Best+Practise+in+Early+Learning

== =Best Practise In Early Learning= Normally considered ages 3 to 8; however, as classroom teachers K/1/2. We do have connections to Strong Start that includes ages 3/4/5 (Please summarize your discussion in the space below) type notes here

Some work for structures and understanding of what 'school' looks and feels like
 * Full Day K Program**

Expectations
 * Meeting the emergent readers needs and
 * Meeting the proficient readers needs

Acknowledging Cultural Scenarios
 * Creating safe, comfortable environment to self regulate learning of new language
 * Missing language to express self and understand what is happening
 * We can't understand the background they may have come from (10 years old - never been in building before Canada - didn't wear shoes until 30 days ago)
 * ELL students being silent - even when know language and have ability
 * Start with speaking in their own language - expecting you to understand their language and respond

Lisa Burman - Are you listening

Managing the Learning Opportunities
 * We need to make an effort to understand what the child needs to do to become ready to learn - self regulation
 * Take teacher out of the controller of learning opportunities
 * Build students as self regulated learners when we provide engaging, sense of wonder, questioning, exploring opportunities
 * We shouldn't need to float as the behaviour monitor - instead we can focus on supporting learning within
 * Henry Bose example - kids can run class with teacher only as conductor for diverse opportunities
 * Building Routines of Learning
 * Describe, Demo, Try, Share what you know with a buddy, Your group responsible for each other
 * Creates calming environment - building to full release
 * Once 20/24 are able to stay on task through structures / processes, we can focus on outliers
 * Not about preparing students for future learning. Learning to Learn and Learning simultaneously.

Role of Parents
 * Some schools still have parents for 1/2 hour per day
 * Parents appear to be less involved
 * Parents that may need management / understanding / not a fit to be working with young children

Oral Fluency > > or adapted > > > Also consider idea of a puddle growing with drips of water - each drip - sends out ripples. all interconnected. >
 * technology (newest tool - iPad) to mediate the 32 million word deficit by the time children in poverty get to school.
 * It is not about the activity or the tool
 * Set up opportunities for interaction / conversation / recording / listening
 * great graphic - [|vocab-bowls-2.jpg]

Teacher background
 * Some do not have experience with early learning and
 * Some were exposed only to older methodologies during their practicum
 * Some have an intrinsic understanding of early learning
 * May not be a fit for the classroom and child dynamics of the age

__Discussion Question__
Deb, Deb, Alicia, Robin, Sandra, Kim

With the implementation of all day Kindergarten, how are teachers using best practise in terms of differentiating for all learners? How are physical and brain development intertwined?

 * can't get to differentiation until we establish Best Practice
 * challenges of all day
 * many teachers with no ECE training
 * "they don't know what they don't know"
 * 275 K classes in Surrey, 320 teachers(job shares)
 * level of parental support varies - some kids come with skills/knowledge, some don't
 * benefits of all day - teachers get to know their kids sooner and identify possible learning issues - takes time for testing and limited SEA support
 * teach the kids you actually have in your class
 * structure NOT control
 * we need to make use of mentoring and modelling(perhaps connect more with STA mentorship program)
 * identify KEY skills, how do we link the curricular areas
 * many teachers in survival mode!
 * as helping teachers we live in the ideal world, the realities of the classroom is VERY different
 * networking with other teachers is sometimes difficult - outside of school walls
 * social media is a way to reach out and form groups - as HT's we don't really know what is happening out there