HD 450 Core Reflections

Reflective Teaching
Pacific Oaks College

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Taking HD 450 helped me understand how to do observations and the importance to take
time to revisit a scenario and analyze what I could have done better; that is the heart of
reflection. I need to stop and view things from different perspectives, and consider others points
of view, because my personal view may not always be the best way to approach a situation. It
made think that if I am going to intervene, I need to consider the childs developmental stage and
make sure it is appropriate so the child can understand. Put yourself in their shoes to understand
the experience from their point of view. (Curtis and Carter, 2008, p. 96). It also led me to realize
that many times my actions were based on my biases however through this course I learned to do
critical thinking. I can now more easily approach situations objectively without personal
prejudice. Reflecting gives us the opportunity to go back and evaluate if we made the right
choice, and reconsider prior actions while developing a plan for what to try next.
Another thing that I gained from this class is the importance of taking risks, and to never
assume what I dont know, and to speak up for what I believe is right. It motivated me to not just
agree, but to share my opinion and not be embarrassed when I am not sure.
During the course we did several observation assignments which really helped me
understand the purpose of meaningful observations and it shifted my way of thinking regarding
the importance of revisiting a scenario and reflecting. I learned the importance of paying
attention to detail and how important the description and interpretation of the environment is
during observations. Through this thoughtful process we can get to better know each child and
develop a plan that will support their individual learning.
One concept I take from this class is that through observations we will be able to see the
potential in each child, and we need to focus on their strengths instead of their weaknesses.

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Another concept was the meaning of culture, and how it refers to our identities and how we
perceive the world through our values and ideals. Culture is something we cannot really see, it is
what is passed on to us through generations as well as how we negotiate our individual lives. It is
who we are and what we do. This is the reason we need to respect children for who they are, and
why it is crucial to create a relationship with the families so that together we find the best ways
possible to support and guide each child according to their individual needs.
We learned about several different theories. One was Maslows Hierarchy of Needs,
where he describes how people are intrinsically motivated to achieve certain needs, and only if
basic needs are met we can move on and develop our lives in the areas of needs. This is very
important to bear in mind, because children we work with sometimes struggle to have to their
physiological, and safety, needs met. We then within the early childhood programs work to create
an environment where a sense of love and belonging is possible. Only then can a child develop
their self esteem and grow into a healthy adulthood where self-actualization is possible. Parents
can often not be with their children all day because they are at work and it is the teachers job to
help guide and support these children to meet these successive needs during the time parents are
not present.
We also learned about John Deweys views on progressive education, and how children
learn best through a hands on approach. This is why it is important for us as teachers to plan our
curriculum on child centered activities, so all children feel included and are allowed to interact
with the environment. They should be able to make use of all of the items available. They should
always have the opportunity to make their own discoveries by being able to touch and explore,
and persist with the activities that interest them.

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We had several in class activities, and two of them stood out for me. One was about the
issues confronting early childhood education. I thought about the sad reality of how society often
promotes a view of children as needing to be fixed, like if there is something wrong with them,
or as they cannot meet what society and the educational system expects from them. Children
often dont have the opportunity to demonstrate all they are capable of doing because they are
expected to meet the STANDARDS that have been set for them. Sadly every child is expected
to learn in the same way and know the same things. It does not matter how each individual child
learns, or the needs they might have at a specific point in time. Another issue we discussed was
how play is not considered a viable source of curriculum. Of course, that I do not agree with it.
When play is not valued in our schools, there is no time given to play, and the young child is
denied his/her natural mode of learning. Instead, the only focus has overwhelmingly become for
children to be prepared academically, so they can be ready to pass the standardized tests.
One other group activity was to come up with words and pictures of what teaching
means to us. As a group we came up with the idea of making a tree because we thought it
represents growth, which to us symbolized teaching. What we plant in children is what will help
them grow and mature, giving them a sense of trust, security and confidence in themselves. On
the tree we hung up all of the words that we came up with of why we love to be teachers. Some
of the words we used were: caring, loving, advocate, nurture and empower, just to name a few.
These words are what we think helps guide, support and love the children we care for and they
show our desire to make a difference in the childrens lives by meeting all of their needs and to
make them feel safe and empowered.
To conclude I say that it does not matter how rigid our daily schedules may be, we need
to make time reflect so we have the opportunity to look back at our approach and the way the

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children responded, or examine what was modeled or learned. Team work in our schools is
crucial; we need to be able to see what things are working and the areas that need improvement
so we can work on implementing the changes we think will benefit our schools and children.
After doing our observations and reflections I realized the importance of not letting our personal
views, beliefs, and values interfere on our decision because they may have a great impact on the
children we serve.

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REFERENCES
Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2008). Learning together with young children: A curriculum framework
for reflective teaching. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf press