Candidate Work Sample

Candidate Work Sample 1
Candidate Work Sample
Kayla Hagerman
Colorado State University

Table of Contents
Description of the Group ................................................................................................................ 3
Student Expectations ................................................................................................................... 3
Student-Teacher Interactions....................................................................................................... 3
School Demographics ................................................................................................................. 6
The Classroom............................................................................................................................. 7
Classroom Management .............................................................................................................. 9
Provocations and Evidence of Assessment ................................................................................... 10
Provocation One ........................................................................................................................ 10
Evidence of Assessment for Provocation One .......................................................................... 13
Provocation Two ....................................................................................................................... 17
Evidence of Assessment for Provocation Two ......................................................................... 20
Provocation Three ..................................................................................................................... 22
Evidence of Assessment for Provocation Three ....................................................................... 26
Provocation Four ....................................................................................................................... 29
Reflection ...................................................................................................................................... 33
Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 37
Field Assignment 1- Families and Professionalism .................................................................. 37
Field Assignment 2- Development and Learning ..................................................................... 38
Field Assignment 3- The Physical Environment....................................................................... 42
Field Assignment 4- Social Development ................................................................................. 47
Field Assignment 5- Reflective Statements, Redirection, and Consequences .......................... 50
Field Assignment 6- Classroom Materials ................................................................................ 52
Field Assignment 7- Facilitating Smooth Transitions .............................................................. 54
Field Assignment 8- Implementation of Small and Large Group Activities ............................ 56
Field Assignment 9- Assessment in Early Childhood ............................................................... 60
Field Assignment 10- Anti-Bias Awareness ............................................................................. 63
References ..................................................................................................................................... 66
Description of the Group
This semester I had the privilege of working with the Older Preschoolers in room eleven
at the Early Childhood Center at Colorado State University. Older Preschoolers are typically
aged four to five. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the classroom served eleven to fifteen students.
The school is accredited by National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC), licensed by the Colorado Department of Human Services, and is Reggio-Emilia
inspired.
Student Expectations
The Early Childhood Center (ECC), a laboratory school within Colorado State
University, is Reggio-Emilia inspired, providing a cutting-edge approach to education of the
young child. Their philosophy is to educate the young child using a play-based curriculum that is
child-directed, meaning that all mentors in the education process view the child as competent and
capable. The school serves children ages six weeks to six years.
In my experience at the ECC, I observed that many things are expected of the children.
Most importantly, children are expected to be explorers. Children are expected to make
discoveries of their world and the world around them as they progress through development. The
ECC holds the belief that with guidance of teachers, parents, and peers, children will gain skill
sets across all domains of development.
Student-Teacher Interactions
From my experience interacting with children, and alongside classroom teachers, I have
noticed a strong bond between teachers and the students, I myself have felt this connection. The
interaction between students and teachers at the ECC are unique as the school encourages both to
be learners in the process of education. Students often interact with teachers knowing that the
teacher often knows the answer but that the teacher will help guide them towards discovery. I
believe that this side-by-side discovery process has supported the connections I have made with
students and therefore I feel that I had closer and more honest relationships with my students.
Using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) I evaluated student-teacher
interactions using the six following categories, Behavior Management, Positive Climate,
Instructional Learning Formats, Concept Development, Quality of Feedback, and Language
Modeling. Each category was judged on a scale of Low to High; rating Low with scores of one
or two, Middle with scores of three, four, or five, and High with scores of six or seven. Overall
the older preschool room scored High in each of the six categories with exception to Behavior
Management, average scoring in the Middle range. The completed evaluation is as follows:
Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)

Behavior Management
Clear Behavior Expectations 7/7- Rules and expectations for behaviors are
clear and consistently enforced.
Proactive 6/7- The teacher is consistently proactive and
monitors the classroom effectively to prevent
problems from developing.
Redirection of Misbehavior 5/7- Some of the teachers attempts to redirect
misbehavior are effective, particularly when he
or she focuses on positives and uses subtle
cues. As a result, misbehavior rarely continues,
escalates, or takes away time from learning.
Student Behavior 6/7- There are periodic episodes of
misbehaviors in the classroom.
Positive Climate Instructional Learning Formats
Relationships 7/7- There are many indications that the
teacher and students enjoy warm, supportive
relationships with one another.
Positive Affect 7/7- There are frequent displays of positive
affect by the teacher and/or students
Positive Communication 7/7- There are frequently positive
communications, verbal or physical, among
teachers and students.
Respect 7/7- The teacher and students consistently
demonstrate respect for one another.
Concept Development
Analysis and Reasoning 7/7- The teacher often uses discussions and
activities that encourage analysis and
reasoning.
Creating- 7/7 7/7- The teacher often provides opportunities
for students to be creative and/or generate their
own ideas and products
Integration- 6/7 6/7- The teacher consistently links concepts
and activities to one another and to previous
learning.
Connections to the Real World- 7/7 7/7- The teacher consistently relates concepts
to the students actual lives.
Quality of Feedback
Scaffolding 7/7- The Teacher often scaffolds for students
who are having a hard time understanding a
concept, answering a question, or completing
an activity.
Feedback Loops 6/7- These are frequent feedback loops- back-
and-forth exchanges- between the teacher and
students.
Prompting Thought Processes 7/7- The teacher often queries the students or
prompts students to explain their thinking and
rationale for responses and actions.
Providing Information 7/7- The teacher often provided additional
information to expand on students
understanding or actions.
Encouragement and Affirmation 7/7- The teacher often offers encouragement of
students efforts that increases students
involvement and persistence.
Language Modeling
Frequent Conversations- 7/7 7/7- There are frequent conversations in the
classroom
Open-Ended Questions- 7/7 7/7- The teacher asks many open-ended
questions
Repetition and Extension- 7/7 7/7- The teacher often repeats of extends the
students responses
Self and Parallel Talk- 7/7 The teacher consistently maps his or her own
actions and the students actions through
language and description
Advanced Language- 7/7 7/7- The teacher often uses advanced language
with students.
Instructional Learning Formats
Effective Facilitation 6/7- The teacher actively facilitates students
engagement in activities and lessons to
encourage participation and expanded

