Introduce Yourself!

Welcome to the Early Childhood Book Discussion Group hosted by BAEYC, Old Colony Chapter.  We will start the discussion here. Begin by posting to the "Introduce Yourself" prompt.  In your reply to this subject heading, briefly describe your background, current position, how long you've been in the field, and anything else you want us to know about yourself.

NOTE: To post comments: if you look at the bottom of this paragraph, you will notice the word "comments".  If you click on that word, a comment box will open and you will see the comments other people have made.  You will also have the ability to comment yourself. In the bottom of the comment box is an option for "choosing your identity". If you click the Name/URL option and type your FULL name in the provided box (shows after you select), your name will show at the top of your comment so that you may receive credit for your post. If you do not, you will show up as "anonymous" and will need to contact Eileen at lestudante@bridgew.edu so that your name can be added.  You can also let her know if you publish something by mistake and need to have it taken off of the blog.  We strongly suggest that you compose your thoughts in a word processing program such as Microsoft Word, and then copy (not cut!) and paste them into the comment box.  This will ensure that if something were to go wrong within the blog comment box by accident, your work is not lost.  If you are unsure how to do this, then please contact Eileen for help.  Each new discussion thread will have its own title, listed on the right side of the screen.  Click on that title, and you can see a complete listing of all the posted comments to date on that discussion topic, in chronological order.  If you wish to view a previous years discussion to better understand what the blog will look like as the dicussion proceeds, please follow this link: http://baeycbookblog2013a.blogspot.com/ .

Evidence of PI's

How do we know if we are having powerful interactions?   How do we know if we made an impact?  What outcomes do we desire, and how do we gauge whether we have met them?  How can we capture the results of powerful interactions as evidence of learning and communicating to families and directors that learning standards are being achieved?

Finding Time for PI's

How do we make time for powerful interactions, given the need to accommodate special needs and classroom management in general?  How do we balance everyone's needs?    How can we work with colleagues to implement powerful interactions as a team?

PI's as a New Version of Teaching

What is teaching?  Are powerful interactions tools for individualizing planned instruction and taking advantage of teachable moments? How do we use powerful interactions to shift from thinking of children as beings to be taught to thinking of them as knowledge generators?

Transforming Children Through PI's

“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”― Haim G. Ginott
How do we use powerful interactions to help children see themselves as thinkers?  How can we help children be present?   How do we promote mindfulness in the classroom?

PI's with Groups of Children

How can we use powerful interaction techniques when working with small or large groups?  Can we teach children to engage with each other in this way?  How does this way of interacting relate to teaching friendship skills?    

PI's with Families or Staff

How could you communicate the attitudes and techniques of powerful interactions to families or beginning teachers? Do these techniques suggest ways to develop reciprocal, respectful relationships with families?  How do you develop relationships with difficult families or colleagues? What have we tried or could we to try to develop a staff or family meeting about powerful interactions?

Using PI's with Difficult Children

What do you do when the second stage, Connecting, fails?  How do you develop powerful interactions with children that challenge you?   Are children’s basic needs, such as sleep, nutrition, security, and exercise necessary preconditions to powerful interactions?

Using PI's to Transform Children's Play

How can you apply the techniques of powerful interactions to extend and enhance children’s play by becoming a partner in their play? Do more children today need to learn how to play? How do you join in and contribute to children’s play without pre-empting their thinking or intentions? 

Final Reflection

[A response is required to receive training credits. The final reflection is in addition to the required 8 posts for training credit. All posts and final reflections should be completed by Thursday, March 13th].

For your final reflection, talk about new learnings, if any, that have come from this book and this discussion. New perspectives? New information? New connections? New priorities? Can you identify any one idea that came from the book or from the discussion as having had the greatest impact on your thinking?

 In addition, talk about specific changes in your practices you contemplate making as a result of this experience. Do you anticipate changing the way you plan and implement curriculum? The way you interact with children? The way you orient and train staff? The way you communicate with parents? Who do you feel the urge to talk to about these issues, and what do you intend to tell them?

 And, of course, feel free to share any other final thoughts you deem important. Use the above questions as ways to kick-start your thinking – don’t feel compelled to answer each and every one of the prompts! Your final reflection should be at least the equivalent of a one-page, double-spaced paper.

 

Suggestions for Next Book Discussion

If you have a suggestion for a topic or specific book that you would like to be the focus of our next book discussion, please post it here. The BAEYC Old Colony Chapter Steering Committee, which hosts this event, welcomes your suggestions.  If you know of authors who might also be available to present as part of our next Spring Conference, we would be especially interested.  Thank you for making this a valuable and insightful learning experience.