FCC Challenge: Coding with Multiple Adults Present

Originally published December 22, 2016

Regard for Student Perspectives as defined by CLASS® is“the degree to which the teacher’s interactions with students and classroom activities place an emphasis on students’ interests, motivations, and points of view and encourage student responsibility and autonomy.” This often looks like following children's lead so that you can anticipate their needs during an activity. 

Understanding how to effectively employ CLASS's Regard for Student Perspectives while maintaining a constructive learning environment can be challenging. In the following paragraphs the fictional preschool professional, Mrs. Jones, will illustrate the indicators of Regard for Student Perspectives at circle time. I’ll then discuss her exemplary examples:

It’s not in question that educational efforts need more funding; the question is what to do with that funding when it’s received. In today’s episode, Marnetta talks to one returning guest, Sarintha Stricklin, director of the Jefferson Early Childhood Network  in Louisiana, and Jen Roberts, CEO of Agenda for Children. They’re going to talk about using funding, both how they’ve done it previously and what their vision is for the future. Listen to the episode to hear what Sarintha and Jen have to say about wh at leaders should do when they’re receiving education - specific funds, the successful investments they’ve seen and been part of, and their ideas for issues like retention and compensating educators.

The CLASS® tool’s Instructional Learning Format (ILF) dimension refers to the ways educators enhance engagement. We all know students who are engaged in school regardless of who their teacher is just simply because that is who they are. But, this dimension examines the ways in which educators expand involvement by using a variety of modalities, strategies, and providing hands-on opportunities. This dimension is not about the actual learning that may or may not take place, but rather the “hooks” and methods an educator uses to “set the stage” for learning.

Educators learning about CLASS® are asked to narrate their actions and sportscast their children’s experiences in order to support and encourage healthy language development. Hearing this, many may wonder, “Will people think I’m weird if I start talking to myself in the classroom?”

The answer is no. Self- and parallel talk are beneficial strategies for educators to engage in because they strengthen language rich environments and enhance vocabulary development, all while supporting effective relationship building between teachers and children.