involvement.
Variety of Modalities and Materials 7/7- The teacher uses a variety of modalities
including auditory, visual, and movement and
uses a variety of materials to effectively
interest students and gain their participation
during activities and lessons.
Student Interest 7/7- Students are consistently interested and
involved in activities and lessons.
Clarity of Learning Objectives 7/7- The teacher effectively focuses students
attention toward learning objectives and/or the
purpose of the lesson.
Considering Behavior Management in the classroom, based on the CLASS Assessment, I
considered the some of the classroom demographics and observed potential reasonings for the
lower scoring in this category. Some children, including a student with Sensory Processing
Disorder, struggle with classroom transitions and whole-group expectations. This has often
impacted the flow of the classroom as expectations are not always repeated and redirection is not
always followed, taking time away from overall learning. Other categories from my evaluation
scored High and therefore suggest that the classroom teachers are otherwise effectively creating
positive student-teacher interactions throughout the day.
School Demographics
The Early Childhood Center serves a variety of families in the northern Colorado region.
Every day, about ten to fourteen students are present in the older preschool room, six females
and eight males total. The class consists of children from mostly middle and upper socio-
economic families. I think it is important to mention that currently much of the classroom ethnic
diversity includes families that identify as White, Hispanic/Latino, or Black/African American.
That said, family structures within the classroom are also diverse, this diversity has been most
commonly observed in the childrens play as children from various families are more likely to
follow gender roles and stereotypes than others. This demographic trend is continuous
throughout the entire school. The classroom also serves one child who is diagnosed with Sensory
Processing Disorder. Knowing the demographics of the classroom is essential as it allows for
more informed instruction. The classroom teachers are always intentional when considering
adding and removing materials from the classroom, always considering materials that reflect the
demographics of the classroom and that all are equally respected.
Something that I have found unique working with the Early Childhood Center is their
encouragement for families to be present in the classroom. The ECC is accredited by the
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and NAEYCs code of
ethics presents a responsibility to a safe learning environment, to children, families, colleagues,
and the community (NAEYC, 2011). Children are most influenced by how they spend their time,
which is most often at home and at school. Families are essential to a childs development and I
was surprised to see how often families can be a part of the school day. Multiple times
throughout the semester, families came in to celebrate birthdays at birthday circle, they came to
share life experiences, wisdom, and so much more. Family members are active volunteers for the
school which in turn creates a more inclusive and successful school environment for the children.
The Classroom
As previously mentioned, the Early Childhood Center at Colorado State University is in
Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has been in operations for more than eighty years but has
only been in its current location since 2013 therefore the condition of the school is in good
quality (Colorado State University, 2015). Fort Collins is a rapidly growing urban community
which sits at the base on the Rocky Mountains. Proximity to the mountains has a large impact on
the community of northern Colorado, which is reflected in the students at the ECC. Much of the
classroom is inspired by natural beauty therefore the classroom is decorated with earthy tones
and natural materials, classroom furniture is mostly wooden as well.
The Classroom is set up to offer the students a variety of centers and organized so that
everything is height-appropriate and available to the child. The older preschool room is best
described as two classrooms opened into one larger space, a step divides the classroom in half.
On one side of the classroom are table and chairs, the library, drawing table, sink, and teacher
cabinets. The other half of the classroom offers dramatic play, the sensory table, the light table,
blocks, student cubbies, and the cozy corner. Each half of the classroom offers a different variety
of activities to engage in and all are utilized throughout the course of the day.
The physical environment of the room is organized in ways to help promote the learning
of the young child. Each placement of materials is intentional as different areas engage the
children in different ways. Using ECERS Checklist of Assessing the Visual Material
Environment the classroom offers area to exercise both fine and gross motor skills, display work,
engage privacy/large groups, personal routines and various activities and routines (Frank Porter
Graham Child Development Institute, n.d.). The availability of materials in the classroom highly
engages the students, therefore with scaffolding and assistance from the teachers, learning
experiences are common and rich. For example, the students had a high interest in using colored
water which they referred to as potions, and using various tools to make more potions and move
from one container to the other. This activity was typically offered at the light table and tools
such as pipets, pipet dividers, and various sized containers were available for students to engage
the colored water with. The use of the light table for this activity allows for deeper engagement
with the materials because students are better able to recognize changes in color, amounts of
water, and any anomalies that might occur. A typical table may not allow the students to see
these changes as quickly therefore it might hinder their learning process.
Classroom Management
The Early Childhood Center practices a child-centered approach therefore classroom
management and conflict resolution offers guidance and discipline that promotes social-
emotional development in the young child. The older preschool room at the ECC follows the
CARES Model to Guiding Childrens Behaviors which uses nine disciplines that guide
classroom management and conflict resolution. These disciplines include using the safety rule,
providing positive verbal guidance, modeling desired behavior, reinforcing appropriate behavior,
ignoring non-disruptive inappropriate behaviors, offering choices, redirecting and offering
acceptable substitutes, facilitating problem solving with children, and finally, using logical
consequences. The use of these disciplines and developing language to use in situations of
classroom management and conflict resolution such as I noticed and First then
statements have helped work towards a positive solution in the past.
In my experience in this classroom I noticed that transitions and peer conflict resolution
were the most frequent situations of difficult classroom management and conflict resolution.
Several students in the classroom have difficulty transitioning in the morning when cleaning up
and moving to morning meeting. This could be because of several reasons; my theory is that the
time of day could be influencing their behaviors, occasional lack of communication of
expectations, and various individual deficits or delays in development. For example, one student
in the classroom diagnosis with Sensory Processing Disorder lashes out violently and
emotionally during the morning transition often. Sometimes he says its because they didnt get
enough time to play and it wasnt fair but other times it can be caused for other reasons. This
student is not the only one who struggles during this time of day therefore assessment of how to
make this transition smoother may be necessary.
Provocations and Evidence of Assessment
Provocation One
Co-Teachers: Payton Poalillo and Kayla Hagerman
Title: Storytelling continued
Observation: What? What are children saying, doing? What observations is this
based on?
The children have taken a liking to the idea of storytelling. Kristina had started this unit
with them and it really sparked interest. Their ideas are amazing. They are coming up
with a story line all together and adding characters and finding a place for them to
grocery shop in. Their ideas are so complex and it is awesome to see it continue to
unfold. They are working together and asking each other what type of characters still
need to be added and why. They are finding more ways to stretch out the story. These
observations are based on taking down specific notes of what they say when they say it
and prompting them with questions to find out why they are designing a character a
certain way and its purpose.
Question: (finding intention for provocation)
How far can these childrens imagination grow?
Hypothesis: What do you predict the children will do and learn from this?
We predict that the children will learn that their stories can come alive and that their
imaginative minds are important. We also think this is a great way to incorporate
dramatic play and allow them to put their ideas into action.
Setting: Where will you offer this? Why?
We will offer this inside or maybe out in the hallway of the classroom in a small group
setting.
Materials:
Big flip book on the easel, markers for writing out story and coloring utensils for
completing drawings.
Procedure: What is going to happen first? How are you going to close your
provocation?
They will begin with the teachers sitting down with a big flip book. We will take turns
and call on children to begin, add to and end their story. The teachers write it on the
bottom of the page and leave room for pictures. They will be able to illustrate each page.
Once the story is completed, they will finish up illustrations and then get the opportunity
to act out their story utilizing dramatic play.
Extensions: How can you extend their learning?
We can extend their learning by asking them questions while they are creating the story
together, for example: Why do you think that Annes character needs to go to the grocery
store now? What does she look like? Just getting them to expand on their reasoning
behind their story will extend their learning. Also, working together will be a valuable
provocation of sharing and considering the thoughts of others.
Simplifications: How can you make it easier?
We could make it easier by writing a simple story with a little input from them and then
have them draw it and act it out.
Essential Questions: Open-ended Qs to ask children to provoke thinking
What is going to begin our story?
Who are our characters and why? What do they look like and why?
What kinds of places need to be a part of our story (grocery store, houses,
community)? Why?
Whos the main character? Is there one?
Preschool Colorado Department of Education State Standards Addressed by
Provocation:
Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 1.1- Conceptual understanding
conveyed through vocabulary words can occur using a variety of modalities. Demonstrate
use of vocabulary on oral language to express ideas and events
Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 1.2- Listening and comprehension skills
are required to be clearly understood. Listen with comprehension, and follow two-step
directions.
Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 3.1- Pictures express ideas. Draw
pictures to generate, represent, and express ideas or share information. Orally describe or
tell about a picture. Use shapes, letter-like symbols, and letters to represent words or
ideas.
Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 3.2- Letters are formed with accuracy.
Begin to develop proper pencil grip when drawing or writing
Reflection: What happened? Did it go like you thought? Did anything not go well?
Why? What will you try again next time? What will you change for next time?
This went tremendously well for our first provocation by ourselves. It actually did go as
planned. We made a few small adjustments such as: writing on the floor instead of
writing on the board with the big paper because it was quicker and allowed the children
to stay interested in what the teachers had to say for longer. Other than that, it was to the
provocation. We all agreed to continue with the provocation but ask the children more
questions throughout the provocation. Ask them to describe their characters and ask them
specific questions about them such as: why did you make his arms that color and do his
fins help him swim faster and why? This allows for the children to dig deeper into their
investigation and get more from the provocation and from us as their teachers.
Evidence of Assessment for Provocation One
Child Domain Observed Observation

Observed
(Alternative
names were
Outcome of
given to
Assessment
each child
observed)
Tyler Domain: Pre-Assessment:
Cognitive/ Tyler, present during most of the completed provocations,
Language played a large role in the development of the story
Swimmers in the Ocean. During the initial writing
process, Tyler showed interest by expressing his ideas for
the story. The expectation was that children would raise

their hand if they had an idea to share, Tyler was able to
follow these instructions most of the time.
Post-Assessment:
For the story the teachers would discuss what makes a
story a story. Some of the kids, including Tyler, told us
that a story has characters. When we asked if there was a
beginning Tyler told us that there had to also be an end.
This shows us that Tyler can identify the process of a

story and parts of a story.
His ideas were imaginative and symbolic of reality. When

a different child suggested that we use scuba-divers as
characters and were in the process of drawing the
characters he used problem-solving skills and thoughts
about reality to determine that the scuba-diver needed air
underwater, so he drew a helmet.
Outcome of We observed that Tyler displayed use of vocabulary on

Assessment oral language to express ideas and events (CDE 1.1)
when helping think of ideas for the story. He also
demonstrated listening with comprehension, and
following two-step directions (CDE 1.2) when told to
hold up his hand and wait his turn to share his ideas.
Domain: Physical Pre-Assessment:

During the process of illustrating, Tyler took interest in
coloring several different pages. In the beginning his
efforts for drawing showed that he was making large
coloring movements, most likely to color in as much as

he could as fast as he could.
Post-Assessment:
Over time Tyler began coloring more precisely,
exercising his fine motor skills.
Tyler also exercised fine motor skills by engaging in the

writing process. He was eager to write but needed
guidance remembering what letter to write next and
decoding what each letter was. This process also falls
under that Cognitive/Language domain but the focus here
was to observe Tylers fine motor skills. He displayed
these skills by appropriately holding a colored pencil and
controlling his hand in correspondence to where on the
page he wanted to draw.
Outcome of Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard (CDE)

