{"id":23314,"date":"2024-05-17T09:08:49","date_gmt":"2024-05-17T13:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/elps\/?p=23314"},"modified":"2024-05-22T11:08:56","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T15:08:56","slug":"supporting-early-childhood-teacher-growth-and-deevelopment-with-actionable-context-based-feedback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/elps\/supporting-early-childhood-teacher-growth-and-deevelopment-with-actionable-context-based-feedback\/","title":{"rendered":"Supporting Early Childhood Teacher Growth and Development with Actionable Context-Based Feedback"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Dr. Mary Lynne Derrington & Dr. Alyson Lavigne <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Please Note: This is the final part of a four-part series on actionable feedback. Stay tuned for the next posts that will focus on Leadership Content Knowledge (LCK) and teacher feedback in the areas of STEM, Literacy, and Early Childhood Education<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missed the beginning of the series?\u00a0Click here to read Part 1<\/a>
<\/em>on making teacher feedback count<\/em>!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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According to the\u00a0Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University<\/a>, in the first few years of life more than 1 million new neural connections form every second. With children experiencing rapid brain development from birth to age 8, early childhood education and the experiences in those settings are critical for building a foundation of lifelong learning and success. Thus, supporting the educators who teach these early learners is perhaps one of the best educational investments that any school leader can make.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way leaders support teachers is to observe classrooms and provide feedback.\u00a0Maria Boeke Mongillo<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Kristine Reed Woleck<\/a>\u00a0argue that those who observe and provide feedback to early childhood educators can leverage leadership content knowledge\u2014knowledge about the principles of early childhood education\u2014and apply that knowledge to the observation cycle and the context in which early childhood educators work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To apply leadership content knowledge, school leaders should first be familiar with the\u00a0National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)<\/a>\u00a0and their\u00a0principles of child development and learning, most recently published in 2020<\/a>. The list of nine principles includes the essential element of play for promoting joyful learning to foster self-regulation, language, cognitive and social competencies, and content knowledge across disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a school leader is familiar with NAEYC\u2019s nine principles, they may consider applying early childhood-informed \u201clook-fors\u201d during an observation with related questions that can be used during a pre- or post-observation conference. Examples by area of teaching are provided below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning Environment<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Look-Fors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n