Wisconsin Preschool Credential

Capstone Checklist Self Evaluation

Laura Bailen
Student Name_______________________________________
The NAEYC criteria for National Accreditation are the basis of the Capstone Checklist criteria to demonstrate alignment with the Standards and to familiarize the
student with this national accreditation process.

Complete the self-evaluation, including descriptions of behaviors and/or situations that illustrate how you meet the criteria. Give examples of
situations that illustrate you are applying each criterion, giving a thorough description of the situation and how your response meets the criterion. The
spaces will expand as you type in them. Attach documents as needed.

COMPETENCY 1. Implement strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives when working with children, families and
community.

Strategies to counter bias in child attitudes and behavior

1. Give examples of situations that show you treat all children with equal respect and consideration.

Each morning as the children arrive I great them at the door with a smile and ask them how they are today. I use each child’s name during their
arrival and talk positively with each child and their family. Getting on my knees allows for eye contact with each child and shows I value them.

2. Give examples of situations where you offer activities and talk to children to build positive self-identity and valuing of differences in children.

At the beginning of this school year we created a family tree. I feel it’s important to support diversity in the classroom. I feel that having the
family tree helps the children to develop a sense of belonging as well as seeing other families, race, ethnicity, interracial, ethnic, and culture in
our learning environment.

3. Give examples of situations where you are aware of and avoid using stereotypes in language references – firefighter instead of fireman, etc.

I feel it’s important in my program to not use stereotypes in my language as I talk to the children. While playing in the block area with our block
people I use gender neutral terms, police officer, mail carrier, fire fighter. We also talk about how men and women can be anything they want to
be. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman.

4. Give an example of a situation where you did or would intervene when children might tease or reject others.

We have a young toddler that started at the beginning of the school year and he is quite younger than the children by two years. He wants to do
everything that the older children do. When the older children build block towers, castles, or a zoo he runs up and knocks it down. This week as
they were building a city together, they yelled no and pushed the toddler away from their building project. I comforted the toddler and explained
 to the older children that the toddler wants to do what they are doing. We then talked about how it feels to be left out and asked them what they
think might help. As we talked through the situation, the older children choose to give him his own blocks to build with.

Strategies to counter bias in materials and adult attitudes and behavior

5. Describe the materials you have provided in your environment to address a range of diversity (dolls, play props, books, pictures, posters,
play food, clothing items, etc.)

Supporting diversity in my program is very important to me. By creating an ECE environment it’s important to meet the child’s individual and
group needs, to support, love, encourage each child, support diversity, and meet anti-bias standards and give them the tools to empower
themselves.

Explain how the materials reflect the lives of the children and families in your program as well as the diversity found in society, including
gender, age, language, and abilities – no stereotypical representations (images of members of ethnic groups in only traditional garb or only
females in nurturing roles, only males as construction workers or doctors, etc.), reflect range of diversity, especially children and families in
the program.

I have the following items in my program to support diversity; baby dolls with different skin color, puzzles with a variety of cultures, a family tree
that supports multi-cultural families, play food that is diverse, books that are diverse, clothes that are gender neutral.

6. Give some examples of what you would consider to be stereotypical language or bias toward or against a child or group, and how you might
respond if you saw or heard these from adults or children in your classroom.

I feel the color of a child’s skin, disability, behavior, economics, and intelligence can be examples of bias and stereotypes. I feel it’s important in
my program to teach anti-bias perspectives and model them to the children. I have several families in my program that are of different ethnicities
and we talk about how God made us all unique and that not one person in the world is the same. We all have similarities and differences and
it’s important to have respectful communication, and respect themselves and others.

COMPETENCY 2. Follow governmental regulations and professional standards as they apply to health, safety, and nutrition.
1. Describe how you supervise children adequately – by positioning self to see as many children as possible, how you are aware of
children’s location at all times, how you monitor by sound when children may be out of visual range (as when using the toilet, etc.).

My room is a long rectangle and I can see everyone within this space from every angle of the room. If I’m at any one of the centers I can see
children in another center in the room. If a child needs a drink or to go to the bathroom, they tell me where or what they are going to do. I
position myself to where I can see the bathroom and the play room. If I’m changing a diaper, I let all the children know what I’m doing, and they
are always within sound.

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 Describe the child tracking procedures you use when moving from one location to another (as in when going from classroom to outdoor play
area).

Using the attendance sign in and counting children before, during, and after inside and outside play, walks, or fieldtrips. I’m always counting
children to ensure all children are accounted for.

2. Describe your use of proper hand-washing procedures – list the times when you wash your own hands and when you assist children in
washing their hands.

Handwashing is so important in my program in preventing the spread of germs. When the children arrive in the morning and put their coats and
shoes away, they wash their hands immediately after. They wash with warm water and soap then dry with a clean towel that is used once and
then goes into our bucket by the sink. We all wash our hands when preparing food, before eating, after eating, before and after diaper changes,
blowing noses, going to the bathroom, coming in contact with bodily fluid, petting the animals, after playing outside. We wash our hands a lot
throughout the day. When washing we sing the ABC song.

3. Describe your schedule for cleaning and sanitizing furnishings and equipment.

I want my environment to be a clean and healthy environment. I have a bucket in the room for mouthed toys to go in and at the end of the day
the day they get sanitized in the dishwasher or in a bleach solution in the sink. Tables, chairs, toys get washed with soap and water then
sprayed with a bleach solution, this also includes the changing table, door handles, counter tops, toilet, sinks and flooring.

4. Describe what it means to use standard precautions - including cleaning and sanitizing of surfaces, use of gloves and barriers to minimize
contact with body fluids, cleaning spills as they occur, cleaning and sanitizing toys that have been mouthed or exposed to body fluids.

I use disposable gloves when changing diapers or clean up bodily fluids to insure, that I’m not coming into contact with these things. All areas
including mouthed toys, tables, chairs, counters, sinks, toilets, are cleaned with soap and water solution and sprayed with bleach solution and
left to dry.

5. Describe your process for being aware of children’s special health care needs, nutrition needs or allergies, etc. Do you conduct daily
health checks as children arrive?

It’s important for me to provide nutritious meals for the children and myself on a daily basis. Over the summer our curriculum was health and
fitness. We learned to much about healthy eating and exercise for our bodies. If a child has an allergy to any foods, the family will fill out the
allergy portion on their enrollment form and I will post it in the kitchen for myself or my emergency back-up to see. If I had a child with a specific
dietary need, I would request a doctor’s note stating what the limitations are. If a family has religious convictions or non-religious convictions for
a particular dietary need, I would also need a note in writing stating the restriction.

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6. Describe your process for administering medication or applying sunscreen or other products. What do you do to follow licensing
requirements for administering and logging?

When a child is enrolled in my program, they fill out the required DCF required childcare enrollment form and at the bottom of that form is the
authorizations that the parents check yes or no to the sunscreen/insect repellent section. I follow the instructions on the form that the parents
mark on the authorizations form. For medications I also follow the DCF guidelines by having the family fill out the authorization to administer
medication form, putting medications out of reach of children in the cupboard in a sealed container with a medication label on it, or in the
refrigerator with the same sealed and labeled container. When I administer the medication, I fill out the documentation to administer medication
and fill it out for each child. Log dates are also filled out in my medical log book.

7. Give some examples of how you use care routines such as toileting, meal and nap routines as opportunities to build relationships,
language, concepts (food classification, nutrition, healthy living, manners, etc.) and to build child’s self-awareness, social interaction
and self-help skills.

I want to build positive relationships with the children in my program and their families. As a provider I model positive behaviors to the children,
we talk about our feelings and read books about feelings as well. I encourage children throughout the day with positive words, listening to them
smiling, providing support and encouragement, showing respect and building a strong relationship with them.

8. Describe what you do during meal/snack times. Do you sit with children and promote children’s feeding skills and social interactions?

We eat together family style and we pass the food around the table during breakfast and lunch. For our a.m. and p.m. snacks we have a snack
helper that was chosen that day, they help set up and get snack ready for their friends to eat. We do mix this up and try new things during snack
time.

9. Describe what you do to handle and serve food using proper safety precautions and sanitary techniques.

Anytime I prepare food I wash my hands and put a clean apron on and make sure my hair is back. I make sure the food I’m preparing is
washed, not expired, and has been stored properly. If I’m handling raw meat, I like to wear gloves and dispose of them after touching raw meat.
I then wash my hands and sanitize anything that has come in contact with raw meat by using a soap and water solution followed by a bleach
solution. I always keep my refrigerator clean and oven to ensure safety as well as proper temperatures in my freezer and refrigerator.

10. Describe your clean up routine – how do you encourage children to participate in daily clean up and maintenance of the classroom?

We have a schedule and routine that we follow daily. When it comes time for us to transition to a new activity, I state what we will be doing next
and give a time frame of when we will start cleaning up. I also put a timer on for a visual reminder. Modeling and using positive encouragement
during clean-up times.

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 11. Describe your toileting routine – how do you help children use the toilet following good health and hygiene practices?

I have scheduled times that we all use the bathroom and of course on their own when they need to go at any other time. Boys stand with the
toilet lid up and girls sit with seat down. Flushing the toilet then washing their hands while singing the ABC song and drying their hands on clean
one use towel that is dropped into a bucket next to the sink. Towels get washed daily on sanitary cycle in the washing machine.

12. Describe your nap time routine – what do you do to follow licensing regulations and meet children’s need for rest? What do you do if a child
does not sleep at nap time?

Children over the age of 1 year sleep on a cot unless they are more comfortable in a pack and play. Cots and pack and plays have sheets that
are tight fitting. Children over 1 year have a blanket or a snuggle they may sleep with. Children over 5 years just have quiet time in the dining
room with quiet activities like books, board games, puzzles, writing and coloring materials. If a child doesn’t fall asleep within a half an hour,
they join the older kids in the dining room for quiet activities.

COMPETENCY 3. Analyze social, cultural and economic influences on child development.

Strategies to understand and honor family culture
1. Describe your process for gathering information from families (during intake and ongoing) to become acquainted with and learn from
families about their family structure, preferred child-rearing practices; and information families wish to share about their socioeconomic,
linguistic, racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds.
What tools (such as enrollment forms, intake interviews, emails, phone calls, daily conversations, etc.) have you used?

When a child and their family is interested in care we meet for an interview. During this time, we talk about my program and policies. It’s a time
to ask questions about their child and family. Once a child is ready to start all state required forms need to be filled our as well as my enrollment
forms. I inform the parents daily with a “how was my day” note for each child every day. I refer to all enrollment forms and talk daily with parents.

2. Describe your process for sharing information with families about teacher/program philosophy, curriculum, goals, and practices.
What tools and strategies (such as intake interviews, emails, phone calls, daily conversations, newsletters, bulletin boards, etc.) have you
us end?

When we meet for an interview, we go over my policy and program, I answer any questions they may have. I go over the curriculum and explain
that it meets the WMELS guidelines and that I provide a Developmentally Appropriate Practices and learning environment. ASQ-3 and ASQ-SE
are sent home with families to fill out and return to me when complete. Following up after it is complete. Child portfolios are completed
throughout the school year. I send daily notes home and have daily conversations with each family, including a monthly newsletter.

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3. Describe your process for establishing regular, effective two-way communication between families and teacher about child’s needs,
adjustment, activities and progress.
What tools and strategies (such as informal conversations during arrival and departure, emails, phone calls, texts, newsletters, conferences,
etc.) have you used?

Daily notes go home with each child, plus at drop off and pick up we have conversations that pertain to their child. We text message one
another as well as phone calls. Parents know that they can talk to me anytime.

4. Describe the family involvement opportunities you provide in your classroom and/or the program. How do you make sure the
opportunities respect family needs and perspectives? How do the opportunities consider each family’s interests and skills and the needs of
the program staff?

My families can come for a visit and participate in our activities at any time. Parents can come read a book to the children or participate in any of
our daily activities or just come to play. When we have birthdays or celebrate holidays parents can come and celebrate with us. During our
monthly curriculum themes, parents are asked if they could come share something pertaining to the theme. When we studied bee’s, a few
families brought items to display here for the month and we talked about keeping bees with one of our dads who has hives. I encourage parent
involvement, this helps make a strong connection between home and childcare, we are like a big family.

5. Give some examples of how your daily interactions demonstrate knowledge of the children, children’s families, and the social, linguistic,
and cultural context in which the children live.

Each child is precious to me and has their own uniqueness. I strive to support them in a positive, loving way by modeling and encouraging
them. Children learn through play and are given many opportunities to direct their own learning. Children are given choices and asked questions
to help them with learning experiences. We have both structured times and unstructured times. We have circle time, we sing songs, do kid’s
yoga, dancing and arts and crafts. The children are involved in their learning experiences and are encouraged to help plan our activities.

6. Give some examples of how you plan activities that incorporate the social, linguistic, and cultural context in which the children live.

The curriculum that I use gives me a basis as to how I’m going to teach. I call this my stepping stone I add to or change it up based on what I
know about each child that is in my care. Having a mixed age group, I need to meet the needs of each individual child. Activities are planned
based on this, knowing where each child is developmentally and meeting their needs accordingly.

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COMPETENCY 4. Analyze the development of children age three through age five.
Strategies to observe, analyze and adapt to children’s development
1. Describe the assessment tools you use. How do you obtain information on all areas of children’s development and learning in each
domain? How do you use developmental checklists, screening tools, observations, child portfolios that are aligned with WMELS to analyze
and identify child’s current level of development across domains?