Assessment 3.2- We observed that Tyler formed letters with
developing accuracy by beginning to develop proper
pencil grip when drawing or writing.
Blake Cognitive/ Pre-Assessment:

Language During this provocation, Blake was interested in helping
to write the story and brainstorming ideas but struggled
agreeing with his peers about what exactly should go onto
each page. Other children, with teacher guidance,
suggested a compromise between the ideas. Blake then
agreed if his idea went on one of the pages.
Post-Assessment:
This shows that Blakes problem solving still need
development as he struggles agreeing with others.
Similarly, Blake is developing within this domain
because after suggestion he was eventually able to
compromise. During the illustration portion of this
provocation, Blake displayed developing cognitive skills
when drawing pictures for the page about baby scuba-
divers. Blake, after initially drawing the baby scuba-
diver, realized that the story is set underwater. He then
proceeded to draw a helmet around the babys head,
saying that it was meant to help the baby breathe
underwater. His thought process connected both reality
and make-believe which suggests that he is developing
his sense of other vs. world.
Outcome of Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard (CDE)

Assessment 3.1- Pictures express ideas. Draw pictures to generate,
represent, and express ideas or share information with
peers and teacher. Blake requires further development
within the social/emotional and communication domains.
Social/Emotional Pre-Assessment:
For Blakes illistration he worked alongside another peer
in the group. The two shared the page to make
illistrations. Mike, the other peer, asked to join Blake in
his work , Blake accepted. The two exercised their taking
turn abilities while drawing and worked on cooperating
so that their pictures matched the sentence on the page.
Post-Assesment:
When working with Mike, Blake did well sharing and
taking turns but when Blake moved on to a new page with
a new class member, Blake struggled to communicate his
ideas and became upset when she was not respondinging
positively to his idea.
Outcome of Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 1.1-

Assessment Blake struggled to demonstrate use of vocabulary on oral
language to express ideas and events with peers in the
classroom.
Provocation Two
based on?
grocery shop in. Their ideas are so complex and it is awesome to see it continue to
unfold. They are working together and asking each other what type of characters still
Question: Intention for provocation
I predict that the children will learn that their stories can come alive and that their
imaginative minds are important. I also think this is a great way to incorporate dramatic
play and allow them to put their ideas into action.

We will offer this inside or maybe out in the hallway of the classroom in a small group
setting.
Materials:
Big flip book on the easel, markers for writing out story and coloring utensils for
completing drawings.
provocation?
They will begin with Kayla and I sitting down with a big flip book. We will take turns
and call on children to begin, add to and end their story. Kayla and I write it on the
bottom of the page and leave room for pictures. They will be able to illustrate each page.
Once the story is completed, they will finish up illustrations and then get the opportunity
to act out their story utilizing dramatic play.
together, for example: Why do you think that Addy Maes character needs to go to the
grocery store now? What does she look like? Just getting them to expand on their
reasoning behind their story will extend their learning. Also, working together will be a
valuable provocation of sharing and considering the thoughts of others.
We could make it easier by writing a simple story with a little input from them and then
have them draw it and act it out.

What is going to begin our story?
Who are our characters and why? What do they look like and why?
What kinds of places need to be a part of our story? (grocery store, houses,
community)? Why?
Standards Addressed by provocation:
Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 1.3- Early knowledge of phonemic
awareness is the building block of understanding language. Demonstrate understanding
of initial sounds in words (such as mop begins with the /m/ sound)
Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 3.2- Letters are formed with accuracy.
Begin to develop proper pencil grip when drawing or writing
This went tremendously well for our first provocation by ourselves. It did go as planned.
We made a few small adjustments such as: writing on the floor instead of writing on the
board with the big paper because it was quicker and allowed the children to stay
interested in what Kayla and I had to say for longer. Other than that, it was to the
provocation. The only thing we all agreed on (Allison, Kayla and I) was to continue with
the provocation but ask the children more questions throughout the provocation. Ask
them to describe their characters and ask them specific questions about them such as:
why did you make his arms that color and do his fins help him swim faster and why? This
allows for the children to dig deeper into their investigation and get more from the
provocation and from us as their teachers.
Evidence of Assessment for Provocation Two
Provocation # 2
Child Observed Domain Observed Observation
(Alternative
names were given Outcome of
to each child Assessment
observed)
Tyler Physical Pre-Assessment:
Tyler has participated in drawing and writing
provocations previously and needs development
in areas such as controlling his writing utensil to
control detail of drawing and letter formations.
Post-Assessment:
Tyler exercised fine motor skills by engaging in
the writing process. He was eager to write but
needed guidance remembering what letter to write
next and decoding what each letter was. This
process also falls under that Cognitive/Language
domain but the focus here was to observe Tylers
fine motor skills. He displayed these skills by
appropriately holding a colored pencil and
controlling his hand in correspondence to where
on the page he wanted to draw.
Outcome of Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard

Assessment 3.2- Tyler formed letters with accuracy and
began to develop proper pencil grip when

drawing or writing.
Cognitive/Language Pre-Assessment:
Tyler has previously need guidance in recalling
which letter to write, with about 50-60% accuracy
he is able to guess the letter by the phonemic
sound.
Post-Assessment:
Tyler showed developing literacy and language
skills, observed during this provocation. Tyler
was eager to try and add to the written part of the
story but needed guidance in determining how to
spell words. For example, spelling shark he
wanted to know what letter the word started with
so the teachers sounded out the word with him.
He said he thought it was S so we told him that
thats what he should write if he thought it
sounded right. Note that in this process, we also
asked him to ask his peers when trying to
remember or figure out what a letter looked like.

Assessment 1.3- Tyler is showing early knowledge of
phonemic awareness and demonstrating and
understanding of initial sounds in words (ex.
Knowing that shark starts with s)
Mike Cognitive/Language Pre-Assessment:

Mike has displayed very little interest in letter
formation and has display little evidence that he
knew how to write the alphabet, with exception to
his name.
Post- Assessment:
On this day, we also made a cover page for our
book. Mike wanted the responsibility to make the
cover page. Mike was incredibly nervous to write
the title because he wasnt sure what a lot of the
letters looked like. Mike, in his process, relied on
his peers to help him figure out what letters
looked like while the teachers helped guide him
on what words he should try to write. For Mike,
peers would trace letters in the air and on paper
for him to copy. This process shows Mikes
developing concept of literacy and language as he

is learning how to read and write. This
provocation also allowed Mike the opportunity to
develop his willingness to work with others
towards a community goal. Mike took the
responsibility knowing that it would be difficult
but still worked hard towards his desired goal.

Assessment 1.3- Mikes understanding of phonemic awareness
is developing slowly, but with the scaffolding and
help from peers, Mike can distinguish some
letters and their sounds.
Provocation Three
based on?
grocery and pet shop in. Their ideas are so complex and it is awesome to see it continue
to unfold. They are working together and asking each other what type of characters still

This will be a continued provocation as the children had a very high interest in the
storytelling provocation. The children were highly engaged and worked diligently on the
story; creating a storyline and then illustrating their ideas.
Question: Intention for provocation
Can a beginning, middle, and end be made for the story?
We predict that the children will continue sharing ideas that seem to reflect current
classroom themes. For example, last time the children started writing about potions,
which is a dramatic play idea from one of the current classroom sensory stations.
We also predict that the children will continue combining their ideas to make a story
they all love and share.
We will offer this inside or maybe out in the hallway of the classroom in the same small
group as last week with intention to continue our story where we left off.
Materials:
Large paper, markers for writing out story, pencils, and coloring utensils for drawings.
provocation?
Much like last time we will gather our group on the floor but this time we will reflect on
what we made last week. We will read our story and offer the children the opportunity to
continue the story and maybe bring it to an end. Payton and I will continue to write most
of the words but this time we will encourage some of the students to write some words as
well. Once we have come to a stopping point in the story we will then move on to
illustrations. When the students are content with their work and are ready to move on to a
new activity Payton or I will ask the children how might we be able to share our story
with the class. We will brainstorm and after the provocation will end and to be continued.
together, for example: What does the magic do? How do the characters talk to one
another?
Writing out the rest of the story they create rather than having the children write some
words.
How should we continue our story?
What do our characters look like and why?
What kinds of places need to be a part of our story? (grocery store, houses,
community)? Why?

