A Closer Look at our Virtual Preschool Education Program with a Certified Teacher
Preschool teacher Susan Owen shared a picture of her classroom’s Zoom session, which was drawn by a 3-year old student. Notice the details of the colorful vegetables, fruits, letters, and words that the preschooler included on the children’s clothing. The artist who created this picture has only attended our Virtual Preschool Program.
Certified Teachers Engage Children and Their Families Through Virtual Sessions to Support Young Learners' Healthy Growth and Development
It's the start of the school day and teacher Theresa Mettee is smiling, looking at the beaming faces of 20 preschoolers. "Good morning children," she says. "Good morning, Miss Theresa," they respond. She then holds up a note card with a student's first name written in neat letters. "Everyone, let's say hello to Lena." She emphasizes the name's 'L' sound, reminding the children that 'L' is the letter of the week.
This welcoming greeting builds a sense of community. It's a typical start to an atypical classroom -- Ms. Mettee is teaching virtually via Zoom, one of Children's Village's eight remote preschool classes, each led by a certified teacher.
Pivoting to Remote Learning
Pandemic-related health and safety measures triggered changes to many Children's Village programs, including pivoting some preschool classes to remote learning. While the approach is new, it is anchored in Children's Village's longstanding commitment to excellence.
Ms. Mettee and her students may not be face-to-face in the same physical classroom, but Ms. Mettee is building meaningful student-teacher relationships, engaging and supporting families as the most important teacher, and nurturing children's range of developmental needs.
The school day includes two 30-minute whole class sessions, individualized lessons in small groups (4-5 children), and one-on-one 'office hours.' Parents and/or grandparents join the sessions. Teachers also provide play-based educational activities for the children when they are not in class.
Ensuring the Benefits of Quality Early Learning
Although it can never replace the powerful learning environment that our on-site program provides, during the COVID-19 crisis our Virtual Preschool Program with a Certified Teacher is a way to support children's development in the critical early learning years.
"Not all families are ready to return to our on-site classrooms and the second-best option is our remote preschool. We are doing so with great sensitivity to screen-time limitations and best practices regarding digital technology. Teachers leading our virtual classrooms are highly skilled educators. They understand what children need to learn and thrive and they respect family's key role," says Mary Graham, Executive Director, Children's Village.
Engaging Families: Educating Children Together
Families' involvement in early education is the foundation of students' healthy growth and development. Ms. Mettee's daily office hours allow her to individualize lessons and work one-on-one with children and families to help children achieve their goals.
"Just as I would in a physical classroom, I spend a lot of time observing the children to see their response to lessons. How are they reacting? How can I adjust my approach? Families know their children best and we work together. I also look for developmental issues. I may observe a child struggling with the tripod grip using their pencil. I'll discuss it with the parent and provide play-based exercises that help with fine motor skills, which I'll continue to monitor," says Ms. Mettee. In-depth virtual home visits and parent/teacher conferences are also provided.
Removing Language Barriers and Providing Ongoing Communication
To ensure that language is not a barrier, a Children's Village's staff member joins a large group Zoom session daily to translate. Children's Village also uses the communication platform Class Dojo, which allows teachers and families to share what's being learned in the classroom and at home through photos, videos, and messages. It also automatically translates messages.
Despite Challenges, Deepening Relationships and Building Community
Family members' presence during sessions has been an adjustment for Ms. Mettee. "I'm not only teaching and engaging children but also parents, grandparents, and often younger siblings!" says Ms. Mettee. While it can be challenging, Ms. Mettee embraces its upside.
"I've deepened relationships with many families. We have consistent opportunities to work together on behalf of their child. By seeing firsthand my interactions with their child, families gain a greater understanding of how I am nurturing all aspects of their child's development," she adds. She also sees connections among families. "Families are reaching out to each other outside of the sessions, sharing ideas and resources and building a supportive community."
(l to r photos, above) 1) Ms. Mettee read a book about emotions. She then asked the students to create faces showing different feelings. 2)After learning about the four seasons, students created items that reflected each one, including summer popsicles! 3) A student shares his journal entry of a lion roaring! 4) As a child uses scissors, Ms. Mettee observes fine motor skills.
Ms. Mettee is also heartened by the ways in which the children are developing relationships with and learning from each other, even though they are not physically in the same space. Children's Village supports the whole child, including social-emotional development.
"We teach the children about feelings, how to identify them, and helpful ways to express them. We talk about kindness. During a small group, a student asked her classmate about a small cut on his face and he explained how he got it. The student who asked about the injury, then ran and grabbed her Band-Aids and showed them on her Zoom screen because she wanted him to have one!" says Ms. Mettee.
Using the Home Environment as a Teaching Tool and Offering Creative, Interactive Lessons
Ms. Mettee trains other early educators through Children's Village adult Learning Lab. She offers workshops that focus on ways to work with families to enrich math learning. In her virtual classroom, play-based lessons include fun activities with materials issued by Children's Village or already in the home.
(l to right, slide show above) 1 &2) In Ms. Mettee’s virtual classroom, she shows families how to help children use building blocks and other toys to create simple addition problems. 3) She also teaches children how to identify and create patterns using items in the home. A student created a pattern using bath toys and soaps!
( l to r, photos below) 1) Ms. Mettee shows families that they can use recycled cereal boxes to build an 'ABC' construction set, cutting out shapes for children to create the letters of the alphabet. 2) For a lesson on measurement, she has students measure objects using non-standard units. A student used toy bears to measure his building logs. 3) Ms. Mettee also encourages exploration through hands-on science experiments using simple materials. After a lesson on cold weather, including salt trucks, she demonstrates an experiment using salt to attach string to ice. Children and families then work on the experiment outside of class time. A student focuses on her successful outcome!
Keeping the 'Heart and Soul' of Preschool
Ms. Mettee maintains routines and schedules so children know what to expect and engages students in developmentally appropriate activities to meet learning standards, while also building interpersonal relationships with her students and families. "I am trying to keep the heart and soul of what preschool is," says Ms. Mettee.
"Throughout this pandemic, Children's Village's teachers and staff--those working on-site and those teaching virtually--continue to rise to incredible challenges to best serve students entrusted to their care. While the virtual preschool is not equivalent to our center-based approach, our highly skilled teachers leading virtual classrooms are ensuring that children -- during the most critical phase of their development -- are still benefiting from play-based learning activities across all domains," says Mary Graham.
Download the Virtual Preschool Program flyer here. To learn about our programs, including Infant Care, Toddler, Preschool, and our School-Age Access Center, visit How to Enroll.