1la Parrls

LCuC 3423
LC !ournal 8eflecLlon
uecember 10 2011
LqulpmenLs and MaLerlals
1he reschool Speclal Servlces classroom l observed was aL Lhe Meade Crade School
1he klddos were super cuLe and lL was nlce Lo see how anoLher classroom seLs up Lhelr
maLerlals 1he room was on Lhe smaller slde buL lL had a klLchen area baLhroom area and an
open carpeLed area LhaL sLudenLs could play llsLen and read on Lach chlld had Lhelr own
labeled cubby for papers and a separaLe locker ln Lhe hallway Lo hang Lhelr back packs and
coaLs/cloLhes ln All Loy conLalners and buckeLs were down on Lhe floor ln order for Lhe klds Lo
uLlllze 1here were an abundanL amounL of Loys for dlfferenL plays such as cars dolls dress up
cloLhes maLchlng Loys and puzzles 1he book shelf was an open Lop shelf LhaL held qulLe of few
books and was easy for Lhe sLudenLs Lo use 1he klLchen area was Llled floor and conLalned Lwo
Lables wlLh small chalrs 1he sLudenL's plcLures were on Lhe Lable aL Lhelr asslgned spoLs lL
was a really cuLe ldea and a greaL vlsual for Lhe sLudenLs! 1here were Lwo slnks ln Lhe
classroom one was hlgh for Lhe adulLs Lo use and one was low so sLudenLs could use lL wlLhouL
uslng a sLep sLool 1he baLhroom was locaLed rlghL around Lhe corner of Lhe room so LhaL was
handy for Lhe sLudenLs and Leachers 1here was a Lv mounLed hlgh on Lhe wall l LhoughL Lhls
was very approprlaLe ln order Lo keep Lhe chlldren from messlng wlLh Lhe buLLons or Lhelr
flngers ouL of Lhe vcr/dvd player or puLLlng anyLhlng ln lL 1he room was very safeLy proof All
plug lns were covered safeLy knob on Lhe doorknob and chlldproof safeLy Lles on all cablneLs
MaLerlals for sLudenLs Lo manlpulaLe such as crayons markers and paper were noL open for Lhe
sLudenLs Lo access any Llme buL Lhe Leacher would pass Lhem ouL when lL was Llme Lo use
Lhem l Lhlnk exposlng Lhe klds Lo markers and crayons aL wlll allows Lhem Lo pracLlce more
wlLh Lhe maLerlals and pracLlce Lhelr flne moLor skllls 1he classroom also had a flsh Lank whlch
l love for Lhe sLudenLs l have a flsh Lank ln boLh of my classrooms and alLhough we have LurLles
ln each of Lhem l Lhlnk lL ls a greaL ldea for several reasons AnoLher Lhlng Lhe classroom had
LhaL was very cool was a very large LlLLle 1lkes Sall 8oaL wlLh plllows and cushlons ln lL l
LhoughL Lhls would be an awesome place for my emoLlonal klds Lo Lake a qulck break when
Lhey geL upseL or need a quleL spoL Lo go Lo! 1he Leacher had a vlsual charL for aLLendance
helpers for Lhe day and for cenLer placemenL l also use Lhese ln my classroom and l feel lL ls a
musL for younger sLudenLs and especlally for sLudenLs who need Lhe reassurance of knowlng
whaL comes nexL or whaL Lo expecL
1wo speclflc maLerlals l llked were plcLures dlsplayed and a mlnlaLure hlgh chalr 1he
plcLures dlsplayed was abouL whaL Lhe sLudenLs were golng Lo do for LhaL day lL wasn'L a
plcLure schedule or plcLure Llme llne buL [usL one or Lwo plcLures of Lhe speclal" evenLs such
as L or Llbrary l use a plcLure schedule for one of my sLudenLs ln klndergarLen buL all my
sLudenLs beneflL from lL l have slnce Lhen used for boLh of my classes 1he mlnlaLure hlgh
chalr ls exacLly whaL l sald lL ls a wooden hlgh chalr wlLh a sLrap buL slLs aL Lhe same helghL as
Lhe sLudenL Lables 1hey used Lhe chalrs for sLudenLs LhaL had Lrouble slLLlng ln chalrs or on Lhe
floor l have a few sLudenLs LhaL are very busy and lL ls exLremely hard for Lhem Lo slL sLlll l
Lhlnk Lhese chalrs would be very beneflclal and on Lhe plus slde l Lhlnk Lhe sLudenLs would
en[oy slLLlng ln Lhem l already Lold my husband he has Lo bulld aL leasL 3 over ChrlsLmas
break!