I conduct assessments through the curriculum that I use which is included with my monthly purchase. It aligns with the WMELS, I also use
ASQ-3 and ASQ-SE. By using these tools, it allows me to see where the children are developmentally and social/emotionally. Observations
allow me to track the child developmental progress.

2. Describe how you use what you know about children’s social relationships, interests, ideas, and skills to tailor learning opportunities for
groups and individuals. How do you analyze observations to guide you in planning for curriculum activities?

I use the observations to guide me in my learning opportunities because each observation is a resource of information based on what that child
as an individual is learning and developing. This helps me to plan and develop their social relationships, through activities, peer relationships,
conflicts, and feelings.

3. Give examples of how you use your knowledge of individual children to modify strategies and materials to enhance children’s learning.
Describe a situation when you adapted an activity for different children based on their interests or reactions.

I have a mixed-age group and I adapt my curriculum to meet the needs of each child in my program. An example of me adapting an activity to
meet the needs of each child would be; finger painting for instance. The 16 months old would get yogurt because I know that he would eat the
finger paint. A child that has sensory processing disorder would have paintbrushes because they don’t like paint on their hands. The other
children would use the finger paints with their hands unless they chose a different method. Adapting to meet the children where they are is so
important. There is no right or wrong way to use finger paints.

4. Describe what you do to assess the developmental progress of each child across all domains and share information with child’s family.
What do you do to track child’s progress at regular intervals? How often do you have conferences with families to discuss their child’s
development?

I track each child’s progress with a portfolio and assessments. When I see a child showing that they are making progress or have attained a
goal I document it on their developmental checklist. Pictures of them in action as well as drawings, paintings, ASQ-3 and ASQ-SE, and
assessments are used to assess their developmental progress.

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COMPETENCY 5. Establish a developmentally appropriate environment.
Materials and equipment
1. Give examples of how your environment provides for children’s safety while being appropriately challenging – in good repair, age
appropriate, addresses the range of abilities of children in room, no safety hazards, etc.

The environment for which I provide care must meet state guidelines. Everything is in good repair, no broken toys or furniture, no chipped paint.
I’m certified in First Aid, CPR, AED. We do monthly fire drills and tornado drills. Fire extinguishers are on every level as well as smoke detectors
and carbon monoxide detectors.

2. Give examples of how your environment is rich in variety to encourage exploration, experimentation, and discovery – mix of open-ended
and self-correcting, cause & effect, sensory appeal, construction, dramatic play, etc.

My environment is set up to encourage exploration and discovery while playing. My room is set up in centers, blocks, dramatic play,
transportation, art, library, sensory, manipulatives. Each of these areas promotes open-ended play and provides a variety of outcomes
throughout the day. Children use self-expression, critical thinking, large and fine motor, creativity, games, problem solving, math, cause and
effect.

3. Give examples of how your environment promotes sensory exploration, creative expression, and fine motor learning – varying textures
and materials (not all plastic), sand, water, art materials, writing implements, and opportunities to practice a range of manipulative skills.

I have a variety of things that promote sensory exploration. I have a sensory table that is used during the day and is switched out each week for
our weekly theme. Things like rice, corn, water, bird seed, pumpkins, natural finds are just a few of the things we use. Another activity is a
sensory board with different textures to touch. For creative expression the children have access to are supplies and materials to create and
explore as well as scarves and musical instruments to play and sing and be creative.

4. Give examples of how your environment promotes gross motor skill practice – space and equipment to stimulate a variety of skills,
enhance sensory-motor integration, and develop controlled movement (balance, strength, coordination).

I promote gross motor skills in my program by creating fun activities to songs, games stories and music. It’s important for me to build these skills
and provide opportunities to dance, jump, hop skip, catch, roll balls, move to music rhythm, ride our trikes outside, climb, push, pull, just to
name a few. Gross motor activities are very important skills that build large muscle development.

5. Give examples of how your environment promotes pretend play and interaction between children - promotes communication (toy phone)
and cooperation to operate (see-saw), and a variety of pretend play props, etc.

Currently our dramatic play is set up as a bakery and coffee shop. There is child size furniture which includes a stove, fridge and sink. These
are stocked with a variety of food. We also have a coffee maker, mixing stand, and all the ingredients to make coffee, tea, or cocoa. We have

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menus, aprons and chef hats, oven mitts, and dishes to serve the food and drinks. There is a toy high chair and table with chairs. This is one of
the most loved spaces within the centers. Kids and families love it. It promotes many developmental opportunities in develop9ment and social
skills.

6. Give examples of how your environment is organized with appropriate materials to support range of curriculum areas – literacy,
science/discovery, construction, art, etc.

My program is set up in centers, I change the centers often to provide many learning opportunities. The block area currently has three different
types of block, block people, and nature finds. The transportation area with road rug has many vehicles both large and small as well as people
and wood loose parts. The sensory table currently has rice along with scoops, cups, bowls and farm animals. The library has two child size
chairs and soft rug for reading together or alone. I have a very large library of books and they are at the child’s level. We read all the time, there
is a large built in book shelf that I can access from as well. The doll house is natural wood and has a variety of family cultures represented. The
dramatic play includes food, stove, fridge along with dress up clothes. The art area includes paints, crayons, paper, water colors, and markers.
We also have stencils and stamps as well as games. All of these things are accessible to the children throughout the day. I feel my space
provides many learning opportunities.

7. Give examples of how your environment is arranged to support independent use – low, open shelves, bins or baskets, etc. Do you have
picture/word labels so children know where to find and put away materials?

My space is set up in centers which includes child size furniture, shelves, chairs and tables. Quiet areas by quiet areas activities are grouped
together. Busier and louder areas are grouped together. Natural baskets and open shelves display items neatly and are inviting for the children.

8. Give examples of how you rotate materials to reflect changing curriculum and to accommodate new interests and skill levels. Do you have
storage space in the center with materials to rotate into and out of room?

I rotate toys out weekly and sometimes daily depending on the age group that day. The times that are out reflect the developmental needs of
each individual child. Some items are stored in cubbies out of sight, but the majority is stored in the basement on shelves by types of items.

9. Give examples of how you have or might add or adapt materials to accommodate a child’s special needs.

A couple of days per week I have a 16 month old, and on those days, I need to adapt the materials to meet his needs. Having buckets with
blocks to dump and fill, soft blocks for stacking, cardboard books, soft pull cars, bees wax crayons, are just a few things that will be added to
accommodate him.

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10. Give examples of how your environment has sufficient soft elements to provide comfort and responsiveness – pillows, mats, couch, etc.

I have several rugs that soften the hardwood floors thought the space, we have fabric chairs and stuffed animals and pillows in our space as
well.

11. Give examples of some play/learning materials that you created – made from variety of “found” natural, or “real” materials, or created to
support curriculum topics.

