Apple Tree Prep Field Experience

Introduction This paper will describe the field experience I did during the spring semester of 2016. I will explore the areas of development, learning theories and cooperative learning in the context of my experience in the Pre-k classroom at Apple Tree Prep. Although I do have experience in childcare I had never been an active participate in a classroom setting. Now that I have had this experience I am convinced that I am on the right educational path for me.
Apple Tree Prep Apple Tree Prep is a local child care center that provides child care for children six weeks to twelve years of age. Apple Tree Prep is one of the highest rated child care centers in Oconee County receiving three out of three stars from Quality Rated. Within this center

Cooperative learning is a method that makes use of peer assistance where students work together to facilitate each other’s learning. There are numerous studies that support the efficacy of peer-assistance, particularly in younger children and low-income students (Sencibaugh, 2016). In my classroom experience, the children were broken into four groups of five or six children each. A teacher guided all but one of the small groups. Specific tasks that could be completed independently were chosen for the group that was not attended by a teacher. This promoted more interactions between the students. The other groups were designed to be small enough that the teacher could interact directly at times with each student, if needed. I observed that in the small group settings, the children seemed to be more willing to ask questions and use trial and error when problem solving. This may have been because they felt more comfortable in a setting where their mistakes would be less public. I feel that it is a good environment for children whose socioeconomic position may contribute to low self-esteem, as it can be more informal and reassuring than a larger group instructional

It reinforced many concepts that were covered in this course with practical examples, which suits my own learning style well. By seeing and experiencing real world examples, I gained a much deeper understanding of many of the theories and teaching techniques covered in class. Because I actively participated in the classroom, I was able to not only observe, but also experiment with some of the techniques to begin to find which of them were most effective for me as I begin to develop my own personal teaching style. As I worked with the children, I actually became aware of techniques that other teachers and assistant teachers were using that were ineffective. Most noticeable was the tendency to direct the learning activities more than I felt was necessary. The children in the groups whose teachers interacted creatively and inquisitively seemed more confident and more engaged. Because I lacked experience with this age group in a classroom environment, I was a little nervous to begin. However, I gained confidence rapidly as I found that my efforts were effective, and my instincts seemed to be generally good. This leads me to believe that a good teacher is one that can combine their instincts for children with a solid foundation of teaching techniques and understanding of behaviors and the factors that drive those