Standards Addressed by Provocation:
Drama and Theatre Arts Standard 1.1- Demonstrate characters through dramatic play.
Imitate or create people, creatures, or things based on observation using body and facial
expression.
Drama and Theatre Arts Standard 2.1- Use dramatic play to imitate characters. Initiate
sustained dramatic play.
directions.
The second time around we did similar activities but were sure to ask the critical open
ended questions that we talked about before. This time we used a different group of
children with one similar one from the first group to help us explain what was going on.
The first thing we did was read the book (the pages previously made by us and other
students to the new group). They were so excited to add to the story. Then we began
creating new pages emphasizing the importance of the beginning of a story (already
done), the middle of the story and the end. These students got to help us with the middle
to the ending of the book. We also talked a lot about the characters and their description
and reasoning behind their unique characteristics while the children were illustrating
(The stingray has spots so he can blend in to the ocean floor.) The only thing that Kayla
and I adjusted for in our provocation was making only a few pages because they wanted
to draw and we could tell that they were losing interest after a while, in writing the book.
To adjust, we simply told students that we would finish up writing this page together and
then they would get a chance to draw their ideas. For next time, we agreed that we would
finish up the book and drawings and then change the structure of the setting into a
dramatic play setting. Next provocation the children will be given the chance to use props
in the dramatic play area to bring their story to life.
Evidence of Assessment for Provocation Three
Provocation # 3
Child Domain Observed Observation
Observed
(Alternative
names were Outcome of
given to each Assessment
child
observed)
Anne Cognitive/ Language Pre-Assessment:
Anne has consistently shown interest in dramatic
play in the past. She can strongly identify with
characters and uses creative thought to guide her
actions.
Post-Assessment:
Anne participated in the dramatic play representation
part of the provocation. She displayed interest in
expressing the story using realistic props with
symbolic meaning. In doing so she displayed
representational knowledge and logical-mathematical
knowledge of the story by connecting what she could
have props for and how many props she needed. By
the end of the provocation she had chosen a character
to represent herself by dressing up. She chose to be a
scuba-diver and used a sheer cloth to cover her head
so that she could breathe underwater. She had also
collected shells and rocks from the classroom and put

them in the area we were working in to represent the
bottom of the ocean.
Outcome of Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 1.1,

Assessment Drama and Theatre Arts Standard 1.1 and 2.1- Anne
could interpret the story, collect the necessary props
and materials and the demonstrate her ideas through
dramatic play and imitate the character she chose.
Social/Emotional Pre-Assessment:
During previous provocations, Anne had difficulty
successfully communicating with teachers and peers
which led to frustration. She needs to work on
communicating her feelings and being open about
ideas.
Post-Assessment:
Anne displayed development of problem-solving and
positive peer realtions when interacting with the
other children in the group. In the beginning there
were disagreements about who should be what
character and what materials they should use. Anne
then said that she had an idea and then she explained
why she wanted to be a scuba-diver and then
explained that other people could be scube-divers,
not just her. Her idea was helpful because other
children aregeed and the problem was solved.
Throughout the rest of the provocation the children

continued to share their ideas and eventually we had
a gaint pile of materials to use and lots of characters,
she even suggested that teachers play a character
because there wasnt enough kids.
Outcome of Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 1.2-

Assessment Anne has a developing sense of communication and
is developing a better understanding of problem
solving. Her interest (dramatic play) in this
provocation could have influenced her behavior and
willingness to work with others.
Henry Physical Pre-Assessment:
Henry often engages in dramatic play during free
play time in the morning during drop-off. He
typically builds a scructure with classroom materials
and engages in play with peers.
Post-Assessment:
Henry exercised his gross motor skills by becoming a
character and maintaining his character attributes.
Henry did this by utilizing his skills to tell our story
thoughout our dramatic play area inside the
classroom, moving from one side to the other
(swimming throughout the ocean just as a scubadiver
would do) He would utlize props within the
classroom to add to his character astetic really
allowing the story to come alive. Similarly, he
exercised his gross motor manipulative skills to add
pieces of clothing to his outfit. (Teachers reminded
students that they may need to add something to their
outfit so that they could be sure they could breathe
underwater as real scuba divers other (non sea-animal
characters) This is when Henry would grab a cloth
piece utilizing his gross manipulative skills and put it
over his head making it his scubadiving gear.Other
children created similar tasks really engaging their
gross motor skills but this particular child really
utilized the props in unique and realistic ways to
enhance the way the story was told through dramatic
play.
Outcome of Drama and Theatre Arts Standard 1.1- Henry

Assessment demonstrated that he is capable of imitating people,
creatures, or things by imitating scuba-divers using
his entire body.
Provocation Four
based on?
grocery and pet shop in. Their ideas are so complex and it is awesome to see it continue
to unfold. They are working together and asking each other what type of characters still
This was a continued provocation as the children had a very high interest in the
storytelling provocation. The children were highly engaged and worked diligently on the
story; creating a storyline and then illustrating their ideas.
Question: (finding intention for provocation)

How can we think of ways to share our story with friends?
We predict that the children will continue sharing ideas that seem to reflect current
classroom themes. For example, last time the children started writing about potions,
which is a dramatic play idea from one of the current classroom sensory stations.
We also predict that the children will continue combining their ideas to make a story they
all love and share.
We will offer this inside or maybe out in the hallway of the classroom in the same small
group as last week with intention to continue our story where we left off.
Materials:
Large paper, markers for writing out story, pencils, and coloring utensils for drawings.
Procedure: (what is going to happen first? How are you going to close your
provocation?)
Much like last time we will gather our group on the floor but this time we will reflect on
what we made last week. We will read our story and offer the children the opportunity to
share their ideas about how to re-enact or share the story. Much of this provocation is to
explore how the children think this story is best told. We want them to share their ideas
and the story with others but will not encourage one specific outcome such as simply
acting it out. What ideas do they have? Will this be continuous work? I think it is
important that we have the children plan their ideas, assign roles or jobs if needed, and
brainstorm a storytelling presentation for others. Because the ideas have yet to be
formed of how and when we share it is unclear of how this day will end.
Extensions: (how can you extend their learning?)
together, for example: What does the magic do? How do the characters talk to one
another? What do the potions do?
Simplifications: (how can you make it easier?)
Writing out the rest of the story they create rather than having the children write some
words.
Essential Questions: (Open-ended Qs to ask children to provoke thinking)
How could we share our book? Who should we share it with? Can we show them the
book? Can we act out the story? Can we make the story out of parts? How many
characters/actors/actresses/animals do we need? What is the setting? Do we need any
props? How can we show that the story is underwater? What do the characters look like?
Do we need to make our props? Where should we be when we tell our story (outside,
inside, etc.)?
Standards Addressed by Provocation:

directions.
Drama and Theatre Arts Standard 1.1- Demonstrate characters through dramatic play.
Imitate or create people, creatures, or things based on observation using body and facial
expression.
Drama and Theatre Arts Standard 2.1- Use dramatic play to imitate characters. Initiate
sustained dramatic play.
This went well, we ended our book and then began brainstorming. We told the children
how important it was that we got their perspective and ideas on how we should share it.
Every student had a different idea such as: singing our book to the class, reading our
book to the class or acting it out to the class. As soon as the acting out idea was said
every student in our group said YEAH! We decided that since this was our goal (to
integrate dramatic play) this was what we were going to do. After we brainstormed for
this small group day, we began to do it the very next day. The teachers set out some basic
relevant dramatic play materials such as sea shells, rocks, blue party streamers for the
waves of the ocean, etc. This was just to spark their ideas. Again, it went well and I think
we will continue to do a couple days of small group dramatic play to practice and then
show it off to the whole class soon.

