TEACHING AND LEARNING
During my student teaching Practicum experience, I created and implemented five curriculum experiences that related directly to an interest or developmental need of a child in the class that I observed. These activities included an art activity, a diversity activity, a cooking activity, an outdoor activity, and a circle time activity. By conducting these activities, I was able to better understand the curriculum planning process, and all of the little details that go into doing an activity with a group, from determining developmentally appropriate practices to child safety when cooking. I was also able to explore my creativity as a teacher, and better yet, get real-life practice for when activities go absolutely awry--because that's when we learn the most. Here are two of my favorite activities:
Fruits From Around the World
The Inspiration
Objectives
Reflection
The month before conducting this activity, I noticed that several of the children in class particularly being interested in the fruit we were being served at mealtimes, and I wanted to expand on this and introduce them to some new and interesting fruits that they may not have seen before
This project builds on the developmental need for sensory exploration, the exploration of food, and the recognition and celebration of diversity. I provided a simple visual to show what the fruits looked like before they were cut up, as well as where they came from, so we could discuss how the fruits came from all over the world, just like people.
In the end, this activity turned out to be a little chaotic, but it was a ton of fun! The kids seemed to enjoy touching the new fruits, and even if they did not like the taste, it was a great sensory experience. Some of the kids even discovered a new food they liked - kiwi was a surprising hit! I also learned more about conducting food-based activities in the classroom, such as how it may be helpful to do an activity like this at a table for ease of access.
Circle Painting
The Inspiration
Objectives
Reflection
I noticed that several of the children in the class had been more interested in art, and there had been some recent discussions about shapes. I observed two students having a conversation about circles and stars while playing with a puzzle toy about shapes and wanted to expand on that.
The objective of this activity was to allow children to explore the basic shape of circles with the use of circle stamps, mixing colors, and exploring the sensory experience of paint.
This activity went well, and I enjoyed seeing each child create art in their own unique way. Some of the children chose to use the circle stamps to create circles, others used the side of the stamp to roll on the paint, some used their hands to spread the paint, and one child just enjoyed mixing the paint with his fingers and observing the colors! While things got a little messy, it was a great learning experience, and I was able to reflect on some points for the activity that I could have improved on, such as providing each child with their own tray.
I thoroughly enjoyed doing these activities in the toddler classroom, and they provided excellent learning opportunities. Creative curriculum is one of my favorite parts of working with children, and I look forward to the activities I get to be a part of in the future.