What are three things that you want to remember?

Two questions that you have?

One thing that you want to try?

1. “The circle suggests the worth of each individual and lends itself to building of community spirit” (Gartrell, p.60). This is such a great description of why it feels comforting to meet this way as a group. 

2. I like the suggestions for Holding Large Group Meetings on p.61 - Perhaps I could share these with students to help set up expectations for our morning meetings. They are generally going very well, however we still have friends that interrupt others. Perhaps reviewing these expectations using this language could help (“Take turns and listen carefully.”) (Gartrell, p.61). 

3. “How does one make diversity a resource rather than an obstacle?” (National Academy of Sciences, p.37). I really appreciate the way this question is framed! 

2 questions you have

1. Gartrell describes “morning greeting talks”. When students arrive, they drop their backpacks in the classroom and head up to the cafeteria for breakfast. I always like to chat with them during these few minutes, however this often makes students late for breakfast and then they feel rushed to eat. How could I get around this time-pressure? 

2. How can we (as a society) build upon the “rich knowledge of the natural world” that all children begin school with (National Academy of Sciences, p.40)? It too often seems like the focus on public education for primary grades is on math and literacy and a deep knowledge of the natural world is an add on/after-thought. 

1 thing you want to try

1. Explicitly using and teaching the “Eight Communication Practices for Building Relationships” (Gartrell, p.53 - 54). While I use some of these intuitively, I’ve never used these methods in an intentional way. I especially appreciate the suggestion to “acknowledge and pause” described (Gartrell, p.54). 

1) "What we call misconceptions may be necessary stepping stones on a path towards more accurate knowledge (National Academy of Science, pg 44)."

I loved this quote from the reading, it reminded me of a previous anecdote about teaching kids the "right" thing and how it's not always as important as finding out their personal thought process behind their statements. This chapter touched on the domains of science knowledge and some of the challenges to teaching children "conceptual change". In order for children to understand science they need to reorganize their thoughts into broader concepts. If we as teachers shut down a "wrong" thought by immediately correcting them with the "right" thought it is short-changing a child's opportunity for deep and valuable learning. Effective science educators when faced with "misconceptions" start by examining why the child thinks that way, and then expose them to evidence and materials that might broaden or challenge their own personal thought process.

2) The idea of having a large group meeting over one child's disruptive behavior was extremely surprising to me. Like the textbook said I assumed this was unprofessional or against "best practice" but it is really a restorative technique that can ease the anxiety of other students and foster more understanding. A quote from the reading that supports this thinking is, " A child's severe behavior impacts everyone. All are aware of dramatic mistaken behaviors and the act bothers group members. Without the benefit of nonjudgmental discussion, Individuals may not know how to cope with the situation or what to do in the face of similar events in the future (Gartell, pg 83)."

3) Encouragement! In chapter 4 of our reading, there were 8 communication practices mentioned for building relationships. One thing I personally will be remembering and working on is number 7 "Give Encouragement". I do often give encouragement in what I realized were not very intentional or meaningful ways. I am guilty of the "Nice work and Good jobs" frequently in my classroom, while this is not the worst thing a teacher could do I realize there is a big opportunity for growth in how I am encouraging my students. Meaningful encouragement is intentional and detailed! I will be focusing more on specific elements of children's effort when giving encouragement!

2 Questions:

1) The 3 levels of Mistaken Behaviors were a really interesting part of the reading. I was specifically wondering about children displaying Level 2 mistaken behaviors and how we as educators can help them out of this pattern. This feels particularly important to me as I have multiple students displaying these behaviors. The text states, "The long-term pitfall for children who do not grow out of the L2 mistaken behaviors is this: unless individuals develop the personal resources to see matters as they are for themselves, they are in danger of falling into a pattern of uncritically following significant others long term" What are the personal resources they need to develop and how can TTs help them do so?