Reflection
I had the privilege of being placed for my practicum in the Older Preschool room at the
Early Childhood Center at Colorado State University. This teaching experience had its ups and
downs but was enjoyable because of the relationships I formed and the learning experiences I
had. This past semester my co-teacher and I, Payton Poalillo, contributed to the classroom by
planning several provocations and activities as well as aided the classroom teachers with
classroom responsibilities. Our four recorded provocations were unique as they were based from
one original observation and a continuous effort to accommodate the childrens needs and
interests. These provocations, along with other experiences at the ECC, have contributed to my
personal growth as a teacher.
Something that I was not expecting from this semester was the quality of relationships I
was able to form with most of my students. At the beginning of the semester I was hesitant about
how the course of the semester was going to go because the first day of my placement felt like
chaos. I was overwhelmed by the classroom energy levels and simply not prepared to work with
preschoolers for longer periods of time. This soon changed. I made connections with students
whom I never would have anticipated making such strong connections with. For example, one
student was easily overwhelmed with the classroom environment, when overwhelmed he would
protest the classroom by throwing things around and becoming emotional, it wasnt until a few
weeks into the semester when I was able to talk to him during one of his tantrums. Talking with
him that day while he calmed down was special, he told me about his favorite things and what
makes him happy and we ended up having a lot of things in common. Forming different
relationships with the kids over the first couple of weeks made coming in every Tuesday and
Thursday something to look forward to, it inspires me to always look for connections with my
students as it made teaching at the ECC a privilege.
Something that I also consider having gone well during this teaching experience was the
provocations that Payton and I put together. Over the course of the first four weeks we noticed a
pattern of interest in storytelling and dramatic play, therefore we wanted to base our
provocations on this observation. Our four recorded observations were continuous in that after
one day we would reflect, modify, and then the next day we would move forward with our
modifications. Only three assessments were completed during the provocation process. I was
incredibly satisfied with the work that we did with our students and it felt good to hold a product
that was collectively made by the class. For our provocation process we started by having the
children come up with a story, they then helped write the story, illustrate, and helped perform the
book. Payton and I had to adjust a few things when working with the children but overall the
provocations went well as they held the students interests and attention as well as hit several
domains of learning and education standards.
One problem that I encountered was my comfort level in approaching situations of
conflict. The ECC approaches misbehavior and conflict in a way that is child-centered and
focuses on trying to help the child develop social-emotional skills. This approach was different
in comparison to previous school settings I had been in therefore it was difficult to adjust. I think
I most struggled getting used to the language used to help resolve conflict and misbehavior. Over
time I could adjust but near the end of the semester I often still asked for assistance from my
mentor teacher to help guide the children towards a positive solution. This problem I had during
my teaching experience is similar to the problem I had at first with my comfort level working
within Reggio-Emilia inspired curriculum. At first I struggled not having an exact guide and
structure to follow and Reggio-Emilia, because it is child-centered, is more open-ended. It took
me a few weeks to adjust to the language used for classroom management, and even a couple
more to become comfortable enough to plan something as open-ended as a provocation. Now
that I have experienced the curriculum I can see myself teaching in this school setting. In
comparison to before, I feel that my personal beliefs are more closely aligned with the Reggio-
Emilia inspired curriculum.
If I were to experience this practicum again I would be interested in leading at least one
provocation solo. Having Payton for support throughout the semester and during the
provocations was helpful, but I am interested in being able to plan and assess individually for the
experience. Odds are that after graduation I will have my own classroom, with maybe a co-
teacher or supports, but I will have to plan and assess my students individually. Therefore, I
think having early training and practice doing so is beneficial during the teaching experience.
From this teaching experience, I believe that I have grown significantly considering my
teaching philosophy, how I view myself as a professional, and who I strive to be as a teacher in
the future. This semester I was surprised to align as much as I do with Reggio-Emilia inspired
curriculum. I enjoyed creating intentional spaces for the children that would impact their learning
and I now feel more committed to the idea of child-centered practice after this semester. I have
seen how it impacts childhood self-expression and learning and that is something that I have
always wanted to promote. After planning the provocations and becoming more familiar with
day-to-day classroom routines, I now feel more comfortable taking on the role as a teacher. This
semester gave me the opportunity to plan to work with children in large and small groups and
helped me develop my sense of classroom routine. These opportunities make me feel more and
more like a teacher every day, which is something that I have struggled with in the past therefore
this semester was encouraging. In the future, I want to continue to strive to be child-centered,
and continue to serve families and the profession to the best of my ability. To me, having the
opportunity to be involved in education means having the ability and knowledge to educate
children as they begin life. It means having an influence on the future of our society. Childhood
is the foundation of who a person will someday be and it is my hope to be a part of the beginning
as I continue my own path of education.

Appendices
Field Assignment 1- Families and Professionalism
What does it mean to be a professional? What will you do to demonstrate that in your
classroom?
To be a professional, I believe that means stepping up and acting the part. By that I mean when
you are in the classroom you dress to impress but with the idea of being functional, practical, and
child appropriate. Being professional means showing up on time and being prepared. Being
professional is not only for the benefit of yourself but out of the respect for others; including
coworkers, parents, and students. I also believe that your attitude should reflect positively on
your profession. In my classroom, I will demonstrate the previous mentioned and have an open
mind to the expectations of my school, parents, and community.
In early childhood education, I feel that NAEYCs Code of Ethical Conduct (2005) strongly
reflects what it means to be a professional in the field. Having a responsibility to a safe learning
environment, to the children, families, colleagues/profession, and community is huge. Teaching
is not a profession focused on self-achievement but rather focused on the entire educational
community. To be professional in the field is to embody this belief and to serve this community
with your best foot forward.
List three professional goals that you have set for yourself this semester.
This semester I promised myself that I would become more organized with my assignments, aim
to be early more often, and start getting to know my mentor teachers and professors better. These
are things that in the past I felt I have lacked doing and would like to try and improve. By doing
these things I think I will be able to focus more on my ideas for teaching and overall become a
better student.
Describe one thing that you will do this semester to create a supportive and inclusive
environment for all families in your classroom.
This semester I want to have open conversations with the children and families in my classroom
about how I can best meet their needs and be attentive to their interests, especially the childrens.
Doing so I think I will be best serving my responsibility to the students and their families
(NEAYC, 2005).
How does your Mentor Teacher collect the information they need on the cultural groups
represented among your children and their families? What is done with the information
once its collected?
To my understanding, I believe my mentor teacher is very open and honest about curiosities,
especially when the intention is to better understand and serve her students and their families.
My mentor teacher uses inclusive language when in the classroom and when talking to the
students as to not assume any information about the children. When information is collected, I
believe that it is kept in notes or journals so that for future reference it can be located.
Field Assignment 2- Development and Learning
List three goals established for the children in your setting.
A goal I have noticed within my classroom is the concept of self vs. other development and
identifying that others have feelings too and want to be respected. Last week it was one the
childrens birthday and in my classroom, they do birthday circles. The class is asked/expected to
join the circle and celebrate their peer together but two boys had trouble deciding to join the
circle or not. Both were playing together with dinosaurs and when asked to join the others their
response was the birthday boy probably wouldnt care if they played and chose not to respect his
birthday circle like everyone else. My mentor teacher and I both talked to the boys about how
they appreciated it when the current birthday boy and all their other classroom friends came to
their birthday circles. Overall this is not the only instance where something like this event
occurred, the students seem to be struggling with identifying with others and respecting others
wishes and its something that the teachers have been working on. Another goal my classroom
has set is to create strong relationships and connections with family. In the classroom, the
teachers have set up branches with strings attached that have pictures of the childrens families
attached. On the back of every picture is a note that the family wrote for their child. Often when
a child feels homesick they look at their photo and ask a teacher to read the note to them. I think
this method of creating family connection in the classroom is very respectable because it allows
children to make connections between school and home without feeling intense separation. That
said my mentor teachers have both encourage me and the other intern/practicum students to
introduce ourselves to classroom families and to get to know the kids in the class. The more
connections we can make to be a present part of the classroom the better. The final goal for the
classroom is to work on acceptance of change such as times to clean up and move on to a new
activity. Even with notice a lot of children in the classroom seen to be struggling with this. For
example, even after being told multiple times and several minutes prior a group of boys almost
refused to cleanup a pile of Legos one morning. I am struggling of trying to find ways to make
transitions like this one easier for the children.
How does your classroom demonstrate developmentally appropriate practices?

In my classroom at the ECC (Older Preschoolers), I see a variety of developmentally appropriate
practices every day. The co-teachers of the classroom have set up an environment that is meant
to serve each childs needs. For example, the chairs in the room are small and easy for a
preschooler to push in and out, and most importantly, are easy to sit in. Everything in the
classroom that the children have rights to are with easily accessible and at a childs reach. The
teachers have also implemented rules and routines for the preschoolers, knowing that at this age
children should be able to follow rules and simple tasks when asked to do so. The classroom also
serves developmentally appropriate practice by allowing free play in multiple areas of the room;
allowing quality peer interaction and rights to explore various interests and ideas. One area of the
classroom introduces concepts of reading and writing as skills and the teachers have provided
students with alphabet squares and writing utensils. This is an area of teacher-guided instruction.
Overall the classroom works to serve child needs and interests as they begin to develop their path
to school readiness.
Identify one developmental skill or concept that you have seen demonstrated by the
children in your classroom (i.e., parallel play, conservation, classification, object
permanence). Describe the scenario and how the Mentor Teacher and classroom supported
the development of this concept.
I have noticed that my classroom is extremely interested in dinosaurs and recently I have found it
interesting as I observe them distinguish the different types of dinosaurs. I once saw a few
children playing with some toy dinosaurs and occasionally I would hear one of the children ask
for a specific dinosaur by its name rather than its shape or color. I know the mentor teacher has
addressed this interest and is supporting the development of classification because in the
classroom library there are several dinosaur themed books as well as dinosaur classification
books.
Field Assignment 3- The Physical Environment