We go on walks each week when the weather permits. The children and I find nature treasures on our walks. Sometimes we make collages
from them to take home or to display. Sometimes we just them in our sensory table. We also have birch branches that we just added to the play
space.

12. Give examples of how the materials are in sufficient quantities to occupy every child in activities that meet his or her needs.

My space has an adequate supply of developmentally appropriate materials for every child to have one. By having an adequate amount of
materials allows every child a variety of play experiences.

Indoor space
13. Give examples of how your environment has protected places for children to play individually- defensible spaces to be alone.

The space is set up in centers and arranged in a way that the children are visibly seen and can accommodate one or several children at a time.
The library is an area the children know they can go to too have alone or quiet time as well as the baby area.

14. Give examples of how your environment has places for children to play with peers – spaces divided by low shelves for partner play, etc.

In the center of all the centers is our circle time rug. Children come and go from each of the centers and usually set up play spaces within the
center of the room. They build castles, farms, zoo’s, bus rides with chairs and many other fun activities.

15. Give examples of how your environment has places for children to be all together – large open rug area, tables and chairs to sit together
for meals, etc.

In the center of our room is an open space that we use for circle time as well as group activities. This is the hub of our classroom and many
activities happen here.

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16. Give examples of how your environment has equipment such as tables and chairs that are sized to the children using them – children’s
feet touch floor and table top is about mid chest height, climbers not too big or too small for children.

All the furniture in my space is child size. This includes shelves, tables that can be adjusted, chairs of varying heights. As well as baby mats and
baby mirror with pull up bar.

17. Give examples of how your environment has space that is divided into areas that are supplied with materials organized to support play
and learning.

Every area is set up in centers, we have a block area, transportation, sensory table, art area with table and materials, a library, games and
manipulatives, circle time area, infant area, dramatic play. All areas are inviting and organized and at eye level.

18. Give examples of how your environment has areas with pathways for children to move between areas without disturbing other children.

The centers are set up along the outside of each wall allowing the center of the room to be open and allows for the flow of the room and children
to move freely without disrupting others.

19. Give examples of how your environment has ways to moderate or minimize visual and auditory stimulation- window shades, curtains,
dimmers, sound absorbing materials, etc.

I have a lot of natural light that comes in. On each of the large windows I have white café style curtains. I feel natural lighting is best and
allowing for the sun to come in. I also have sconce lighting wit natural LED bulbs on the walls that provides soft lighting.

20. Give examples of how your environment has places for displaying children’s work – artwork on walls or shelves, photos of activities, work
samples, etc.

I display children’s art work on the walls as well as on our shelves, on the front door, and on the fridge. Children also love taking their work
home at the end of the day.

21. Give examples of how your environment has defined spaces for families to sign in and out, gather information about child’s day – parent
info board with schedule posted, curriculum activities, parent pockets or bins for notes, daily care sheets, clipboards, child notebooks, place
to sit and write or for child to dress/undress, etc.

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When families arrive in the morning they come in my vestibule and take their shoes off. It’s a welcoming space and there are trays for shoes.
Then they enter through another door which opens to a large foyer where families sing in. Children have cubbies that hold all their personal
items and have their names and pictures on the outside to identify each cubby. The schedule is displayed in this space on the wall and next to
the sign in sheet is our menu and any parent notes. On the wall each child has a folder with their name on it and this is my communication
center and children’s projects get placed in there.

22. Give examples of how your environment has individual space for each child’s belongings - individual hooks for each child’s
coat/backpack, a separate area to store extra clothing, children's things are individually stored to support organized access and
independence.

Shoes stay in the front vestibule and when families come into the foyer each child has a cubby where they have a picture and their name. All
their personal items are sored here.

23. Does your room have comfortable adult sized places to sit while interacting with children during play, routines and teacher guided
activities? Describe them.

I have a rocking chair that is in the baby area that I use as well as a chair in the circle time area.

24. Are you able to see children in all areas of room? Describe how.

My space is set up so that I can see the children from any part of the room. It’s a long rectangle and the centers are set up on all the outer walls
allowing for visibility in all centers throughout the space.

Outdoor space
25. Give examples of how your outdoor play space has equipment that is designed for age and abilities of children using it.

My outdoor play area is set up to encourage large motor skills such as climbing, running, sliding, riding trikes, climbing and swinging. There are
activities to engage the children in my mixed-age group that meet them where they are at in addition to being age appropriate. The outside paly
space is fenced in and meets the requirements of DCF.

26. Give examples of situations that show you are attentive to children during outdoor and indoor time and promote their exploration and
discovery.

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 My job is to keep children safe and meet their needs. I do this by being a good listener, shoeing them I care about them and their feelings, being
at eye level when communicating, as well as being patient and understanding. Keeping calm and having their needs met daily with
encouragement.

COMPETENCY 6. Develop activity plans that promote child development and learning.
Daily Schedule- predictable, yet flexible
1. Where is your schedule posted in the room?

My schedule is posted in the foyer for everyone to see. It is a flexible schedule and can change as needed.
2. Describe how your schedule provides time and support for transitions.
The schedule meets the kids where they are, in a natural way. The children are in a routine and know what comes next and naturally transition
from each activity or free play throughout the day. They know that they arrive and put their coats away, wash their hands and go paly till
breakfast time. I let them know when we are getting ready to eat breakfast by giving them a 5 minute transition time. After breakfast they know
they put their dishes in the sink and wash their hands and faces. After they have done that they play until we have preschool. This is just an
example of transitions in my program. Transitions go smoothly for us.

3. Does your schedule have indoor and outdoor experiences planned and provided daily as weather permits – how often do you take the
children outside? What conditions prevent you from getting the children outside?

If it is too cold outside based on the age of each child and DCF guidelines we don’t go out. Otherwise we go outside at least twice a day in the
cooler months and practically live outside during the summer.

4. Describe how your schedule incorporates time for play, creative expression, large group, small group, and child-initiated activities.

Our structured time is during our preschool time in the morning and is flexible, some days it could be 10 minutes, other days it could be longer
or shorter, it all depends on the children and meeting their needs. The remainder of our 10 hour day consists of open-ended play where the
children engage with one another and individually throughout the centers within my space. They have opportunities to experience art,
playdough, games, easel, dance, listen to music, scarves. We play hide and seek, table top activities, as well as baking food.

Health and Physical Development

5. Give examples of how you provide varied opportunities and materials that support fine-motor development. List examples of the materials
you have available in the room.

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I have art buckets out with the child’s picture and name, they have crayons, markers, scissors, glue sticks and Elmer’s glue. They can use it
anytime. We have a few geo-boards, beads for stringing, peg boards, paper, puzzles, lacing toys, finger paints, manipulatives, paint, water
colors. All materials can be used by the children anytime.

