DI4003

Instructions

Before submitting your Assessment, carefully review the rubric. This is the same rubric the assessor will use to evaluate your submission and it provides detailed criteria describing how to achieve or master the Competency. Many students find that understanding the requirements of the Assessment and the rubric criteria help them direct their focus and use their time most productively.  Review the key topics for this assessment and discuss them with your Host Teacher to gather their insights and thoughts.

Evaluating Routines and Transitions in Infant and Toddler Care and Education Settings

Before You Observe : Comment by Schall, Jane: For this alternative assessment, students will not be observing in an infant or toddler setting but instead interviewing and infant or toddler teacher. Student Instructions: Please review the template for your infant or toddler teacher interview titled: Infant or Toddler Teacher Interview: Routines and Transitions that Invite Participation Make arrangements to interview an infant or toddler teacher and obtain permission to record the interview. Follow the directions and ask the questions on the interview template. Submit this completed template as Part 1 of your Assessment. Comment by George Eissler:

· Review the Rubric, the  Infant Observation template , and the  Toddler Observation template

Rubric

Your Observations

· Make arrangements to observe in an infant and a toddler setting.

· Share your assignment/goals with the Host Teacher in each setting. These include:

· Observe routines and transitions related to greeting time, meals and snacks, diapering, napping, moving to new activities, the end of the day, and any other routines and transitions that involve children.

· Observe teacher-child conversations and interactions, aspects of safety, and the ways routines and transitions foster respectful, responsive relationships.

· Note questions you have about routines and transitions in the setting.

· Engage in a reflective conversation with each Host Teacher about your observation experience, sharing questions that came up for you as well as the following:

· Please describe your setting for me.

· What do you see as the role of transitions and routines in your program?

· What insights can you share with me about transitions and routines from your experience that may be helpful to practitioners?

· What’s working well in your setting regarding fostering toddlers’ healthy development and contributing to respectful and responsive relationships between early childhood professionals and the children through routines and transitions?

· What would you like to improve?

· Note: For your conversations, you may also want to ask about anything you thought was particularly well done or a routine/transition you weren’t able to observe because of timing such as greeting and/or end of day. You may have a question about something the teacher did or said, or about a child’s reaction. Be sure to take good notes.

Writing Your Paper Comment by Schall, Jane: For this alternative assessment, students will write a paper as Part 2 of the Assessment. Student Instructions: Title Page: Evaluating Routines and Transitions in Infant and Toddler Care and Education Settings Your paper should include: How routines and transitions can promote healthy development and learning, including building responsive relationships (1 page) At least 3 (research-based) insights that demonstrate best practice for routines and transitions related to each of the following: greeting children, meals and snacks, diapering, napping, moving to new activities, and end of the day. (2-3 pages) A summary of practices in your interviewee’s setting that are aligned to what you learned as effective practice and your rational. (1-2 pages) At least 2 – 3 recommendations for enhancing or improving the opportunities in routines and transitions for infants’ or toddlers’ healthy development specific to fostering respectful and responsive relationships and appropriate attachment and autonomy in the interviewee’s setting. (1-2 pages) Submit your paper as Part 2 of the Assessment.

Use the notes from your graphic organizer, the host teacher’s input, and the resources for both topics to write a paper between 5-6 pages. Include the following:

Title Page

Part 1: Infants

· Introduction: A brief overview of your observation setting. (1-2 paragraphs)

· Summary of information from the teacher in the infant setting. (2-4 paragraphs)

· Evaluation of infant routines and transitions you observed for safety, consistency, responsiveness, respect, and whether/how they fostered responsive and respectful relationships including attachment and/or autonomy appropriately. Be sure to substantiate your thinking with evidence-based resources. (2-4 paragraphs)

· Three recommendations for enhancing or improving the opportunities in routines and transitions for infants’ healthy development specific to fostering respectful and responsive relationships and appropriate attachment and autonomy. Be sure to substantiate your thinking with evidence-based resources. (2-3 paragraphs)

Part 2: Toddlers

· Introduction: A brief overview of your observation setting. (1-2 paragraphs)

· Summary of information from the teacher in the toddler setting. (2-4 paragraphs)

· Evaluation of toddler routines and transitions you observed for safety, consistency, responsiveness, respect, and whether/how they fostered responsive and respectful relationships including attachment and/or autonomy appropriately. Be sure to substantiate your thinking with evidence-based resources. (2-4 paragraphs)

· Three recommendations for enhancing or improving the opportunities in routines and transitions for toddlers’ healthy development specific to fostering respectful and responsive relationships and appropriate attachment and autonomy. Be sure to substantiate your thinking with evidence-based resources. (2-3 paragraphs)

Note: Be sure to cite your sources and adhere to confidentiality. Do not use children’s names. (You can use just a first name, or refer to child 1, child 2, etc.) Also, refer to your host teacher by first name only.