Draw in detail the room or rooms in which you work with children. Label learning centers
and child activity areas such as large group. Indicate activity areas, doors, windows, sinks,
bathroom facilities, shelves, tables, supply cabinets, other permanent furniture.
Examine the physical space and design of the classroom. Answer the following questions.
1. Can children move from one part of the room to another without interfering other
children?
Yes, this classroom is intentionally set up to be a free-flowing open environment. The
children are free to move from one area to the next without completely interfering with
others work.
2. Are pathways arranged so that children do not interrupt each other?
Yes, the classroom is very large and so instances where space between centers is tight,
there is still enough room for two children to walk past each other comfortably.
3. Are the boundaries between learning centers clear?
Boundaries are semi-clear meaning that there are no lines defining space where children
can play with certain materials but rather it is clear that specific toys or materials belong
in a certain part of the classroom. For example, two centers placed next to each other, the
building center and the light table, are two different centers. Should children want to play
with the building blocks they are encouraged to keep them around the building center as
to not disturb the children at the light table.
4. Are areas arranged to encourage active child choice?
Yes, all the centers are open during free-play time. The materials of every center are also
easily accessible and within sight.
5. Is storage nearby and labeled so children can put things away?
Every child in the classroom has their own cubby. Each cubby has a place for
boots/shoes, a place to hang a backpack or coat, and a place to put artwork they would
like to take home at the end of the day. The cubbies are open and are all eye-level to the
students, therefore easily accessible.
6. Are centers placed so that quiet areas are separate from more active noisy areas?
One center is specifically called the cozy corner. It is placed away from high-traffic
centers and is equipped with soft pillows and blankets. Children who are having trouble
regulating their emotions or need some alone time are encouraged to visit the cozy
corner.
7. Are there places where children may work alone?
Because the room is so large, children are always able to find unoccupied spaces in the
room. I have noticed that this has worked well for the classrooms dynamic because there
are many children who have strong and independent personalities and greatly benefit
from alone time.
8. Are there places where children may work with a small group?
Yes, all tables in the room have a maximum of 4 chairs and most areas of the room only
comfortably fit 4-5 children.
9. Are there places where children may work with a large group?
Large group activities are held at the large rug on the floor. This is where morning
meeting is held.
10. Are temporary centers adjacent to core centers to which they are related?
Yes, recently the classroom has taken interest to ramps and therefore the teachers
provided materials to create ramps. These materials have been placed next to the building
center.
11. Can adults see the children all the time?
Because the room has an open floorplan model it is very easy to see most children at any
given time but because there are a few divisions it is best if at least one teacher is on each
side of the classroom at any given time, Colorado Department of Human Services
requires that no child should ever be left unattended within the school.
12. Is the group big enough for adults and children to gather with comfort?
Yes, on Tuesdays and Thursdays there are on average 13 children and 4-5 adults. All of
which can comfortably gather around the large rug for morning meeting.
13. Are furnishings child sized?
All furnishings are child sized.
14. Do the decorations reflect the specific backgrounds, experiences, and identities of
the children?
Decorations around the classroom are very nature themed. Displays often feature sticks
or naturally made materials. The classroom furnishings are also all made of wood. This
reflects the views of the ECC as children are encouraged to explore their natural
environment.
15. Is the environment filled with words, books, and symbols?
The classroom is equipped with a library and a writing/drawing center.
16. Is there a convenient place for children to keep their personal things?
Their cubbies are the most convenient for personal storage.
17. Are adult areas separated from child areas?
The only adult area of the room is the sink where teacher personal belongs can stay.
Otherwise adult areas are separated; teacher desks are found in a separate room and adult
sized bathrooms are upstairs.
Describe one challenge in the classroom (can be behavioral, managerial, etc.) and how a
change in the physical environment may help to alleviate the situation.

A current challenge in the classroom has been behavioral during morning meeting. During this
time, several children always struggle being in the moment and listening or being respectful to
others. It has become a problem because it is disruptive to morning meeting and is distracting to
other children. Currently morning meeting is held at the large rug which is also part of the
library. Sometimes children try to sit on the library chair or try to bring out books from the
shelve. The mentor teachers have deemed this inappropriate behavior during morning meeting
therefore it has become a problem. It may be helpful to rearrange this area to separate the library
from the rug area to help children from becoming distracted.

Field Assignment 4- Social Development
What skill would you like to improve upon in your interactions with children?
For working with children, I would like to work on my teacher script interactions as well as my
teacher language. As a teacher candidate, I feel that I am already working on my teacher script as
it is a skill acquired over time yet I still feel, as a beginner, that there is more to learn.
Occasionally I have a fish out of water feeling in the classroom because I dont know that is
the best or even the right thing to say therefore I feel like improving my skill set in the scope of
teacher language would be beneficial. That said I think this goes together with skills associated
with teacher language. What are recommended ways of approaching children in school settings
that arent Reggio Emilia? I feel that I have a strong and growing sense of how to approach
classroom situations but I feel that sometimes I struggle with what to say.
What indirect strategies does your Mentor Teacher use to facilitate positive interactions in
the classroom?
In my classroom at the ECC I feel that there are many strategies for encouraging positive
interactions between children. For example, my mentor teacher focusses on child rights. Children
of the classroom have the right to various things in the classroom and one of them is the right to
respect others and classroom materials. This encourages children to be thoughtful about how
they treat their peers. My mentor teacher also promotes positive interactions by encouraging
safety. Is your body safe? Are your actions keeping your friends safe? Another example comes
from Valentines Day; the children were asked to define love and what love looks like. The kids
talked about what love and respect look like when they are playing with their friends. My mentor
teacher works very hard to make sure every student feels welcome and included in the classroom
and I admire this about her.

An alignment of verbal and non-verbal behaviors is necessary to convey accurate messages
to children about their behavior. Describe a situation when you had to modify a childs
behavior. What was the result? What would you do differently next time?
Recently on the playground a situation aroused where a few children were in dispute about some
rocks. Deep in their imaginative play the children were very possessive about their rocks
therefore when one child took another childs rock fighting took place. One of the little girl
involved has a history of violent behavior in situations like this therefore I was weary of what to
do and how the situation would play out. I encouraged the children to talk about the rock and to
use their words about how they felt rather than use physical action. Unfortunately, the little girl
decided to kick the boy who took her rock instead. Because of her past behavior, when situations
become violent she is asked to see my mentor teacher (the little girl does not respond very well
to all teachers). My mentor teacher and I then talked to the little girl, what happened next was a
learning experience for both her and I. My mentor teacher had the three of us reenact the fight
but used what we talked about before to help guide what should happen in the future. We had
brainstormed that instead of talking to the instigator child that the girl should go to a teacher
right away to help with the situation. After this talk, the girl did much better on the playground
and played well with the other children. Reflecting to when I was initially helping the rock
situation I wish that I had separated the children before trying to have them talk together. I am
also helping that the girl I talked to comes to me in the future for help because I have noticed that
when she is upset and I come to her rather than the other way around, she does not respond as
well. I also think that next time I want to offer different choices for the children, we at the ECC
are encouraged to give children choice rather than saying that they can no longer do something. I
think this type of redirection could have been beneficial for the group of children playing with
rocks.
Field Assignment 5- Reflective Statements, Redirection, and Consequences
List four reflective statements that you used in conversation with children in the classroom.
What was the childs response?
1. How did that make you feel? I ask this question when I am reflecting with students about
a situation where they may have been potentially harmed by another student. I do this
because my mentor teacher says it validates the students feelings and it helps me better
understand how I can help.
2. What could you do differently? This statement I have found to be a helpful instigating
tool for students who may be struggling to find solutions or better ways to do things. For
example, of Thursday the students were playing with a homemade catapult but it broke,
therefore when they tried to fix it and it still wasnt working I ask this and the students
reproached the situation.
3. Are we keeping it safe? This statement is helpful for situations when students may be
doing something that is unsafe or potentially harmful. Typically, the child responds by
stopping what they are doing and often looking at the situation again and then decides.
Most often the child will discontinue the previous behavior or action.
4. Tell me about., What did you.? I like this statement because it allows the student to
tell me their ideas first rather than me guessing what it is an imposing my ideas on their
creations. For example, a student was drawing the other day and I asked her about the
pictures. To me it looked like a snake but after asking I found out it was a rollercoaster,
she then told me an extensive story about her drawing which we then turned into a book
and shared at morning meeting. Had I asked her about the snake we may not have had
this opportunity.
Describe a time when you had to redirect a childs behavior. What strategies did you try?
What would you do differently next time?
The other day one of the students was refusing to join morning meeting. To try and convince him
to join I first offered him several choices and shared the reward of joining, which was being able
to choose which small group he would be a part of later that day. I then asked him if he wanted
me to hold his hand and walk with him to morning meeting. He then took my hand but then
decided to fall to the ground like a game. I told him that I felt bad because I was missing out on
morning meeting and that I wished I could go hang out with everyone else. He remained
unmoving until I was about to go get a teachers help and then he kicked me. I told him that he
hurt my feelings and he still didnt budge. Now, I went for the teacher. In this instance, it was
extremely hard for me to redirect the behavior and I felt very unsuccessful about the whole event
until I talked with the teacher after she had talked to him. The teacher reassured me that my ideas
for redirecting were good but in this case the boys behavior was too much. He has extreme
difficulty with emotion regulation and she thinks that during that time he was not doing well.
Next time I think I would like to get another teachers help sooner so that I can have backup and
observe some of their tactics for helping the boy calm down and reregulate.
Field Assignment 6- Classroom Materials
1. Explore the materials available in your classroom and shared within the program.
Describe an activity using materials that you found that you could implement in
your classroom.
Recently Payton and I conducted a provocation in our classroom that touched on literacy,
cognition, and social/emotional skills. We, and 6 students, wrote the beginning of a story
and then illustrated the pages. Our intentions with introducing this activity is to be able to
continue the story later next week and can take next steps with the story as well. One of
our ideas is to have the children act out the story. This would require us to use materials
from the dramatic play area. We also were considering the idea of including a light and
incorporating the classroom interest of shadow play. Currently in the classroom there is a
light and shadow center set up and I believe that if we were to use the light that is
currently in use at that center, the children might have new and more profound ideas of
how to present the story we created. If we were to use this light and the dramatic play
materials, we would prompt the children to retell the story using the provided materials.
2. What procedures and routines are in place to demonstrate and teach children the
value of caring for materials?
In the classroom, the children are taught to value materials in several ways. Every
morning that I attend the children are allowed free play until snack, right before snack the
children are asked to clean up and prepare any centers they were using for the next friend
to use. This routine prompts the child to be thoughtful about how they found the materials
and how to leave them when they are finished. It is also a guideline that if a toy breaks, it
will most likely be thrown away and therefore children know to respect the materials
otherwise they will no longer be able to use them. That said children also have rights to
centers and materials throughout the classroom. The rights are in place to protect the
children, peers, and the materials; they also serve to validate the childs abilities and
curiosities. Often when children are playing rough with a material teachers often ask the
child what the rights are when playing with an object. This is a subtle reminder and
refocus for the child that allows them to continue playing but more respectfully to the
material and often surrounding peers.
3. Find out about the programs procedures for purchasing materials. Describe the
process below.
At the ECC, the official purchasing policy requires teachers to request any wanted
materials for the classroom on a spread sheet that is then overlooked, approved, and
purchased by the assistant director to the ECC. Purchases are made using a purchasing
card online, through distributors, or in person.