6. Give examples of how you provide varied opportunities and materials that support large-motor experiences that stimulate a variety of
skills, that range from familiar to new and challenging, enhance sensory-motor integration, and development of controlled movement
(balance, strength, coordination) and enable children with varying abilities to have large motor experiences similar to those of their peers (if
present in room). How do you meet YoungStar criteria for a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity daily?

Large motor experiences are important in y program. I promote a variety of skills that meet the children where they are as well as give
challenges. Things like balance beam, stepping logs, jumping mat for exercise and play, hopping or skipping to music and rhythm. We dance,
do yoga and various exercise movements like, tumbling, jumping, jacks, rolling, rocking. We really enjoy these various experiences in our day.

7. Give examples of how you lead varied opportunities to help children learn physical games with rules and structure, stimulate a variety of
skills, enhance sensory-motor integration and development of controlled movement (balance, strength, coordination. How do you meet
Young Star criteria for 15 minutes of teacher-led activities?

One of our favorite physical activities is Cosmic Kids Yoga. Children at various levels can participate and it promotes, strength, coordination,
movement, balance. That’s why I love yoga, it helps to develop many avenues of development. Another activity we enjoy is red light green light.
We make it fun by adding various moves instead of walking or running. We side step, scissor cross, tumble, walk or run backwards. These are
just a few examples of what we do. This game also helps to build and develop control, balance and strength, plus cooperation.

Social and Emotional Development (See Competency 9 for related criteria)

8. Give examples of how you plan varied opportunities for children to recognize and name their own and other’s feelings.

We talk about feelings and I have a poster with feelings on it that is displayed on the wall. We talk about our feelings throughout the day and I
want all the children to know they can express themselves anytime, no matter what. It’s important for me to listen to each child and their
feelings. We read books about feelings and emotions. I feel this has been wonderful and it has helped children understand their emotions for a
different perspective.

9. Give examples of how you plan varied opportunities for children to practice regulation of their emotions, behavior and attention.

Taking turns has been a way that has helped me to show the children regulation of their emotions and behavior. Modeling myself has also
helped the children. My role is to help them learn ways to strengthen their self-regulation skills and this varies with each child.

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Language Development and Communication
10. Give examples of how you plan varied opportunities for children to develop communication and vocabulary by responding to questions,
communicating needs, thoughts, and experiences, describing things and events, conversations, and experiences such as field trips.

Every child is at a different stage in development in my mixed-age group. We sing songs, do finger plays, read a ton of books. When reading I like to ask
questions like; what was your favorite part of the story? Who was your favorite character? What do you think will happen next? Other ways are at meal
times, upon arrival I may ask how are you this morning? At meals I’ll ask, what is your favorite food? What color is our vegetable? Giving children
opportunities to recite books, plays, or nursery rhymes.

11. Give examples of how you support the development and maintenance of the child’s home language whenever possible. Do you try to learn familiar
words, terms or phrases in child’s language? Do you have opportunities for children to see language in print?

I haven’t experienced this in my program yet but if I did, I would try and learn words or phrases that the family uses. I would have books,
pictures, labels, to help promote this development. Another idea would be to have a translator here to encourage and help during this transition.

12. Give examples of how you provide opportunities for children to become familiar with print by making print accessible throughout the
classroom. Are items belonging to a child are labeled with his or her name? Are materials labeled? Do you have print posters to describe
some rules and routines?

Children’s cubbies, art supplies, and stars are labeled with their names. We have a question on the week and upon arrival they answer the
question with their parents help. I have print on the walls as well as throughout the childcare space. We also have a ton of books that the
children can access throughout the day. Children have opportunities to write or trace their names. I have handwashing posters that show
instructions, calendar, circle time center has numbers, letters, shapes, and colors, job charts and red and green choice posters.

13. Give examples of how you help children recognize print and connect it to spoken words.

Seeing print and seeing me model these concepts helps them to understand print. When we practice writing their name or when we play a
game, or count, when we sing our ABC’s, or answer our question of the week, when we read together, when we work on our letter of the week,
the posters throughout the room, and nursery rhymes posters. These are some of the ways children are exposed to print in my program.

14. How often and when do you read books children? Give examples of how you engage in conversations that help children understand the
content of the book.

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We read a lot of books throughout the day. I have quite a collection of books that I change out regularly and of course our library is utilized too.
When I read to the children, I engage them by asking questions like; what is going to happen next, or what did you like about the story, who was
your favorite character, what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

15. Give examples of how you allow children to explore books on their own and provide places that are conducive to the quiet enjoyment of
books. Describe how children have access to various types of books, including storybooks, factual books, books with rhymes, alphabet
books, and wordless books.

I have a lot of books and the children can access them at any time throughout the day. They have a whole bookshelf that they can reach by
themselves in addition to a large built in bookshelf that can be accessed as well. I have board books, fantasy, ABC, number, touch and feel,
factual, nursery rhymes, themes, animals, desert, artic, shapes, numbers, picture books, and much more.

16. Give examples of how you provide children with multiple and varied opportunities to write.
Are writing materials and activities readily available in art, dramatic play, and other learning centers? Children have access to a variety of
writing materials; paper, pencils, color pencils, markers. There are also clipboards with paper and writing utensils out for children to use
throughout the day. We have a mail box the kids write and mail a variety of things.

Do children have access to the alphabet (e.g., displayed at eye level or on laminated cards) and to printed words about topics of current
interest?

I have an alphabet train on the wall as well as number train. I have a print rich environment with posters, books, labels, name tags. There are
posters in the bathroom, dining room, foyer, and playroom. These posters and alphabet and number trains along with books provide children
with different ways to see the alphabet.

Give examples of situations when you supported children in writing on their own.
Children have an art bucket with their name and picture on it to know which bucket to use. Their buckets are filled with a variety of writing
utensils which they use throughout the day. They have access to paper, envelopes, stencils, and a variety of writing materials.

17. Give examples of how you model functional use of writing and help children to discuss the many ways writing is used in daily life. Do
you give children daily opportunities to write or dictate their ideas? Do you give children assistance in writing the words and messages
they are trying to communicate? Do you support various types of writing, including scribbling, letter-like marks, and developmental
spelling?

Throughout the day the children are exposed to a variety of writing material. Children make treasure maps, mail letters or postcards in the mail
box. We write in our journals and practice writing our names. In the art buckets is a variety of writing tools to write with along with their laminated
name cards for them to trace or use as an example to write their names on paper. We also have a chalkboard as well as a dry erase board that

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the children draw, scribble, and write on. If a child needs assistance with anything I am there to provide support and encouragement, so they
can be successful.

18. Describe when and how you use rhymes, poems, songs and finger plays. Give examples of how you provide children with multiple and
varied opportunities to develop phonological awareness. Describe situations when you provided encouragement to play with the sounds
of language, including syllables, word families, and phonemes, helping to identify letters and the sounds they represent, to recognize
and produce words that have the same beginning or ending sounds, and supporting children’s self-initiated efforts to write letters that
represent the sounds of words.

