Samantha Fuentes

Professor Gray

ECE 251

April 5, 2018

Group Time Evaluation

1. Early Childhood Education Lab Program; Palwasha Salam, 4-5 year olds pre-

kindergarten

2. 9:20 am - 10:00 am of group time

3. One teacher working with the children during group time and there were four kids in the

group.

4. It was a small group activity and the activity that was set to do was planting seeds. The

teacher had many different kinds of seeds from vegetables seeds to flower seeds. The

materials were laid out and had different kinds of pots so the children can decide on what

they would like to plant their seeds in. The teacher would show them how to plant the

seeds by pointing at the materials and tell them that the wet soil would have to be put into

the pot first then the seeds which she told the children they can plant as many seeds as

they want. Then she told them they would have to put dry soil on top and once they were

done they got to choose where by the window they want to put their plant pot and she

reminded them that they would have to water it every day.

5. This activity was appropriate because the children got to learn how to plant a seed

properly and they got choose seeds from vegetables to flowers that they could plant.
6. The small group time lasted for 30 to 50 minutes with mostly 4 year olds which was

appropriate since it takes time to show how to plant step by step their seeds and then the

children doing other pot on their own.

7. The space the children used to plant their seeds was on a table and near the classroom

plants by the window. Which it was interesting for them if they get to water their own

plants other than the classroom plants itself.

8. The teacher brought the children together by telling them about plants on what sorts of

seeds they can plant and why we plant.

9. Some children were 25% passively involved in the group time since they wanted to also

play as well. One child gave his attention 50% into the activity which he kept planting

more seeds in different kinds of pots.

10. Two children reacted with curiosity since both were asking what kind of seeds they plant

and one child asked if she can plant two different seeds together into the pot or what

would happen if they plant different seeds together. The other two children didn’t have

reaction.

11. The teacher was flexibly during the small group time where the group had ran out of soil

so she had the students go with her to help her grab soil from outside school garden. And

she was flexibly when she had to transfer one classroom plant into a bigger pot since it

was getting to big. One child helped her transfer the plant by filling the pot with the soil

they had went to get more earlier so the teacher can transfer it into the bigger pot.

12. There was no individualization for children with special needs and typically developing

children. I was told that there was one child with special needs, but doesn’t come till later

in the afternoon from school.

 13. There were no inappropriate behaviors from either children during group time.

14. Since there was no inappropriate behaviors during group time and the teacher didn’t use

a behavior management technique.

15. The teacher ended the group by planting the last pot together with whatever soil they had

left before putting them by the window and it made the children wanting to plant seeds at

home because they enjoyed the activity. The teacher reminded the children they have to

water their own plants they had planted every day when they are here in class because

water helps the seeds grow into plants.

16. There was no activity that followed group time and it was inappropriate since it would of

been more of an interest to more children if the children were read a book to them about

planting seeds or did a different activity that would get them interested in.

Evaluation

The small group experience did help the children in the group be interested in planting their own

seeds of their liking. I’ve observed these children where they asked questions if they can plant

different seeds together and that after group time they want to plant seeds of their own at home.

The children were curious when they were asking questions when they were planting their seeds

which they wanted to know more about what kind of seeds they plant. In the DAP book on page

140 for science that it draws on children’s curiosity and encourages them to ask questions and

develop their own ideas.

 Powerful Interaction Observation

Date: 4/5/18 School: Early Childhood Education Lab Program

Teacher: Palwasha Salam Age of child: 4 years old

Time: 10:10 am - 10:25 am of observation

Setting: The 4 year old boy was seen alone playing with legos at the lego table and the teacher

saw the child and watched on what he was doing first before sitting down next to him which she

decided to pick off the glue of the lego table so the child can notice the teacher presence..

Interaction:

4 year old: (The child is building a boat out of the large legos.) “This is the piece I need!” (He

shows the teacher the large lego piece he needed for his lego boat.)

Teacher: “Yeah? Is that the piece you were looking for your boat?” (She listens to him while

trying to take off the glue off the table and looks at the lego pieces the child has in his hand.)

4 year old: “I got another lego piece.” (He shows a different lego piece to the teacher. Then he

took out a lego helicopter with a lego policeman.)

Teacher: “Would you like this small lego person for your boat?” (She had looked for another

lego person and showed it to him.)

4 year old: “Yes.” (He grabs for the small lego person and he stands to put on his boat since his

lego boat looks like a building.)

4 year old: “Look!” (He points to his lego boat for the teacher to look.)

Teacher: “I see. That’s a big boat.”

The 4 year old’s lego boat started to fall to the side and some pieces fell apart.
Teacher: “Oh no!” (The teacher puts a shocked and sad face for the 4 year old can see her

reaction.)

4 year old: “It fell down. I can fix.” (He stands up and grabs the lego pieces that broke apart and

he puts them back together.)

It was time to clean up and the child didn’t want to destroy his lego boat and wanted to save his

creation.

Teacher: “It’s okay. You can save your lego boat all you have to do is put it on the shelf that says

Work in Progress.”

PI Behaviors: The PI behaviors the teacher used was being present and connecting with the

child. The teacher used a Me Check- “Can I quiet the static?” (Pg. 16) for being present because

when I observed I saw the teacher was about to sit down next to the child, but stopped and think

how she was going to be present with the 4 year old child when she saw him playing with the

legos alone. The teacher was connecting by using the strategies of slow down, stay in the

moment and listening to the child (Pg. 33). The teacher gave her attention to the child when the

child said, “This is the piece I need.” which the teacher listened and stopped what she was doing

to be in the moment with the child when he talks to her.

Improvement: The improvement I think the teacher needs to work on is the Me Check because

while she was being present she decided to also focus on trying to take off the glue on the lego

table. Which the child notice what she was doing when he wanted her attention, but not from

time to time when he talks to her to look and with connecting by staying in the moment.