Minds In Full Bloom

Section 1- I’m a toddler

Offering encouragement: During my field observation, the teacher would let the children, with her supervision, pour their cereal and milk into their bowls. When they would succeed, she would tell them great job, if they spilled a little, she would give them tissues and say, it’s ok mistakes happen; let’s clean it up. 

Building independence: During my field hours, I let students choose what they want to play with. I would tell them, “Do you want to play with the car toys or in the dramatic play area?” to build independence. 

Solving their problems: When students would play with the blocks that kept knocking them over, the teacher would tell them, “These blocks are heavy, do we put them on the top of other blocks or under blocks?” And they would always figure out the solution.

Section 2- How does that work

Toddlers use most parts of their bodies: I have seen that while students are being friendly to each other, they would throw all their bodies on them to show their love and affection.

Toddlers gravitate around adults: I have observed that when the two teachers and I are in the classroom, the students act out more, yell, and cause behavioral issues. However, the students get along more when there aren’t many adults in the classroom.

Group action: When I taught my play-dough activity, I wanted to introduce it to the kids and identify colors, but they ignored me once they saw the play-dough and wanted to get right into playing with it.

Section 3- I want that

Toddlers must first learn about “possessing and owning”: I have noticed that some toddler girls have been giving their friends their jackets or shoes and don’t realize that those things are for them and can’t share them.

Caregivers best serve autonomy: I have observed that when toddlers are fighting over a toy, instead of the teacher taking the toy away, she says, “Who had it first? Ok, can you ask your friend if you can have the toy after they are done with it?” And it always goes well.

Section 4- Gentle touches

Toddlers need to be shown how to interact with their peers: The teacher offers lots of practice talking with the toddlers. 

Demonstrating rather than punishing: The teacher shows how to share and give and reads books to toddlers about sharing and taking turns.

Avoid rewarding a child who has been a victim of aggression: The teacher said she does a lot of creating gratitude rituals. 

Section 5- I can do it myself

Runny nose: The teacher gives toddlers tissues and allows them to blow their noses independently.

Giving a child a role: The teacher does morning meetings where each morning, a toddler gets to pick out the book they are reading that day.

Provide a relaxed atmosphere for eating: the teacher gives the toddlers everything they need (Utensils, napkins) and allows them to eat independently.

1. During my field, I have seen that the children’s parents dress them up and won’t let them dress themselves. I remember one parent mentioning how their child picks certain outfits that the parents won’t approve of and dress them after that.
2. In the dramatic play area, we could talk about dresses or skirts for girls, maybe pants for boys. We could also talk about community helpers and how they dress to add. We could give directions on what clothing item goes where. (ex: hat goes on head, socks on feet).

1. Can you think of a bedtime ritual that you have used effectively with your own children in your care? What was it? How did it make the child feel about going to sleep? I used a bedtime ritual with a five-year-old when I was babysitting. I asked the child if there was anything he would want to do before going to sleep and that he had 30 minutes. I also put a timer, and when it goes off, they know that their time is up. This makes the child want to play with their toys or have a snack before bed and finish everything before the timer is up.
2. Take time to consider each child in your room. What are his sleep patterns like? How does he prefer to fall asleep? What is his mood generally like when he wakes up? I usually leave before it is nap time. However, my nephew usually sleeps at 1pm daily and takes a two-hour nap. He prefers to sleep in his crib and nowhere else. He always wakes up in a good mood and hungry.

1. Would you describe yourself as a healthy eater? How does your approach to nutrition influence how and what you teach children about healthy eating? I do consider myself somewhat of a healthy eater. Sometimes, I go weeks without eating junk food or fast food, and some weeks I do eat junk food, but for the most part, I consider myself a healthy eater. I will influence kids to eat more healthily because it keeps the body healthy, and I will give myself an example of being healthy.
2. Think about mealtime in your classroom. Do you encourage conversation among children and/or talk to preverbal children? How would you describe this routine time of day (e.g., peaceful, lively, chaotic)? I don’t encourage conversation that much during mealtime because it distracts infants from their food, and they no longer want to eat. I have seen that in my field experience. Mealtime is peaceful because the teacher lets the children eat in peace, she also puts on calm music, and they enjoy quiet time, which I think is better.