2) In the section on Comprehensive Guidance the text touched on dealing with L3 behaviors and solutions to them almost always involved 1-1 time with a teacher called "individual contact time." My center and many others across the state are in a staffing crisis. How do we provide individual contact time to a student who is showing these behaviors while still safely supervising the rest of the class and managing daily tasks? I did feel a little discouraged because as much as I would love to be able to offer my students this kind of Individual support and have the time to sit down 1-1 through the issues that arise in the day it just doesn't feel like its realistic to what the current situation is.

1 Thing to Try:

1) After reading chapters 4 and 5 in Education for a Civil Society I realized I have so much opportunity for growth when dealing with conflicts in my classroom. Firstly, I need to reframe how I see conflict which before reading these chapters was a disruption. Moving forward I will be working on being mindful that conflicts that arise in my classroom are GREAT teaching opportunities. I wrote down a quote from these chapters that really stood out to me and made me pause and reflect on how I as a teacher am viewing and solving conflicts. "Leaders who teach for the DLS regard resolving conflicts not as diversions from the educational programs, but central to it (Gartell, pg 65)."

My goal is first to reframe my prior thoughts of conflicts and try the 5 finger formula to intervene when problems arise!

1. “When students understand the organizing principles of science, they can learn new and related materials, more effectively, and they are more likely to be able to apply their knowledge to new problems.” (National Academy of Science, pg 41). We cannot just give students facts from a textbook or do an experiment or two and think that they will understand science. We need to make sure we connect the dots and give them many opportunities to explore and discover.

2. “Level three mistaken behavior show on regular basis means children are studying, struggling with DLS one – finding acceptance as a member of the group, and as a worthy individual. Level three mistaken behavior is survival behavior, generated by the amygdala and the hypothalamus in the brain in reaction to perceived threat”(Gartrell, pg 58).I feel like many times teachers take behavior personally instead of trying to look to see what is actually going on inside for this child. And when a child is amygdala hijack, their behavior is being driven by a fight or flight mode. We also do not want to become a conflict-punishment pattern, which if prolonged it becomes a syndrome. 

3. “Appropriate, friendly touch does what words cannot. Sitting on a lap, or sharing a hug, a pat on the shoulder, or at least, high-fives and fist bumps are organically reassuring to children” (Gartrell, pg 56).  I feel that if there was more of this there would be less level 3 behaviors.

Two questions that I have?

1. How many teachers fall into the habit of giving “individual encouragement” to students when cleaning up or performing an activity as expected, instead of giving public encouragement?   

         (I think it’s easy to notice students who are doing what you want or expect trying to give feedback to get

others to help out. Where is according to the reading

you should give public encouragement. 

2. Why does it seem that now more than ever we have more “Level Three  Strong Unmet Needs Mistaken Behavior?” Does COVID play a part in this?   Are they not developmentally prepared for the expectations that we are holding them accountable for? 

One thing that you want to try?

It is so important that we build relationships with children and families. The stronger our relationship is the better results. We will have all the way around. Families want to know that we are invested in their children and care about them. We value their participation and input to support their child. When parents are happy, it makes for much happier children.

Taking time to listen to parents is equally as important as it is listening to children. Having a quick conversation in the morning with parents can set a child up for success, or you might also learn why they are having a bad day. I want to build better social relationships with all of our families so in return their children are able to learn, and develop emotionally, physically, socially, and cognitively. I feel like I do this pretty well, however I also have this little voice saying, “Ok, lets get this day started…we have so much to do today.” 

