Dena Sommers CHD 265

Field Assignment 0205 Interviewing Early Childhood Professionals about the

Mission of Early Childhood Education
Create a list of four or five interview questions from the information in this chapter
about the mission of the early childhood profession. Be sure to include some content
in your questions that relates to service orientation and advocacy. List the interview
questions that you have developed here.
1. How do you nurture/build relationships between children?
2. How does your facility celebrate cultural differences?
3. What type of activities does your facility do to support relationships between
your teachers and families enrolled?
4. What type of exercised do you do in your classroom to instill a predictable
structure for your children?
5. What are the most important safety precautions you take pertaining to the
playgrounds in your opinion?
Interview at least the early childhood professionals who have different roles (for
example, toddler teacher, first grade teacher, center director). Summarize their
responses and then compare and contrast the responses.
Early childhood professional:_Kareen Rodriguez_Role:Center Director_____
Summary of responses: 1) Hire well trained, educated, experienced teachers to foster
relationships between children, work in small groups, school events 2) multicultural
images in classroom, invite families in to share their traditions 3) open house
offering activities, Parent/teacher organization, use software to communicate with
parents "Tadpoles", Guest Reader program, parents night out, weekly newsletters,
4) Post schedule of activities, review rules daily 5) Teachers must be at opposites
areas of playground, areas checked for debris, no personal conversations on the
playground, headcounts, locked gates, check weather before going outside & follow
guidelines, communication available to contact office in emergency.

Early childhood professional:Erica Groblewski Role:__Preschool Teacher____

Summary of responses: 1) pairing children through activities to provide social

interaction through play 2) They do a "My Family" theme where they study
cultures, food & traditions. They write about them and share 3) Teachers
participate in after-school activities such as open house, meeting Santa,
religious plays, holiday celebrations that invite parents and siblings to school,
etc. 4) The entire day has a schedule so they feel secure in knowing what
comes next. However, when there are special events (or snow days) where the
teacher make sure to keep at least one routine activity, such as circle time. 5)
Fenced in playground, multiple teachers supervising.

Early childhood professional: Kristen Haines_Role:__1st Grade Teacher________

Summary of responses: 1) use literature-based activities to build relationships

between children. Reading stories and partnering up to retell the story or to
complete a related activity helps students develop comprehension skills and build
relationships. Teams of two are assigned to class jobs, again so to make kids
work together. Make sure kids arent always paired up the same, and everyone
interacts with each other. 2) Basic celebrations via Black History month, Hispanic
Heritage Month, Womens History month, and so on during the year; during the
summer programs cultural differences were celebrated passively through
literature. 3) Family Literacy events were met with some measure of success, but
for the most part conferences were the only way to interact with families of
enrolled students. 4) Routines are practiced early on in the school year. With very
early learners (preK and K) songs are used to cue transition time and help with
routine. 5) Sunscreen on students, prescreen of the area to make sure neighbors
didnt leave behind refuse (including but certainly not limited to broken glass).
Compare and contrast responses: Kareen was more indepth as a director of a center
as I would expect because she was more "outside the classroom" responses with less
in classroom response. More focus on "policy" driven responses for a franchise.
Erica is more regimented (I know her personally and how she works) in her
classroom so I see her day is very much in order of reminding children what comes
next. Kristen on the other hand seems to take a more literary approach with
children. Love the fact she didn't miss the sunscreen which is vital during times
when bright sun months. The other items are just as important such as debris and
fence.

Dena Sommers CHD 265

Field Assignment 07-03 Interviewing Teachers about Conducting Parent or Family

Conferences
Interview at least three teachers. Ask the following questions and record all
responses.
1. How did you learn about procedures and expectations for parent or family
conferences?
Teacher 1: Mostly, information and procedures for parent/family conferences
came from Mentor Teachers. While basic guidelines were provided to by
administrators, Mentor Teachers helped with making the conferences run
smoothly and be as informative and as engaging as possible.
Teacher 2: I learned at staff meetings how the conferences are run. However,
since I teach a different curriculum than the rest of the teachers, I made my own
structure for my specialized PreK class conferences.
Teacher 3: In addition to my own training and experience, our franchise provides
excellent guidelines, expectations, assessment tools, and training for
parent/teacher conferences.
2. What do you see as the most beneficial aspect of conducting parent or family
conferences?
Teacher 1: Getting to know parents, determining parent involvement levels, &
sharing out student progress as well as classroom expectations are all benefits
that come from conducting parent/family conferences.
Teacher 2: COMMUNICATION between parents and teachers!
Teacher 3: Parent/teacher conferences help build relationships between the parents
and our teachers, as well as between the family and our school. Also,
conferences are our opportunity to demonstrate all that we teach the children
and how well they are progressing (academically, emotionally, and socially).
3. What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of conducting parent or
family conferences?
Teacher 1: Getting parents to come to the conferences was the most difficult aspect
of conferences. Working in a high-poverty school system, parent involvement is
not high. A lot of advertising early on, and a lot of external motivation (pizza,
raffles, et cetera) are always helpful.
Teacher 2: Having to tell parents about behavioral and/or academic issues their child
is having, and them being in denial or becoming defensive. Placing blame on the
teacher or other students is a common first reaction. As angry as that makes me,

