Lesson 7: Mid-Semester Check In

Attention

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Assess goals to determine if they are still a good fit.
  • Reflect upon the practicum experience thus far and plan for the upcoming assignments.
  • Complete a self-evaluation and compare with the cooperating teacher evaluation.
  • Develop a timeline for upcoming assignments.
  • Discuss individual perspectives of practice in early childhood education classrooms.

Teaching

Part One – A summary of Participation

During the beginning weeks of practicum you have:

  • Been using reflective journaling as a tool to learn new skills
  • Created goals and reviewed weekly progress
  • Planned and implemented lesson planning
  • Reflected on ethics in early childhood

By this point in the semester you should have completed AT LEAST 10 journal entries. These journal entries are individually graded and after this lesson, you will receive a zero for any journals not submitted.

Your goals have been updated in your weekly emails to the cooperating teacher and instructor.  It should be safe to say that you have a good handle on where your goal stands but consider the following when reviewing them to determine if changes are made. It is quite possible that your goals have been achieved already or maybe they no longer apply.  We are going to take this time to assess our path and get us back on course if needed.

This is a time to be reflective.  Think about how they are going and be HONEST with yourself.  It is OKAY if your goals are not going as planned.  This is the whole point.  If they are not going as planned then now is when you can change them to assure you are going to succeed for the remainder of the course!

What do you still want to get out of this class? Do you still think of the same goals and objectives? Is what you wrote still S.M.A.R.T?

  • Specific – are you finding that your goals are still specific enough or maybe it was specific enough and already achieved?
  • Measurable – Have you been able to measure your success in this goal?  If not, then why?
  • Attainable (agreed, achievable) – Do you still feel like this is something that you know you can accomplish?  Is the goal still important to you? 
  • Realistic – Is this goal still something you are willing and able to do?  Do you think it is still realistic to continue with this goal?
  • Timely – can you still reach your goal in the amount of time you have set for yourself?

Part Two – Be prepared to collaborate!

As outlined in your very first lesson you are expected to attend:

  • A planning or curriculum meeting.
  • A parent teacher conference or home visit.
  • An IEP/IFSP meeting – if this is not possible then attend a meeting for a child with needing a behavior plan or another kind of special service requiring an individualized meeting.

Also, one of your special assignments (critical thinking) requires you to interview a teacher, a support staff and a family member. 

To assure you are able to complete these requirements, it is time to set these things up now!  Home visits and meetings are always scheduled in advance and scheduling times to interview people will take some juggling of schedules.  Intentionality and planning will be critical to assure completion of the assignments. 

Assessment

Lesson 7 Assignment A

Write a one page summary:

  • Explain how you are using reflective journaling to enhance your practicum experience.
  • Explain how your two goals are progressing.  Provide detailed examples of how you are working towards this goal and your next steps. 
    • If you have completed a goal, attach the goal to the summary with the self-assessment filled out at the bottom.
      • Create a new goal and also attach.
  • Discuss how the weekly emails are used to enhance your practicum experience.  By this point you have about half of your hours completed.

Journaling

0 Points

Did not provide an explanation

7 Points

Provided some detail on how journaling has impacted the practicum experience

15 Points

Provided clear, detailed explanation on how reflective journaling has impacted the practicum experience

Goals

0 Points

Did not provide an explanation

7 Points

Provided some detail on how goals are progressing and basic next steps

15 Points

Provided clear, detailed explanation on the progress of goals and next steps

Weekly emails

0 Points

Has not emailed

35 Points

Has initiated emails most weeks. (Only missed one or two). Email is mostly clear and provides some details.  Provides minimal details

70 Points

Has initiated an email every week to the instructor and cooperating teacher.  Email is clear, detailed and thoughtful to the mentoring process.  Includes (but not limited to):
Goals
Activities
Hours
Questions/Concerns

Lesson 7 Assignment B

In addition to the evaluation completed by your cooperating teacher, you will complete a self-evaluation.  After completing a self-evaluation, compare the two and write a summary. Did anything surprise you?  Are you satisfied with the evaluations? What are your next steps? 

    • Scan and submit the midterm self-evaluation AND the midterm cooperating teacher evaluation along with your summary.

Summary of evaluations

0 Points

Did not provide sumamry

5 Points

Summary was brief and unclear.  Next steps were unrelated

10 Points

Summary was meaningful and reflective.  Discussed rationale for similarities and difference.  Included next steps.

Midterm self-evaluation

0 Points

Did not provide a self-evaluation

5 Points

Midterm self-evaluation was somewhat filled out and missing components

10 Points

Completed a reflective and appropriate mid-term self-evaluation complete with rating and comments

Midterm cooperating teacher evaluation
(Instructor will adjust this part of the rubric to match points given by cooperating teacher.)

0 Points

Has not provided instructor with the teacher evaluation

40 Points

Score varies according to the cooperating teacher evaluation.  Can contribute up to 40 points of your mid-term check in grade.

80 Points

Score varies according to the cooperating teacher evaluation.  Can contribute up to 80 points of your mid-term check in grade.

Lesson 7 Assignment C

Keep in mind the upcoming lessons that require you to attend meetings or meet with other professionals.  You have time later to complete the assignments, but the time is now to set up dates.  Get out your planner and talk with your cooperating teacher for upcoming commitments and possibilities for your attendance.  Also discuss the potential adults you could interview and connect with those individuals to set up times.  Just let them know that you will need 15-20 minutes of their time to ask them a few questions for a critical thinking assignment.  You can worry about the details later. 

Submit an outline for the following tasks and include who, what, where and when.  The dates do not have to be specific

  • When are you going to attend a planning or curriculum meeting and who will be in attendance?  Where will this be?
  • When are you going to attend a parent teacher conference or home visit?  Who will be in attendance and where will this be?
  • When are you going to attend an IEP/IFSP/504 or related meeting?  Who will be in attendance and where will this be?

      For your critical thinking assignment:

  • Who will you interview for a teacher and when?
  • Who will you interview for a support staff and when?
  • Who will you interview for a parent and when?

Possible Class Discussion

Read chapter 19 in Swinging Pendulums.  How do you feel about individual teacher discretion in early childhood education settings?  How do you let the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law impact your work with children and colleagues