^{What are three things that you want to remember?}

1. ^{Children appreciate the qualities of toys, pictures, scale models, and video representations before they arrive at school, and they use models when they are pretend-playing.}

2. ^{For young children to understand science, they need to view facts in a broader context of meanings and be exposed to it in several ways.}

3. ^{That non-verbal communication/ responses are equally as important, as verbal communication}

^{Two questions that you have?}

1. ^{Working in a public elementary school with so much emphasis on the ¨hands off approach¨ how do you balance boundaries with the use of appropriate friendly touch to build those relationships?  Should you be in the presence of another staff member when you are practicing friendly touch?}

2. ^{If you were working in an elementary school, where would you incorporate the intervention guidance practices?} 

^{Things that you want to try?}

1. ^{To use more friendly humor with all of my students and not to be so serious all the time.}

2. ^{I would like to hold more large group meetings to set guidelines and expectations for the class, not only when the class is dysregulated so that hopefully the expectations are at the forefront when they may be feeling dysregulated.}

1. The three levels of mistaken behavior are really interesting to me. I especially appreciate the reminder that level three mistaken behaviors are the result of unmet needs, and that as children learn to see themselves as worthy individuals and as a part of the group, “their unmet needs gradually change from being existential to experiential”. (Gartrell, 2023, pp. 58-60).

2. I loved the view of misconceptions as “stepping stones” to understanding (Michaels et al., 2008, pp. 43-44). The reminder to appreciate the thought and sense-making behind the formation of a misconception is really valuable.

3. I also want to continually remind myself of the importance of providing ample time and varied opportunities for engagement and discussion. This is important as “time for thinking, doing, and talking is essential for understanding complex ideas”. (Michaels et al., 2008, p. 56) Allowing discussions one-on-one as well as in small groups (and large groups when appropriate) helps children build their understanding, especially as they connect to their hands-on experiences with materials that support their thinking.

2 things I want to know more about:

1. I would like to read the referenced article “Tattling: It Drives Teachers Bonkers” to hear someone else’s thoughts on the subject and see how I might relate to it in the classroom.

2. I would like to learn more about level two mistaken behaviors. Another classroom in my school is working through social influenced mistaken behaviors right now, and I would like to find some resources to inform myself and to help support the teaching team and children in the other room.

1 thing I will put into practice:

Gartrell (2023, pp. 55 and 69) talks about the importance of contact talks and contact time and highlights a reflection on a child who needed that time to connect at arrival. I want to be intentional about connecting with children who are just waking up after nap and transitioning into the classroom. We have a predictable(-ish) routine after waking, but some take longer to wake than others, and they are at different stages of readiness. It is easy to connect with the children who pop up off their mats and start rolling up their blankets, but I need to be intentional about building in some sort of contact time with each of the children who take a little longer to transition from sleeping into toileting and snack.

1.) I like the examples that explain how to acknowledge and pause. "Before the pause, compliment the effort and/or details you see. (Gartrell, 2023, pg. 54) This is a great way to build relationships and gives children a pause to return the conversation without feeling pressure.

2.) "When we frequently encourage friendly humor in young children, I really think that as they grow, they keep and share this gift" (Gartrell, 2023, pg. 56). I love sharing humor and listening the humor young children bring into the classroom. When they feel comfortable to share their silly side I can tell they are comfortable in the classroom community. I want to try to remember to use humor even when the moment feels hard for me as a teacher or for a child struggling with their feelings. Most of the time a little humor helps to break the tension.

3.) "The more early childhood professionals can work with others, rather than go it alone, the better the all-around chances for support and success" (Gartrell, 2023, pg. 86). Teachers need to build supports by encouraging parent involvement and work with team members to solve challenging behaviors in their classroom. By working together classroom communities are able to thrive with less stress from the children who are offered supports and encouragement and teachers and parents are able to open and honest communication to help all children feel welcome and safe in school.

2 Questions I Have:

1.) How can we discover all the misconceptions students have about science in order to plan lessons to help students clear up these misconceptions?

2.) I would love to have more resources to support me as the classroom teacher to help model and facilitate conflict mediation in an early childhood classroom. I'd love to help students build this important skill to be successful in using their words with peers to communicate their needs and help them resolve conflicts.

1 Thing I want to try:

1.) I want to try using whole group (Intervention large group meetings) discussion more when the whole class experiences an unexpected behavior from a child having strong feelings. I know how I feel as the teacher after dealing with a child who needs help calming down, but from the readings I realized how important it is to check in with the whole group without causing harm to the child's image with his/her peers. Talking about the behavior and how we feel when it is happening is important. Students are able to process the situation and talk about how they can be helpful/caring if it happens again.