We read, sing and do finger plays and nursery rhymes throughout our day. We even make up our own rhymes and stories within our day as
well. During circle time where we have our preschool time, I incorporate the letter and number we are working on during that time. Something
that I incorporated into my program are the Lake Shore Learning Alphabet Sounds teaching tubs. Another item I use to incorporate letters and
their sounds are the Lakeshore Learning; Alphabots, Alphabet Learning Locks, ABC Magnets, Magnetic Alphabet Maze, Float and Find
Alphabet Bubbles. I incorporate many learning experiences with these items. One thing I may ask the children at various times throughout the
day is, I’m thinking of a letter that makes the B sound I wonder what letter that could be? In addition, I will ask, what is something in our room
that starts with that sound. I expand upon the letter after they bring me an item that starts with that letter by writing it on our dry erase board.
We sound out each letter together. This is just one example I do in my program.

Approaches to Learning
19. Give examples of how you plan varied opportunities for children to develop a sense of competence and positive attitudes toward learning,
such as persistence, engagement, curiosity, and mastery.

Having a mixes-age group I meet the child where they are. Every child is at a different stage of development and I adjust my curriculum to
meet their individual need. This happens both as a group and individually. Helping each child through modeling the concept and then having
the try on their own gives them a sense of confidence. If a child gets discouraged, I come alongside them and encourage them through the
skill they are attempting. Being consistent in our daily engagement also helps them develop a sense of competence. This for example is done
during our table top activity when we write our names or trace our names. This builds mastery, and the children are eager to write their
names.

20. Give examples of how you provide children with varied opportunities to gain an appreciation of, and to learn new concepts and vocabulary,
and express themselves creatively in ways that reflect diversity through art, music, drama and dance activities.

While dancing to music children express themselves by moving freely to the music, the beat or rhythm of the music. This happens with our
bodies moving freely, using scarves, or instruments. Another activity is painting or drawing to music, going fast or slow to the beat or rhythm
while we create process art. While drawing a picture the children may ask for me to write a story on their paper or label items in the picture.
Creative expression comes in many forms and is so important in my ECE program.

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21. Do you provide a variety of art tools that are accessible to children? List the tools that are available in the classroom.

Many tools are available in the classroom for daily use. Things like finger paints, tempera paints, washable paints, hole punches, play dough,
scissors, hammers and nails, loose parts, stencils, stamps, color pencils, markers, paper both cardstock and construction in many colors,
stapler, tape, foam stickers and many, many, more items.

Cognition and General Knowledge

22. Give examples of how you provide children with varied opportunities and materials to explore math concepts such as size, shape, color,
patterns, quantity, measurement, number awareness, counting, and time. List some of the materials as well as activities you provide.

I provide children with material to explore math concepts in an informal way with my mixed-age group by including this in our everyday activities.
An example of this is would be, Jacob has two cars, or how many buttons are on your shirt. Another activity can be to count our steps or jumps.
Measurement of objects by using a ruler or tape measure or by measuring with items like counting bears. How many counting bears long is your
hand or foot? Measuring is also in the form of measuring spoon and cups. Another activity we do is patterns, I add this activity throughout our
day by using it as a table top activity with color cube blocks or colored shapes with pattern cards. Each day is never the same.

23. Give examples of how you provide children with varied opportunities and materials to explore science principles and concepts such as
observation and investigation of the natural world, living and non-living things, weather, seasons, the five senses, properties of matter and
materials (sink/float, liquids/solids/gasses, etc.), light and shadows, geologic features, etc. Describe how you encourage children to think,
question, and reason about observed phenomena, collect data and represent and document findings.

In my multi-age group program, the children have many opportunities to explore science. Hands on investigations and observations of property
of matter we made a volcano that erupted. Another activity we put white flowers in vases with a variety of food color, each flower absorbed the
dye and changed color. We have alight table which we’ve explored light going through objects that are translucent. We’ve used flashlights to
cast shadows of puppets on the wall or floor. In addition, when we go for walks, we always look for our shadows. Living and non-living activity
we just completed this summer was our caterpillar study. We learned the life cycle of a butterfly during this activity we learned the four stages;
egg, larva, pupa, and adult. For sink and float we have water in our sensory table and have items that float and sink, the kids try and figure
when placing items in the water if they will sink or float and we talk about the process of this hands on activity.

24. Describe how you use technology in the classroom with media such as television, film, videotapes, and audiotapes. (Limited/no use of TV,
video, etc. and developmentally appropriate access to computers.)
When it comes to the use of technology in my program, I have limited the use of it and focus more on their experiences, exploring, and creative
expression. There are times when I use videos to help support our learning activities such as when we are learning about animals on the north
pole, or desert animals like a scorpion, we will watch a short educational video to expand upon our learning experience. I do have an iPad in
which I have PBS Kids App downloaded, I would have to say that the children rarely ask to use the iPad. They are busy exploring, engaging in
other activities and playing in the classroom.

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COMPETENCY 7. Document children’s behavior.
1. Describe how you document children’s behavior. Do you conduct regular observations of each child? Do they include written observations,
notes and analysis?

I write the children’s behaviors and daily observations down in a note book and transfer them at the end of the day or week to an anecdotal
observation record.

Describe a situation when you talked and listened to children as well as observed them to assess their strengths and needs to guide you in
planning activities and individualizing for the child.

I use anecdotal observations and I also use my curriculums child development assessment tool. Something I’ve used before as a Home Visitor
was The Portage Guide, I really liked this child development tool for observations and will be using it in my program in the near future.

2. Describe the process you use to gather information from families on their observations of their child’s behavior at home. Do you use
their input to contribute to the assessment process?

When talking to the families about their child’s behavior at home and in my program, we communicate with one another verbally and through
daily notes. My families and myself feel it’s very important to have open communication in all aspects of their child’s well-being.

3. Give an example of a time when you noticed patterns in a child’s challenging behaviors to help you develop effective, consistent, and
individualized responses.

Having open communication with my parents is key. We talk together about our ideas to help their child with challenging behaviors. Being
consistent at home and in childcare helps the child to know what routines and expectations are at home and daycare. Sometimes it can be
visual reminders, helping with transitions, adjusting schedules, or establishing boundaries. This all depends on what the child needs to be
successful and looks different for each child and family.

COMPETENCY 8. Analyze factors that affect the behavior of children.

1. Give an example of a time when you were dealing with a child’s challenging behavior. What need, or desired result was the child
expressing through the behavior? Did you use observation and analysis to identify the function of the child’s behavior?

