Teaching Practice

Part 1: Effective Early Childhood Teaching

For Part 1 of your Competency Assessment, you will study the provided video of an early childhood classroom and analyze how what you see in that classroom compares with research-based information on guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice and characteristics of effective early childhood teachers.

To complete Part 1 of the Competency Assessment:

· Carefully review the Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Action ( https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/dap/guidelines), Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators: Summary (pages 8-29) ( https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/standards_and_competencies_ps.pdf), and 12 Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Teachers ( http://www.fbcherndon.org/weekday/docs/article_BTJ_Colker.pdf

· Study this video of an early childhood classroom: https://youtu.be/iDg2hR1FPgA

· As you study the video try to identify at least 2 of the Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Action and 3 of the Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Teachers.

Then complete the following chart:

· Summarize how the teacher in the video interprets and demonstrates at least 2 of the Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practice.

· Analyze how the observations you make in the video compare with the research-based information in the resource.

· Offer 2 possible areas of improvement and explain why these would be important.

· Explain how the teacher demonstrates 3 of the 12 Characteristics of Effective Teachers.

· Based on what you have learned and observed about characteristics of effective early childhood teachers, analyze which characteristics you possess and which three you would most like to improve upon in your own practice.

Guidelines for DAP in Action: Effective Teaching
Guideline (choose two of the six)	Example(s) of how this guideline is demonstrated in the setting.	Analysis of how the teacher’s examples of the guideline compare with the research-based information in the resource:
1. Creating a caring, equitable community of learners	1. 2.
2. Engaging in reciprocal partnerships with families, community connections	1. 2.
3. Observing, documenting, assessing development & learning	1. 2.
4. Teaching to enhance each child’s development & learning	1. 2.
5. Planning & implementing an engaging curriculum to achieve meaningful goals	1. 2.
6. Demonstrating professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator	1. 2.
Two Recommendations for possible improvement and why are these important: 1. 2.
Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Teachers (passion, perseverance, willingness to take risks, pragmatism, patience, flexibility, respect, creativity, authenticity, love of learning, high energy, and sense of humor)
Characteristic:	Analysis of how the teacher demonstrates the characteristic:
1.
2.
3.
Based on what you have learned and observed about characteristics of effective early childhood teachers, analyze which characteristics you possess and which you would like to improve and why: (2 paragraphs)

Part 2: Effective Leadership in Early Childhood Settings

For Part 2 of your Competency Assessment, you will analyze capabilities, practices, and understandings of effective leaders in early childhood settings in order to develop a Leadership Assessment and your professional philosophy of early childhood leadership.

To complete Part 2 of the Competency Assessment:

· Carefully review the resources for Topic 2: What is an Effective Early Childhood Leader? These include:

· What Does Leadership Look Like in Early Childhood Settings?

http://thespoke.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/leadership-look-like-early-childhood-settings/

· A Critical Intersection: Administrative and Pedagogical Leadership

http://mccormickcenter.nl.edu/a-critical-intersection-administrative-and-pedagogical-leadership/

· Reconciling Leadership and Partnership: Strategies to Empower Professionals and Families (the Walden Library)

And the media segments:

· Talking about Ethical Leadership

· The Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Leaders and Advocates

· Take time to note and reflect on the wide variety of leadership characteristics, capabilities, practices, and understandings discussed in the resources and how each fosters effective leadership in early childhood settings. Also, consider leaders you respect, have known, and/or with whom you’ve worked and which of their characteristics, capabilities, practices, and understandings fostered their excellence as effective leaders in early childhood settings, and also what they were lacking.

Then develop an early childhood leadership assessment and philosophy of effective leadership in early childhood settings by completing the following chart:

· Choose eight characteristics, capabilities, practices, and/or understandings of effective leaders in early childhood settings to list in the assessment chart below.

· Add two leadership characteristics, capabilities, practices, and/or understandings of your own to the assessment chart.

· Share the Assessment you have created with a leader/director of an early childhood program/setting. Ask him/her to take the assessment and also discuss her thoughts, insights, and questions with you about the assessment and effective leaders in early childhood settings. Summarize the director’s thinking about effective leadership. (2 paragraphs)

· Analyze what you have learned from the resources, your experience developing the assessment, and your discussion with the early childhood leader in order to create your philosophy of effective leadership in early childhood settings. (2-3 paragraphs). Be sure to cite your sources.

Assessment of Effective Leaders in Early Childhood Settings: Characteristics, Capabilities, Practices, and Understandings
Characteristic, Capability, Practice, or Understanding	Proficient	Currently in the Process of Learning	Needs Attention	Source of the Characteristic (8 from resources; 2 original)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Director/Leader Reflections: Summarize the director’s thinking about what he/she learned from the Assessment and his/her thoughts about effective leadership in early childhood settings. (2 paragraphs)
My Philosophy of Effective Leadership in Early Childhood Settings: Analyze what you have learned from the resources, your experience developing the assessment, and your discussion with the early childhood leader in order to create your philosophy of effective leadership in early childhood settings. (2-3 paragraphs). Be sure to cite your sources.