Part 1 Option A: Effective Early Childhood Teaching  For Part 1 of your Competency Assessment, you will complete one of  the activities below. If you are currently working within an early  childhood program and can complet

Overview

For this Performance Task, you will complete two parts:

For Part 1 of your Competency Assessment, you will complete one of  the activities below. If you are currently working within an early  childhood program and can complete this assignment within that program  you will complete Option A. If you are NOT currently working within an  early childhood program you will complete Option B.Option A: For Part 1 of your Competency Assessment, you will analyze  how information you learn from interviewing and observing an early  childhood teacher compares with research-based information on guidelines  for developmentally appropriate practice and characteristics of  effective early childhood teachers.Option B: For Part 1 of your Competency Assessment, you will study  the provided video of an early childhood classroom and analyze how what  you see in that classroom compares with research-based information on  guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice and characteristics  of effective early childhood teachers.For Part 2 of your Competency Assessment, you will analyze  capabilities, practices, and understandings of effective leaders in  early childhood settings in order to develop a Leadership Assessment and  your professional philosophy of early childhood leadership.

Professional Skills: Written Communication is assessed in this Competency.    

Instructions

Before submitting your Assessment, carefully review the rubric. This  is the same rubric the assessor will use to evaluate your submission and  it provides detailed criteria describing how to achieve or master the  Competency. Many students find that understanding the requirements of  the Assessment and the rubric criteria help them direct their focus and  use their time most productively.

Access the RUBRIC and following to complete this Assessment:

Part 1 Option A: Effective Early Childhood TeachingPart 1 Option B: Effective Early Childhood TeachingPart 2: Effective Leadership in Early Childhood Settings

This Performance Task has 2 parts you will need to complete:

Part 1 Option A: Effective Early Childhood Teaching

 For Part 1 of your Competency Assessment, you will complete one of  the activities below. If you are currently working within an early  childhood program and can complete this assignment within that program  you will complete Option A. If you are NOT currently working within an  early childhood program you will complete Option B.

To complete Part 1 of the Competency Assessment:

After you have carefully reviewed the 5 Guidelines for  Developmentally Appropriate Practice and 12 Characteristics of Effective  Early Childhood Teachers, interview and observe an early childhood  teacher.In your interview, share and discuss the 5 Guidelines for  Developmentally Appropriate Practice and the 12 Characteristics of  Effective Early Childhood Teachers.Ask the teacher to share his/her interpretation, insights, and  examples of at least 2 of the Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate  Practice and 3 of the Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood  Teachers.Spend at least 2 hours in the teacher’s setting observing for the  three identified Guidelines of Appropriate Practice and Characteristics  of Effective Teaching you discussed.

Then complete the chart located in the Early Childhood Effective Teaching document:

Summarize how the teacher interprets and demonstrates at least 2 of the 5 Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate PracticeAnalyze how the information you learn from the interview and  observation compare with the research-based information in the resource.  Offer 2 possible areas of improvement.Explain how the teacher interprets and demonstrates 3 of the 12 Characteristics of Effective Teachers.Based on what you have learned and observed about characteristics of  effective early childhood teachers, analyze which characteristics you  possess and which 3 you would most like to improve upon in your own  practice.

Part 1 Option B: Effective Early Childhood Teaching

For Part 1 of your Competency Assessment, you will study the provided  video of an early childhood classroom and analyze how what you see in  that classroom compares with research-based information on guidelines  for developmentally appropriate practice and characteristics of  effective early childhood teachers.

To complete Part 1 of the Competency Assessment:

After you have carefully reviewed the 5 Guidelines for  Developmentally Appropriate Practice and 12 Characteristics of Effective  Early Childhood Teachers, study this video of an early childhood  classroom: Day Care Observation Video #1As you study the video try to identify at least 2 of the Guidelines  for Developmentally Appropriate Practice and 3 of the Characteristics of  Effective Early Childhood Teachers.

Then complete the chart located in the Early Childhood Effective Teaching document:

Summarize how the teacher in the video interprets and demonstrates  at least 2 of the 5 Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practice.Analyze how the observations you make in the video compare with the  research-based information in the resource. Offer 2 possible areas of  improvement.Explain how the teacher demonstrates 3 of the 12 Characteristics of Effective Teachers.Based on what you have learned and observed about characteristics of  effective early childhood teachers, analyze which characteristics you  possess and which 3 you would most like to improve upon in your own  practice.

Part 2: Effective Leadership in Early Childhood Settings

For Part 2 of your Competency Assessment, you will analyze  capabilities, practices, and understandings of effective leaders in  early childhood settings in order to develop a Leadership Assessment and  your professional philosophy of early childhood leadership.

To complete Part 2 of the Competency Assessment:

Carefully review the resources for Module 2: What is an Effective Early Childhood Leader? These include:What Does Leadership Look Like in Early Childhood Settings?A Critical Intersection: Administrative and Pedagogical LeadershipReconciling Leadership and Partnership: Strategies to Empower Professionals and Families

And the media segments:

Talking about Ethical LeadershipThe Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Leaders and AdvocatesTake time to note and reflect on the wide variety of leadership  characteristics, capabilities, practices, and understandings discussed  in the resources and how each fosters effective leadership in early  childhood settings. Also, consider leaders you respect, have known,  and/or with whom you’ve worked and which of their characteristics,  capabilities, practices, and understandings fostered their excellence as  effective leaders in early childhood settings, and also what they were  lacking.

Then develop an early childhood leadership assessment and  philosophy of effective leadership in early childhood settings by  completing the chart located in the Effective Leadership in Early  Childhood Settings document:

Choose 8 leadership characteristics, capabilities, practices, and/or  understandings of effective leaders in early childhood settings to list  in the assessment chart below.Add 2 leadership characteristics, capabilities, practices, and/or understandings of your own to the assessment chart.Share the Assessment you have created with a leader/director of an  early childhood program/setting. Ask him/her to take the assessment and  also discuss her thoughts, insights, and questions with you about the  assessment and effective leaders in early childhood settings. Summarize  the director’s thinking about effective leadership. (2 paragraphs)Analyze what you have learned from the resources, your experience  developing the assessment, and your discussion with the early childhood  leader in order to create your philosophy of effective leadership in  early childhood settings. (2-3 paragraphs). Be sure to cite your  sources.