1. How do you feel when you are changing diapers? How do your feelings about changing diapers influence your interactions with children during this routine? I usually change my nephew’s diapers. I like to do it because I know they feel relief while changing their diapers to fresh ones. While changing diapers, the child is staring at me, so I usually do funny things or tickle him to make him laugh, which he enjoys.
2. How do you feel when a child has a toileting accident? What do you say or do? How does this make the child feel? While they have a toileting accident, I usually tell them, “Uh-Oh, that’s ok; see what happens? Next time let’s try going to the toilet right away, ok? Then make them laugh and clean them up. This may cause the child to feel embarrassed, making them not make that accident again.
3. What do you want to teach children about their bodies while learning to use the toilet? Whenever they feel they need to use the bathroom, they should go immediately. And that their bodies are private so they should go toilet in private.

1. Do you say hello and goodbye to each child and family member every day? Yes, it is essential to have that simple communication to all people around.
2. What messages do you think your hellos and goodbyes (or lack of them) send? Hello, and goodbyes. Help connect with one another. It also allows a routine to those around you and a friendly matter. Lack of them won’t have that connection or bond, negatively affecting the child’s day.
3. What do you think about a child who cries a lot when his parents say goodbye? The child is very attached to their parents, they aren’t ready to be apart, and they might feel afraid to be around somewhere where their parents aren’t. How does his crying make you feel? It makes me feel a little sad for them that they are sad. However, it lets me know ways to make them feel better and have them grow into stop crying at drop-offs. Do you feel differently about a child who never cries at drop-off time? No, it just tells me that children may be used to not having their parents around, or they are ok with being apart of their parents and ready for school.
4. What might explain some families’ attempts to leave without saying goodbye? They may not want their children to be upset that they are seeing their parents leave, so they go without saying goodbye to prevent crying. What are they feeling? They may not want to see their child upset, which will also make them upset as well. How do you feel when families leave that way? When a child cries every time at drop-off, I feel that it is best to make the parents leave without the children knowing and when they are distracted to prevent the tears. How do children feel? They may be distracted at the moment, but they may feel upset because they remember how their parents left them without saying goodbye, making it harder for them the next day at drop-off.
5. How do you help parents reunite with their children at the end of the day? Maybe have the children make a craft about family, or have them get a surprise for the children for doing so well. How does a parent feel when her child cries or keeps playing? When a child cries, the parents may feel sad that their child isn’t happy. When a child keeps playing, it makes parents happy that their child is enjoying and playing. How do you feel? Children will feel comfortable with their teachers, which will make me happy knowing they have good support and someone with them.

Describe 2 examples for each of these 6 areas of language encouragement:

1-Concept development-using descriptive language

• Asking to identify people in a picture, For example, the mother, father, baby, and grandmother.
• Asking to identify what shape is what from showing manipulatives.

2-Describing events and actions

• Pretend to ask to take a shower and how they will react.
• Pretend to be cleaning up toys in a bin.

3-Social and emotional development

• Having a “how I feel” chart.
• Learning about feelings and how others feel.

4-Responding to communication attempts

• Asking what sounds different animals make.
• Pretending to be hungry

5-Positive language for guidance

• Saying things like “share, here is yours.”
• Showing affection like hugging and holding hands with friends.

6-Using language during daily activities

• Enforcing words like “I’m going to wash my hands, I’m going to use the bathroom.”
• Enforcing them to share what they feel about daily activities.

Guided Reflection-Healthy Brains:

1. What did you know about this topic before viewing the webinar? 

Before viewing the webinar, I knew that babies can sense when their caregiver is feeling a type of way. They sense when they are going to be taken care of and they do tend to cry more when they feel it. I saw that in my nephew when we would pick him up he would make it seem as he is more hurt or cry louder. I also knew that babies need stimulation and being talked to in order for them to develop in a good way otherwise they will have that lack. 

2. How do you feel about this approach to infant care and development?

I felt like this approach is very important for an infants development. Infants know when something is not going right, whether its the look on the caregivers face or lack of connections with the infant. I feel like every caregiver needs to know these things when caring for an infant because it is the beginning of a healthy life and starts as early as when they are born, if they don’t have these needs met that may have a negative affect on their development.

3. How could you apply this philosophy in your teaching practice?

I could apply this philosophy in always making sure I am present and with them at that moment. I will do more than just feed, and change them. I will always talk to them, play a simple game like peak-a-boo, or just having a conversation with them. I will also use this philosophy in always making sure that I make the infant feeling as safe as possible. I will always try to make them feel like they are taken care of and that there is nothing that can harm them.

4. Look around the Conscious Discipline website, what else do you fine surprising or interesting to you, and why?

What I found interesting in the conscious discipline website was that social/emotional development is just as improtant, especially with infants. Learning about social-emotional development and how to best treat infants can be a big healthy step in their development. What I also found interesting is that some parents don’t have a bond with infants since they believe that they don’t know anything yet, however, they need their caregiver and can sense when something is not right.

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