Special Assignment Lesson Plan


Attention

3 young boys posing in super hero costumes

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able

  • Understand and demonstrate what a team player means
  • Create expectations for being a team player
  • Identify similarities and differences between the Maine Early Childhood Learning Guidelines and the Maine Early Learning Development Standards

Teaching

Teamwork is an essential part of the early care and education field. Not only are you teaming with children and families but you are teaming your co-workers. These are the people you will spend 8+ hours a day with. These are the people who help you plan, implement and process your day to day duties as an educator. These are the very people who will get on your nerves because they want to do something differently than you. Maybe they have a different philosophy and you don’t agree with it……. that is OKAY. You don’t have to agree with someone to like them. You especially don’t have to agree with them to be a team player.

For this lesson we will be looking at the Maine Early Childhood Learning Guidelines and the NEW Maine Early Learning Development Standards. We will be teaming up to discover the similarities and differences of the standards. Through this process, teaming could be challenging or successful. It will be you who decides.

Please note the following traits of successful teamwork:

  • Reliability – can your team count on your to pull your weight?
  • Communication – are you a constructive communicator or passive? This means will you speak up and express your thoughts and ideas and are the thoughts and ideas clear and respectful? Or…… will you be shy and just simply play along?
  • Respectful – team players treat others with courtesy and consideration ALL of the time. I will say it again: you do not have to agree with them to like them. You do not have to agree with them to be a team player. Team players seek to understand and to be understood. They problem solve and show support of all ideas. By communicating team players can work through different ideas and move towards the common goal…The assignment.

The Maine Early Childhood Learning Guidelines were created in 2005 shortly after the early childhood initiative Good Start, Grow Smart. These guidelines served as a framework for the operation of early learning programs and have been one of the resource pillars in supporting development of three to five year olds.

In 2011 the Maine Department of Education began the revision of the Maine Early Childhood Learning Guidelines in response to several factors including: State and Federal direction, the revision of other important related documents, and the large growing interest on supporting early childhood. It was in March of 2015 that new standards were released and the roll out has yet to reach all of the programs. Today, the majority of programming is still using the 2005, Early Childhood Learning Standards and this is what you will use throughout this course. However, it is important to understand why the standards were re-written and how this will impact your practice when it is rolled out.


Assessment

For the Maine Early Childhood Learning Guidelines, read up to page 8 and the section on Early Language and Literacy (pages 17-20). In the Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards read up to page 15 and the section on Early Language and Literacy (pages to 36 53) For the first week your team will pass in one outline with the following information:

1. What your project will be – I want SPECIFICS. Is this going to be a power point? A video? A binder? How will it be organized and delivered?
2. Role assignments – who is leading what part of the project and why 3. Your teamwork plan for assuring the assignment is done. - This part will outline how you will all assure that you are working together as a team. This includes respect, open communication, and reliability. I don’t want you to simply tell me that you will be respectful etc.

  • I want specific examples of how you will assure you are respectful. (e.g. what respectful characteristics do you hold and how will you portray them to your teammates)
  • I want specific examples of how you will communicate. Will you text, call, skype, etc. I also want to know if you will be the one communicating every day or if you are more laid back and will only reach out once the entire week. Please also address what you expect for communication from your teammates.
  • I want specific examples of how you will be reliable and hold others accountable. respectful characteristics do you hold and how will you portray them to your teammates) etc. I also want to know if you will be the one communicating every day or if you are more laid back and will only reach out once the entire week. Please also address what you expect for communication from your teammates. How will your teammates know that you will not be either doing ALL of the work or NONE of the work. How do they know they can count on you? Also, what do you expect from them?

The second week your team will be creating the project. Your project must include the following:

  • Similarities and differences in the purpose/philosophy of the standards
  • Similarities and differences in the Guiding Principles and Essential Practices
  • Similarities and differences in the organization/structure of the material
  • A summary of additional things in the new guidelines that were not in the old guidelines
  • Similarities and differences in the Early Language and Literacy heading
  • Similarities and differences in amount and types of indicators – e.g. what has been added, taken out and re-worded?
  • An analysis of the language and literacy changes including a pros and cons section and what your thoughts are. Will the new guidelines work better? Are they user friendly? Are they easily understandable?
  • How was this project for everyone? Was teaming easy? Did things have to change during week two that was not anticipated during week one? How do you think it went overall and why?