My Professional Portfolio

  I make sure to always dress professionally by keeping my attire free of rips and tears, not revealing and no lewd content on my tops. I don’t wear excessive makeup or jewelry. I speak to the families, co-workers and directors in a respectful way at all times. I always keep a positive attitude and welcome all advice and criticism as a chance to grow and learn.  CS VI a: I have chosen to work with young children and their families because they are our future! The work that we do now, no matter how minimal it seems, is what will shape their entire lives. I also chose this profession because there are so many children who don’t have the greatest home life, school is their safe place. This is where they come to feel loved and safe and get regular meals. Many families don’t have access to resources they need  and we can help with that as well. I believe that the most important thing I can do as a teacher/caregiver is not only to teach them but to nurture, love, encourage, pro...

  I try to keep my classroom very organized and not cluttered so that myself and any teacher that may come into my room can find what they need quickly. This helps us to get back to the children in a timely manner. I make sure to keep everything in my classroom labeled so that teachers other than myself will know where to find things in the event of my absence. I created a sub binder with all the information that a substitute teacher would need to effectively run my classroom should I not be there. These things ensure that the children get what they need, when they need it and that little mistakes will be made.  CS V a: I used an anecdotal note to track a new milestone/skill this child has learned. Observations and documentation are important to show how the children develop. They are used to help the teachers know what needs to be worked on, they help the parents know where their child is in their development so that they know if and when intervention may be needed. I use pic...

  From the moment the families walk into my room I begin to establish a relationship with them. I ask them questions about their child and their experience with childcare. I offer information about myself like my experience, education, family and goals. I inform them about the different things we do in class and why. I let them know that they are welcome to call or message any time of day to check on their little one and that we keep open communications. I try to make them as comfortable as possible because I know how hard it can be to leave your child with someone new, especially for first time parents.  CS IV a:  We use the Brightwheel app to keep the parents updated on daily activities like naps, diapers, meals, photos and special activities. We also use this app to send and receive messages with the parents. I like to give the parents a daily recap when they are picking their children up. Once a week we call the parents for a quick 10 minute chat to talk about the pos...

  My teaching style strongly mimics gentle parenting. “Gentle parenting is a parenting style that promotes a relationship with your children based on willingness and choices, rather than demands and rules made by a parent. It teaches children to do what is good by using positivity and patience, rather than fear or punishment.” Doing this helps to build relationships and trust with the children which make them feel comfortable with me and in our class. Doing this also helps them to be more willing and open to learn.  CS III a: One way I support their positive self concepts is that we do lots of praise. The adults in the room model praising ourselves when we reach a goal, we praise the children and encourage them to praise their peers as well. I show the children respect. They are not just little people who need structure and to be bossed around, they are tiny humans who have feelings and thoughts and ideas, they just need help working them out. I set boundaries/rules and help t...

  (How my teaching practices help to advance physical and intellectual competence) I make sure to not only plan and do activities but to observe how they respond to the activities and make adjustments accordingly. If some of the children are struggling with the activity but others are flying through it, I will do more one-on-one with the ones struggling. While I do a smaller group/one-on-one time I will have my co-teacher work with the others on a more advanced version of the activity(or vice versa). This goes for either physical or intellectual activities, I do the same thing for any activity regardless of which area it is in. I do this because I want to make sure all of my students are succeeding in my class and getting what they need. I try to meet them where they are in their development and help them grow from there! CS II a: Play Ball! This activity helps to develop their motor skills in such a fun way and can be done with any age group! The young infants can do tummy time wh...

  I strive to keep a safe and healthy learning environment. I make sure my room is set up in a way that encourages the children to explore and try new things. It is set up so that there are no blindspots which helps me to be able to always have eyes on every child. I always keep outlets covered and do not have any cords or other hanging string/wires. I do daily checks of the toys and furniture to ensure nothing is broken and I keep a choke tube to measure the materials the children play with daily.  CS I a: I believe my menu is not only appealing but healthy. There isn’t a ton of sugar or repetition. It is mainly whole grain and fresh fruits and veggies when able. Toddlers need whole milk (once they transition off of breastmilk or formula) to help provide the fats they need for normal growth and development. After 12 months children are at risk for an iron deficiency so my menu has an iron rich food for almost every meal. In addition to the iron rich foods, I also aim to inclu...

The early childhood period of development is special because they learn so much in that time. They are like sponges and take everything in. The things that they learn in this time period sets them up for the rest of their life. I believe that the goal of early childhood care and education is to do just that, set them up for success for the rest of their lives. I fully believe the true test of our work is shown in the children after they leave us. To me, a perfect early childhood environment is a place where the children can go everyday and feel safe and loved and happy. A place where they feel comfortable and taken care of. If a child doesn’t feel safe and comfortable their minds will be in survival mode and not in a place to be open to learning. It is also a place where the parents/caregivers should feel safe and comfortable as well! They should feel like they can come to us with ANY concern and feel like they are heard. Our school should be a safe place for all! I have chosen to work...