Planning & BuildingThe Early Childhood Teacher as Curriculum Constructor

Lutheran Educator’s Conference

PSW District LCMS – November 2014

Drew D. Gerdes

So…You Are A Teacher…

What does this mean?

What does this involve?

Who do you teach?

How Often Have You Heard…

“What is your

curriculum?”

Do they really know

what this means

when they ask?

What’s Your Answer?

Curriculum

Spend a few

moments with

neighbors sharing

what you feel

“curriculum means”.

Be prepared to share

with the whole group!

Familiar?

Why?

If you utilize one of the previous

curriculum programs…WHY?

What do you like or dislike?

Is it the best choice? What would you do

if it didn’t exist?

Look Into A Mirror…

YOU are the biggest

factor in whether a

“curriculum” is

effective or useful.

You make a big

difference in what

happens in the

classroom!!

We Are Smart!

Sometimes EC folks

and ELE folks “bonk

heads” when it comes

to curriculum.

Curricular Areas

A System

“Curriculum” is really a system – a set of

critical elements:

Curriculum

Child Assessment

Program Evaluation

What Is It?

Curriculum…

A complex idea

containing multiple

components, such as

content, pedagogy,

goals, and

instructional

practices.

Influenced by…

Society values,

content standards,

accountability

systems, research

findings, culture and

language, individual

children’s

characteristics.

Comprehensive…

Social and emotional

competence

Positive approaches

to learning

Includes cultural and

linguistic continuity

Curriculum that is

goal-oriented and

incorporates concepts

based on current

research fosters

children’s learning

and development.

How is this done?

So…What Should I Do?

Basically, we should

ask…

“What should children

learn through the

curricular experiences

I share in my

classroom?”

Well…it depends…

Standards - Goals

Age-level learning goals or standards

Take a look at what they are…

What do you already do in your classroom

that achieves this goal?

You And I Are Different

We all have unique gifts and talents.

What Does Webster Say?

Curriculum is a

noun…it’s a thing!!

The subjects

comprising a course

of study.

Something you do!!!

Do you have?

Files filled with themes you use in the

classroom

Books, books, and more books – that you

read

Books that you use to find ideas and

activities

Things, things, and more things

Do You…

Open up your file

each year and do the

same thing?

Use your file as a

guide and determine

what to use based on

the needs of your

students?

So Much!

There really is so

much to consider

when thinking about

“curriculum” and how

it connects to what is

happening in the

classroom.

Teacher vs. Student

Curriculum Guide

Specifically shares what you intend to teach.

Allows for accountability.

Include state standards – and how you will

follow through with them.

Don’t forget to include teaching the faith!

Curriculum Guide Areas

High-Stakes Teaching

For many children, the academic part of school is fairly easy and will be learned

over time.

What is difficult is everything else a child needs to be successful in life.

Self-Regulation

Inhibitory Control

Executive Functioning

Emotional Intelligence

Resiliency

Social Skills

Freedom Within Boundaries

How the curriculum is

implemented – the

exact activities that

are done in the

classroom – are really

up to the teacher!

Remember the

mirror?

Effectiveness

Are children active

and engaged?

How are the children

involved that will help

them develop positive

attitudes toward

learning?

Effectiveness

Are goals clear and

shared by all?

Do all stakeholders

share and understand

the same goals?

Are strategies and

activities coherent?

Effectiveness

Is the curriculum

organized around

principles of child

development and

learning?

Developmentally

Appropriate

Practices

Effectiveness

Is content learned

through

investigation, play,

and focused,

intentional

teaching?

Prove it!

What can you provide

as evidence?

Effectiveness

Does teaching build

on prior learning

and experiences?

Home

Community

Culture

Language

Effectiveness

Is the curriculum comprehensive?

Well-being

Motor development

Social-emotional

Subject matter

FAITH!!!

(more areas later)

Effectiveness

Are professional

standards used to

validate subject

matter?

How has it been

determined that

students should learn

this?

Effectiveness

When implemented,

will this really

benefit children?

Will there be a wide

range of benefits?

How can you

determine these

benefits?

Assessment

A high-quality curriculum also includes

assessment.

