Having chosen a topic that is very important for early years’ settings in the UK, I feel that the presentation that we had prepared is a useful resource for colleagues to turn back to when they need to prepare themselves for an Ofsted inspection. In my opinion, as we had a member of the team that has experienced an Ofsted inspection and have used up-to-date information about the Ofsted process, I think that this has validated our information.
A strength of our PowerPoint was that it well planned in advance. By this, I mean that we had evaluated ourselves to understand our personal strengths and weaknesses of presenting. For instance, when I evaluated myself, my strengths were that I can create and design the presentation, do research for it,
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They state that my choice of action would lead me to add unnecessary visuals and that I would find myself adapting to the “material” and the appearance of the presentations in comparison to the subject knowledge. I, however, disagree with this as I have observed that having slides with all the information provided for a school staff defeats the point of presenting. From my previous experience of presenting, I think that if I had put all the information on the slides, I would not be required to present it to the staff as they would be able to just read off the presentation. By this, they may not be trained in the most efficient manner as they would not be able to receive support from the presenters if they had any questions or they may also interpret the information in a different manner to what the presenter hoped they would. One author that agrees with my choice of action is Happell, (2009). They suggest that when preparing a presentation, there should be no more than 3-5 points on each slide. This states that a presentation should only have the main points on the slides and not the full information as it can distract the audience from paying attention to what information is being said/presented to them as they may just read off the slides instead of understanding what is being said about the information on the
These strengths and weaknesses were mainly discovered through the papers that we have written. I have many strengths when I’m writing papers and at the same time, I have many weaknesses. In my papers, I have noticed that one of my biggest strengths is how articulate I am. The papers that have been written by myself show that I structured sentences to present ideas in different ways. It is not straightforward and boring when ideas are presented. I like to keep the reader hooked on my paper. In order to keep up with this strength, I like to read articles. The articles I read are typically the ones that present new ideas or start arguments. This is one of my strengths that I am very proud
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was implemented in England in 2008 and applies to all children aged 0-5. This new curriculum combined existing government ideas regarding the care of under 5s including the 'Every Child Matters' (ECM) policy: children's services have to respond to 5 outcomes for all children from birth to 18: being healthy, being protected from harm and neglect, being enabled to enjoy and achieve, making a positive contribution to society, and contributing to economic well-being. The statutory EYFS document stated a need for a 'coherent and flexible approach to care and learning' (DfES - Department for Education and Skills 2007; cited in Palaiologou, 2010, p.11 ), and ensures a quality experience for children regardless of the pre-school setting. EYFS and its direct predecessors were introduced based on the realisation that quality of teaching and management of schools play a central role in children's quality of learning, not socio-economic and educational background, as was previously thought. Pre-school education was seen as a method of helping children 'break the cycle of deprivation' (Baldock, 2009, p.20). However, research by Potter immediately prior to the inception of the EYFS concluded that due to 'insufficiently rigorous conceptual underpinnings, particularly in the area of language and communicatio...
Reviews from Tickell (2011); the independent chair of the EYFS review, supported and criticised the curriculum which was brought in by the government. Stating mistakes and suggesting improvements which needed to be made. As recommended by Tickell a new reformed EYFS was introduced in 2012 updating and making EYFS exceptional. This reform strengthened the curriculum by outlining and changing the problems which became difficult for early years practitioners. The reform adapted by reducing paperwork, strengthening parents and practitioners relationships, simplifying assessments, and providing early intervention where necessary. Critiquing the 2008 version of EYFS, it is clear that Tickell states positive aspects of the curriculum towards the impact on children in an early years setting. Some
National Quality Standard. (2013, Spetember). Retrieved from Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority: http://acecqa.gov.au/
As a qualified early years practitioner level 2, I am a reliable and motivated, and delicate to children’s individual needs. Its really important for an early year practitioner to have a range of skills and attributes to a good level of knowledge in many areas such as child development, observation and assessment, safeguarding, legislation, policies and procedures also working with others.
Tickell, C., 2011. The Early Years: Foundations for life, health and learning. An independent report on the Early Years Foundation Stage to Her Majesty’s Government. London: HMG
Whalley, M.E., and Allen, S. (2011). Leading Practice in Early Years Settings (2nd ed). Exeter: Learning Matters.
Identifying and understanding your own personal strengths is key to being a successful leader. Knowing your strengths means you can focus your efforts to maximize results, in yourself and in others. Strengths Finder 2.0 is designed to uncover your strengths and utilize these strengths to your advantage (Rath, 2007). Identifying and applying these strengths to your leadership style, will enhance your effectiveness as a transformational leader.
Research carried out by Ofsted (2011) shows that, assessment improved a practitioner’s awareness of a child’s strengths and weaknesses. Subsequently, this had a positive influence on their planning, as they were able to differentiate and offer adequate support for children. Ofsted believes it to be the best way to improve pupil’s attainment (Ofsted, 2011).
When working with children it is essential that all members of staff are aware of the different polices that the setting follows and they must also ensure that they correctly follow them in their own practice. There are many different polices to follow within the setting to ensure the safety and well-being of the children and also to ensure that practitioners are aware of polices that concern us and our rights. The framework that the setting follows is the EYFS, this states how children need to be cared for and ways in how their needs and requirements can be met based on their development stages. Good. It also consists of the seven areas of learning and outlines outcomes of learning which are expected for the different age groups within the setting. The demand for childcare has increased within the UK for due to different influences such as an increase in single parent households and government aims to ensure that parent’s find employment or training to support them with looking for jobs. To meet the different needs of the families the early years sector needs to ensure that they are fulfilling the requirements through providing appropriate services. Parents require suitable care for their children so that they are able to return to work, provide a setting for their child where they are able to learn and make progress with their development.
Another strength that I have is being an active listener. I listened to my clients and utilized a lot of micro skills. Insuring confidentiality was also a strength that I developed closer to the end of field placement. Conducting assessments and making sure I tracked and exhausted the topics was also a strength that I identified throughout field. Practicing from a strengths perspective was also another area I excelled at when working with my clients. A skill that I could work on is being more conscious of self in terms of body language during interviews, because at times I find myself with my arms cross which may give an indication that I’m closed off or
One strength I had was the organization of the essay. My sentences I wrote were not all over the place each paragraph talks about one topic. One weakness I had with writing this essay was my writing style. I noticed that in this essay my writing style was a bit choppy. I should have read my essay out loud to see if it had a good flow between my ideas.
I would describe some of strengths as being able to define clear objectives when working in group settings whether it is in the working world or in academic settings and communicating clearly to the rest of the people in my group when I am in the lead or not. I communicate clearly to other people what I want to achieve out of working in a group, but also what I want them to achieve themselves. As a leader it is imperative that I allow other people in the group to learn and grow along with the rest of the group. I enjoy defining clear objectives when I am a leader and not a leader because it provides the rest of my peers an efficient way of working together. If the objectives are not clear and concise then the productivity of the group will
Practice is a major role that needs to be played when it comes to presenting. Practicing, I feel gives you more confidence in your speech, and more preparation than if you were to not practice. Rehearsing before the speech then presenting makes you seem like you actually know what you are talking about even if the only reason you know all these facts is because of study and practicing. Practicing through my speech really helps me with my presentation, if I practice enough, I feel very confident to where I wouldn’t need t a paper to look at notes during the speech. This concept is important for anything. Practicing will always help you with any future task.
Robert-Holmes, G. (2011). It’s the bread and butter of our practice’: experiencing the Early Years Foundation Stage, International Journal, 20(1), pp. 30-42.