Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact Rationale/Reflection

NAEYC Standard: STANDARD 7. EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD EXPERIENCES

Field experiences and clinical practice are planned and sequenced so that candidates
develop the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions necessary to promote the
development and learning of young children across the entire developmental period of
early childhood in at least two of the three early childhood age groups (birth age 3, 3
through 5, 5 through 8 years) and in the variety of settings that offer early education
(early school grades, child care centers and homes, Head Start programs). (NAEYC,
2010)

Brief Description of Evidence:

During the fall semester of 2014 in my ECED 100 Intro Early Childhood Education
class I had to do fifty hours of field experience where I went and observed a classroom
and interact with the students from infants to school age. I did my field experience at
Gentle Shepards and got to watch the teachers interact and teach their students. Then
in the summer semester of 2015 in EDEC 235 Preschool Practicum I worked with a lead
teacher at Gateway Association Inc. who was my mentor for one hundred and forty four
hours where I developed my Philosophy of Education, worked on my professionalism, and
developed my skills necessary to promote the development and learning children ages
three through five.

Analysis of What I Learned:

Through completion of these projects I learned how to be professional and learn
how I wanted to teach. I was able to gain knowledge and skills needed to promote the
development and learning of a wide variety of ages. I learned how to make my
disposition that of a teacher that knew how to work with all age groups. Through these
projects I gained knowledge in how to work with different age groups and make lessons
that were beneficial to each age level.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC

Standard:
While doing my field experience I worked with age levels from infant to school age
and was able to develop the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions necessary to
promote the development and learning of young children across the entire
developmental period of early childhood. Through the completion of my field experience
and my practicum I gained knowledge in a variety of setting such as a NAEYC Level 3
accredited place and a NAEYC Level 4 accredited place and know the differences
between them and how to develop my knowledge, skills and professional disposition
needed for both places so that the multiple age ranges benefit in the ways they need.