I found this website today-ALFY and think it is so cool! It has a feature where you can enter your individual lesson plan information and save it or print it out. The only thing I don't like about it is that you have to submit your ideas if you save your lesson plan. But it is a great idea and a good tool. Here is a link to a lesson plan I created to try it out- Lesson Plan.
Try it. I have seen others kind of like this on the net, but not to this quality. It gives you a lesson plan like I was taught to in college.
I hope it makes preschool lesson planning easier. I know teachers need all the time savers we can get!!!
Showing posts with label quality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quality. Show all posts
Monday, January 21, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Study: Preschool Teachers Stress Related to Expulsions
Did we really need a study to validate this statement? I think this just shows how desperate the need is for QUALITY preschools, for teachers and the kids. If you have team teaching with lower child teacher ratios and a good director as a support system, you are going to have less stressed teachers. And in turn, they can pay attention to the needs of those kids who need more.
Click here for the article from the L.A Times.
Click here for the article from the L.A Times.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Time for Preschool Lesson Plans in Your Day?
YEAH RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
If your center is like most, your planning time is during nap time minus your lunch break. That's if your lucky. Unless you have been doing this for years, preschool lesson planning isn't that easy. And even if you have been teaching 10 years, isn't that "All about me" theme boring by now? It isn't our job to give an average start to our classes, but to help them be exceptional. To do that, we have to be exceptional ourselves. But how? When you have to squeeze your lesson planning in between your lunch break and cleaning up the cots!!! I don't have an easy answer to this, I am afraid.
I wish I could. I think lesson planning is important and worth a couple hours out of your week.But with small budgets and high turnover rates how do you find the time? I think the answer is the directors and assistant directors. I know they are busy with payments , staffing and keeping costs down, but why don't they come around and give each teaching team time to plan their next week's activities? It would help them remember the struggles their staff goes through in the class room every day. They may even see what you are talking about with that unruly kid!
If your center is like most, your planning time is during nap time minus your lunch break. That's if your lucky. Unless you have been doing this for years, preschool lesson planning isn't that easy. And even if you have been teaching 10 years, isn't that "All about me" theme boring by now? It isn't our job to give an average start to our classes, but to help them be exceptional. To do that, we have to be exceptional ourselves. But how? When you have to squeeze your lesson planning in between your lunch break and cleaning up the cots!!! I don't have an easy answer to this, I am afraid.
I wish I could. I think lesson planning is important and worth a couple hours out of your week.But with small budgets and high turnover rates how do you find the time? I think the answer is the directors and assistant directors. I know they are busy with payments , staffing and keeping costs down, but why don't they come around and give each teaching team time to plan their next week's activities? It would help them remember the struggles their staff goes through in the class room every day. They may even see what you are talking about with that unruly kid!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
What Does a Quality Preschool Program Look Like?
Quality preschool programs can be defined but it takes some thinking. First of all, you need someone capable of developing strong preschool lesson plans, and implementing them. But that's only the tip of the iceberg.
If you have a good teacher who is creative and intelligent, but have large class sizes, that teacher won't be able to perform the job she was hired to do. But staff is the most important indicator of a quality preschool program. If a program offers computers, and a "Spanish program" but hire non-educated people at $6.00 an hour, what does this indicate about this program? This says although they want to appear to offer a "Quality preschool curriculum", what they are offering is glorified babysitting. Why pay $200 a week for babysitting when your child can be learning and thriving in a great preschool environment.
So when you are looking for a place for your child to go to preschool, think about what they are offering you, and ask about the qualifications of those you trust with your child's preschool education. If you opt for the low cost option automatically you may short change your child's education.
If you have a good teacher who is creative and intelligent, but have large class sizes, that teacher won't be able to perform the job she was hired to do. But staff is the most important indicator of a quality preschool program. If a program offers computers, and a "Spanish program" but hire non-educated people at $6.00 an hour, what does this indicate about this program? This says although they want to appear to offer a "Quality preschool curriculum", what they are offering is glorified babysitting. Why pay $200 a week for babysitting when your child can be learning and thriving in a great preschool environment.
So when you are looking for a place for your child to go to preschool, think about what they are offering you, and ask about the qualifications of those you trust with your child's preschool education. If you opt for the low cost option automatically you may short change your child's education.
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