A time that I was dealing with a challenging behavior was when a child who was in my program started biting other children. This child could not
talk yet and this was her way of getting what she wanted. By modeling positive behavior and reinforcing expectations here and at home her

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family and I came up with goals that we wanted for their child. By being consistent, modeling appropriate behaviors, and communicating with
one another this helped the child be able to respond in a different way when she didn’t get what she wanted.

2. Give an example of a situation when you were dealing with a child’s challenging behavior in the classroom and you gathered input from
the child’s family on the child’s behavior at home and their goals for the child.

As stated above I had a child in my program that started biting other children. By modeling positive behavior and reinforcing expectations here
and at home her family and I came up with goals that we wanted for their child. Being consistent, modeling appropriate behaviors, and
communicating with one another this helped the child be able to respond in a different way when she didn’t get what she wanted. Always being
kind in responses, and modeling what the expectations are as well as having visual reminders. In addition to these things we started using sign
language to help the child with communication.

3. Give an example of a child’s challenging behavior and how you considered the child’s temperament, abilities, home life and progress to
help you develop effective strategies to guide the child.

I feel it’s important to build positive relationships with every child in my program. Knowing each of the child individually as well as observing
them throughout the day helps me to know their abilities and temperament. Having open communication with the parents helps me to see what
home life is about and what behaviors the parent may be experiencing at home. It’s important for the parents and myself to support one another
and provide consistent expectations and model appropriate expectations. This can be done in a variety of ways depending on the child’s
individual needs.

4. Give an example of a specific situation when you had a child with a challenging behavior, and you recognized how the room
environment and child’s level of social skills contributed to the behavior. Describe how you focused on teaching the child social,
communication, and emotional regulation skills and used environmental modifications, activity modifications, adult or peer support, and
other teaching strategies to support the child’s appropriate behavior.

Another challenging behavior that I’ve experienced was a child climbing on the open shelves that display our toys, books and other learning
materials. This child was younger that the other children in my program. His development was ahead for his age, he was walking at 8 months
and was full of energy. I needed to keep him safe and show him positive guidance while modeling appropriate expectations. I changed the
layout of my infant area and added plexiglass to the backs of the shelves to teach him not to climb through the shelves. By showing and
teaching him that he couldn’t climb through the shelves his focus was now on playing with the toys in our environment and exploring the
playroom safely.

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COMPETENCY 9. Practice positive guidance strategies.
1. Give examples of how you express warmth through behaviors such as physical affection, eye contact, tone of voice, and smiles and create
a positive emotional climate as reflected in behaviors such as frequent social conversations, joint laughter, and affection.

We are like a big family, I care for each of the children in my childcare like they are my own. I show the children I care for them by my kind
words, the soft tone of my voice, we give hugs, high five’s, we laugh together, and support each other if someone is sad or gets hurt by asking if
they are ok. We are silly together and love to laugh. Every day they make me laugh and put a smile on my face.

2. Give examples of how you function as a secure base for children, responding promptly in developmentally appropriate ways to children’s
positive initiations, negative emotions, and feelings of hurt and fear by providing comfort, supports and assistance.

I provide a safe, secure, and stable environment where the children know that they are loved. I’m sensitive to their needs socially and
emotionally and have built a trust with them. I’m gentle, patient, kind, and understanding. If a child is expressing a negative emotion, I am here
to give them support and listen to them as well as making sure they feel safe and secure.

3. Describe how you establish and convey to children clear and consistent classroom rules and expectations.

The classroom rules and expectations are conveyed through our Red and Green Choices that are hanging on our walls. Green choices are
positive choices and the green choices are the choices we try not to make. These get changed based on behaviors I see on a daily basis. The
Red and Green choices coincide with one another. An example would be; Green choice-inside voice vs. Red choice-screaming voice, Green
Choice-walking feet vs. Red Choice-running feet. Having a visual reminder helps us see what the expectations are and remind us throughout
the day.

4. Give examples of how you promote pro-social behavior by interacting in a respectful manner with all staff and children.

The biggest thing that I can do in my program is modeling respectful behavior. Children learn from each other and from me and their parents.
It’s important for me to make sure that I am always kind in my approach and that I express myself in an appropriate way in order to show them
positive social and emotional development. This happens by the language I use with the children, my facial expression, calm body, and
approachable demeanor.

5. Give examples of how you promote pro-social behavior by modeling turn taking and sharing as well as caring behaviors, and helping
children negotiate their interactions with one another and with shared materials.

In my multi-age group program, we are learning from each other daily. The children that I currently have are just starting to understand what
taking turns are when we play a game. I’ve been modeling and sharing what it means to take turns when we are playing board games. We’ve
been doing this for a couple of months now and have noticed when the children are playing a game with each other the are appropriately taking
turns without squabbling. We are also learning the importance of patience and waiting our turn if we would like a toy that our friends may be

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playing with. This is also done by modeling that behavior and reading books about sharing has also helped us to see it from a different
perspective.

6. Give examples of how you promote pro-social behavior by helping children use language to communicate their needs and encouraging
children to listen to one another and encouraging and helping children to provide comfort when others are sad or distressed.

I feel it’s important to listen and support the needs of all the children in my program. I do this by modeling, supporting, and encouraging each
child. I like to get down to the child’s eye level when talking to them and making sure that I’m listening to their needs. I also like to let them know
that I heard what they just told me by saying it back to them. I feel it’s important to show the children what it means to listen to one another, we
do this at circle time, when we are eating at the table and other times throughout the day. This allows everyone to express themselves
individually while being in a group. I can say that all the children in my program are sensitive to others feelings and support their friends if
someone is sad or distressed.

7. Give an example of a situation when you assisted children in resolving conflicts by helping them identify feelings, describe problems,
and try alternative solutions.

My role is to help the children identify their feelings or frustrations and for them to learn to communicate these feelings in a positive way. This is
done by asking questions, supporting, and listening to their needs. By addressing the problem and talking through it together with my assistance
they will learn how to resolve conflicts. Letting each child express the conflict, talk about how it made them feel, and what each child feels the
solution should be is part of resolving conflict together or as a group.

8. Give an example of a situation when you helped children manage their behavior by guiding and supporting children to persist when
frustrated, gain control of physical impulses, express negative emotions in ways that do not harm others or themselves, and play
cooperatively with other children.

My goal is to teach democratic life skills that are needed for them to be healthy and productive adults. Modeling healthy emotional expression
and supporting them as they build social skills and solve problems with others give them opportunities to build positive relationships with each
other. It’s very important to have developmentally appropriate expectations for children’s behavior, this helps to reduce mistaken behavior. I feel
that teaching the children problem solving techniques with visual reminders helps when guiding a child’s mistaken behavior and helps both
parties arrive to a peaceful settlement.

9. Describe how you use positive guidance strategies. Describe what you consider to be inappropriate physical punishment.

