JeNiqua Scott
CHD 215
2/25/16
Reflection Paper Every teacher's goal is to give their students the best education possible and, depending on the individual teacher and the make-up of the class, one approach might be better over another. Each approach we studied evolved based on the different needs, interests, and cultures of both the educators and the students. I will examine some of the various approaches, such as: Reggio and Project, which are similar and Head Start and Reggio, which are very different from one another. I could see that my own program, when given the opportunity to create my ideal program, will probably incorporate aspects of all the approaches.
After going through the different approaches, I believe that the Reggio and
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Head Start is a comprehensive program that is government funded, developmentally-based, and aimed to help lower socioeconomic status (SES) families rise out of poverty. The curriculum balances teacher-directed instruction and child-initiated play times through detailed daily routines and schedules. This allows the child to have a mixture of hands-on, social, and academic experiences. The teacher’s role is to get children prepared for kindergarten. This is very different from the Reggio approach, which has only child-directed instruction with no set timing, scheduling, planning, or routines. In addition, schools that use the Reggio approach work with the wealthier families as opposed to Head Start, which is government funded for lower SES families. Because of the socioeconomic pressures faced by Head Start families, community and parent involvement is not as active. The schools have to work hard to persuade the parents to become involved. The community and the parent involvement in the Reggio approach is an important aspect of the program, and the families look forward to being …show more content…
From the Montessori method, I would include rich hands-on experiences where teacher and student collaborate with one another on self-correcting materials used during instruction time. Like the Reggio and Project approach, I would like to have a few small projects in the program that the children initiate. Like Head Start, I think children need some structure and routines in order to develop certain learning skills, so I would schedule teacher-initiated collaborations to happen on a weekly basis and develop a timed schedule and a routine that established lunch, snack, quiet, bathroom and nap (if needed) times. From Waldorf method I would incorporate the spirituality, love, affirmation, and calming environment. From High/Scope using encouragement instead of praise and taking a problem-solving approach to conflicts within the classroom would be my goal. I hope my program can be diverse with all different types of cultures, from lower socioeconomic classes, and even inclusion options for children with disabilities. Because I believe it takes a “village” to raise a child, I hope to encourage family and community involvement within my program. Unfortunately, my desire for diversity and family involvement may not be realized as these things depend upon the culture of the community where I