One of the most important skills that supports my growth as an early childhood professional is the ability to reflect honestly on my work. If we aren’t able to be self-aware enough to see our strengths and our limitations as early childhood educators, we won’t be truly able to meet the needs of the children in our care. It’s a tool I use daily in my current work with educators.
As we move into another school year, it is important to reflect upon the work you did last school year- what lessons did you learn? These reflections are not to cause you to feel shame; instead, they are a way to support your growth.
Reflection Prompts:
* Think of one child in your learning environment whose behaviors challenged you. Did you ask for support from your program leader? What did those challenges teach you about yourself? What did those challenges teach you about the child? Were you able to figure out the root of the behavior? What would you do differently if you had the opportunity? If you have a child who exhibits a similar behavior in the future, what tools and strategies will you use to support them?
* Think of an interaction you had with your co-teacher that went well. What were the keys to this positive interaction? How can you ensure that you have more positive interactions with your co-teacher in the future?
* Think of an interaction with a program leader or mentor teacher that was difficult. What made the interaction difficult? How did you handle yourself during the interaction? What would you do differently in the future? What did you learn about yourself based on this interaction?
* What was a moment that brought you joy? What about this moment made it enjoyable?
* What time of day did you find most frustrating? Why was it frustrating? How can you be proactive and make changes to this part of the day to prevent frustration?
* What was the most popular center area in your learning environment? What made it so popular?
* What is a conversation that you wished you had with a child’s parent/guardian? What prevented you from having the conversation? How will you ensure that you have conversations, even those that are difficult, this school year.
* What strategies did you use to build relationships with the children in your care and their families? Which ones worked well? How will you ensure that you keep up the momentum of the beginning of the year relationships building throughout the school year?