1. "Children are eager participants in the quest for knowledge" (Michaels et al., 2008, pg. 40). I love this reminder. It's always good to remember their natural curiosity for the world around us.

2. "What we call misconceptions may be necessary stepping-stones on a path towards more accurate knowledge." (Michaels et al., 2008, pg. 44) I think this really stuck with me because it's so easy to just want to correct the misconceptions. This is an important reminder that misconceptions are important to building their foundation. Their personal experience matters.

3. "Ethical independence embraces cooperative activity. It means a person who makes their own decisions based on the facts and cares about others." (Gartrell, 2023, pg. 163) I really enjoyed this chapter. I think it's so important to remember what we are working towards as educators. Empowering children to make informed decisions while caring about the world and those in it.

Two questions:

1. How can we as educators find creative ways in the classroom where we don't feel rushed. I really feel that with preschool and having 2 classes. It's goes by so quick and there are times I feel so rushed!

2. On that same note, with such a short day, how do you build in enough time for the students who might need that extra morning time without taking away from all the other students? It's an important balancing act, especially crammed into 2.5 hours which, after meals and before recess ends up being a little over an hour.

1 thing I want to try:

1. I plan to use the guidance talks in my classroom. I really like how it takes the time for the student to have a minute while feeling safe first then talking without blaming, using those important pauses while problem solving. I really liked that there is no forced sorry. And that it was ok that they say no. But offering the suggestion "maybe you can think of a way later". It releases that power struggle too.

1. “A good question is a stimulating question, which is an invitation to a closer look, a new experiment, or a fresh exercise. The right question leads to where the answer can be found…The right question asks children to show rather than say the answer.” (Harlen, 2001, 26) This quote stood out to me because questions can have such a huge impact and can hold so much weight in a child’s learning. Asking the “right” questions or productive questions is so important for all areas but especially in science education. It supports critical thinking and deepening understanding. I want to remember this quote, and the importance of productive questioning because it is something I want to continue to use in my practice. 

2. “all students are shaped by their cultural backgrounds, and those backgrounds affect how they learn science and communicate in the science classroom.” (National Research Council, 2008, 97) This is something I want to remember because it is so important to consider what children bring to the table in terms of their backgrounds. Taking this into consideration is important for effective and high-quality teaching in all content areas, but also in science instruction.

3. “Teaching children to solve their problems rather than punishing them for having problems they cannot solve; teaching children to learn from their mistakes rather than punishing them for the mistakes they make.” (Gartrell, 2023, 61) This also is something I want to remember because it is a powerful quote. We have been working a lot in our classroom on problem-solving, so I connected to this. It is important to find a learning opportunity in every moment and create that supportive relationship.

2 Questions:

1. How can educators best support children with solving social problem-solving when children are experiencing fight-or-flight stress responses?

2. Has there been an increase in children having adverse experiences in the past few years post-COVID? I feel like in my classrooms it has seemed that way, but I wonder if there is any correlation. 

1 Thing to Try:

1. I want to implement the Five Finger Formula discussed in “Education for a Civil Society” to help solve social problem-solving in the classroom community. We have similar steps we use in the classroom, but I think this is a tangible strategy both educators and students can use to remember and support problem-solving.

(1). praise vs encouragement: instead of "well intended general judgements" like "nice work/ good job", use encouragement. Encouragement contains details of the childs efforts: "I see you're working so hard shoveling that sand!". When using encouragement with young children, remember the impact. If giving encouragement to a group, using public encouragement is very important. This different type of feedback is meant to be encouraging, inclusive and affirmative of the actions of the group. I have seen in my own class how complimenting 2 children at the circle for listening devolves into an ever growing chorus of "I was too!" among the group. Meanwhile, if a child isnt listening or isnt helping, there is no sense embarassing the individual infront of the group. Talk to them privately, connect and reflect. (Gartrell, 2023, pg. 57).