I try to convey the truth: that we are on the same team and have the same goalto do what is best for their child. (Not all parents are defensive, but many are.)
Teacher 3: Sometimes parents may not have realistic expectations about their
childs progress or what they should be learning. For example, a parent of a
young 3-year-old may ask, Why isnt my child working on math? or Why
isnt my child writing her name? It is our job as educators to help families
understand what is developmentally appropriate and how we achieve those
developmental milestones.
4. How do you prepare for conferences?
Teacher 1: Informing parents early and often to improve participation, preparing a
special welcome parents assignment for the students, and writing out notes of
specific things administration or I want parents to know about.
Teacher 2: I begin making notes on each child in different areas of child
development, starting the second week of school. I add to the running record
every other week or so. I also conduct small informal assessments. This provides
me with enough personalized information about each child.
Teacher 3: Every child has a portfolio a collection of dated work samples,
previous and current assessments, photographs, and memorable moments
(documentation of developmental milestones). Teachers know to seek a
directors assistance if they are unsure about how to talk to a parent about a
sensitive topic. We also train teachers on parent/teacher conference etiquette,
our expectations, and how to ensure that parents feel confident in their childs
teachers. Training is provided by way of staff meetings, memos, and written
procedures in management and staff handbooks.
5. Have you ever conducted conferences with variations of family members present,
including children? If so, what are your thoughts about such conferences?
Teacher 1: Sometimes its necessary to have students present for conferences
because of childcare issues. Depending on the child, these can be more effective
(engaging the student, bringing the student on board with a course of action plan,
sharing the students good works with the parent in front of the student can do
great things for self-esteem). Rarely has the experience been, when children
need to be present, negative.
Teacher 2: No, but we have called the student in at the end of a behavioral conference to
explain to him our new plan of action, and to make clear the consequences of repetitive
negative behavior. Seeing the teacher just sitting with their parents shows the students
that they are working together.

Teacher 3: We do not have parent/teacher conferences with children present. We prefer to

set up conferences where there is no chance that the child would misinterpret what is 4
overheard, or that the child would experience anxiety. Also, conferences would be
boring for a child.
Add two questions of your own:
How do you deal with a parent in a conference who do not accept their child
may need to be seen by Child Find?
Teacher 1: Two different approaches have worked 1) more global explanation of
the need for screening (All students who score below X on this exam need to be
screened we may find that the performance on the exam was a one-time issue,
but we may be able to provide valuable help, too) and 2) explaining that at
some point, this issue will lead to bigger problems whether theyre academic
only, or behavioral as well. Providing students with support now, while we can
get in early is the best thing we can do for the student. When parents still refuse,
Ive done my best to provide extra assistance and strategies as part of regular
classroom instruction.
Teacher 2: I would explain that it is my job as a professional to suggest Child Find,
and that I only have their childs best interest at heart. I would also explain that it
does not flag their child forever; Child Find will simply evaluate them to see if
they need extra services.
Teacher 3: We handle those situations with great sensitivity. Parents are not required
to seek services. If they do not, we will do our best within our framework to
provide a quality experience for their child. If the child demonstrates behavior
that negatively impacts the classroom environment, then we will follow our
internal protocols to address the issues (parent meeting, documentation of
behaviors over time, develop action plan for child, follow up meetings).
How do you address a child's lack of bathing and hygiene in a conference with
the parent?
Teacher 1: Its addressed as just one more thing that needs to be addressed and in
a global sense. Im addressing hygiene with all of the families, as weve had
some issues with it in our school. We like to be sure we remind all families
that [bathing daily, washing hair, brushing teeth, washing hands, etc] must be
happening at home. In some cases, Ive had to provide travel
shampoos/soaps/toothbrushes/paste to send the point home and get the ball
rolling.
Teacher 2 I never have done this, although sometimes I wish I could have brought it
up!

I have addressed behaviors such as repetitive thumb sucking and putting objects in
their mouths, and stressed the importance of not doing this to prevent spread of
illness.
Teacher 3: We handle those situations with great sensitivity. Director would have a
parent meeting to discuss concerns and our expectations for good health and
hygiene practices. If the problem persists, or creates a health hazard, or possibly
has a negative emotional impact on the child, we would meet with the parents
again, and consider contacting Child Protective Services.
8. How many staff personnel are present during the conference? Why?
Teacher 1: Depends on the student At-grade level students with no behavior issues
only need to be seen by the classroom teacher. If students are struggling or
receive services of any type, often it helps to have the specialist in the
conference too so that the parent only has to attend one conference. Again, it
depends on the student/family.
Teacher 2: I have on occasion requested the director attend a meeting when I felt
hostility from parents. This would prevent the parent from going to the director
after the conference. It also conveys that the director supports the way I am
dealing with the situation.
Teacher 3: Present at conferences: Parents, at least one director, and both teachers would
participate in conferences that are beyond the scope of our Parent-Teacher Conferences
that we offer 3x per year. Examples: a childs behavior issues, a parent concern of any
kind, or coordinating efforts for a special needs child.
Why? It is important that our parents understand that when there is something
important to discuss about their child, all of us are interested in finding a
solution and they have the support of the teachers and the management team.
What do you believe to be the most important idea that you learned about
conducting parent or family conferences from these interviews? How will that
affect your practice as an early childhood teacher?
Establishing a relationship prior to the conference. Let them know you're on their
"team." Ensure lots of communication and interaction is vital. Knowing the child
well to include the type of learner and what you are doing to accommodate the child
so they get the most out of the material presented and understanding the parents
perspective. Also knowing how to perform an assessment accurately and present it
where the parent understands.
This will affect me as an early childhood teacher to make sure I extend the "olive
branch" so the parents have a comfort level with me. Building a solid relationship
with both the parents and child develop trust and support for each other in the
relationship where we all work together to further benefit the child.