Field Assignment 7- Facilitating Smooth Transitions
What strategies are in place to facilitate transitions from one activity to the next?
In the classroom at the ECC the children know that the teachers will warn them that there a few
minutes remaining to play and that they should start thinking about cleaning up. Typically, we
warn them at 10 minutes and again around 5 and again with 1 or 2 minutes remaining. When we
are starting our countdown to cleanup we make sure to put a timer on the microwave because the
children know that when they hear the timer it is time to clean up. W
During groups, we also make notice of how ready a child is to move onto the next activity. For
example, when we are at morning meeting and are transitioning to going potty and then to snack
we often will say things like _____ is ready to go_____. This reinforces good behavior for
children as well as allows peer demonstration for children who arent showing that they are
ready.
What considerations do teachers need to make when designing and implementing
transitions to move children from one activity to the next (i.e., dismissing from large group,
getting ready to leave the classroom, lunchtime routines, etc.)?
For our classroom, we often consider what the class is doing before deciding how to implement
transitions. Like the above response state, we often use peer demonstration and positive
reinforcement to help with transitions. This method is also helpful because it allows that children
are slowly being dismissed rather in comparison to a large gaggle of children flooding the halls
and bathrooms.
Describe your experiences facilitating transitions this week. What worked well? What
didnt you anticipate? What would you do differently next time?
This week I help attend to the transition between free play and morning meeting. First I invited
children to come sit down on the rug with me while I read a story. Typically, when the children
see a teacher reading in the classroom they naturally gravitate in their direction therefore this
typically results in most of the children sitting with me while other teachers help other students
transition. After reading I did a bit of Simon says, at this point all the teachers were at the rug
with all the students therefore I ended with give yourself a hug, squeeze tight, take a deep breath,
relax and if youre ready for morning meeting put your listening ears on. This worked well
because it calmed the students and were ready to be able to sit through a few minutes of teaching
talking before small groups. When doing this, I dont think I anticipated that it would go as well
as it did but reflecting I was really having them do stress relieving motions which resulted in a
calmer morning meeting.

Field Assignment 8- Implementation of Small and Large Group Activities
Reflect on the experience of implementing a small group activity.
1. How did your advance preparation (or lack of it) contribute to the success or lack of
success of the activity?
For Payton and I, we have been implementing a continuous provocation over the past couple
of weeks and although the theme is the same, each day is different. Therefore, during this
process, we have come to realize that even though things are generally the same, we still
need to prepare for the day for the provocation to be successful. I typically look, and have
available the provocation plan nearby during the provocation and in doing so I think this has
helped me. It helps Payton and I as it keeps us on track and reminds us what the goal of the
day is. It also helps us remember specific questions and theories we wanted to present to the
children that day. On days that we dont have our plan on hand it still goes well but arguably
not as smoothly as it could because we dont have the guidance and planning in front of us
for support.
2. Did you carry out the activity as originally planned?
Payton and I like to keep the activity on task but as most of our work at the ECC is based on
child interest and structured by provocation, sometimes the activity result surprises us.
Children are unpredictable therefore as we were writing or story with the children in our
continuous provocation work we had no idea where the childrens mind would go as they
worked together. In the end, we had a story about scuba divers, giraffes, magic and potions,
and to an extent we could have predicted that the story might have included these things but
it was open-ended so there really was no way of knowing. I say part of the story could have
been predicted and that is because during the time the class had an interest in potion making
and magic during free play, which was encouraged by the teachers setting out a table with
colored water and pipets and the children often referred to it as the potions table.
3. How did you get the children involved in the activity and how did you encourage them
to participate?
To encourage the children to participate we often remind them that we want to share the
book to our friends in the class and need their help to make it the best that it can be. The
children often want to help because of this because they also get to take credit for the project.
We also encourage participation by including everyones ideas and making sure that no one
is left out. Every child helped not only write the story but also illustrate when they were in
the group.
4. How did you structure the activity for success?
In structuring this activity, we also started out by reading the book to the group and then
going over what our goal was for the day. For example, last week we focused on how we can
share the book to our friends therefore we read the book, provided some materials, and asked
how the children thought we could share it in real life. They suggested that they could act out
the story so we worked on how we can act out the story for the rest of the time. Our goal was
to have the children express how we can share stories without necessarily reading them out
loud so we were thrilled when they suggested acting. From that moment forward we
deconstructed the story by asking what the setting was and what we needed to show that or
how many characters were there and who could act them out.
5. What will you do differently next time?
For future small groups, I always want to have at least a rough plan or the planned
provocation papers near me during the provocation. In doing this I think it will be beneficial
for not only me, but also the students because we will both benefit from having guidance.
This time around I also did not always have materials for the children to use, particularly the
1st time they wanted to act out the story. This was semi-difficult because the children wanted
something to use so would then have to go get it and sometimes it was difficult to keep them
engaged after they ventured from the group.
Reflect on the experience of implementing a large group activity.
1. How did your advance preparation (or lack of it) contribute to the success or lack of
success of the activity?
I have yet to lead a large group activity therefore I am unsure of how to answer. In a large
group activity, I think that I would want to have more specific goals for how I wanted the
activity to go and how I wanted it to end. By doing so I think this would better help guide me
in my instruction and allow for more structured expectations for the class.
2. Did you carry out the activity as originally planned?