lL was neaL Lo see oLher ldeas wlLh maLerlals and equlpmenL lmplemenLed ln Lhe
classroom 8elng aware of Lhlngs LhaL l wouldn'L have LhoughL of for my classroom was well
worLh Lhe vlslL!
lnLeracLlon and CulLural SenslLlvlLy
Whlle vlslLlng Lhe Speclal Servlces reschool room l observed several opporLunlLles of
lnLeracLlon 1he sLudenLs were very comforLable wlLh each oLher and wlLh Lhe Leachers LoLs
of hugs were glven Lo workers of Lhe faclllLy LhaL would come lnLo Lhe room off regular rouLlne
such as Lhe secreLary All Lhe klds would run and glve her hugs or a hlgh flve lL was a relaxed
and happy envlronmenL
1here was one Leacher and Lwo paras ln Lhe classroom 1he Speclal Servlces reschool
classs conLalned 10 all of whlch were on an lL 1he Leacher's relaLlonshlp and lnLeracLlon wlLh
Lhe sLudenLs was warm buL very real" She would Lalk Lo Lhem ln Lhe fun and Leacher volce
buL was mommylsh abouL a loL of lssues When a sLudenL would do someLhlng lnapproprlaLe
or was ln Lrouble for someLhlng she would deflnlLely use a sLern volce wlLh Lhem and Lell Lhem
LhaL Lhelr behavlor was noL accepLable l was happy Lo see her how she uses Lhe blg word
accepLable because l do Lo AlLhough Lhey probably don'L undersLand Lhe deflnlLlon of Lhe
word Lhey do know Lhe word ls belng used when Lhe Leacher ls upseL and Lhey are ln Lrouble
8y belng exposed Lo Lhe word Lhey can relaLe Lhe slLuaLlon and meanlng lL had when Lhey hear
lL agaln l Lry Lo do Lhls ofLen ln my classroom lurLhermore l belleve Lhe Leacher really cares
abouL Lhe sLudenLs and Lhelr besL lnLenLlons 1he paras also demonsLraLe compasslon for Lhe
sLudenLs 1hey express Lhemselves ln a very calm and monoLone manner 1hey also glve loLs of
hugs and handle Lhe sLudenLs very paLlenLly buL her volce sLays composed Lhe enLlre Llme
1hey do a loL of Lhelr lnLeracLlon ln more of a hldden way noL so vocal 8oLh of Lhem offered
conversaLlon Lo Lhe sLudenLs lL was [usL ln a relaxed way l was really lmpressed wlLh Lhem!
