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Preschool Teachers Chatboard

Head Start ??s

by curious

Sep 16, 2012

I've just started teaching Head Start after several years in elementary school. I just finished my "training." It seems there is lots of freedom in head start. My immediate manager seems to want some structure in the classroom but the education chair wants them to be free to do as they please. How do I accomodate both? Help!!!

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Just My Opinion I am not and have never been a Head Start teacher, but I do work at a NAEYC accredited center that is evaluated by the state with ITERS/ECERS. I believe that YOU as the teacher can make your classroom structured while giving your children lots of freedom of choice. You do this via the environment, schedule, and your expectations for the children. M...See MoreI am not and have never been a Head Start teacher, but I do work at a NAEYC accredited center that is evaluated by the state with ITERS/ECERS. I believe that YOU as the teacher can make your classroom structured while giving your children lots of freedom of choice. You do this via the environment, schedule, and your expectations for the children. My classroom is set up in learning centers where most materials are out in clearly labeled bins/shelves, with some materials added by the teachers to enhance the available materials according to the theme. Materials that are out are truly open when it is choice time. I work hard to establish a set routine so that everyone knows what comes next, and what the behavioral expectations are for each part of the day. I teach the children how I expect them to use and take care of the materials and toys, and that part of playing is cleaning up when you are done. Then, during the parts of the day that are free choice (not all of it, but a large part of it is), I step back and let them go. If they want to get out scissors and paper and glue and create something in the art center, they may...but we'll be nearby to encourage them to use the scissors properly, help take the gloppy creations to the drying rack, and remind them to clean up the sticky puddles they leave behind. If they want to wear dress up clothes, fill purses with baby clothes and food and (gasp!) take the babies on a "trip" to the circle time rug on the other side of the room (oh the horror!), they may...but if they don't take everything back when they're finished, they will be reminded to do so, and next time they might have to show us that they can clean up the materials they keep in the proper area before being allowed to venture out again. Warn the children ahead of transistions, and always transition in the same way. Songs and chants are great for providing structure; we have cleanup songs and a chant that we do before circle times to remind them how to sit at the rug. For me, the structure comes from the routine and the expectations, and the children buy into those because they know that the "teacher choice" time will be over soon enough, and they will truly have choices during choice time.

On 9/16/12, curious wrote: > I've just started teaching Head Start after several years > in elementary school. I just finished my "training." It > seems there is lots of freedom in head start. My immediate > manager seems to want some structure in the classroom but > the education chair wants them to be free to do as they > please. How do I accomodate both? Help!!!

Sep 16, 2012

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Casey56 I also do not teach at Headstart, but I agree with Just My Opinion. We follow the exact same approach. Have you read the Creative Curriculum book? You can find used ones online. It will outline how to set up your centers to allow the "structured freedom" you are looking for. If they are set up with interesting things, with the guidelines in place f...See MoreI also do not teach at Headstart, but I agree with Just My Opinion. We follow the exact same approach. Have you read the Creative Curriculum book? You can find used ones online. It will outline how to set up your centers to allow the "structured freedom" you are looking for. If they are set up with interesting things, with the guidelines in place for clean-up, it can free you to do some great observations while being available to assist them in their creativity and learning. With an aide present, I can also pull for some small group work if needed.

9/16/12, Just My Opinion wrote: > I am not and have never been a Head Start teacher, but I do > work at a NAEYC accredited center that is evaluated by the > state with ITERS/ECERS. I believe that YOU as the teacher can > make your classroom structured while giving your children lots > of freedom of choice. You do this via the environment, > schedule, and your expectations for the children. My > classroom is set up in learning centers where most materials > are out in clearly labeled bins/shelves, with some materials > added by the teachers to enhance the available materials > according to the theme. Materials that are out are truly open > when it is choice time. I work hard to establish a set > routine so that everyone knows what comes next, and what the > behavioral expectations are for each part of the day. I teach > the children how I expect them to use and take care of the > materials and toys, and that part of playing is cleaning up > when you are done. Then, during the parts of the day that are > free choice (not all of it, but a large part of it is), I step > back and let them go. If they want to get out scissors and > paper and glue and create something in the art center, they > may...but we'll be nearby to encourage them to use the > scissors properly, help take the gloppy creations to the > drying rack, and remind them to clean up the sticky puddles > they leave behind. If they want to wear dress up clothes, > fill purses with baby clothes and food and (gasp!) take the > babies on a "trip" to the circle time rug on the other side of > the room (oh the horror!), they may...but if they don't take > everything back when they're finished, they will be reminded > to do so, and next time they might have to show us that they > can clean up the materials they keep in the proper area before > being allowed to venture out again. Warn the children ahead > of transistions, and always transition in the same way. Songs > and chants are great for providing structure; we have cleanup > songs and a chant that we do before circle times to remind > them how to sit at the rug. For me, the structure comes from > the routine and the expectations, and the children buy into > those because they know that the "teacher choice" time will be > over soon enough, and they will truly have choices during > choice time. > > > On 9/16/12, curious wrote: >> I've just started teaching Head Start after several years >> in elementary school. I just finished my "training." It >> seems there is lots of freedom in head start. My immediate >> manager seems to want some structure in the classroom but >> the education chair wants them to be free to do as they >> please. How do I accomodate both? Help!!!

Sep 17, 2012

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