Working with kids can always be unpredictable but I think implementing ideas from chapter
4 of the DAC text such as smooth transitions, having a plan, taking advantage of materials,
and using your teacher script will help keep the large group activity on track.
3. How did you get the children involved in the activity and how did you encourage them
to participate?
For large group activities, I think its always a good idea to appeal to childrens interests
because by doing so the children automatically express participation.
4. How did you structure the activity for success?
To structure for success I would say to plan an opening, body, and closing for the group,
including transitions, and keeping track of time. These are recommended by the DAC text for
a successful large group therefore including these components ones large group is more
likely to be successful.
Field Assignment 9- Assessment in Early Childhood
How do you know that children have learned because of your teaching?
I know that children have learned because of my teaching through observation and assessment.
Using observation, I can look for displayed behaviors or listen to their conversations with others
to gage their understanding of a topic recently taught. During assessment I am specifically
looking for skills that align with various standards and continuous learning growth.
What strategies are in place in the classroom to assess student learning (both formal and
informal)?
In my classroom, we assess informally through observation notes and photos. Formal assessment
occurs at several points throughout the year using TS Gold.
Document your observations of a child using this format for anecdotal records.
Child (use a pseudonym): Joe

Date and Time: 4/11/17 10 am
Setting: After snack
Indoors, block area
Purpose/Focus of Imaginative Play Observation

Observation:
Anecdote Joe and 3 other boys are using wooden blocks and various
plastic animals. They have created a training center for
their animals. The boys are pretending that multiple animals
are in danger and need help.
I have another boat! theres 2 boats.
Joe sings Ive got a fighting boat, Ive got a fighting boat.
I got one!
You good guys coming up from the log we need help!
This is a good guy
Reflection/Interpretation: Typically, in the classroom the children have used small

scale wooden block structures or magnet tiles for their
animals during their play but recently the teachers have
moved the stage away from the block area and rearranged
how the blocks are presented to the children. This is the first
time I have seen a wooden bock sculpture of this size and
magnitude nor have I seen multiple children utilizing one
sculpture at once during free play in this classroom before.
Because of this setting change I believe that the children are
becoming more engaged with their play and their play with
others because of the new space and opportunity to build
bigger. This interactive imaginative play seems more
intense now than it has in the past.
Conducting a time sample is a valuable way to assess use of the classroom and patterns in
behavior. Document your observations of five children using this time sampling format.
List the activities available on that day and code them. For example, block play= 1 pretend
play=2 easel=3, snack table=4, sensory table=5, etc. At five-minute intervals, observe where
each child is and document that on the chart. What patterns do you see emerging?
Children 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes

Observed:
Child 1 Free play Free play Teacher read
Child 2 Teacher read Teacher read Clean up
Child 3 Audio book Audio book Drawing table
Child 4 Audio book Audio book Audio book
Child 5 Audio book Helps teacher care Teacher read
for plants
Conduct a brief developmental assessment utilizing the rubric below.
Objective: Children will demonstrate appropriate listening skills during large group.
Basic- Emerging Listener: Does not follow directions, needs constant redirection.
Inattentive, difficulty focusing attention for more than a few minutes, constantly disruptive.
Developing- Developing Listener: Has difficulty following directions, relies on repetition,
often inattentive, has short attention span, often interrupts the speaker
Proficient- Capable Listener: Follows oral directions, usually attentive to speaker and to
discussions, listens to others without interrupting
Advanced- Strong Listener: Responds immediately to oral directions, focuses on the
speaker, maintains an appropriate attention span, listens to what others are saying, Is
interactive.
Children Basic Developing Proficient Advanced

Observed:
1 x
2 x
3 x
4 x
5 x
Field Assignment 10- Anti-Bias Awareness
What kinds of differences make you most uncomfortable as a teacher?
Right now, in my educational career I think that I would be most uncomfortable with are
socioeconomic. My biggest fear is a family coming to me asking for help, or me identifying that
a student needs help, yet not knowing what my resources are to help and provide for them as a
teacher. Coming from that it makes me fear that what if there are no resources I can guide them
to, what then? I also fear that I may unintentionally offend a student or their family. Never would
I on purpose, but what happens if this were to occur?
In your experience, when do teachers know more than parents? When do parents know
more than teachers?
In my experience I feel that, generally, teachers know more than parents when it comes to
structure of education, including the educational needs of the child.
In most cases I think parents know more than teachers when considering the personality and
habits of their child. Parents care for their children in the most intimate of environments, the
home. Parents bring in insight from the outside that can help a teacher better understand the
child. That said, I also think that, occasionally, a parent may think that they do know more than
the teacher about the child even though the teacher spends majority of the day with the child.
I think both have things to learn about one-another for the childs sake because, in my opinion,
the child is more likely to succeed in school when the parents and the teachers are on the same
page about the childs education.

What elements of the classroom or curriculum are intended to counteract societal biases?
At the ECC our classroom is very intentional about the materials that we provide for the
children. For example, in the dramatic play area there are multiple baby dolls of various
ethnicities. On the book shelf, we provide books that are conscious and aware of the messages
they tell, for example one book might talk about dreams and future career goals that some
characters may have therefore we choose a book that offers a variety of careers as well as
depictions of these careers that are open-minded and non-stereotypical. We would not have a
book that says girls should only be nurses or teachers and boys should be scientists or
construction workers. At the ECC we focus on validating childrens needs and emotions and
having strong relationships with families because we know that the family is an important part of
a childs life. By doing this we place an importance on validating the values of a family and who
a child is and who they could be therefore it is a value of the ECC to be intentional about
counteracting societal biases that could infringe on who a child identifies as.
What adaptations are or need to accommodate a child with a physical disability?
To accommodate a child with a physical disability there are several things to keep in mind, the
first being the environment. Can the child successfully maneuver around the room without
difficulty? Can the child reach classroom materials? Can they sit at a table with their peers?
These are some things to keep in mind when trying to make the classroom a more inclusive
place. Instruction accommodations should allow for a range of approaches that promote
engagement for the child. The child should be able to actively participate in activities and have a
sense of belonging in the classroom throughout the day.

How would you encourage interactions between the children in the classroom who are
typically developing and the children in the classroom with special needs?
I would encourage interactions between children who are typically developing and those who
have special needs by teaching understanding and acceptance. Often there is a stigma against
those with a disability, therefore I think its important to teach that everyone wants to be
respected for who they are, and that everyone is important.

References
Home. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2017, from http://ers.fpg.unc.edu/
Position Statements on Ethical Conduct. (2011, May). Retrieved May 10, 2017, from
https://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/ethical_conduct
Purpose and History. (2015). Retrieved May 10, 2017, from
http://www.ecc.colostate.edu/about/purpose-and-history.aspx

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Candidate Work Sample 1

Colorado State University

Description of the Group

(NAEYC), licensed by the Colorado Department of Human Services, and is Reggio-Emilia

University, is Reggio-Emilia inspired, providing a cutting-edge approach to education of the

sets across all domains of development.

Using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) I evaluated student-teacher

Instructional Learning Formats, Concept Development, Quality of Feedback, and Language

Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)

encourage participation and expanded

Considering Behavior Management in the classroom, based on the CLASS Assessment, I

positive student-teacher interactions throughout the day.

diversity includes families that identify as White, Hispanic/Latino, or Black/African American.

demographics of the classroom and that all are equally respected.

ethics presents a responsibility to a safe learning environment, to children, families, colleagues,

As previously mentioned, the Early Childhood Center at Colorado State University is in

and natural materials, classroom furniture is mostly wooden as well.

these changes as quickly therefore it might hinder their learning process.

The Early Childhood Center practices a child-centered approach therefore classroom

ignoring non-disruptive inappropriate behaviors, offering choices, redirecting and offering

statements have helped work towards a positive solution in the past.

time of day could be influencing their behaviors, occasional lack of communication of

make this transition smoother may be necessary.

Provocations and Evidence of Assessment

Co-Teachers: Payton Poalillo and Kayla Hagerman

Title: Storytelling continued

certain way and its purpose.

Question: (finding intention for provocation)

How far can these childrens imagination grow?

Setting: Where will you offer this? Why?

to act out their story utilizing dramatic play.

Extensions: How can you extend their learning?

provocation of sharing and considering the thoughts of others.

Simplifications: How can you make it easier?

have them draw it and act it out.

Essential Questions: Open-ended Qs to ask children to provoke thinking

What is going to begin our story?

Whos the main character? Is there one?

Preschool Colorado Department of Education State Standards Addressed by

Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 1.1- Conceptual understanding

use of vocabulary on oral language to express ideas and events

Begin to develop proper pencil grip when drawing or writing

Evidence of Assessment for Provocation One

Child Domain Observed Observation

the story. The expectation was that children would raise

This shows us that Tyler can identify the process of a

His ideas were imaginative and symbolic of reality. When

Outcome of We observed that Tyler displayed use of vocabulary on

Domain: Physical Pre-Assessment:

coloring movements, most likely to color in as much as

Tyler also exercised fine motor skills by engaging in the

Outcome of Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard (CDE)

Blake Cognitive/ Pre-Assessment:

Outcome of Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard (CDE)

Outcome of Reading, Writing, and Communicating Standard 1.1-

Co-Teachers: Payton Poalillo and Kayla Hagerman

Title: Storytelling continued

certain way and its purpose.

Question: Intention for provocation

How far can these childrens imagination grow?

play and allow them to put their ideas into action.

Setting: Where will you offer this? Why?