Field Experience Week 4

I have three goals that I am currently working on.
1. Use a more neutral tone with the students
2. Be more proactive to prevent behavioral outbursts and issues
3. Relate what the students are doing during recess and choice time to their lives outside of school.

I created my first goal because I have noticed that I use a different tone with the students than I do with adults. The tone that I use is higher pitched and to me it seems like when I talk to the students that I am degrading them and what they do when I use this higher pitch. For example, "You picked up all of your materials the first time I asked, I really appreciate that". In a normal tone that I would use with an adult would seem fine but when I use a higher pitch it seems like I am actually saying, "Wow you actually picked up your materials. It's about time"! This is not how I mean to sound when I talk with the children, because I really do appreciate their work. Lately, I have been working on this by thinking about what I am going to say and how I should say it in a neutral tone so I don't offend the students or degrade what they are doing. It is harder than I thought it would be because my natural instinct is to use a baby voice... the voice that everyone has when they talk to babies, young children, and cute pets. I have been able to make some progress though but I am still working on it.

I created my second goal because many of the students I am working with have behavioral issues and the majority of the time they are being punished for their outbursts. To try and lessen the punishment the children receive I wanted to be proactive. I have noticed some routine outbursts that happen almost everyday as a reaction to the same triggers. Therefore, I have started using reminders for these students about what they will be doing, should be doing, and what to expect so they don't get so overwhelmed by their emotions. For example, one child likes to talk in the hallway, but the rule is there is no talking in the hallway. If the children talk in the hallway they have to sit out of recess or choice time for a minute. To prevent this one specific child from loosing minutes during choice time, I walk next to him in the hallway and whenever he wants to start talking I quietly remind him about the rule and that he can tell me when we get back to the classroom. This has helped the child a lot and is just one example of how well my second goal is going.

My third goal has not progressed very well yet. To achieve this goal, I have created blank booklets with the students' names on them and sent them home with a letter about family engagement, asking the families to create a booklet about their child and their lives. I wanted to start with this activity so I could see what and who is important to each child so I can relate what they are doing at school to their home lives. So far, none of the booklets have been returned.

The classroom I have been observing does not use a set curriculum. My host teacher mentioned that she previously used Handwriting Without Tears as a curriculum but has drifted away from it. The Handwriting Without Tears that was used is not for developmentally delayed preschoolers so my host teacher believes it does not apply to her class very well. My host teacher does use direct instruction for all lessons the children learn however. This approach differs from what I have learned in the education program at IU. My first impression is that I am not completely comfortable with direct instruction all of the time with such young children. My experience so far has taught me how to implement direct instruction though, which I have not had much experience with at IU. There are a few areas in which I am struggling with. Reading for example, is somewhat degraded. A read- aloud happens once every few weeks and is very fast paced with no student interaction allowed. This is a struggle for me because read- alouds to me are supposed to be interactive and about discussion with the children rather than getting through the book as quickly as possible. I have had the opportunity to do a read- aloud with the students and I allowed as much discussion as possible and stopped frequently to ask questions that I thought would get the kids talking.