(2). "Even conflicts begun "on purpose" are mistaken behaviors. Unmet needs and mistaken efforts to meet the needs are still behind intentional conflicts". (Gartrell, 2023, pg. 58).

(3). The 5 finger formula for dealing with conflicts with strong emotions: (1)Thumb: calm everyone down, including yourself, (2) Pointer: guide the children to accept how each person sees the conflict (individual perspective), (3) Tall guy: brainstorm possible solutions with provided suggestions and respect for disagreement, (4) Ring: agree to one solution and try it, (5) Pinky: monitor the solution and positively awknowledge effort (Gartrell, 2023, pg. 62).

2 Questions That I Have:

(1). What are some ways that we can help children break the attentive dependency they have/ level two mistaken behavior? If this behavior can lead children to uncritically follow others in the future, how do we help them learn to think for themselves?

(2). What are beneficial, proven ways to help prevent bullying in early childhood/starting in ece?

1 Thing That I Want To Try:

(1) I'd like to utilize compliment sandwiches more consciously. Without knowing the name of the term, my colleagues and I have certainly practiced this when helping children through challenging situations. However, I would like to try using it more intuitively during exchanges and follow ups with students to let them know I see them and believe in their capabilities(Gartrell, 2023, pg. 57). I also want to try the 5 finger formula for resolving conflicts with strong emotions

1. While reading chapter four of Education for a Civil Society, I found myself reflecting on the eight communication practices for building relationships. The eight practices include “smile and nod, acknowledge and pause, make contact talks happen, use friendly humor, use appropriate friendly touch, utilize compliment sandwiches, give encouragement: private to individuals and public to the group, [and] remember names contact talks and promises” (Gartrell, 2023, p.7-8). I found these especially important for my preschoolers since I’m their first introduction into public schooling (not to say these aren’t important to older students too).

2. In chapter five of Education for a Civil Society on page 63, Gartrell describes six calming/de-escalation methods. The six suggestions include “using deep breaths, asking to think of their favorite thing while sitting calmly, having the child choose how they wish to calm down, use reflective listening by expressing what you see, providing hugs or laps, and helping children leave the conflict situation”. I appreciate these suggestions as we mainly focus on the deep breaths, reflective listening, hugs, and leaving the conflict situation in my program.

3. In chapter 3 of Read, Set, Science the authors describe three types of conceptual change: “elaborating on a preexisting concept, reconstructing a network of concepts, [and] achieving new levels of explanation” (Michaels et. all, 2008, p.43). I wanted to remember these potential pathways of change as they are all able to be achieved through observation, investigation, and discussion, all of which are achievable in a preschool setting like mine.

Two questions that I have:

1. When thinking about working with children who have experienced trauma at an early age: what are the most effective ways to de-escalate? I appreciate the strategies suggested on page 63, however they have not proved very effective yet.

2. What are some ways you’ve found are particularly impactful when trying to build relationships with parents?

One thing I want to try:

1. I’d like to try the different calming/de-escalation skills with my students. In particular, I’d like to try the thinking of their favorite thing and choosing what will help them calm down in my classroom as they are not methods that I’ve expressly used before.

Ch. 4

1. Three things you want to remember? 

   1. “DLS 3 describes most closely the skills of learning that early childhood professionals guide children to gain. DLS 3 = solving problems creatively - independently and in cooperation with others” (Gartrell, 2023, p. 52). 

   2. For acknowledging and pausing, I could start by saying “You are really…” and some examples include: “painting that picture, “working hard on that”, “playing together”, or “looking upset” (Gartrell, 2023, p. 54).

   3. “Adults who play cooperatively with children tend to influence their minds away from directing their own play to following the adult’s lead” (Gartrell, 2023, p. 55).
      

2. Two questions that you have

   1. What does the author think about adults role in dramatic play? The paragraph implies that the adults role in dramatic play is not influencing the child’s play negatively, but it’s a bit unclear.

