Each teacher plans and implements an age-appropriate curriculum for their classroom. Teachers use an ongoing cycle of intentional teaching. The four phases of intentional teaching are:

• Planning and Implementing Curriculum
• Observing & Recording Children’s Development
• Conducting Developmental Assessments
• Parent / Teacher Conferences

Planning and Implementing Curriculum

Though much of the day is guided by the children’s interests, teachers must plan for children’s activities. Developmentally appropriate, weekly lesson plans for children are created that focus on skill development. Lesson plans outline weekly activities and include individual activities, large and small group activities, teacher-directed and child-initiated activities, active and quiet activities, and open-ended, process focused activities.

Observing and Recording Children’s Development

Throughout the year, teachers observe the children and gather a collection of their work, documenting the children’s developmental progress. This information is collected for individual children’s portfolios. The portfolios are presented to parents at their child’s last parent/teacher conference of the school year.

Conducting Developmental Assessments

Teachers utilize the individual children’s portfolios to prepare developmental assessments. Along with the developmental assessments, teachers prepare a narrative summary for each child which outlines his/her interests, strengths, and goals. Parents are encouraged to participate in the goal setting for their child by attending parent/teacher conferences.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/teacher conferences occur twice a year (November and May) for infants, explorers and toddlers, three times per year (November, February and May) for preschoolers. This is an opportunity for teachers and parents to share valuable information about the child’s developmental progress. Teachers and parents also discuss strategies for encouraging future growth and development.