Teacher Newsletter
January 2016
Education Department Updates
Rainbow Child Care Center believes that children learn best through hands-on lessons and discourages the use of worksheets in your classroom. The use of abstract numerals and letters, rather than concrete materials, puts too many young children at risk of school failure and does not encourage best practice standards.
The use of worksheets should be limited in your classroom instruction and may not be displayed in the classroom, placed on gallery boards, or added to children's portfolios.
"Our challenge is to convince parents and others that in a play-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum children are learning important knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will help them be successful in school and later life" (Dr. Sue Grossman).
- “While children may have the ability to perform a task, that does not mean that the task is appropriate and should be performed,” Dr. Sue Grossman.
- Worksheets can be used only one way. Worksheets and coloring books are generally considered convergent materials. They lead children to think that there is only a single correct way to use them, and they require little, if any, higher-order thinking.
- Our goal as professional educators should be lessons that encourage divergent thinking, not convergent thinking.
- Worksheet-based curricula dampen enthusiasm for learning.
- The mere accomplishment of the worksheet task does not signify the child’s ability to read or comprehend.
Appropriate Worksheets:
- For example, children experimenting with objects to discover if they sink or float can record their observations on paper divided into a float column and a sink column. This shows that they are doing actual scientific experimentation and recording the data.
- Zoo-Phonics: Teachers are welcome to use the Zoo-phonics worksheets; however they should not be incorporated more than 1-2 times per week and should not be used as the primary method for teaching the children in their classroom.
- Parent Newsletters: Teachers can send home parent newsletters which explain the activities children are doing at school and the teacher’s goals and objectives. When parents understand the value of developmentally appropriate activities they will feel confident that their children are learning and growing, not “just playing.”
- Center Labels: Signs in the classroom describing what children learn in the various learning centers help adults understand the value of children’s work in that area.
- Photographs: Photographs of daily activities in the classroom can be displayed on the gallery boards. They provide graphic evidence to parents, administrators, and other teachers of children working and learning in a rich, exciting atmosphere.
Source:
The Worksheet Dilemma: Benefits of Play-Based Curricula
By Sue Grossman, Ph.D.
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleId=134
Erlanger, KY
Leo, IN
The Montessori Preschool in Auburn Hills, MI
HOW TO BEAT TEACHER BURNOUT
As a teacher you face many stresses in your daily work. Those stressors can affect you mentally and physically. It is important that you take care of yourself and think about what you need to be the most effective teacher you can be. Teacher burnout is real and affects many people. Here are 10 tips to help you beat teacher burnout:
- Do something you enjoy--Make time for your hobbies, even if it's a few minutes a week. A little bit goes a long way.
- Get support from other teachers--The beauty of early childhood is that we often are paired with other teachers. Use each other's strengths.
- Exercise regularly--Take a walk during your break-time. Ten minutes can make a huge difference.
- Eat a healthy diet--Add in a bit of healthy food to each of your meals.
- Get enough sleep--Adults typically need 7 and a half to 9 hours of sleep nightly to function at their best.
- Adjust expectations--Yes, teachers are superheroes, but not super-human.
- Put yourself first--Take the time you need. Honor and respect your needs.
- Ask for support when you need it--This is a sign of strength!
- Practice stress-relief techniques--Take a few minutes each day to breathe. Breathe deeply, in and out.
- Get inspired--Remember why you do what you do. Use this reminder to re-establish your focus.
Source:
Excerpted from the article: "How to Reduce Stress and Beat Burnout", Teaching Young Children, Vol 3 No 1.
https://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/How_to_Reduce_Stress_and_Beat_Burnout.pdf
Developing Self-Discipline
Children are often punished when they make mistakes because adults think they are being naughty. Rather than punishing the child, either physically or emotionally through shame and humiliation, we need to see the misbehavior as a teaching moment. The adult’s response should not take the form of revenge, such as “your behavior disrupted my lesson so now I will punish you.” Instead, the response should be a logical consequence that:
- relates directly to the behavior
- is respectful to both the child and adult
- is reasonable to both the child and adult (Glenn & Nelsen, 2000)
Source:
To review the article in full, please visit: http://montessoritraining.blogspot.com/2013/09/montessoris-three-levels-of-obedience.html
"Sometimes real superheroes live in the hearts of small children fighting big battles."
— Author Unknown
Education Training Portal
Education Training Portal:
The Education Department has added the following training's to the Education Training Portal:
The Creative Curriculum® Theory and Research
The Creative Curriculum® Infants, Toddlers and Twos Chapter 1
The Creative Curriculum® Infants, Toddlers and Twos Chapter 2
Chromebook Support
Building the Primary Classroom (Varsity Club) Curriculum Overview
Varsity Club Child Assessment Portfolio System
Building the Primary Classroom
*The training verification form as well as the training assessment a are available on SharePoint for all training's. Please ask your Program Director or Assistant Director to provide you with the resources.
Password: Rainbow1!
***New training will be added weekly, please make sure you look for updates.***
Teacher Spotlight
Mrs. Joyce Wright has been employed at Rainbow Child Care Center, Shea Road, in Collierville, TN since April of 2015. Mrs. Wright came to us with over 20 years of experience teaching Pre-Kindergarten. She is dedicated to preparing each of her students for Kindergarten. Mrs. Wright’s favorite part of teaching is watching the children discover and explore new experiences. She also likes to watch the children express those experiences in projects that they create. Mrs. Wright cheerfully makes a positive impact on all the children she has the opportunity to teach.