REFLECTION 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

REFLECTION 5 - Essay Example Teachers serve as alternate parents in the school setting and in the absence of his mother, who is assumed to provide the comfort and nurturance he needs when he is hurt, upset, hungry, etc., he turned his need for comfort at that particular time to me. When he was assured that he was safe in the company of a trusted adult, he was able to go back to his normal routine. The new box of puzzle worked in taking away his attention to the recent accident he just had. Theorize: This episode reflects Te Whaariki’s all three goals of the first strand of well-being. For the first goal of promotion of health, the staff followed all the rules when cleaning up the room, but accidents are inevitable. It is a good thing the centre is equipped with all the necessary materials to alleviate and cure injuries such as ice and skin cream. The emotional well-being of the hurt boy was addressed as I cuddled him and whispered words of comfort until he regained his composure after the shock of the acc ident. In doing so, I nurtured his self-esteem and gave him assurance that his embarrassment of slipping was not a big deal. Gonzalez-Mena (2009) contends that â€Å"self-esteem is made up of self-image – the pictures we carry of ourselves and self-concept- the ideas we have about ourselves† (p. 205). Assuring him that the image I held of him was not affected by the accident ensured his emotional well-being. Finally, the goal of keeping children safe from harm was evident in the episode even if there was an accident. Lesson learned here is to still be vigilant for the children’s safety at all times. The classroom environment should reflect the goals and expectations of the teacher. It will also dictate somehow to the children how they will behave (Brewer, 2001). In the case of clean-up time, if children will not be safe inside the classroom, the environment should speak to them that they should stay out. Act: I shall be vigilant in preventing accidents and ensur ing the health and safety of children by being alert to danger signs. I shall further study how to promote the emotional well-being of children so when my help is needed, I will be able to provide them with what they need to be emotionally healthy children. I shall learn first-aid procedures to apply in case of accidents. Brewer, J. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Allyn and Bacon. Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2009). Child, family, and community, family-centered early care and education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. REFLECTION 6 Analyse: The children enjoyed the story because it was a familiar bond that they recognized and they felt a sense of belonging in the activity. This activity specifically reflects how the Te Whaariki curriculum is implemented in class – how the children’s culture is given recognition and importance. I felt proud of myself while reading a story that reflected our culture. Theorize: Multicultural education using literature from various cultures engages such children in reading and writing and makes them eager to learn the social or cultural contributions made by various groups of people. In this case, it is the children’s own home culture, the Maori culture. The children recognized their own cultural background from the story read and appreciated it enough to ask me to read it again. Culturally-relevant teaching must be learned by teachers. Such teaching takes into consideration the cultural background of the students at all times. It also keeps in mind cultural aspects in all interactions with students on both personal and educational levels. (Edwards & Kuhlman, 2007). This activity totally reflects the Te Whaariki curriculum which is "the sum total of the experiences, activities, and events, whether direct or