Infant Classroom Observation

by

Introduction
Infant classrooms are bustling with activity almost non-stop as the needs of infants vary from moment to moment. Day to day infant care varies depending on the individual needs of the infants. Spending a few hours in an infant classroom will provide you with an invaluable perspective on infant care and the complexity of an infant classroom. In this assignment, you will observe an infant classroom noting Developmentally Appropriate Practices, as well as NC Child Care Rules specific to this age group. You will also pay attention to teacher-child interactions during play and routines. The Assignment

This assignment is to be completed by observing in an infant classroom that serves children 6 weeks to 18 months old. You will complete an observation sheet and write a summary of the information gathered during the observation.USE VIDEO ABOVE IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO GO TO A CHILDCARE CENTER…..

  1. You are to observe an infant classroom in a licensed child care facility.
    1. If you need assistance, please let your instructor know well in advance of the due date.
    2. Your observation should be for a minimum of 3 to 5 hours.
    3. You will be looking for specific items that relate to a developmentally appropriate infant classroom.
      1. It may be necessary for you to make more than one observation to get all the information you need to complete this assignment.
      2. This cannot be a classroom in which you currently work! You need to have the opportunity to observe without participation.
    4. You must follow these specific guidelines as you begin this assignment:
      1. Call ahead to make arrangements for the observation.
      2. Be specific in your request: tell them you are a student at _____Community College and that the observation is for a class assignment.
      3. When you go to the site, sign in, and get a visitor’s name tag if required.
      4. You are to be an observer. You are not to engage the children or the teacher in casual conversation.
      5. The teacher is there for the children. You are to observe in an out of the way location and try not to call attention to yourself.
      6. You may ask questions but do not intrude on teacher-child interactions.
      7. Remember to thank the teacher and the office staff as you leave the center.
    5. Please demonstrate professional behavior before, during, and after your observation.
      1. Dress appropriately. Please be aware that many infant classrooms expect adults to remove their shoes while inside the classroom–socks and slip-on shoes are highly recommended.
      2. Come prepared with paper/pen to take notes so that you are able to represent the teachers classroom accurately when writing your paper.
      3. Be polite and courteous at all times.
    6. Confidentiality must be maintained at all times.  You are not to talk about the classroom, teacher, or children to anyone.
  2. Observe the classroom and take notes of your impressions of the following:
    1. Examples of Attention, Approval, and Attunement (pgs. 187, 217, 223, 298, 308, 390)
    2. The indoor environment (Chapter 13)
    3. Evidence/Examples of Responsive Planning and Developmentally Appropriate practices
    4. Evidence/Examples of following infant specific child care rules and regulations such as:
      1. 10A NCAC 09 .0606 SAFE SLEEP PRACTICES
        1. Request a copy of the centers safe sleep policy. It would be best to ask for this when you set up your observation.
        2. You will want to watch for how and when teachers document sleeping infant checks.
        3. Find out where are the sleep logs are kept.
        4. Look for the classroom temperature during your visit. Document the temperature on your classroom observation worksheet.
        5. Observe if teachers are placing infants who are asleep or going to sleep on their backs/
        6. Did you observe any I have been seen rolling over on _____ (date) posted next to any cribs?
    5. 10A NCAC 09 .0511 DAILY ROUTINES FOR CHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OF AGE
      1. During tummy time, are the children supervised? How? On what type of surface was the child placed for tummy time? Did you see any developmental opportunities being addressed during tummy time? Does the center have a tummy time policy?
    6. Developmentally Appropriate Practice Looking specifically for:
      1. Evidence of a caring community of learners
      2. How teaching/interactions enhance development and learning
      3. Curriculum appropriate (or not?) for the childrens ages
      4. Evidence of assessment of infants
      5. Reciprocal relationships with families
  3.  Write a 3 to 5-page paper detailing the following:
    1. Identify the center/school/teacher’s name, the school’s phone number, and a contacts mail address. (This contact information will be used to ensure that the specified professionalism guidelines have been met, so you make sure that the information is valid.)
    2. Identify the age group of children. How many children were present? How many staff were present? Were there any changes in staff while you were there?
    3. Describe examples of the 3 As from Chapter 4 in your textbook). If you dont see the 3 As, describe what you saw and how that was in opposition to the 3 As.
    4. Describe the environment, including but not limited to:
      1. Learning centers
      2. Caregiver interactions with children
      3. Caregiver interactions with families (if observed)
      4. Health and safety considerations including but not limited to:
        1. Sanitation and hand washing
        2. Food preparation
        3. Infant sleeping (Where–in cribs or in other contraptions? When were sleeping infants checked?)
      5. Care routines. Note if those events were used by caregivers to promote the development of the children.
        1. Diapering interactions between teacher/child
        2. Mealtime interactions between teacher/child
    5. Describe the activity/activities that you observed in the classroom. Provide enough detail so that your instructor can visualize what you saw during your observation.
    6. Evaluate the classroom environment as Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) or Developmentally Inappropriate Practice (DIP).
      1. Evaluate whether or not you considered the classroom, interactions, and activities DAP. Why or why not?
      2. How did the teacher address any or all of the 5 Guidelines for Decisions about DAP?
    7. What was your overall impression of the classroom and why? If the classroom was DAP, what did you learn from the observation? If the classroom was DIP, what would you change to support Developmentally Appropriate Practices?
    8. Finally, reflect on what you have learned in this course thus far or your own personal experience with infants with the time you spent in the classroom in which you observed.

    Grading Criteria:  Your assignment submission will be evaluated using this rubric:  Click for more options(opens in a new download window)
    Resources:  To successfully complete this assignment, you will need to utilize all resources.

  • (opens in a new window)
    https://vlc.nccommunitycolleges.edu/bb-templates/writing-assignments.html
  • (opens in a new window)
    https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
  • (opens in a new window)
    http://vlc.nccommunitycolleges.edu/storyline/EDU234-May2019/M3-documents/PSDAP.pdf
  • (opens in a new window)
    https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/dap/10-effective-dap-teaching-strategies
  •  (opens in a new window)
    https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Portals/0/documents/pdf/D/DCDEE_Rulebook.pdf 

To Submit