Post 5: Participation Self Reflection

If I were to give myself a score for my participation in this course so far I would give myself a 93. After reflecting on the past 4 classes, I feel like I have had a lot to contribute in the open discussions but held myself back from sharing my own experiences I have had in the classroom. However, I had a lot to contribute when were broken off into small groups. I am more comfortable talking to a group of 2-3 students than I am in front of the whole class. This is probably because I’m scared of saying the wrong thing in front of the group and I do not have a lot of experience talking in front of others because I was never willing to voice my opinions. As the classes go by I am feeling a little bit more comfortable expressing my ideas and sharing examples of my own experiences teaching in early childhood. Also, it’s encouraging when others like to hear how I address certain situations or needs in early childhood. It’s also helpful to know that there’s never a wrong answer when responding to the questions in class because we all have different views and ways of learning. In this particular area I would deduct points for not contributing to the in-class discussions as much as I should.

I believe I have responded to the tickets out the door fairly well. I try to formulate well thought out ideas or questions in the time that is given. I also try to keep up with the readings by either reading them the day before or scheming them before class. I also refer to the readings to pull out quotes that are relevant to the CSEL and PLT posts. I feel as though I could do a better job on the readings by jotting down notes as I read, highlighting on information that I think would be relevant to my field of teaching. With this said, I would deduct points for not following the readings in an efficient way. In terms of questions to consider, I try to logically think about how I would approach different situations based on my own experience and knowledge I’ve acquired. My attendance in the class has been really good so far. I have not missed one class and arrive to class on time. I plan on keeping a perfect attendance throughout the rest of this course. Lastly, I try to advance and strengthen my practice by pulling information from outside resources. I have referred to older textbooks I have used in my former child and family study courses and enjoy reading scholarly journals about early childhood education. I also like to refer to the Responsive Classroom website on how to manage the classroom behavior and environment more effectively.