Assignment:
Application
Instructions Application: Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Teacher's Perspective
You have been learning that developmentally appropriate infant programs require careful attention to a variety of factors, including knowledge of children's growth and development, high-quality caregiver-child relationships, developmentally appropriate practices, and effective working relationships with families and colleagues. In this week's Application assignment, you will have an opportunity to interview an infant caregiver regarding each of these factors and also learn about his/her educational preparation and future professional development goals.
To complete this Application assignment:
Plan your interview:
- Arrange and confirm a date and time to interview a teacher in an infant setting that serves children between the ages of birth and 18 months.
- Consider what you have learned about the teacher's role in developing, implementing, and assessing developmentally appropriate practice and programs for infants, and how effective professional preparation contributes to effective programming.
- Print out and review the Interview Worksheet (linked below).
- Week 5 Interview Worksheet Click for more options
- This is the questions on the worksheet
Interview Worksheet
Adult's role in the program:
Age group with which the adult works:
Please ask the following questions of the teacher you are interviewing.
What do you feel are essential competencies teachers need to have to work with young infants and their families?
What formal education and job-related strategies have you used to develop competencies in order to prepare yourself as an effective teacher of infants?
What aspects of your role do you see as most challenging? What additional training or professional development opportunities do you feel would help you address those challenges?
What do you see as the relationship between teacher education and quality care?
What challenges exist in pursuing professional preparation?
What are your plans for pursuing ongoing professional development?
What advice do you have for a new teacher of infants or any new early childhood professional entering the field regarding ongoing professional development?
Implement your interview:
- Use the Week 5 Interview Worksheet (linked above) to guide the interview and record your notes.
- Reflect on your interview:
- Write at least two pages addressing the following:
- A general statement regarding the relationship between effective professional preparation and quality infant care
- The teacher's perspective regarding essential competencies needed to work with young children and how these complement course materials
- Areas of challenge experienced by the teacher and how ongoing professional development could address these challenges
- Insights you gained from the interview that will assist you in your own professional development
- Submit your reflection. (You are not required to submit your Inteview Worksheet.)
Assignment length: 2 pages