   2. How often should a class hold large group meetings?

3. One thing that you want to try

   1. I would like to try a compliment sandwich when picking up the classroom with students.

Ch. 5

1. Three things you want to remember?

   1. When teachers use guidance to help children achieve DLS 1, they prevent the stress-conflict-punishment syndrome from developing. Incorporated into this process is the teacher’s understanding that stress from trauma leads to a hypersensitive amygdala and hypothalamus response. The result is mistaken behaviors in the form of fleeing, withdrawal, or aggressive behaviors. The teacher, understanding this, develops a secure relationship (Gartrell, 2023, p. 77).

   2. In anecdote and reflection, there is a paragraph that describes how the teacher arranged to meet a student struggling with DLS 1 at the beginning of the school day (a difficult transition for the student) for some one-on-one time. I just love this idea of a way to both ease a tricky transition and develop time for relationship building (Gartrell, 2023, p. 79)

   3. I am hoping to memorize the steps to good contact talks and do ALL the steps more consciously:

      1. Smile and nod

      2. Acknowledge and pause

      3. Use friendly humor

      4. Use appropriate, friendly touch

      5. Utilize compliment sandwiches

      6. Give encouragement

      7. Remember names, contact talks, and promises

2. Two questions that you have

   1. What are different ways teachers can carve out one-on-one time with struggling students?

   2. In thinking about the Anecdote 2, how do you know when to back off trying to establish a relationship with a family if they avoid interaction?

3. One thing that you want to try

   1. I would like to try a guidance talk. I think I do mini guidance talks all the time, but I would like to be more mindful while doing them and make sure to:

      1. Help calm the child

      2. Clarify both parties perspectives of the conflict and decide how to make amends

      3. Encourage the child with a compliment sandwich

      4. Determine a better option next time

Ready, Set, Science

Ch. 3

1. Three things you want to remember?

   1. All children regardless of culture have some basic understandings in science:

      1. Rich knowledge of the natural world

      2. The ability to reason

      3. Understanding of the principles of cause and effect

      4. Foundations for modeling

      5. The ability to think about ideas, beliefs, and knowledge

      6. Quest for knowledge (Michaels et al., 208, p. 40)

   2. There are three types of conceptual change

      1. Elaborating on a pre existing concept

      2. Restructuring a network of concepts

         1. Air as matter

      3. Achieving new levels of explanation (Michaels et al., 2008, p. 42).

   3. As the case study demonstrated, it is important for teachers to begin by “recognizing and honoring student’s everyday knowledge in order to transform and build on it”. And time for “ thinking, doing, and talking” is important for learning complex ideas (Michaels et al., 2008, p. 56).

2. Two questions that you have

   1. Regarding a shared base of understanding in young children, the preschoolers I worked with last year did not seem to have a good sense of living and non living. At what age are the authors referring to when considering this idea?

   2. What types of conceptual change do we focus on at the preschool age? Elaborating on a preexisting concept?

3. One thing that you want to try

   1. I loved how Ms. Faulkner had students arrive in class to examine the familiar aquarium with water in it, instantly capturing their curiosity and ideas. I like the idea of getting students attention by using familiar items in an unfamiliar way to gain interest and spark ideas. I would like to try something like this!

I will also remember that Level 3 behavior is the “survival behavior of acting out to defend oneself”(Pg. 58) and that that child is struggling with a sense of belonging or acceptance.   This leads to the question that I have, how do we really dig in on what a particular child might need, to gain that sense of belonging especially for a child that has seemingly developed the level 3 mistaken behaviors more recently?  What are the best methods for digging in on a child’s insecurities?  Family engagement is key, building trust with this child is key, what else?

One thing that you want to try?

I would love to try to create a meeting dynamic during our circle time.  I believe that our teachers do a great job giving each child a voice and honoring their perspective.  I would like to work on adding in more problem solving and problem solving tools into this group time.