Bredekamp (2008) found widespread agreement in the field that the following aspects are fundamental to DAP:

• Curriculum and experiences that actively engage children
• Rich, teacher-supported play
• Integrated curriculum
• Scope for children’s initiative and choice
• Intentional decisions in the organization and timing of learning experiences
• Adapting curriculum and teaching strategies to help individual children make optimal progress (p. 54)

Supporting the child’s active engagement is a primary concept of DAP and the underpinning of emergent curriculum, which will be discussed in further detail. By developing a curriculum that focuses on children as active participants rather than as passive recipients of information from the adult, we enhance their view of themselves as capable and encourage a positive attitude toward school, which is very important for future academic success. 16.4 Priority 3: Develop an Integrated Curriculum That Supports the Five Selves of the Whole Child and Teaches to Multiple Intelligences One of the first American educators to propose an integrated curriculum was John Dewey (1916), founder of the progressive education movement. Integrated curriculum is based on the premise that natural human learning does not occur in isolated segments; it spans different learning domains at the same time. Discrete subject matters are not studied one at a time; instead, they are combined and intentionally linked. Language, literacy, social studies, music, art, math, science, physical movement, and other subjects can be combined in curriculum investigations and activities. Early childhood educators frequently use integrated curriculum. For example, when we read a book that includes counting, in addition to literacy skills, we teach the social skill of listening and answering, basic counting skills, and one-to-one correspondence. In The Whole Child, we have proposed that there are five selves of the child, all warranting special attention from the teacher: the physical self, the emotional self, the social self, the cognitive self, and the creative self. Using an integrated approach that combines subject matters—at group time, in learning centers, or in projects—is one of the best ways to ensure that all these areas of development are addressed. Integrated curriculum also supports Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, which was introduced in Chapter 15. The multiple-intelligences theory proposes that individuals have seven types of intelligence, and that teachers should attempt to teach to all of them throughout the curriculum (Gardner, 1983, 1999, 2004):