Professional Portfolio Artifact(s) Reflections Cover Sheet PLO: Apply effective guidance and interaction strategies that support

all childrens social learning identity and confidence. The Artifacts I have included to demonstrate my competence in PLO 3 include:
Guidance Scenarios (CHDV 110, revised CHDV 210)

Photo Journal (Created in CHDV 210)

I.

Explanation: How is the content of these artifacts used to demonstrate my competence in this PLO and what specific knowledge, skills, or belief systems are demonstrated?
Guidance scenarios

This artifact is important because it shows that I am able to use effective guidance tools towards children. As I was doing my guidance scenarios in my CHDV 110 I used most of the knowledge that I obtained from the books and notes from class. In this class, I learned about the importance of I-messages and positive feedback, those were the tools that I used the most while I was doing my guidance scenarios. I used what I learned from the book as a skill to fill out the necessary portions of the guidance scenarios. These skills were actually knowing when to use the different tools. In all of the scenarios, I used I-messages to get my point across to the children. I also used a lot of positive reinforcement. I believe that I-messages as well as reflective statements are very important to get our point across.
Photo Journal

I learned from the photo journal a couple of different things. First off, it is not easy to capture the interaction between teacher and students with pictures. I learned that if I give children the right opportunities, they usually do better than I expected. For example, children do very well at negotiating conflict on their own if we give them enough time. I use this knowledge as a skill. Whenever I saw conflict, I let it play out to see how the children solve it. It even worked when I didnt have an answer to a question. I would as well what do you think? giving them the opportunity to answer their own question. This also helps a child feel more important. When we sit there and listen to what they have to say, it boosts their self-confidence and creates way for future ideas that they may have. I believe that children tend to be underestimated and can solve more than what we give them credit for. I also believe that we should always listen tot their suggestions and to their stories. II. Growth: How do these artifacts demonstrate my growth in knowledge and skill?

 Guidance Scenarios

When I first finished my guidance scenarios I had a good foundation on why and how to use the guidance tools. As I started in the classroom, I got a completely different perspective on guidance. My skills definitely expanded. For example, during my first days, I found myself asking children can you please. I found that children would simply say no but after listening to how everyone else spoke to the children I started to say, I need you to. That is very effective. Although I knew that I-messages were effective it was a little rough for me to get used to wording my sentences that way. My skills have definitely improved. I have also found out how reflective feedback works first hand. Children really like the positivity and I try to express it as encouragement, not as praise. It is important for children to be intrinsically motivated so they can grow, not to please us. My beliefs on I-messages and encouragement have only strengthened since being in the classroom. Most children can make good decisions and I have witnessed how much they enjoy reflective statements.
Photo Journal

I have learned a lot of new things about children from being in the preschool. I have learned that although still egocentric, children have a natural sense of empathy. They care when one is hurt and feel for one another. As I stated earlier, the right encouragement opens doors for children to take initiative and to get creative. I used listening skills to try to make children feel important they like that their voice was heard. Whenever any of them had anything to say, I would listen carefully to their story. I believe that all children need to be heard. This helps us understand the children better and models good prosocial skills so that they can practice them as well.
II.

Application: How am I going to build on the knowledge and skill that is demonstrated (In other words, what are your next steps?) and how will this knowledge, skill, or belief system be integrated into my future teaching practice.
In my classroom, I will continue to use the tools that I have learned in all of my previous

courses and the ones that I have obtained from being in the classroom. I will allow children to say their peace and to have them think of their own solutions to problems. In order to keep my guidance tools up to date I will take guidance and discipline classes as often as I can. New strategies surface up all of the time and I want to be as effective as possible when it comes down to discipline.
I believe that it is important for childrens voice to be heard but most importantly for

teachers to model sympathy and empathy, because we are the childrens role models. In my classroom I will show my sympathy when a child is in distress. I will also talk about other childrens perspectives in order to help children see things from a different angle. In

order for me to keep promoting respectful interactions, I will talk to other teachers and ask about their strategies. They may have better ideas and we can exchange useful information.