Observing and Interacting With Professionals, Children, and Families in an Early Childhood Setting

Observing and Interacting With Professionals, Children, and Families in an Early Childhood Setting

Name: Monica Boddie

Date: Observation date 1-25-2013

Name of Program/Setting: Christopher house UpTown

Who I spoke with: Trichelle Stiff and a Paraprofessional in the classroom

Whom you observed and interacted with in your setting during these two weeks:

           I observed and interacted with the children , teachers, and a paraprofessional in the classroom. The interactions were in the classroom setting during morning activities. I know of the teachers because I work at Christopher House , however i am at another site. All of the Christopher House Schools are on the north west side of Chicago. The bulk of the children and families are from other cultures, the children and families are mostly bilingual.

What I learned about …
          I learned that the children in the classroom were creating collages and that they were to talk about what their pictures were. The teacher called the project dictation stories, and the children dictated to an adult in the classroom what they have made. Within the classroom there is one bilingual teacher, and the children were dictating in either English or in their home language.

Any special learning experiences, insights, challenges, etc., related to your topics/focus questions and/or advocacy efforts in this setting, the community, and/or the field:

          The special learning experience that I saw was that the teacher had the children in groups of two as they completed share activities. I saw that there was one stronger person in the group who appeared to be there using the buddy system for support if the other child needed it. I noticed that the children were encouraged to talk out any conflicts or issues that came up. There was an incident in the house area where the children were changing into dress up clothing, and one child mispronounced the name of one of the items. There were cards taken out by one of the teachers as the child asked for the house cards.
            The cards that were taken out had pictures of each item on them and the name on the item was printed in English and in Spanish. I asked the teacher if she had problems with mispronunciation's, and she stated the cards were a part of a literacy assignment in the classroom. I noticed that everything was labeled in the classroom and that there were activities that the children could choose on their own that was not a part of the weekly lesson plan.
               The paraprofessional came over to me and stated that she was there for support as needed, especially for the special needs children. The paraprofessional stated that in September there were only a few non English speaking children however the bulk of the class is bilingual.The impact of bilingual education during instruction showed how dual language learners, bilingual learners, mainstream learners, and English learners all worked together to achieve a common goal. 
              We hear a lot about English as a second language however i was impressed to see that it appeared that all of the children were able to understand the instructions completely in English with little supports. If there were accommodation's or modifications that were needed the paraprofessional was there for support. When I saw the cards being used i thought that this was a good idea for support that would not embarrass the child being supported.

Questions asked while Observing and Interacting With Professionals:

Teachers interview questions

1.How does language impact behavior?
The teacher stated that in the beginning of the school year the children seemed shy, and that there was not much language by the bilingual children.2.Is thee a basis for teaching academic content in two languages?
The teacher stated that there may be bias however she has non and that she takes each child on an individual basis.3. How do I teach bilingual children?
The teacher stated that she teaches all children the same however the children that need adaptations and modifications have the support that they need daily.4. Do children in bilingual families start talking later?
The teacher stated that this is a myth and that all children to her appear to begin speaking at the same time.5.With reference to oral language how do I teach appropriate development of the English language?
The teacher stated that she models correct language before the children, and that she leads by example.6. What are some methods of teaching a dual language learner?
The teacher stated that she uses tape players, word cards, pictures, books, and media materials.7. How do I promote parental involvement in language learning with bilingual parents?
The teacher stated that during home visits,conferences, meetings, and training she gives work samples and talks about the child's progress especially as related to language.8. What are the rights of bilingual parents and children?
The teacher stated that she does not know all of the rights however they have in their classroom
" Bilingual Children's Mother Tongue: Why Is It Important for Education?" iteachilearn.org/cummins/mother.htm
The teacher stated that she refers to this book and other articles on the web as well as asking the social worker for help.

Questions for the paraprofessional:

1. How does language impact behavior?
The paraprofessional stated that language is the cornerstone of education because communication is key for all situations.2.Is thee a basis for teaching academic content in two languages?
The paraprofessional stated that the basic for teaching language is to have visual aids and hands on activities available.3. How do I teach bilingual children?
The paraprofessional stated that to teach bilingual children we need to respect them and their culture as we use our skills to reach them academically.4. Do children in bilingual families start talking later?
The paraprofessional says that all children talk at the same rate unless there is a special need present within the child no matter if they are bilingual or not.5.With reference to oral language how do I teach appropriate development of the English language?
The paraprofessional says along with modeling behavior anticipated that we can use the buddy system to have another child there for support.6. What are some methods of teaching a dual language learner?
The paraprofessional stated that working one on one with the child is a plus, and that lesson plans can be modified for the dual language learner as needed. 7. How do I promote parental involvement in language learning with bilingual parents?
The paraprofessional says that daily she reports to the parents the child's success, and if there is a need she will provide materials to show what is being taught in the classroom.8. What are the rights of bilingual parents and children?
The paraprofessional quoted from the same material as the teacher and she also stated that the social worker has resources in her office as needed.

At the end of my observation I thanked the teachers, children, paraprofessionals and parents that was there to volunteer for the day. There are three teachers in the classroom along with a para professional and two parent volunteers. I feel that bilingual children have the supports that they need in the classroom for academic success.