Developing Young Minds: Fostering Connections through Relationships(part 1 of final project)
10 Points
Understanding child development and the importance of building relationships is an essential part of teaching. This assignment will provide you the opportunity to dive into child development and think about how to build relationships as a teacher and the importance of the role of parents in their child’s education.
Directions: Select a child who is of elementary school age, (first through sixth grade). Be sure to get parent’s consent for this project. This can be a neighbor, cousin, sibling, your own child. Please contact the instructor if you do not have access to a school aged child. Be sure to read or reread the chapter in Yardsticks that pertains to your selected child’s age.
*******hi! you do not have to choose a real child to use for this project, you can make up a child if you’d like! *****
- Provide background information. Please do not share the child’s name.
- Share child’s age and grade level
- Create a questionnaire or list of questions you will ask the child or their caregiver. Consider what you would need to know about what excites them academically, socially, creatively, physically, etc. What challenges do they face?
- Share your questionnaire or list of questions with your findings.
- Write a letter as the teacher to your child’s caregiver. Imagine that you are sending this letter prior to the first day of school. (You do not need to send this letter.)
- Introduce yourself as the teacher. Often teachers share interests and hobbies.
- Discuss the exciting activities you will be doing in the classroom. You are wanting to connect to the students interests, needs, and overall environment of the classroom.
Assessment of this assignment will be based on the quality of writing, incorporation of learning from Yardsticks, and attention to the audience.