Building trust right from the start and getting to know each child individually and observing them in the environment to see where specific
behaviors are happening. Responding appropriately and effectively to mistaken behaviors and being patient are very important. Using positive
language that focuses on the specific behavior, modeling appropriate words and behaviors, using a calm and gentle tone when speaking,
treating children with respect, having clear classroom rules and visual reminders for positive behavior using strategies that are consistent with

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 my philosophy. Inappropriate physical punishment should never happen!! I don’t support any type of physical, mental, emotional, verbal, sexual,
punishment in my program. None!! I am a mandated reporter and will protect all children from this happening.
10. Describe what you would consider to be inappropriate use of threats or derogatory remarks or withholding or threatening to withhold food
as a form of discipline.

Things that I would consider to be inappropriate would be harsh or mean remarks toward the children that belittle, bullying, emotional abuse,
cruelty, threats, and name calling. Withholding food because of a child’s behavior is un-excusable.

COMPETENCY 10. Examine the critical role of play.

1. Describe how your curriculum plans reflect an emphasis on play-based learning.

When I started just over 2 years ago, I knew that I wanted to teach preschool within my childcare. I wanted to find a curriculum that supported
my play based learning environment and also met WMELS. I found just that in the curriculum that I use, and I love that it’s play-based which
allows the children to be active participants in their learning. I love this because it allows them to express their interests, creative thinking and
their imagination while learning.
2. Describe how you provide ample time for child-directed play and child choice of play materials.

In my play-based learning environment children are learning through play throughout their day. Activities are child led throughout most of our
day with the exception of our circle time/preschool which is teacher led but child directed. The children are active participants in their learning
and our circle time can be anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes and is a flexible system.
3. Give examples of how you join children in learning centers during play/work time to extend and deepen children’s learning and model play
and prosocial skills.

Children learn through play and need a variety of hands-on experiences to allow for learning. While children are playing in our learning centers I
like to walk around and see what it is that they are playing. While doing this I will have kids that say to me Ms. Laura come look at what I built. I
will then walk over and look at their structure with a smile on my face. I enjoy it when the children invite me into their play. I like to ask them
questions about what they’ve built or how they constructed it and what kind of materials they used. When deepening the children’s learning I will
encourage them to think about their activity in a different way.
4. Give examples of situations when you supported children’s social play skills by helping them enter into, sustain and enhance play with
peers.

When I have a new child transition into my program and are new, I like to see what their interests are prior to them coming on their first day. I do
this during my first visit with the family when we are interviewing. I like to see what the child likes to play with, their likes and dislikes, this helps
me on their first day here. Let’s say Joy loves to play with dolls, on the first day of school I would introduce her to another that likes to play with

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 dolls. I want to support their social emotional development, it’s important for me to have a classroom environment in which they feel safe,
secure, loved and a sense of belonging.

COMPETENCY 11. Demonstrate responsible and ethical behavior as an early childhood education professional.
Professional behavior
1. Give examples of how you follow state licensing regulations.

I keep the DCF 250 licensing rules for family child care centers with commentary out and available whenever I may have a question come up or
need to refer to a rule. Having this to refer to is crucial for every aspect of my job. In the two years that I have been licensed I have not had one
non-compliance statement. In addition to referring to the DCF 250 I keep a business calendar that helps me to keep track of when children are
due for immunizations or well child visits. This also helps me to track trainings, monthly fire and tornado drills, and a to do list of things that may
need attention.

2. Describe the responsibilities that you have as outlined in the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct. Give an example of a situation where you
behaved ethically in following the principles and ideals listed in the Code.

First and foremost, as a childcare provider I must keep the children safe as noted in the NAEYC P-1.1 Code of Ethical Conduct:

P-1.1 We shall place the welfare and safety of children above other obligations (for example, to families, program personnel, employing agency,
community). This item takes precedence over all others in this Supplement.

When we look at NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct & Statement it has four sections that are outlined that we as ECE teachers should be
familiar with. 1. Ethical responsibilities to children 2. Ethical responsibilities to families 3. Ethical responsibilities to colleagues 4. Ethical
responsibilities to community and society.

Another part of being an ECE Professional is knowing the Core Values of NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct. NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct
& Statement as seen in the Professional Commitment page 161 in the Beginnings & Beyond Book 10th Edition Figure 5-7 outlines what we as
ECE Professionals value most.

o Appreciating childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle

o Basing our work with children on knowledge of child development

o Appreciating and supporting the bond between the child and family

o Recognizing that children are best understood and supported in the context of family, culture, community, and society

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 o Respecting the dignity, worth, and uniqueness for each individual (child, family, and colleagues

o Recognizing that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and
respect.

The reason it’s so important in our fields to be guided by the NAEYC’s ethical code is to be able to identify what is right and what might be an
ethical conflict. It also allows us to make better decisions in the way we support the children we care for and their families.

When providing care for children and forming relationships with the families whose children in my care I need to be professional in all that I do,
all that I say, and how I act. This is very important to me as an ECE Professional Teacher. I had a family who was trying to find out information
about another child in my program that pulled their daughters hair. I explained that I can’t do what you are asking of me because of
confidentiality purposes and that it goes against my professional code of ethics. Respecting all of my families and their children in my program
and following the NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement is very important to me as an ECE teacher.

Describe how you advocate for best practices in your program.

My vision as a teacher is to support a child’s intellectual and social growth. Having a developmentally appropriate environment where children
can learn through play and have a variety of hands-on experiences to allow for learning. In my program I promote child development and
learning, I’m building family and community relationships, I observe and document goals and outcomes, I use DAP to connect with the children
and their families, the curriculum I use meets WMELS standards, lastly, I am proud to be an ECE Professional Teacher.

3. Describe how you communicate and cooperate respectfully with co-workers and function smoothly as a team to meet child and family
needs. Describe how you share planning or decision making in classroom activities and/or program practices. (FCC providers balance
needs of program with needs of own family.)

As a child care provider, I work solely by myself. I’m the owner and operator of my childcare and preschool. I don’t have a supervisor or co-
workers. It’s solely my responsibility to meet the needs of each child in my care and build positive relationships with all my families. Being a
Professional ECE Teacher it’s important for me to build that important foundation that is needed for the children to be healthy members in the
classroom, at home, and in the community. In our household our children are now out of the house and we are empty nesters. This last year
and a half my husband has taken on more responsibilities in helping me with my childcare business and our normal home responsibilities. I can
say that while on this journey with the Preschool Credential that I could not have done it without him and the tremendous support and
encouragement that he given me. With us being empty nesters and having a large home we are utilizing the space in a completely different
way. We have five large bedrooms upstairs that weren’t being utilized since our children left. We now utilize this space differently, we have our
living room, office, craft room, a spare bedroom for guests, and our own bedroom and bath upstairs. This allows for the whole main level to be
used for childcare. The formal dining room has a combination of uses and is still the main hub when we have friends and family over as it’s a
large space to gather.

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