It’s not just formal testing!

Observation, documentation of children’s

work, checklists, rating scales, portfolios,

etc.

Screenings

Early identification

and intervention for

children with or at risk

for disabilities can

significantly affect

outcomes.

Vision

School readiness

What Else?

Do you ever feel curriculum takes over your

time, your teaching, and your classroom?

It is important!

But…is there anything else that should be

included in the day-to-day interactions you

have with children?

What Do You Think?

Many people think:

IQ

FQ/SQ

EQ

But, really, it should

be:

FQ/SQ

EQ

IQ

(At least in my world

)

Social/Emotional Intelligence

Unfortunately, a

curriculum will not

always necessarily

focus on really what is

needed in the

Social/Emotional

Intelligence area.

It’s all UP TO YOU!!!

Self-Regulation

Children’s ability to focus their attention,

manage their thoughts and emotions, and inhibit

some behaviors in favor of others.

Kindergarten students who exhibit better self-

regulation do better in academic subject areas.

Higher levels of self-regulation are related to

less deviant behavior.

Self-Regulation

Higher levels of SR forecast higher peer relationship quality in

middle and high school.

SR is critical for children to become engaged in

academics, social interactions, and

contexts that support future development.

Self-Regulation

Relationships

between kids and

parents…

A child’s self-

regulatory ability

influences the

frequency and

manner of parent

interactions with

children.

What Can A Teacher Do?

Organize classroom

environments as a

means of managing

behavior.

Incorporate

instructional

strategies that are

interesting and

engaging.

Cultivate extremely

strong relationships

between teacher-child

and child-peers.

EFFECTIVE

INTERACTIONS ARE

MORE

INFLUENTIAL!

Teacher Role & Student Success

When children are

offered age-

appropriate situations

to be self-reliant and

are taught routines in

the classroom early,

they show less

dependency on the

teacher.

Teacher Role & Student Success

Self-regulation is

more likely to be

learned and exhibited

in a positive

classroom

environment where

there is little conflict, a

high degree of

closeness and

support, and little

dependency.

Teacher Roles For Student Success

High-quality instruction involves

microadaptations of TEACHER BEHAVIOR

to meet the needs of individuals students.

It’s Up To You!

Progress requires

enhancing the quality

of adult interactions

so that they are better

able to meet the

social, emotional, and

instructional needs of

young children.

Got A Headache Yet?

“How will I ever be able to do all this?”

LESS IS MORE!!!

Remember…

FQ/SQ

EQ

IQ

Are you “in balance”?

Vygotsky

The role of the teacher is much more than

teaching facts and skills – teachers shape a

child’s development by helping them acquire

the mental tools needed for their culture and

environment.

Child Development + Education =

AMPLIFICATION

The “NEW” Curriculum

You likely have a good sense of “what” should be done in a classroom

regarding education.

You likely know about child development.

This all needs to be molded together!!!!

Research is just now

really telling us what

the best early learning

environments look

like!

We won’t ever have

the final answer –

but’s an adventure-

filled journey!

Executive Functioning

Processes of holding

information in mind

Inhibiting automatic

responses to

stimulation

Flexibility

Shifting attention

between tasks

P…L…A…Y…!!!!!!!!

Play is one of the most critical and crucial

components of early childhood education,

yet it is being taken away and replaced with

components of education that are too

advanced for young children.

Play

Play should the leading

activity of early

childhood students.

Primary grades –

intentional learning is

the leading activity.

Too much “push down”!

Discrepancy

There is a big

discrepancy between

what we say we

should teach and

what we actually do in

the classroom.

Mature play

HOW CAN YOU DO

YOUR BEST?

Less is more…

Action Plan

What Can You Do?

1. Look at your Curriculum Guide – or find one!

2. Are you accomplishing what it says?

3. How so?

What else are you

doing to make sure

your students have

the opportunity to be

successful in

school/life?

Contact Me!

Questions? Insights? Want to share?

Drew D. Gerdes

Messiah Lutheran School

Weldon Spring, Missouri

dgerdes@messiahnetwork.org

Twitter: @ddgerdes

Facebook: EducationEase