Jimmy Kilpatrick
EducationNews.org

1. What have you learned from this project?

A LOT!

Being able to reflect has helped me as a teacher so much! Keeping notes on lessons and students has helped me know what skills needed to be re-taught, what skills were already mastered, and which students needed individual instruction in what areas.

3. At what point did you make a fundamental shift in your teaching belief system based on the new information and experiences?

Almost immediately! We moved to a new building soon after we started with the grant. I was so ready to get on board with what the latest research says about classroom environment!

4. Name the ideas or strategies that have had the greatest impact on the way you interact with your children?

I learned so many new strategies this year, but the one that sticks out the most, and the one I've tried to use a lot is strive for five. When I have conversations with my children, I try to use strive for five to get the most oral language out of them that I can.

5. What accommodations do you make for children needing additional assistance?

Lots of different things; working with them one on one, working with them in centers, etc...

6. Have you identified different strands of instruction as "most difficult to teach or implement?" Does having input in your own professional development produce greater "ownership" results? How have the consultants modeled for you and provide on-going follow through? How has "reflecting" on your learning and teaching experiences benefited you?

Teaching some strands are more difficult to teach to my ESL students, but I think all strands are equally difficult. Having input in my own professional development is great! I have more appreciation for professional development that pertains to my field. It does give us a sense of "ownership." The consultants have been awesome! I love the fact that they come into our classrooms to do lessons. They do provide continuous support. The follow through on how to extend their lessons is wonderful! Keeping a reflection journal has helped me in many ways. It helps me remember what worked and what didn't. I was able to refer back to my notes to remember how a certain lesson worked, etc...

7. What would you say to people who think it is not "developmentally appropriate" to teach language arts skills to young children in pre-school?

I would refer to scientifically based research that says that it is. I would also give examples of how we teach language arts skills in pre-k. We don't have them in desks. I think that may a misconception when we say we are teaching language arts in pre-k. The younger they learn, the more they absorb. They are like sponges!

8. Do you think the work you have done this year will still affect the kids when they get into kindergarten and first grade?

Absolutely! I can't wait to see how they do in Kinder and First! In fact, I keep telling our Kinder teachers how surprised they are going to be! Most teachers spend the first few weeks refreshing and reteaching. I feel like they are going to breeze those first few weeks. I can't wait to see how they do!

9. How has the clear articulation of the research base (scientifically-based reading research) for the strategy modeled improved your instructional model?

It has given me a better sense of what I should be teaching and what is not as important. The research has also given me a lot of insight on what these kids should be doing developmentally at this age.

10. What impact have the connections and extensions across classroom centers played in the wonderful progress of your children?

They have been able to learn so much through the play in my centers. It has given them great connections on how we use what we are learning in our day to day lives. The centers have given them a wonderful understanding of everything that we learn.

11. Have you made any changes to your classroom environment? If so what kind of differences has this change made for your children? What are you now observing that you didn't see prior to your change?

I have made so many changes to my environment. I have made changes in the kind if centers I have, how I arrange my centers, what I put in my centers according to what unit we are working on, etc... My children don't near as bored with my centers since I have changed them. They love going to all of them and it has improved their oral language! Their vocabulary has gone through the roof! I feel like this is also because I've made changes to my centers. I see real learning going on in these centers! It's great! 

12. Do you believe assessment of young children's literacy knowledge and skills inform your instruction? If yes, how? If no, why not?

Yes! I know what they need more help on. For example, after assessing my kids at midterm, I realized that I needed to work more on rhyming words. I thought that they really got rhyming from what I had already taught. In unison, they sound like they really got it, but individually I was wrong. After I realized this, I got more effective strategies to teach rhyming from the consultants.

13. Is there a parental component being used to assists parents in the home environment?

Yes. We have had two parent nights. These parent nights are great. We provide child care, food, etc... The parents are able to learn some of the strategies that we actually use in the classroom. They learn simple things they can do at home to improve their child's literacy skills. They also get materials to take home. (Ex: books, manipulatives, etc...)

14. Is there anything else you may want to add?

Just that I love this grant, and I love the whole ERF team. From our director to our literacy coach to our consultants! They are all wonderful and provide awesome support! I love the money we have gotten for our environment as well! It's a lot easier to do these great things for our kids with a little money!

Published October 27, 2008

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