Reflective Journal: Analyzing Classroom Experiences and Lesson Plans

This assignment is a reflective journal analyzing classroom experiences. The student reflects on the week's events, highlighting successful aspects and areas for improvement. The student discusses the implementation of fun-based learning to enhance teamwork and communication skills. The student acknowledges the importance of adapting lesson plans to meet the needs of English learners and plans to incorporate additional supporting materials. The journal also addresses how the teaching aligns with NAEYC Professional Preparation Standards, including the use of assessment activities to identify learning difficulties. The student provides references to support the analysis. The student highlights how the teaching meets the NAEYC Professional Preparation Standards and competencies of this course. The student also includes additional materials such as charts and online tools (YouTube videos) to support learning for English learners students.

• What went well this week?
This week my classroom experience went good, as some of the events were according to the
planning, while some did not work. I found the students were more involved and active during
the learning period. Their communication skills have become more open and clear as compared
to the previous experience (Gehris, Gooze, and Whitaker 123). In this week, I introduced fun
based learning to the students, with an objective to develop teamwork skills and improve their
communication style. I realized that learning becomes more effective when children who are
directly involved in the application through fun-based play activities.
• What you think you would do differently next time?
This time I did not prepare the lesson plans according to the students with “English learners”
students. I realized that they found it difficult to receive the take-home message of my teaching
classes. Hence, for the coming week, I will prepare lesson plans considering the interventions
and current level of performance of students with English learners. Additionally, I will include
more supporting materials in the lesson plans for these students.
• What teachable moments did you capitalize on this week?
I found that fun-based learning is the most effective strategy to help students learning the
concept. In this approach, they are actively engaged in all events and develop teamwork skills.
For example, slow learners take help from other students to accomplish the task. Likewise, their
communication with each other is also enhanced with fun-based learning strategy.
• How did your teaching meets the NAEYC Professional Preparation Standards and
competencies of this course.
In this classroom event, I prepare the lesson plan which falls within the scope of NAEYC
standards. Furthermore, I added assessment activity after the learning session. This helped me
in identifying the areas that very difficult for the students to learn (Chu 266). Furthermore,
explaining the difficult section once again to the students, help them in gaining confidence for
the given topic. However, it is important to include additional materials such as charts and online
tools (YouTube videos) to support learning for English learners students.
References:
Chu, Marilyn. "What’s missing in most of our early childhood degrees? Focusing more deeply on
relationships and learning with infants, toddlers, and their families." Journal of Early Childhood
Teacher Education 37.4 (2016): 264-281.

Gehris, Jeffrey, Gooze, Ross. and Whitaker, Red. "Teachers' perceptions about children's
movement and learning in early childhood education programmes." Child: care, health and
development 41.1 (2015): 122-131.