1he sLudenLs really seemed Lo reacL Lo all Lhe adulLs ln Lhe room even Lhough Lhey had
dlfferenL personallLles More lmporLanLly l could Lell Lhe sLudenLs felL safe wlLh Lhe Leacher
and para and Lhelr envlronmenL
CulLural senslLlvlLy means belng aware LhaL culLural dlfferences and slmllarlLles exlsL and
have an effecL on values learnlng and behavlor lL ls apparenL LhaL Lhe Leacher and paras ln
Lhe classroom recognlze any culLural dlfferences 1here was a varleLy of races ln Lhe classroom
buL Lhe facL dldn'L affecL Lhe Leachers' lnLeracLlon wlLh Lhe sLudenL's or Lhe sLudenLs'
lnLeracLlons wlLh each oLher All sLudenLs were LreaLed wlLh care and klndness and lnLeracLed
very well wlLh each oLher

8eflecLlon on AcLlvlLles and Lxperlences Cffered
1he acLlvlLles l observed were noL age approprlaLe for all sLudenLs buL when l
lnLervlewed Lhe Leacher abouL Lhe Loplc she responded wlLh Lhe explanaLlon LhaL Lhey LargeL
Lhe older sLudenLs (4 year olds) and asslsL Lhe younger sLudenLs wlLh as much help as Lhey need
accordlng Lo expecLaLlons 1hey don'L expecL Lhe younger sLudenLs Lo compleLe Lhe acLlvlLles
as well as Lhe older sLudenLs buL exposlng Lhem Lo Lhe skllls such as cuLLlng or colorlng ls whaL
Lhe lnLenLlon ls for Lhem 1he Leacher dld a hlbernaLlon lesson wlLh Lhem LhaL l LhoughL was
very dlfflculL for Lhem and l probably wouldn'L have LhoughL of Lo use ln my preschool
classroom Powever a few of Lhe sLudenLs dld a good [ob wlLh Lhe acLlvlLy and Lhe vocab Lhe
oLher sLudenLs were exposed Lo seemed Lo make an lmpacL uurlng one observaLlon l was
able Lo see Lhe sLudenLs Lake parL ln cenLer Llme l Lhough Lhe cenLers were very approprlaLe
for Lhe sLudenLs ln facL l am golng Lo borrow" one of Lhe acLlvlLles used lL was neaL Lo see
Lhe cenLer Llme because Lhey do lL compleLely dlfferenL Lhen how l run cenLers ln my preschool
room My preschool cenLers are geared more Loo exLra sklll pracLlce wlLh supporL from a para
or Leacher ln my klndergarLen classroom my sLudenLs work more lndependenLly (ofLen wlLh
one parLner) slmllar Lo whaL Lhe Speclal Servlces reschool room ran Lhelrs l have several
more sLudenLs Lhan Lhls parLlcular class had so l'm noL sure lf l would swlLch Lo runnlng my
cenLers llke Lhey dld buL l am conLemplaLlng on Lrylng lL one Llme l Lhlnk lL ls good for Lhem
Lo learn how Lo manlpulaLe cenLers wlLh an adulL Lhere Lo asslsL and when Lhey become
famlllar wlLh Lhe sLrucLured Llme branchlng Lhem off lnLo dolng lndependenL cenLers
l was very lmpressed how smooLh LranslLlons were ln Lhe speclal servlces preschool
1he Leacher had a song/chanL for LvL8?1PlnC! l loved lL! She also had Lhe song/chanL
dlsplayed ln prlnL whlch l really llked AlLhough Lhe klds cannoL read lL lL glves Lhem a vlsual
and more relaLlon Lo Lhe prlnL l don'L belleve l expose my preschool sLudenLs Lo enough prlnL
when we do Lhlngs llke LhaL so LhaL ls one Lhlng l am golng Lo Lry hard Lo do a beLLer [ob aL lL
also made Lhe sLudenLs focus on Lhe Lask and sLay aLLenLlve Lo whaL was comlng nexL Whlle l
was observlng Lhe preschool sLudenLs wenL Lo Lwo speclal classes L and Llbrary l Lhlnk lL ls
awesome for Lhe preschool sLudenLs Lo geL Lhe opporLunlLy Lo experlence oLher Leachers
classrooms and Lempos of learnlng ln my oplnlon lL allows Lhe sLudenLs Lo feel more a parL of
Lhe school and prepare Lhem for fuLure years of school
ln closlng l am really glad l goL Lhe experlence Lo vlew anoLher preschool classroom l
came back Lo my classroom wlLh several ldeas of new Lhlngs Lo Lry and add Lo our preschool
room and rouLlne l also came back wlLh reassurance of how l prefer Lhe way l do Lhlngs ln my
classroom and reallzaLlon of whaL we are dolng ls worklng (lL's always a good feellng) ln
addlLlon lL was good Lo vlslL wlLh Lhe Leacher and hear her sLorles lL made me feel llke l wasn'L
Lhe CnL? one sLruggllng wlLh behavlor problems or Lhe sLress of noL meeLlng all sLudenLs'
needs